MLB 2019 average 252 .323 .435 .757 4.36 mil.
Manny Machado 256 .334 .462 .796. 12/32 '20
Jason Heyward 251 .343 .429 .772. 20 mil.

While I would have preferred MadBum, They now have 2 serviceable lefties. Keuchel was a good signing and a look at Gio as gravy.

World Series? No....but a step in the right direction. This team will be better next year.

_________________

Just to set the record straight, Mazara at 5 million is less than any FA RF they would have signed. That is a savings.

I would have like to see them really leave the rebuild behind and get the top FA at their greatest position of need. It was entirely available to them within their pay structure. We have to have low expectations as Sox fans so that was never an option.

I'm happy they didn't overspend nor tie themselves up long term for mediocrity but let's not kid ourselves, each of their signing outside of Grandal is pretty average. I'm not at all confident Keuchel will have a better year than Gonzalez. He was the 5th or 6th best pitcher on the FA market and was payed appropriately for that position.

If I knew they weren't going to have to spend much on their SP, I would have liked a better RF like Castellanos. He seems readily available, wouldn't have broken the bank and is a player on the rise that we may look back on as being a bargain.

For some reason, you expect me to eat hamburger and call it steak, rather than just recognizing it as hamburger.

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

It shouldn’t have to be a case of either/or though. That is the problem.

_________________
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

What is their greatest position of need?

Who is/was the best FA at that position?

_________________
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

You're not wrong, FF.

But that's the way it is with the Sox. It is what it is, so I just deal with it. This was a pretty good offseason so far. As Antmerica said, the Sox improved the starting rotation, the black hole that was RF/DH in the lineup, and even though they had an All Star in 2018, the Catching situation is better.

On paper it's likely not a World Series team. However if Lopez, Kopech, Dunning, Giolito, and the other young guns go crazy, its not unfathomable to see the Sox playing late into October 2020.

_________________

SP, Gerrit Cole

_________________
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

Castellanos is hardly "better" than Mazara. Plus they only gave up a 2nd tier prospect to get him at a very good contract. It was a very good move. Keuchel is a good pitcher. So is Gonzales. They aren't "Aces" in the true sense of the word in baseball. So what? I think that if the Sox are lucky, they can glean an "Ace" out of the group of Giolitto, Cease, Kopech, or Dunning. I think Rodon will slide into the starting five rotation when he returns but who knows.

All that I do know is that right now the top 7-9 pitchers on their 40 man roster are a lot better than the group that they had last year. Two solid veterans, two solid returning starters in Cease and Giolitto, and guys who appear to be ready to prove themselves in Dunning and Lopez.

They may also think about offering Nova a contract as a spot starter, long relief guy. He knows how to pitch. He won't cost a lot. And he appears to be a guy who can help young pitchers learn how to be a starter.

_________________
An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

TOR SP

They really didn't get one in free agency. They got two innings eaters.

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

Remember , it’s Cub fans who are hyperbolic about their players

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Had a nice finish to the end of the year.

You conveniently left out RBI-HR

_________________

Yeah. They have to as every team does, PROVE themselves. Everyone I listen to on the baseball shows are almost giving it to the Yankees. And, in truth the White Sox have a lot of young players on their team. But....it sure as hell should be a great team to watch this year. They should make the play-offs and if they are in the hunt what would stop them from bringing over whatever help they think that they are going to need to compete in the play-offs. No one saw the Nationals winning it all last year. I thought that the Stros were going to win it all and on paper they should have and almost did.

But after watching the crap that the White Sox have displayed for a long time, I am about as excited as I have been since 2005-06. Its going to be great year.

_________________
An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

I'd say Keuchel is a little more than an "innings eater".

Acting is if the money doesn't matter is silly. I said I'd rather pay Cole 40 a year for 5 than Wheeler 25 a year for 5. Fine. But there is a limit. Going 9 years for Cole would have killed the Sox in the future. And that's assuming he doesn't get hurt. It won't kill the Yankees. But it will hurt them and effect future decisions.

_________________
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

The top free agent would have cost the Sox close to $400M. If that guy's last name isn't Trout, they would have been foolish to pay that much.

I addressed the myth of Castellanos earlier in this thread. He's looking for $25M for 5 or 6 seasons. Is he $20M better than Mazara? No fucking chance. I'm not confident he's going to be better going forward. Just giving away money to make a fan base happy has fucked the Cubs in the short term.

The Sox will compete for the division title this season but this is essentially their last developmental year. The pitchers they acquired will allow the Sox to hit the free agent market next year if need be or provide a bridge to the development of the young arms.

The Sox have done everything right and the offseason still isn't over. This isn't the time to beat Uncle Jerry up.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Any time the Sox want to start fucking their fans by winning a World Series I'm all for it

_________________
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

2005

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

I agree that they've had a good off-season, but Jerry gets a lifetime achievement award for fucking fans. I'm happy they haven't done stupid contracts this off-season and made improvements, but he still runs this team like a novelty. Jerry deserves to be beat up for the rest of his life.

_________________

You don't get a 15 year grace period of not even trying once you win a WS.

_________________
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

It's only been a few years of not trying. There was about 7 year of incompetence before then. The Sox are headed in the right direction and you're still bitching when they aren't fucking up. Is this some sort of defensive mechanism or coping strategy?

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

It's been more than a few. They haven't tried to win since Ventura was hired.

_________________

This team hasn't made the postseason in over a decade. The moves this offseason may end that drought, but when you sucked for 10 years, ownership doesn't get a pass just for doing the right thing after fucking fans in the ass for 35+ years.

_________________
“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson

Nope. It's just an objective observation of how shitty they are as a franchise.

_________________
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

Well at least one year in 35 was good.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I agree. Keuchel is a good pitcher and having Grandal behind the plate will help both he and Gonzales. I see Giolitto having McCann as his personal catcher along with possibly Cease. That is if McCann sticks around.

_________________
An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

Robert and Sox talking extension. That would be the best signing of the off season. I'd love to see him here on April 1.

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

I do think that they will add Encarnacion as their primary DH and an arm like Betances for the pen.

_________________
An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

I'm sure they will get an 8 year contract out of him that will grossly under pay him if he is actually good. Just like with Eloy.

_________________

I hate Reinny. There is no changing history. But I cannot focus on the past and remain bitter. I see a helluva lot of improvement. Hell I saw a great amount of improvement last season with guys like Giolitto, Moncada, Anderson, McCann, and Jimenez. It was fun to watch these kids. But they still had major holes in RF, CF, and 2B. Along with a very thin pitching staff. They've now got lights out better players filling out CF, RF, and 2B along with two proven veteran starters and some young kids with a world of talent who basically got thrown to the wolves last year.

Like I said, f*ck Reinny but I don't watch him. I love watching Moncada, for example. I think he has a terrific all-star career in his future. IF Renteria can avoid F*ing the clubhouse up, the upside for this team is a great one.

_________________
An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

_________________
“When I walked in this morning, and saw the flag was at half mast, I thought 'alright another bureaucrat ate it.'" - Ron Swanson