Who the heck could the Sox even sign in FA next year?

[caulfield12]

https://sports.yahoo.com/shohei-ohtani-and-who-else-ranking-10-more-2023-24-mlb-free-agents-in-crucial-contract-years-214330850.HTML

 

Ohtani to Sox is a no go since they didn't make his initial preference list and he will likely receive $475-525 million anyway... basically 6-7x the White Sox biggest FA contract in Benintendi. 

Amed Rosario is currently the #4 option in the class.  Yikes!   Harrison Bader #5??? 

Chapman isn't realistic with Moncada on the books. 

Everyone will seemingly bid on Nola and/or Urias.  Forget those two. 

Teoscar Hernandez is basically Eloy Jimenez but healthier. 

 

Then you have Sonny Gray, Blake Snell, Jack Flaherty and Giolito... wouldn't go after any of them with a ten foot pole, but Sox will probably play up Flaherty/Katz high school connection since no other names obviously jump out. 

Gray I guess would "take/subtract" from Minny but it would take a lot more than  him to really move the meter. 

 

 

Edited April 13, 2023 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

MLB Trade Rumors Version

 

4.  Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Orix Buffaloes: Back in February, Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote that there is “strong belief among MLB teams” that Yamamoto will be posted by the Buffaloes after the season.  As MLBTR’s Steve Adams wrote, “Yamamoto is already a four-time NPB All-Star and has taken home both the Pacific League MVP Award and the Sawamura Award (Japan’s equivalent to MLB’s Cy Young Award) in each of the past two seasons.

Have Jordan Montgomery and Josh Hader in their Top Ten. 

Extensive write up on Giolito at #6. 

 

Other players considered for this list, or who have a chance to play their way onto it, include Max Scherzer, Luis Severino, Tyler Mahle, Sean Manaea, Harrison Bader, Michael Conforto, Amed Rosario, and Jung Hoo Lee.  Of course, one of the best parts of baseball is surprising performances, and we’ll revisit the 2023-24 MLB Free Agent Power Rankings every month.

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/04/2023-24-mlb-free-agent-power-rankings.html

Edited April 13, 2023 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

https://benhowell71.com/lee-jung-hoo/

http://junghoolee51.com/Scoutingreport

 

 

Note:  Cubs just signed Ian Happ to a contract extension... 

Edited April 13, 2023 by caulfield12

[Tnetennba]

No FA signing is fixing this mess.  Not that they would even be in the running for true impact talent in the first place. 

[Vote4Pedro]

This is the Sox, they have screamed that they are broke for years now. They won’t be signing anyone of importance, not with the dollar amounts that were paid out last season around the league. 

[EloyJenkins]

Above all they just need to be healthy, consistent and productive, which hasn't happened...but our GM will spin this. 

Unfortunately Hahn will hang on to "the team we have is on the field" and disappoint once again. 

But here is what the offseason needs would be if they had a decent GM: 
Most pressing: 
Starting Catcher - MUST be pitch frame excellent based to get most out of what could be a very different staff. 
Starting Pitchers - 3 potentially needed - Giolito is gone. they have to address that with a #3 starter at worst. Clevenger very well may walk. Lynn could be traded or declined on club option since it will be his 37 year old season. 

2nd baseman - I am not confident Romy is the answer. Sosa should get every chance to show his worth, but enough is enough, sign someone if both of them fail in 2023.  

And that is it. Obviously they will need to address the bullpen some, but the core is set for 2024 (before it either get's absolutely nuked or Jerry Dies)

[wegner]

26 minutes ago, Vote4Pedro said:

This is the Sox, they have screamed that they are broke for years now. They won’t be signing anyone of importance, not with the dollar amounts that were paid out last season around the league. 

What about that cash they just got from Arizona for Ruiz?....that should help.

[JoeCredeYes]

I would trade Eloy the minute he puts together a solid healthy stretch for cost controlled SPs with upside, probably not going to get much in return but at least stock up on some healthy arms.  Just DH Sheets against RHP and work in right handers at DH vs LHP.  

