jacksonianmarch

If you need a guy to come up small when you need him the most, Happ is your guy

DD’s methods worked. 2018 banner will fly forever. You live with the consequences. Yes, this rebuild will be longer and harder than any return to prominence since the first title in 04, but you still got a title. Remember, prior to 16 years ago, most Sox fans would sell their first born for what DD delivered and wouldn’t care if it was a 20 yr rebuild

The Sox need talent over position. If I were Bloom, I’d avoid flashy signings that could adjust draft order/capital without bringing titles. Theo wrote the book on how to tear down and rebuild when he took over the Cubs. Bloom is an acolyte. Build the farm, target good locker room presences on the Fa market and be patient. Lest you forget, he took over an absolutely awful Cubs team with albatross contracts and a farm that was absolutely terrible. In his 4th year, they won 97 games and in year 5 they took home the title. But it was on the strength of great drafting and INTL signings

He was abysmal last year. No doubt. He was terrible in 18 before being really good in 19. It looks like they’re going to tender him and they’ll be stuck with him. He just cannot be the lion’s share catcher anymore

He slapped his girlfriend in front of a reporter or PR person. Really stupid. Not forgiving, but if he’s paid his price and he’s good enough, he should pitch.

I keep forgetting about German. He’s pitching in the winter leagues, so he should be sharp when the season begins. My concern was that he’d be rusty with a year off, but he will benefit from playing down there. Add him to the mix and you’ve got a reasonable top 4, but are still really dying for a #2. Cole, #2, German, Garcia, Montgomery

Gotta be Cleveland. Just gotta be. He’s already a freaking legend. Imagine if he breaks all 3 curses?

I wonder if he’s looking at Cleveland and can tick off the trifecta of curses?

Looks like the Yanks are in on Yadier Molina. I do wonder if a guy like Cole got to the GM about how bad Gary was at catching and they're working to rectify it. Also, Yanks in on Lance Lynn. I never like bringing guys back for second tours of duty when they failed the first time. Reminds me of Javy Vazquez

With prices expected to plummet, I think the Yanks just pass on Gary. No point in shelling out $6 mil for him unless they think they can fix him

Cora must really like Boston. The team he left is not the team he has rejoined. Nothing like coming off a suspension for cheating and coming back into a full blown rebuild

For those who voted Duran, there is a 0% chance he will be the opening day CFer. He might earn the job, but he will not get it. Bloom is very much a guy who manipulates service time. By delaying Duran into May or early June, he can be controlled for an extra year

I honestly think the sox should trade Xander. 2 more years and he will opt out and get a mega deal. He will bring back a metric ton of talent and if the sox really like him long term, they can convince him to sign in a couple years when they're ready. The only complicating factor is Lindor. Yes, Lindor has one less year of control, but he is the greater player and plays the same position. If the sox want to cash in on Xander, their best bet is to do so after Lindor is moved or after some suitors with massive offers are rejected.

Okay, I am perplexed. Robby Ray just got a 1 yr $8 mil deal. He finished the year in the pen, but clearly they hope he is good to go back to the rotation. But if that train-wreck is worth $8 mil on a 1 yr deal, how is Hand not worth $10 mil on a 1 yr deal?

Dark horse for the Yanks will be Morton. I do wonder if he’s a major target for us. He’s also a Delaware guy, so pretty close to home

Quintana would likely be had on a very short term deal. Prior to 2020, he started at least 31 times for 7 years in a row. His time with the Cubs wasnt nearly as fruitful as his time with the White Sox, but he did put together a reasonable 2019 in terms of WAR and FIP. He is the right kind of guy to fill in the back or middle of your rotation. I actually thought of him as a potential Yankee target as well

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Lemahieu accepted his either. 32 yr old looking at maybe a little higher AAV than the QO at $18.9 mil. There is certainly some that will scream collusion, but the GM's job is to read the market. Every indicator points towards a reckoning on player salaries, so every GM is trying to be as flexible as possible

There’s a reason why Hand went unclaimed. If Hand isn’t worth $10 mil in this market, Perez isn’t worth close to 60% of that. There will be a reckoning for all but the very top. Some bargains will be had for sure

He’s now a FA

Thing is, you cannot lessen your tax burden by turning his contract into an org or coach contract. So this meeting is likely to set the press conference

Hand not getting picked up is ominous for the players. This absolutely opens up the chance that the top guys take single year deals.

He’ll be off the roster by the deadline for tenders. That’ll be when the 40 man is locked in before the rule V. The Sox will have at least one rule v guy

Cashman never had to explode a team. His one chance at it really turned into something. Dillon Tate was acquired by dealing Beltran. He was flipped for Britton. Win there Gleyber was acquired in the Chapman deal. Huge win there We picked up Happ for McKinney who we got for Chap as well. The year we got him, Happ was really good. Justus Sheffield was flipped for Paxton, who was really good in 19. Granted, Sheffield had a great season in Seattle in 20, so may have been better to keep him. Frazier is turning into a star and we got him and Sheffield for Miller. Pretty solid hauls there. We also got Tito Polo for Nova and Polo went as the second biggest chip for Robertson, Frazier and Kahnle. Kahnle was the biggest winner there. Ultimately, we really did well when exploding a team.

I dont think going all in to sign him was a good idea. These long term contracts are usually team beneficial early and player beneficial late. Even with Mookie, I doubt the Sox would have been title contenders before 2023-2024. They should be focusing on being playoff contenders for 2022, but I doubt they’re title contending at best until 2023. So you’re talking about burning the first two to three seasons of a massive contract for a player without any measurable benefit. New England fans are spoiled and fickle. If you’re okay enough to be in the playoff mix but clearly not a World Series caliber team, they tune out. So the added revenue from keeping mookie likely wouldn’t have equaled the cost of having him. In short, if you’re in the window of contention, signing Mookie long term works. Kinda like the yanks with Cole. I wouldn’t have liked Cole’s deal unless the Yanks were title contenders. They clearly are and it’s a risk you take. The Sox clearly aren’t and it just isn’t worth the risk. I think the best thing happened for both the player and the team. The team needed to reboot. Mookie needed a long term deal and a title contender. Fans can lament losing Mookie all they want, but I think ownership did the right thing for the franchise. It’s the name on the front that matters.

Yes, it would be. You’ve got Devers for three more years at less money than Rizzo. Rizzo is also way older. Rizzo is a stopgap option. He’s gonna play out 2021 and then hit the market. I’d leave that one alone. You’re not a Rizzo away from title contention, unless he can pitch