Nick

Nothing gets done until near a deadline. Human nature.

I doubt E-Rod has reached his ceiling. Sale has reached his ceiling, and his decline in velocity, along with his violent delivery, might suggest a future decline in production, if not something more. So, I don't see a production crisscrossing as an impossible scenario, but I wouldn't expect it to occur in 2017. E-Rod has way too much talent, and upside, for me to include him in a trade for Sale along with Bradley Jr and Moncada. Porcello may have trouble duplicating his numbers next year but he is evolving into becoming top 20 type pitcher. I expect Price to have a better season overall. E Rod will continue to get stronger and he has tremendous upside from where I sit. This is NOT the time to trade him. E Rod's 2017 season is when Lester broke out in his career. I think we're undervaluing Pomeranz. Last year was first time he's had any success as a starter. He had not been stretched out in previous seasons. Throw in the factor of being trade into AL East parks, hitters, and pennant race, he had many adjustments to make. I expect him to evolve and have much better season. I fully expect Wright to recover and get back to where he was last year before the All Star Game. Our rotation looks good enough to get us to another Division Championship. Big question is if we can protect the lead with our bullpen. Maybe we should spend some money getting a top tier reliever. Right now I see us wasting 'quality' starts.

Just feels like we're financially trapped in a sense that we don't have much flexibility at this point. Best move is to acquire another cost controlled starting pitcher and then trade away Clay Buchholtz. Or do we roll the dice with trading away Buchholtz in spring training if everyone else is healthy? We can focus on getting a reliever via Buchholtz trade. Kimbrel, Ross, Kelly, Barnes, Abad, Hembree, winter singning/trade, spring trade (8)

Bradley Jr and Swihart and Owens and Johnson for Quintana? Is that enough for Chicago White Sox? Then trade away Buchholtz for a reliever under team control. Basically a $13M salary dump. Quintana, Price, Porcello, E Rod, Pomeranz and Wright.

It will speak volume about what the FO thinks about Moncada if we sign a long term FA at 3B.

He now has 8 lives left.

You don't think he'll take 4/$40M?

Isn't extending Bogey, Betts & JBJ a higher priority?[/b] Yes, but we don't have the money right now....I bet Boras won't take anything less than $20M per year for Brandley Jr, first FA of the three. I don't see any room for that right now. I think we will end up trading at least one out of that group. Bradley Jr seems most logical. Don't get me wrong, I want to keep him but I'm not sure if we have enough money to go around. I suggested in another thread maybe the move should be made after 2017 season, when he is still under team control for three more years. Perhaps he can bring in a #3/#4 type cost controlled starting pitcher. Again that's exactly why I want to keep as many prospects as possible. We need to fill in LF, (assuming Beni is moved to CF), 3B and 1B. Lets assume for minute Hanley eventually ends up as DH. Swihart (I'm okay with him catching also), Travis, Moncada, Devers and Shaw all need to show they belong in MLB. It's very possible that Xander may be out of our reach also. I think we will do everything to keep Betts and that's going to be expensive. He's our #1 priority. Price opting out will ease the money situation. Porcello, Pomeranz, Wright and E Rod have to step it up.

We are pretty much stuck in 'frugal' mode for foreseeable future. Young and Buchholtz come off the payroll after 2017, savings of about $20M. Abad also becomes a FA but I can't imagine big numbers for him. I'm assuming we'll pick up Kimbrel's club option for 2018. We will save $40M after 2019 when Sandoval and Ramirez comes off the books. (Hanley has # of games played in 2017/2018 vesting for 2019, Pablo can be bought out for $5M after 2019). Xander and Porcello become FA after 2019 and Betts and Bradley after 2020. Again, best thing maybe for Price to opt out after 2018, providing $30M in relief. Perhaps by then we can have a rotation of Porcello, Pomeranz, Wright, E Rod and Kopech. (assuming we extend or sign Pomeranz as a FA) Another possiblity is to look to trade Bradley Jr after 2017 (still with 3 years of player control), thereby ridding of his rising salary. We need our farm system to produce some arms for the bullpen. Swihart, Shaw, Moncada, Devers and Travis hopefully will come through. Devers at 3B, say Moncada in LF, Travis at 1B, extend Hanley at DH.

I prefer to think Lester chose free agency rather than he was traded....it's kind of like me resigning knowing I'd get fired if I don't.