[Tnetennba]

2 hours ago, wegner said:

What about that cash they just got from Arizona for Ruiz?....that should help.

it’s already spoken for…

[The Kids Can Play]

Whoever the Sox sign in FA in the off season, I pray it isn't Rick Hahn or Kenny Williams handling it.

[The Grinder]

RH will find some marginal AAA 35 yr old on the scrap heap, then pitch it as a great signing

[ChiSoxTrojan]

After this past offseason, the Sox are due to hand out a $30M+ contract to an aging RP, so my money's on Hader.

[greg775]

4 hours ago, Vote4Pedro said:

This is the Sox, they have screamed that they are broke for years now. They won’t be signing anyone of importance, not with the dollar amounts that were paid out last season around the league. 

It might be time to change as fans. Just be happy we have a major league baseball team in our city to follow. I don't think anybody on this board has listed a viable scenario in which the team can get back on track as a contender for years to come. Not sure how wise it was to sign Beni for five years though some baseball experts like him a lot.

Edited April 13, 2023 by greg775

[caulfield12]

1 hour ago, ChiSoxTrojan said:

After this past offseason, the Sox are due to hand out a $30M+ contract to an aging RP, so my money's on Hader.

That would PROBABLY require jettisoning Hendriks off the payroll. 

Probably. 

Hader is no longer automatic and his stuff is down 1-2 notches from overuse.  His control is also very erratic. 

Normally 94-97 now. 

[Lip Man 1]

Maybe a better question would be what free agent would WANT to sign with this organization unless they overpay given the poor track record.

[caulfield12]

1 minute ago, Lip Man 1 said:

Maybe a better question would be what free agent would WANT to sign with this organization unless they overpay given the poor track record.

Luis Robert is the only player we were outbid for and still won against StL due to the Cuban Connection. 

Konerko, lol? 

[SonofaRoache]

10 hours ago, JoeCredeYes said:

I would trade Eloy the minute he puts together a solid healthy stretch for cost controlled SPs with upside, probably not going to get much in return but at least stock up on some healthy arms.  Just DH Sheets against RHP and work in right handers at DH vs LHP.  

Yeah because other GMs are gonna be fooled this easily. 

[caulfield12]

4 minutes ago, SonofaRoache said:

Yeah because other GMs are gonna be fooled this easily. 

When's the last time we heard of the White Sox front office playing 3-D chess, lol?

[hankchifan]

18 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

https://sports.yahoo.com/shohei-ohtani-and-who-else-ranking-10-more-2023-24-mlb-free-agents-in-crucial-contract-years-214330850.HTML

 

Ohtani to Sox is a no go since they didn't make his initial preference list and he will likely receive $475-525 million anyway... basically 6-7x the White Sox biggest FA contract in Benintendi. 

Amed Rosario is currently the #4 option in the class.  Yikes!   Harrison Bader #5??? 

Chapman isn't realistic with Moncada on the books. 

Everyone will seemingly bid on Nola and/or Urias.  Forget those two. 

Teoscar Hernandez is basically Eloy Jimenez but healthier. 

 

Then you have Sonny Gray, Blake Snell, Jack Flaherty and Giolito... wouldn't go after any of them with a ten foot pole, but Sox will probably play up Flaherty/Katz high school connection since no other names obviously jump out. 

Gray I guess would "take/subtract" from Minny but it would take a lot more than  him to really move the meter. 

 

 

White Sox are not an attractive option for the more elite FA, even less with the home office triumvirate of: JR, Kenny and Hahn.

[hankchifan]

13 hours ago, Vote4Pedro said:

This is the Sox, they have screamed that they are broke for years now. They won’t be signing anyone of importance, not with the dollar amounts that were paid out last season around the league. 

They may not make much income, but it is a rapidly appreciating asset with the current high sport team valuations, with all those billionaires throwing money around.

