MLB Offseason

[Pakuni]

Big Sox deal coming up.

Yep.
To White Sox: Todd Frazier
To Dodgers: Trayce Thompson, Micah Johnson, Frankie Montas
To Reds: Jose Peraza, Scott Schebler, Brandon Dixon

Sox gave up a lot here, which would be OK if Frazier pans out. Their recent history of acquiring sluggers not named Jose Abreu scares me, though.

[GGGG]

Sox trying to string things together instead of doing what the Cubs did, and what the Brewers are doing, in blowing it all up and starting from scratch. 

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Big Sox deal coming up.

The Sox biggest "move" would be having their current players live up to career stats next season.  If Melky, LaRoche, etc., play like they did in '15, adding the ToddFather is not going to matter.

[buckchuckler]

The Sox biggest "move" would be having their current players live up to career stats next season.  If Melky, LaRoche, etc., play like they did in '15, adding the ToddFather is not going to matter.

Adding an all star slugging 3b will certainly matter.  I think this is a great move.  They basically gave up organizational depth, albeit with upside for a major need.  They have revamped their IF pretty significantly.  Love it.  Now even if they are stuck with LaRoche he is hitting 7th instead of 4th.  With Abreu, Frazier and Lawrie they should have what, 80 homers on the infield.  Quite a bit better than the 50 or so they got last year. 
They have upgrade the offense without sacrificing the pitching, which I think is pretty great.

[Pakuni]

The Sox biggest "move" would be having their current players live up to career stats next season.  If Melky, LaRoche, etc., play like they did in '15, adding the ToddFather is not going to matter.

In all fairness, after very slow start, Melky wasn't far off his career averages last year.
LaRoche was a dumpster fire.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

In all fairness, after very slow start, Melky wasn't far off his career averages last year.
LaRoche was a dumpster fire.

Melky was pretty decent. I think Eaton will have a bounce back season this year as well. Need more pitching, Sale and Quintana can only get you so far.

[🏀]

I like the deal as a deal. I hate what Hahn is doing though.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Color me unimpressed with the Cubs moves.

They threw lots of money at a journeyman and a 6 hitter

It may work out, but history has its own story to tell

Heyward is widely considered one of the best young players in baseball but maybe you only look at HRs when determining a player's value?

Zobrist a journeyman?  Nope. 

The last two years of Zobrist's deal may not turn out well and deal's as large as Heyward's rarely end well but that is the nature of free agency.  The lineup has power - these guys bring OBP and a solid approach.   

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Quiet.  Baseball is a crapshoot.  It's just one giant coincidence that every October teams with the best pitching big boy teams that mash the ball all over the yard in June, July, and August.

KC had nowhere near the best pitching and won.  That's not selling short the important of pitching in the post-season.  The goal is to get there consistently and see what happens.  I think I'll try Theo's judgment on the nature of the playoffs instead of yours. 

[Pakuni]

Melky was pretty decent. I think Eaton will have a bounce back season this year as well. Need more pitching, Sale and Quintana can only get you so far.

Carlos Rodon was easily the best pitcher on the staff the last two months of the season (5-2, 2.27 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 7.9 K/9, .209 BA against) and Erik Johnson looked in September like the guy we expected to see at the start of 2014.
Barring a setback from either of those guys, I'm pretty comfortable with the rotation. I'd love them to have the luxury of not rushing Carson Fullmer.

[buckchuckler]

I like the deal as a deal. I hate what Hahn is doing though.

Are you a Sox fan?  If so how can you hate what he is doing?  He has reshaped the infield without having to trade guys that were important to the future plan.  He is rebuilding the current team without mortgaging  the future. 

[buckchuckler]

Melky was pretty decent. I think Eaton will have a bounce back season this year as well. Need more pitching, Sale and Quintana can only get you so far.

Hopefully this is obvious, yet not too obvious

Player A:  .293/.359/.439

Player B: .287/.361/.431


Here is a hint.  Player A just got 184 million dollars.  Player B, in the eyes of his own team's fans, needs a bounce back year. 

Oh, and I know player A is a great corner OFer, one of, if not the best.  But his new team doesn't have a corner spot available pending other moves.  If watching Cespedes in the World Series should have taught us anything, it is that a very good (Gold glove for Cespedes) doesn't necessarily translate to a good, or even average CF.

[buckchuckler]

By the way, what the heck are the Dodgers doing.  It seems like they have a bunch of guys that like to show how smart they are and are trying to outsmart every one by being really stupid.

First the whole Dee Gordon trade.  Ok I can understand that.   They they spin Heaney for a year of Kendrick, which makes no sense at all.  Then they pay for the Pardes to take Kemp.  Then they refuse to part ways with prospects to acquire Hamels, which would have given them a better chance at the WS, while insulating themselves against the loss of Greinke.  Then they lose Greinke because they won't give him a 6th year, because the Dodgers couldn't possibly have a bad contract on the books that they'd be able to overcome.

Then, the prospects they wouldn't trade for Hamels, they put on the table for 1 year of a closer (which, they already have a good closer, mind you...) but the deal falls apart.  As the division is getting better all around them, the Reds will take 3 of their prospects for an All Star slugging 3B.  Great move right?  Then they trade him for 3 other prospects.  Because, you know, the future, not right now. 

Did I miss anything?

If I were a Dodger fan I'd be frustrated beyond belief.  I guess what you get when you hire a guy great a running a small market team, is a guy that runs the richest franchise around like a small market team. 

