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JAF373 · 04-25-2021, 10:50 PM

The wait is over. After a very public trade demand and some ugliness on all sides, we were able to extend free-agent-to-be Anthony Rizzo on a 5-year, $87M deal that will keep him on the North Side through 2026. Along with Wilson Contreras , the Rizzo extension is emblematic of a managerial approach that is attempting to strike a delicate balance between "rebuild" and "reload." Rizzo unambiguously rejected the 5-year, $70M deal prior to the season and demanded a 6-year, $117 deal in early July. We went back and forth a few times before finalizing the new pact four days prior to the Deadline.

We made two small deals during Deadline week, and neither of them involved Kris Bryant, who refuses to negotiate during the season. We're hopeful to talk when free agency opens, but his return looks increasing dubious.

07/27/21: Traded RHP Dan Winkler to Chicago for LHP Bailey Horn

Dan Winkler turned in a strong season for us and performed capably as a closer following Craig Kimbrel's departure (10 saves in 11 opportunities). His ERA (2.50) was more than a full run below his FIP (3.76), but it wasn't entirely fluky as he struck out 10.4 per 9. Given that he's 31 and on a 1-year deal, his trade value was essentially non-existent, but the White Sox found a spot for him in one of the league's best bullpens. Bailey Horn, 23, isn't a top 30 guy and likely won't ever miss enough bats to reach the bigs, but he'll provide innings in the upper minors.

07/29/21: Traded 1B Jake Bauers to Boston for RHP Connor Seabold

Jake Bauers was an early June waiver claim from Cleveland but never figured it out in Chicago, scuffling to a .177/.252/.315 line with a 32% K rate over 144 PAs. He's a valuable defender in 1B and LF (60 both) and has drawn double-digit each season in the majors. Boston leads a tight 3-team race in the AL East and was getting below-average production at 1B with Bobby Dalbec and Marwin Gonzalez and in left field with Francy Cordero (72 OPS+, demoted following the Bauers acquisition). Realistically, Bauers' ideal positional fit with the Sox helped us squeeze out a better prospect return.

Connor Seabold, 25, is a polarizing prospect who ranked 8th on FanGraphs' list and 14th at MLB Pipeline. Scouts are split on his viability as a starter, but he's solely worked in that capacity this season at AAA Worcester (10-3, 2.63 ERA, 3.67 FIP) over 15 starts. I'm pretty confident in the floor because he's a consistent strike-thrower and has a deep repertoire, but the ceiling remains an unknown. He's a candidate for a late-season call-up when rosters expand but could also be the first guy in line to replace an injured starter in the big league rotation.

04-25-2021, 10:50 PM	#10
JAF373 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 256	Cubs, Rizzo Finally Reach Agreement; Winkler, Bauers on the Move The wait is over. After a very public trade demand and some ugliness on all sides, we were able to extend free-agent-to-be Anthony Rizzo on a 5-year, $87M deal that will keep him on the North Side through 2026. Along with Wilson Contreras , the Rizzo extension is emblematic of a managerial approach that is attempting to strike a delicate balance between "rebuild" and "reload." Rizzo unambiguously rejected the 5-year, $70M deal prior to the season and demanded a 6-year, $117 deal in early July. We went back and forth a few times before finalizing the new pact four days prior to the Deadline. We made two small deals during Deadline week, and neither of them involved Kris Bryant, who refuses to negotiate during the season. We're hopeful to talk when free agency opens, but his return looks increasing dubious. 07/27/21: Traded RHP Dan Winkler to Chicago for LHP Bailey Horn Dan Winkler turned in a strong season for us and performed capably as a closer following Craig Kimbrel's departure (10 saves in 11 opportunities). His ERA (2.50) was more than a full run below his FIP (3.76), but it wasn't entirely fluky as he struck out 10.4 per 9. Given that he's 31 and on a 1-year deal, his trade value was essentially non-existent, but the White Sox found a spot for him in one of the league's best bullpens. Bailey Horn, 23, isn't a top 30 guy and likely won't ever miss enough bats to reach the bigs, but he'll provide innings in the upper minors. 07/29/21: Traded 1B Jake Bauers to Boston for RHP Connor Seabold Jake Bauers was an early June waiver claim from Cleveland but never figured it out in Chicago, scuffling to a .177/.252/.315 line with a 32% K rate over 144 PAs. He's a valuable defender in 1B and LF (60 both) and has drawn double-digit each season in the majors. Boston leads a tight 3-team race in the AL East and was getting below-average production at 1B with Bobby Dalbec and Marwin Gonzalez and in left field with Francy Cordero (72 OPS+, demoted following the Bauers acquisition). Realistically, Bauers' ideal positional fit with the Sox helped us squeeze out a better prospect return. Connor Seabold, 25, is a polarizing prospect who ranked 8th on FanGraphs' list and 14th at MLB Pipeline. Scouts are split on his viability as a starter, but he's solely worked in that capacity this season at AAA Worcester (10-3, 2.63 ERA, 3.67 FIP) over 15 starts. I'm pretty confident in the floor because he's a consistent strike-thrower and has a deep repertoire, but the ceiling remains an unknown. He's a candidate for a late-season call-up when rosters expand but could also be the first guy in line to replace an injured starter in the big league rotation. Last edited by JAF373; 04-29-2021 at 05:44 PM.