[caulfield12]

Brewers/Rays/Guardians/A's/Twins/Orioles

Cardinals/Braves/Blue Jays

Dodgers/Giants/Astros

 

Need to find an exec/GM from one of these three tiers... preferably the first grouping. 

Someone who could conceivably field a competitive team within 3-4 years with a budget of just $100-125 million. 

Edited April 14, 2023 by caulfield12

[pcq]

7 hours ago, hankchifan said:

They may not make much income, but it is a rapidly appreciating asset with the current high sport team valuations, with all those billionaires throwing money around.

We need to know what their operating revenue is no?

[caulfield12]

I was just watching the new "AIR" movie about Nike and Deloris Jordan...

The thing that REALLY struck me was the fact that I could just never imagine Rick Hahn believing in something so much that he would risk his entire career, his position, his family on the type of bet Sonny Vaccaro made on Michael Jordan.

I couldn't imagine him pulling all-nighter after all-nighter in week before the draft or right before hosting Machado or Harper...that desire of wearing his heart on his sleeve in the quest for Sox greatness.

It's not that he couldn't even give an emotional speech that spoke directly to Sox fans or a future #1 draft pick or free agent target, it's that there's something in his manner that says all the right things but it just lacks the conviction, the belief, that what he believes in is right and good and that he can almost will it into reality in the future by sheer determination.  It feels like that's why we come up short on so many important free agent negotiations...in the end, he's representing Jerry Reinsdorf, and there's always going to be a limit to what he's willing to offer because that risk-averse side of the baseball operations execs and Board of Directors will kick in and they'll get lost in all the things that MIGHT go wrong instead of focusing on what COULD go right.  There was a point in time that KW once legitimately believed the Sox could win the battle for the city of Chicago with the Cubs...now, it's almost like Hahn is resigned to his fate and playing out the string like a marionette, but any vision of this team BEING great/amazing has disappeared with the morning fog.

I just don't and can't believe in Rick Hahn...even to the extent that we placed our faith in the KW who wasn't afraid to hurl over the post-game spread tables to get his point across.  An Ozzie and Cora who weren't afraid to haul those players out in the early morning or offdays when they kept making the same mistakes in fundamentals or execution.

KW once had that edge, that chip on his shoulder when he was in his 30's and 40's, but he too has lost that burning fire and passion for the team/organization.

After almost two decades of Rick Hahn, I still don't have a clue what he actually stands for...whatever it is, it's certainly not excellence.  I also don’t get the feeling he has genuinely been desperate for anything in his life, that everything has come way too easily and too quickly without it being earned on the talent evaluation side.  He’s always going to be more of a lawyer/negotiator than criss-crossing the continent or flying over oceans to locate the next great Sox player.

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by caulfield12

[GreenSox]

No FA, no problem.
Hahn and Haber will just emulate the Rays!

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

17 hours ago, greg775 said:

 Not sure how wise it was to sign Beni for five years though some baseball experts like him a lot.

That was my thinking this off season when I advocated trying to acquire some young rookie OF's. But mostly everyone here didn't like that idea.

The team needed to get younger , faster , better, more power. LH defensively and cheaper in the OF so that's where I started. The money used on Beni could've been used to try and sign a pitcher for multiple years given the Gio, Lynn and Clevinger situations and the dearth of pitching in the next free agent class.

But very few agreed or wanted untested, slightly older or unranked rookies. It was a mini retool and not necessarily geared at competing this year unless those rookies performed but would 've looked better for the future and freed up money for other areas.

Still hoping the Sox can turn it around this year but with the recent spate of injuries things are looking grim for at least as long as it takes for those players to get healthy without other pieces also getting injured and the pitching to somehow get better.

I'll give it to into June and see if Crochet becomes a reliever again or if they are going to rehab him in the minors as a starter. Hard to count on Hendriks to become his old self. He could take a while to get back up to speed. I liked the Beni signing just because it was a LH batter but as stated, I preferred getting younger, faster, LH and more power.