2016 Winter Meetings

[Orange Juiced]

Last year:

- Needed a top-of-the-rotation starter. David Price - check

- Needed a top-of-the-line closer. Craig Kimbrel - check

 

This year:

- Needed a really good 7th-8th inning reliever. Tyler Thornburg - check

- Needed a useful lefty bat to help with 1b/DH. Mitch Moreland - check

- Didn't exactly *need*, but sure could have used, an upgrade in the SP. Chris Sale - checkcheckcheck

 

This isn't like the 80s Yankees, who kept trading away youth to add mid 30's veterans. Thornburg is 28. Sale is 27. Price was 30 when they signed him. Kimbrel is 28. They still have Benintendi (21), Bogaerts (23), Betts (23), Bradley (26), Leon (27), Vazquez (25), Swihart (24), Hernandez (23), Rodriguez (23), plus Devers, Groome, Travis, Johnson, Chavis, Longhi, and yes, even Trey Ball (AFL all star, baby!) on the farm. And of the veterans, it's not like the Sox are trotting out anyone "old". It's Pedroia (32), Hanley (32), Holt (28), Young (32), Pablo (29), Porcello (29), Pomeranz (27), etc.

 

So this isn't just a play to "win now". It's a play to win now but also over the next X number of years too.

[Orange Juiced]

Your offense won't be as good. Losing Ortiz' ridiculous production hurts. But you just replaced Clay Suchholz in your rotation with a top 5 guy in all of baseball. That should offset it. And everyone is forgetting about Carson Smith. He'll be back mid season. He may. It be his vintage self til 2018, but as a reliever might get back to his stuff by playoff time. That's one hard throwing pen

 

 

The offense loses Ortiz, but it gains another full year (with experience) from Betts, Bradley, Bogaerts, and - most importantly - Benintendi. We shall see if that helps offset the loss of Papi.

 

The pitching staff should be MUCH better. Sale, Price, and Porcello pitched 226, 230, and 223 innings, respectively, last year, and that will take an enormous strain off the bullpen.

[moonslav59]

The offense loses Ortiz, but it gains another full year (with experience) from Betts, Bradley, Bogaerts, and - most importantly - Benintendi. We shall see if that helps offset the loss of Papi.

 

Better wording might have been to say "...offset part of the loss of Papi".

[sk7326]

There are no more dynasties in baseball anyway. Your team was the last repeat winner in 2000. 16 straight one-and-done since then.

 

Yes and no - there are no more dynasties - but baseball is hard and the playoffs are weird.

 

While there are no more dynasties - the Yankees made the playoffs every year between 1995 and 2007 and 2009 to 2012 and 2015. So 18 years in a 22 year stretch. Sustained contention is still very much possible. The Dombrowski approach in Detroit created a window as well, but a shorter one.

[sk7326]

The offense loses Ortiz, but it gains another full year (with experience) from Betts, Bradley, Bogaerts, and - most importantly - Benintendi. We shall see if that helps offset the loss of Papi.

 

Better wording might have been to say "...offset part of the loss of Papi".

 

You take improvement from the other 8 slots in the roster and decent DH production - this offense should be fine. There could be a dropoff - but no guarantee it's a large one.

[S5Dewey]

You take improvement from the other 8 slots in the roster and decent DH production - this offense should be fine. There could be a dropoff - but no guarantee it's a large one.

 

Agreed. If this team doesn't win next year it shouldn't be the fault of the offense.

[moonslav59]

You take improvement from the other 8 slots in the roster and decent DH production - this offense should be fine. There could be a dropoff - but no guarantee it's a large one.

 

I agree.

 

I'm also expecting an improvement in offense at 3B. I might be the only one feeling that.

 

I'm worried about injuries, as always, and this year (on offense), we didn't lose too much value to injury: Swihart, Young and Holt for a stretch and minor bang-ups here and there.

 

I like our bench, as I did this year, but not really as a full season replacement player.

 

Vaz and Swi at catcher are fine back-up to Leon and each other.

 

1B has Moreland with Holt or Travis in a crunch.

 

2B has Holt (his best position, IMO)

 

3B has Holt & Hernandez

 

SS has Hernandez & Holt

 

OF has only Young with Holt, Moreland and Swihart in a pinch.

[moonslav59]

Agreed. If this team doesn't win next year it shouldn't be the fault of the offense.

 

Our pitching staff had the highest second half WAR this year, and our starters had the best AL ERA in the second half of this year- that was without Wright and Sale!

[sk7326]

C: Somebody

1B: Ramirez

2B: Pedroia

SS: Bogaerts

3B: Sandoval

LF: Benintendi

CF: Bradley

RF: Betts

DH: Moreland

Reserve C: Somebody

Reserve IF: Holt

Reserve OF: Young

 

I'm not going to begin to guess on the catcher - Leon deserves the benefit of incumbency, but there is no real reason to have a ton of faith that he is "the starter"

[sk7326]

Agreed. If this team doesn't win next year it shouldn't be the fault of the offense.