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Hopefully this is obvious, yet not too obvious

Player A:  .293/.359/.439

Player B: .287/.361/.431


Here is a hint.  Player A just got 184 million dollars.  Player B, in the eyes of his own team's fans, needs a bounce back year. 

Oh, and I know player A is a great corner OFer, one of, if not the best.  But his new team doesn't have a corner spot available pending other moves.  If watching Cespedes in the World Series should have taught us anything, it is that a very good (Gold glove for Cespedes) doesn't necessarily translate to a good, or even average CF.

Player A 2015 WAR: 6.5
Player B 2015 WAR: 1.4

Come on. 

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Player A 2015 WAR: 6.5
Player B 2015 WAR: 1.4

Come on.

Yep, comparing Melky and Heyward strictly by their slash lines is silly. 

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Are you a Sox fan?  If so how can you hate what he is doing?  He has reshaped the infield without having to trade guys that were important to the future plan.  He is rebuilding the current team without mortgaging  the future.

The Sox are clearly better with Frazier and Lawrie but better enough to compete for a wild card spot?  Maybe if everything goes really well but I'm skeptical. 

[brandx]

Player A 2015 WAR: 6.5
Player B 2015 WAR: 1.4

Come on.

But much of that WAR was based on his RF defense. Now, they are talking of moving him to CF.

They are giving him $184 Mil for his defense.

Heyward had a 3.8 Offensive WAR; Fowler had a 3.5 Offensive WAR.

Fowler has a better OBP and more SBs. Heyward slightly more power and better defense.

Of course age has something to do with it as Heyward is 3 years younger. A good acquisition - but maybe not at that price.

[buckchuckler]

Yep, comparing Melky and Heyward strictly by their slash lines is silly.

Well, you guessed wrong.  That isn't Melky. 

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Well, you guessed wrong.  That isn't Melky.

Yea, that's definitely Eaton. Didn't realize he turned it on so much later in the season. I was so disgusted/bored with the season by May that I didn't really pay attention. Still seemed like an off year for him.

[buckchuckler]

But much of that WAR was based on his RF defense. Now, they are talking of moving him to CF.

They are giving him $184 Mil for his defense.

Heyward had a 3.8 Offensive WAR; Fowler had a 3.5 Offensive WAR.

Fowler has a better OBP and more SBs. Heyward slightly more power and better defense.

Of course age has something to do with it as Heyward is 3 years younger. A good acquisition - but maybe not at that price.

It is yet to be seen if Heyward can play CF at the same level as he played RF, but if he could play CF at the same level, someone would have put him there already. 

[buckchuckler]

Yea, that's definitely Eaton. Didn't realize he turned it on so much later in the season. I was so disgusted/bored with the season by May that I didn't really pay attention. Still seemed like an off year for him.

Well that is certainly understandable. 

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Well, you guessed wrong.  That isn't Melky.

Sorry; I thought it was The Melk Man, also.

[🏀]

Are you a Sox fan?  If so how can you hate what he is doing?  He has reshaped the infield without having to trade guys that were important to the future plan.  He is rebuilding the current team without mortgaging  the future. 

Yes.

How can I hate it? What's there to like? The fact that Hahn is being told to keep asses in the seats?

Great, Frazier. That's awesome.

Lawrie. Top 20 3B, lousy defensive metrics there, getting put at 2B. His WAR number puts him around Odor\Murphy\Espinosa. Not excited, also a noted to shelf penis.

Both guys have two years left. Do you see this team with enough firepower to win in that window?

Hahn should be selling, not buying.

[buckchuckler]

Yes.

How can I hate it? What's there to like? The fact that Hahn is being told to keep asses in the seats?

Great, Frazier. That's awesome.

Lawrie. Top 20 3B, lousy defensive metrics there, getting put at 2B. His WAR number puts him around Odor\Murphy\Espinosa. Not excited, also a noted to shelf penis.

Both guys have two years left. Do you see this team with enough firepower to win in that window?

Hahn should be selling, not buying.

So fielding a competitive team to keep people interested is a bad thing?  Ok. Gotcha. 

What is there to like.  Well, let me think.  He has taken 2 positions where the Sox were last in baseball in OPS and put bats that are above avg (for the position) in both of them. 

He has taken a team with a good pitching and a terrible offense and made the offense much better.  What an idiot. 

Frazier is an above average defender.  Lawrie, in a short time has at least shown that he can turn 2 and has a above average range.  You want a great defensive 2B?  Beckham?  I'll let Lawrie have a chance I think. 

Oh, and comparing him to Odor like it is a bad thing really makes it seem like you don't know anything about him.  I'd bet there are about 25 teams that would take Odor. 

What do you want to sell?  Sale?  Quintana?  Abreu?  You want the 76ers?  The problem with that is prospects don't always pan out.  What are you getting for Sale to make it worth it?  Yeah, Baseball America and Keith Law would love the prospect return the Sox would get, but I would guess that no player you get for Chris Sale, would be as good as Chris Sale.  Same for Q and Abreu.  Maybe you do, who knows.  But usually when you trade a great, young controllable player in his prime you end up regretting it.

Modification-- Also they have them for 2 years as you point out.  So worst case scenario they can still trade both those guys and add more to the farm.

[MUsoxfan]

Also, the Sox have drafted exactly one bat (Rowand, and possibly Beckham) that has really done anything in the majors for any team since Frank Thomas in 1989. So it's fair to say they're truly atrocious at identifying, evaluating and developing young talent.

This is the White Sox way for at least the foreseeable future. Gotta always be buying because they're not smart enough to be able to break it down and start over