Post Mookie planning

I am a tad confused by people advocating signing Puig. Where does he play? We have a DH. And please, please don’t tell me after all the excitement of the “haul” from the Dodgers that people see Verdugo as a platoon player.

I suppose signing a pitcher just to muddle through 2020 makes sense. Otherwise, I am more in favor of prepping the fire sale than taking on guys who have no role in anything but keeping us mediocre.

I agree with the current roster construction, but I know some were advocating pairing a Puig signing with a Bradley move which would put Verdugo in center for the time being. It was also being talked about during the time where a Padres trade was on the table and there was no clear outfield option coming back.

Richard Justice on MLB posits a Workman to the ChiSox deal. It could be a great time to sell on Workman. There is really nothing less important on a mediocre team than a closer, so I’m for it.

I am for trading JBJ (though I love him as a fellow Gamecock), but I don’t know his value. Maybe see if he gets off to one of his legendary hot streaks, sell a bit higher.

Actually, outside of Devers and X, I’d trade anybody. I don’t see anyone who will either still be at a peak or near peak or be so good as to play a central role in a real run by the time the overall roster is a go. Sale will be old, and a guy like Beni seems replaceable (especially since 2-3 years from now he’ll be that much more expensive). Sell everything.

Does anyone have a good source for the actual CBT payroll number? Someone posted in another thread that the there is only an estimated 9.3 million left after figuring benefits and other costs. If so, it seems there won’t be any 1-3 million signings. To go over the CBT after the Betts trade would be idiotic, and Bloom seems to value payroll flexibility rather highly.

I think it will be a dizzying summer of roster churn, but the calls to blow up the team for a complete reset are just thinly veiled ways to keep grousing about the Betts trade, and it is not reasonable. The team overall is pretty young, and the most valuable pieces are Devers, Bogaerts, Rodriguez, and maybe Vasquez. I don’t trust Erod to stay healthy and effective, but the others? No thanks to getting rid of the core pieces that want to be in Boston.

The others that the team might want to move for value are just not that valuable right now, and selling low won’t help anything. And if the older, and/or “distressed” assets do rebound, then they can be sold later, or the team will be good enough for the playoffs, and that is a good thing, right? MLB is not the NBA, getting into the playoffs is a legit goal, because (the 2019 Nationals!) anything can happen. And don’t talk about the MFY bullies on the block. There is a long history of better teams on paper losing out to underdogs, because that is baseball.

I'm on record saying they shouldn't even give up on 2020. But you think 2021-22 is out the window because Sale will be "old"? (He'll be 32-33.) And who are you going to trade? If you set aside Xander and Devers, which players have real trade value? Benintendi a little bit? Vazquez a little bit? What sort of prospect haul can you get for that? Far less combined than they got for Mookie, which you seemed pretty underwhelmed with.

And then Bogaerts has an opt out after 2022, so while we've blown up the team for the next several years for the sake of building around Bogaerts and Devers, we'll also have squandered the whole Bogaerts window, as well as Devers' and Verdugo's cheap years.

I think, like jclmontana said, you're thinking about this emotionally - wanting the Sox to blow up the team essentially just to spite them. There's every chance in the world they can be a great team in 2021. Especially after they sign Mookie back. 

All for this before the start of the season. Workman is a good bet to not be as good in 2020. Selling high right now is ideal. You can shoot for the moon and ask for Andrew Vaughn and then settle for a Dane Dunning or a Jonathan Stiever.

I definitely think 2020 is out.
Obviously 2021 depends on free agency. I don’t see game changing options internally that season. Even assuming guys like Downs, Casas, Mata, Groome work out, I don’t expect them to be team leaders that season. So huge FA is a must.
You also appear to think trading someone like Sale won’t produce value in 2021/2022. I’d hope to get a decent haul. He is not in my “bag of balls” category. At the same time, I am certainly concerned about how he will age. After last year, I can’t say I look forward to age 32, 33. Obviously I might be wrong... if his decline were certain, he’d have no trade value! But I would be up for getting while the getting is good.

Honestly, that's hard to see. Workman will not get the Red Sox Madrigal or Vaughn. I mean that is soon to be the right side of the White Sox infield. They're not giving up their future leadoff man and future cleanup hitter for Brandon Workman, even if the Red Sox took on Herrera. Vaughn and Madrigal are too important to that team's future as is Luis Roberts, Jimenez, Moncada, and Giolito.

Man that team is loaded. They should rule the Central division for the foreseeable future soon.

Keep reading.  
Workman for Herrera and two pitching prospects.  

Ohh that isn't true. Workman was one of the 10 best relievers last year. He'll fetch something pretty good if you sell him now.

Workman would easily net a top 10 prospect. Top 30 is a huge exaggeration. Barnes probably gets top 15. Low cost relievers who have won titles generally go for a decent amount. Also you need to take into consideration that Workman isn't even making a million. 

If I was the White Sox, I would trade a top 10 prospect. The Twins are loaded offensively and you need every upgrade possible to possibly catch them in the division.