 

It's baseball. Hell, the Cubs were the best team in the league wire to wire and were taken to the brink in the World Series by a severe underdog. This should be the best team in the AL - assuming health.

[moonslav59]

It's baseball. Hell, the Cubs were the best team in the league wire to wire and were taken to the brink in the World Series by a severe underdog. This should be the best team in the AL - assuming health.

 

Their current odds are 3:1, and although that seems great, there's still a 67% chance they don't repeat.

 

The Sox odds went from 10:1 to 5:1 yesterday.

[a700hitter]

[mvp 78]

 

Just remember, a lot of teams have "won" the winter meetings and then followed it up with mediocre seasons.

[moonslav59]

White Sox Talking Jose Quintana Trades With Astros, Nationals, Other Teams

 

Told you guys!

[moonslav59]

Jorge Soler for Wade Davis!

 

Wow!

[moonslav59]

White Sox Talking Jose Quintana Trades With Astros, Nationals, Other Teams

 

Told you guys!

 

So what?

 

Trade Devers, ERod, Pomeranz, Travis and Owens for Quintana?

[Emp9]

Jorge Soler for Wade Davis!

 

Wow!

 

Talk about a short-term move... yikes

[moonslav59]

Talk about a short-term move... yikes

 

...and with Davis coming off an injury season that saw him go from a 0.847 WHIP in 2014, a 0.787 WHIP in 2015 to a 1.131 WHIP this year. He's 31 and has one year left at $10M-- more than Sale's luxury tax cost!

[moonslav59]

So what?

 

Trade Devers, ERod, Pomeranz, Travis and Owens for Quintana?

 

Would anyone have added Swihart and Travis to the Sale package to get Quintana and his extra year of control instead?

[Bellhorn04]

So what?

 

Trade Devers, ERod, Pomeranz, Travis and Owens for Quintana?

 

Quintana is excellent, not sure he's that excellent. You trying to clean us out of prospects altogether?

[moonslav59]

Quintana is excellent, not sure he's that excellent. You trying to clean us out of prospects altogether?

 

No, just joshin'!

 

(My offer might be enough though.)

[sk7326]

Jorge Soler for Wade Davis!

 

Wow!

 

Really strong move by the Royals. Teams like them cannot afford to overpay relief pitching - they have a terrific in house solution anyway. Soler was frozen out of the Cubs outfield (especially if they intend to keep Fowler), but is a ridiculously talented guy who has been productive when he's had run.

 

Cubs used surplus to address a need - it is solid for them.

[moonslav59]

Really strong move by the Royals. Teams like them cannot afford to overpay relief pitching - they have a terrific in house solution anyway. Soler was frozen out of the Cubs outfield (especially if they intend to keep Fowler), but is a ridiculously talented guy who has been productive when he's had run.

 

Cubs used surplus to address a need - it is solid for them.

 

...but four years at about $17M total for one year of Davis at $10M?

 

That's way too steep.

[Bellhorn04]

...but four years at about $17M total for one year of Davis at $10M?

 

That's way too steep.

 

Theo is in Win Now mode.

[moonslav59]

Theo is in Win Now mode.

 

So is DD, but 4 years of a guy who has some MLB success and is projected to take off for 1 year of a RP'er coming off an injury seems very risky.

[harmony]

So is DD, but 4 years of a guy who has some MLB success and is projected to take off for 1 year of a RP'er coming off an injury seems very risky.

Steamer projects Jorge Soler with a 2017 WAR of 0.3 in WAR with a wRC+ of 99 and a line of .246/.325/.424/.749 in 244 plate appearances.

 

Soler, who turns 25 in February, could be closer to Rusney Castillo than to Yoenis Cespedes.

Edited December 7, 2016 by harmony

[iortiz]

Hey - Where have you been? Good to have you back. DD has a rumpled look to him. Maybe that is why I like hm.

 

Thanks cp, I've been very busy the last couple of months but everything is oks my friend, thanks for ask.

 

What I like of DD is that the guy gets the things done, and he has the power to do it. i.e. He is not a puppet.

[iortiz]

But for the next three years,who gives a s***. You're set up for dominance in a weak AL

 

LOL! exactly.

[iortiz]

Your offense won't be as good. Losing Ortiz' ridiculous production hurts. But you just replaced Clay Suchholz in your rotation with a top 5 guy in all of baseball. That should offset it. And everyone is forgetting about Carson Smith. He'll be back mid season. He may. It be his vintage self til 2018, but as a reliever might get back to his stuff by playoff time. That's one hard throwing pen

 

If they get EE, the offense IMO will be at very least the same.

[Spudboy]

Thanks cp, I've been very busy the last couple of months but everything is oks my friend, thanks for ask.

 

What I like of DD is that the guy gets the things done, and he has the power to do it. i.e. He is not a puppet.

 

Welcome back big guy. How is Fatherhood?