We lose Clay B and Young next year, saving close to $20M. Fernado Abad is the only player becoming FA after 2018 assuming we pick up the club option on Kimbrel and Price does not opt out. We need Moncada and Kopech to step in by 2018 to provide some cheap alternatives as our arbitration numbers continue to grow. In reality, Price opting out may not be the worst thing to happen. That's why I'd like to see Sox extend Pomeranz. Buy out two years of FA years. Why not give him a 4 year deal right now (2 arb years plus 2)? I'm at $185M assuming $22M for arbitration players, $12M each for rest of 40 man squad and benefits. Assuming luxury tax is raised to $200M, we only have $15M for FA signings. Trading Clay B would relieve another $13M but I don't see that happening until August assuming Wright, Pomeranz and Rodriquez are all healthy and pitching well.

I agree with you on the length of the contract. Sox must be willing to take some chance with young, live arms in the system though. Was it St Louis that was inserting young arms into the pen before converting them back into starting rotation? I'd like to see Kopech in August/Sept stretch as a reliever. Maybe I'm overvaluing his progress but why not give him a chance. That would also limit the pitch count somewhat. I'm all about giving younger players an opportunity to stick in the majors. Find out early if they have the mental fortitude to play in AL East. Johnson and Owens have been a bust so far. I thought they were in the mix for 2015 season. Different reasons but same results for both.

Would Margot rank ahead of Beni? I seriously doubt it. He was a surplus. You even talk about eventually moving Moncada to the outfield. If your argument is that we could have gotten more for him in a package deal then I can't refute it. I don't know what was out there and what was asked by the Padres. I'm happy with our outfield situation. I rather have Beni, Bradley and Betts than any combination you have with Margot. Triple B's provide run prevention. If I'm a gap hitter, may gap got smaller going up against Sox defense.

I just see it as low risk high reward...2-3 extension may look very appealing on a trade market.

Moon, what do you think about extending Pomeranz?

I want some power out of our corner positions...1B, 3B, LF, RF....but I'm willing to see what develops with our younger kids. He was an elite hitter at IU. I'm all for Sox getting 6+ years of control guys. We need to have some self control going forward. We had a reset when we got rid of high contracts to LA. Then we turned around and signed Hanley and Pable. I think Price was a must get. We need to be selective. As much as I want EE that's not the smart thing to do with so many of our young guys coming up for not only FA but pretty hefty arbitration numbers.

This is why I prefer a simple free agency signing....don't trade away our future....Moncada, Swihart et al...

I'm not too hyped up about Sam Travis. Corner infielder with limited pop.

I'd want to keep E Rod. No way I trade Kopech with his high upside. I'm not sure if they'd go for Moncada, Devers, Swihart and couple of other secondary players. That will decimate our farm.

he would be expensive in terms of giving up players....I'd hate to give up on Moncada, Kopech, Bradley Jr, etc...

I'm very much looking forward to watching Beni play next year as the starting left fielder. I'd love to see both Swihart and Moncada get a look at some point. Throw in Kopech in a September call up and I'm excited for the season. Beni, Betts, Bradley Jr, Xander, Moncada, Swihart, E Rod, Kopech.....I'm nicknaming our core group of youngsters "the Beni and the Betts"......https://youtu.be/D0TnUUqXxaQ

I will go along with DEWY.... Sox need to focus on run prevention. It would be nice to get an ace but I'm not willing to give up any prospects. We should be building the team not risk taking a step backward. I'm changing my mind about our bullpen. If we're going to upgrade it, then we should go big. I vote for Chapman and call it a day. Our offense will take a step back. We will need to protect leads. No more 15-4 games. We need to win 5-3 games. Chapman is your answer. Add Kopech in September. Kimbrel, Kelly, Barnes, Chapman and Kopech....now that's some heat.

I'd like to borrow money from some of you guys.....with your logic I can get a loan for $10,000 today from you and pay you back $10,000 five years from now... You're comparing Pomeranz today vs Espi 5 years from now. What is Espi worth today ASSUMING HE FULL FILLS YOUR FANTASY? There's a time value to money and one has to discount back Espi's worth five years from now to today's worth. From where I sit, we gave up just about the right amount, especially with risks involved when it comes to an eighteen year old pitcher.

we had just finished dead last for two years, three of last 4 years, we went out and spent a good deal of money/prospects acquiring Price and Kimbrel, Ortiz is having a great year on his farewell tour, Pedey is healthy playing well, B boys are having a great year..... We needed another starter. We got another starter. Now everyone here wants to be a Monday f***ing morning quarterback. Still whinning about Espy. Lets rehash the Babe Ruth trade. Isn't time to put your big boy boxers on and look ahead to 2017?

I thought we were adding couple bullpen pieces and punt til July? I'm opposed to giving up Moncada, Devers, Kopech, Gromes, Swihart.