I would demand nothing less than Bregman from the Astros. Reed, Tucker, Martes, Fisher...these are all second rate guys I'm not particularly interested in. Tucker is decent I suppose but hardly enough to centerpiece a Quintana trade. If Houston wants to go into the season with broken down Lance McCullers and whatever is left of Dallas Keuchel anchoring their rotation let them.

The day before the Under Armour game at Wrigley they hold a workout at UIC (this year it was at Northwestern and it sucked). A couple years ago we were sitting in the pressbox (it's really nice) and there are about 30-40 guys in there. When Kyle Tucker was stepping in for his round of bp a national crosschecker for a west coast team stood up and said watch this guy and tell me who he is. Guys were throwing around names like Wally Joyner, Shawn Greene, Mark Grace, I said John Olerud and someone even said Craig Counsell. He says Ted Williams and the entire room goes quite. He says watch him again the kid is Ted Freakin Williams. He's in a room full of guys who understands what he's saying and yes there are physical similarities and it looks like he slept with a copy of The Science of Hitting under his pillow but there are some guys you just can't comp and Ted Freakin Williams is at the top of that list.

Unless we're talking about Kyle Schwarber.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Seriously JORR be fair. He merely said Ted Williams.

Not Ted Williams with ++ power.

Under Appreciated Star Jose Quintana:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2681 ... son-market

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Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

Something tells me this wasn't a rebuild but masked as one. I am starting to think, Kenny traded to 2 guys he didn't like away, and the side effects were the prospects. JMO

Quick, who is the worst free agent the sox can sign to lose a first
Round draft pick. That is the soxiest thing that Kenny can do to prove he is the soxiest sox who ever soxed.

So they aren't going to deal Robertson? Or Frazier?

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Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

IDK



Does it seem odd to you, that the only 2 trades were players that had a problem with Kenny this past season? The Nats were trying for Robertson in the Eaton deal, yet they could not of said throw this prospect in?

I am all for a rebuild, but the Sox are going to keep FlavorFraz, Jose, Melky, Robertson until the trade deadline? Doesn't make sense. We do not need the 12th pick in the draft, if you have no shot at the WS go for the #1 overall pick.

Seems like they were the players with the most value. Would not read too much into it yet.

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Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

It is still very early. The Robertson market couldn't really open until the FA closers were signed. I think he will be gone before the new year.

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I am of many minds when it comes to Robertson, but I'm nearing the conclusion that trying to hold him to the deadline in the hope he regains his value is the kind of greed that often backfires. Take a couple 100-250 range prospects for him and call it a day. Let Nate Jones close and build up his value instead.

I agree completely. If you roll the dice on Robertson and hope he has a great first half to be able to trade at the deadline,that is a huge gamble and one that is likely to backfire. If you can get a decent offer for him now you take it.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

All depends on what type of money the Sox would have to eat. If that number is zero then just get rid of him. If that number is a lot higher than zero than its probably not worth paying millions on some shit prospect that will never pan out and might as well gamble.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

If the Sox eat money they'll likely get a top 100 guy + another in return. Robertson, believe it or not, is actually a bargain after what just happened in the past week. Not saying he's on the level of Jansen or Chapman (lets be real, Chapman has extra "circumstances"), but only $24m committed to him is nothing. The Nationals and Marlins were both willing to go at least over $80m to solve that position,

Sale and Eaton were the two loudest voices during the Laroche saga. I think you are on to something here.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

12 million a year for a shitty closer ain't a bargain.

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AAV really isn't important for the teams who would hunt for Robertson in trade talks. Nationals will spend while they are in their window, they dont care. If anything they would prefer a higher AAV to an arduous commitment of 3+ years at an even lesser (guaranteed) rate.

Robertson's salary shouldn't be a barrier to a trade. This is not a case where you have to eat salary to get rid of a guy.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

What I am saying, if you are going to blow it up, blows it up. I can understand hanging onto 1-2 players for the deadline, but we are a tad past that at the moment. Which is going to result in a record closer to .500, which will result in a shitter pick.

They still have to field a team for 2017. You don't get rid of Abreu, Cabrera, Frazier, and Robertson just because. If you get a good deal for them, obviously you make a trade.

They traded a potential HOF starting pitcher at a 6 WAR player in a ~72 hour span. If that isn't the start of "blowing it up" I don't know what is.

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At first, I thought the same. Thinking about it, makes more sense why they are gone.

Might be. But Sale was unquestionably their best asset, and Eaton was at worst top 3 or 4 for sure.

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I do not think that this was Kenny teaching a lesson to the best players on the team by trading them. It makes sense to hold onto guys if they are not getting what they want for them now right. See how it plays out with injuries as the season approaches. Would like to see Robertson go before he blows-up, and see Jones get a shot though. I think Jones would be just as good, and could be dealt a the deadline for a nice return.

_________________
Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

Neither of those guys got sold down the river. They are both in better positions today with both having legitimate shots at being world champions. Sale also got traded to a team that will pay big on his next contract

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

There's a lot of smoke around this deal the last couple days. I sure hope they're not haggling over Daz Cameron. I don't think he's ever going to hit. AJ Reed would be a pretty good get. He should be able to hit lots of home runs from the left side which seems to always be needed on this team. I'm still hoping they get the Rockies involved. They have some very intriguing young hitters.

I think they're trying to get the Yankees involved

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

They want Meadows from the Pirates, Torres from the Yankees or Bregman from the Astros. Whichever teams caves and include their guy will get Quintana.

Personally my preference on them is 1. Meadows 2. Bregman 3. Torres, but a deal centered around any of the three would be great. Also, I see the likelihoods of them being dealt (from most to least likely) as 1. Meadows 2. Torres <large margin> 3. Bregman.

If its a couple weeks from now and its clear nobody is going to pony up that kind of headliner (50/50 shot IMO) my guess is the Astros will acquire him for a Kyle Tucker led depth package of 4 or 5 guys that includes some high upside like Laureano and Frank Perez. It'll probably be bigger than the White Sox ask after the meeting of Martes+Tucker+Musgrove in total value as the Pirates entering the fray as seemingly motivated buyers has raised Quintana's price.