Full Transcript for MLB Free Agent Predictions 2026/27 Edition

we're going to start with infielder number 10, Brandon Lau, who had a very good season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, really helped the Pirates really make their turnaround this season. It's a little unfortunate that Paul Skeen's had to step back. We saw at the end of the season, Jim, just how strong this Pirates team is. And with Brandon Lau, I guess I'll start with you. How are you feeling here? Could he return to Pittsburgh or... Does another team, does another potential contender see what Loud did for the Pirates at second base and say, we could use some of that power too? 00:06:49 Speaker 2: I think there are enough teams that could use that power and also a lot of bad offenses among the teams with deeper pockets to think that Pittsburgh can be outbid. So I would expect them to go elsewhere. 00:07:00 Speaker 1: Yeah, I have the New York Yankees signing. Brandon Lau. And the reason I'm picking the Yankees, Jim, it will really tie into the next free agent that we're going to be speaking with. I'm not hearing great things coming out of New York about their Jazz Chisholm experience. So they could be in the market once again in second base and Brandon Lau. They know firsthand having faced him when he was in the Tampa Bay Rays with that short porch at right field. I feel like this is a good fit for both parties with Lau and the Yankees. That's why I'm going to go with the New York Yankees. Do you have a team in mind and where Brandon Lau would sign with? 00:07:40 Speaker 2: Do you know who led or at least is represented at second base on the 2026 Texas Rangers baseball reference page for second base? 00:07:50 Speaker 1: It's not Marcus Simeon because he was in the New York Mets. No. Old friend, Nicky Lopez. Nicky Lopez. 00:07:59 Speaker 2: Jake Berger was at first. So it feels like the Rangers are– In the market. Yeah, in the market and have a very obvious upgrade situation to where one of these left-handed second basemen could be heading their way. So I will go with the Rangers. 00:08:15 Speaker 6: All right. 00:08:15 Speaker 2: I like that pick. 00:08:16 Speaker 1: So that's Brandon Lau. Let's go to– I already referenced him, Jazz Chisholm. And I'll start here. I don't see him coming back to the New York Yankees with– some of the things have been reported with the clubhouse and just, again, there's an incident during the season where jazz Chisholm clearly went into the infield with a sucker in his mouth, even having Aaron judge, trying to talk some sense into jazz Chisholm. I just feel like this is a breakup. That's going to be happening between the Yankees and jazz Chisholm. I have the Cincinnati reds signing jazz Chisholm, and this may surprise some people because the reds really don't dip into free agency or like this. I don't think Chisholm's going to get a big deal, Jim. And I do wonder if Chisholm even signs before the lockout. He may be one of these guys that are unsigned until a new CBA is agreed upon because there's just some really bad vibes when it comes to Chisholm. But the Reds had some of the worst production at second base in 2026. I think it'd be fun to pair Jazz with Ayla De La Cruz. And maybe manager Terry Francona can help get jazz Chisholm to focus. So that's why I got the Cincinnati reds signing jazz Chisholm. Where do you think he signs in this off season? 00:09:35 Speaker 2: I thought I was going to surprise you with that pick because I also looked for the worst. And they also, they have, they have two big holes in the infield. The reds do. And also when you look at the reds, they have made the, Um, surprisingly big swings, the occasional random contract of like, Oh, they signed that guy. And, uh, whether it's because of an odd fit, like Jamer Candelario is one of them. Oh, yeah. Sometimes they have these random big swings for players who aren't ideal fits because like it just happens to be like something that can generate some excitement. And there is a plausible way he fits. So I could see like Chisholm's market position. Not being what he wants to where he does kind of plinko down, and then all of a sudden the Reds are like, well, look at our infield. We weren't that far off from being a wild card contender last year, so why not take a shot at him? We can afford him. He probably wants a pillow contract or something to get him back in the market, so the Reds could be a fit. So I thought I was going to surprise you with that, and I'm– Kind of upset I didn't have a backup. I guess you can see the Rangers if you want to do like double down and say, I'm going to get the left-hand second baseman of some kind, but I think I'll stick with the Reds. 00:10:44 Speaker 5: All right. 00:10:44 Speaker 1: So we both go with the Cincinnati Reds. 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mintmobile.com. 00:11:54 Speaker 1: All right, let's slip it to the pitching market here. And next is Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres. Jim, how are you feeling about Morejon's market here? Because the things that I'm reading is that he could maybe get a deal like Josh Hader did, where another team's get assigned to become a premium reliever, but there could be other MLB teams that view him as a potential starting pitcher, or at least one of stretch him out to be a starter. So how do you think Murray Hone's market will shake out for him? And what team do you think ultimately signs him? 00:12:32 Speaker 2: I don't think he'll be a starter. It kind of reminds me of Sean Newcomb when the White Sox signed him, like they're going to stretch him out. And they didn't, even though he had a better case for it. Seems like with the way top relievers get paid, He should be able to be paid enough without having to fall back on the maybe he can start, maybe he'll provide even more value. It's not like Jordan Hicks to where like he was a good but not great reliever who might be a good but not great starter and he'd have more value as a starter. In this case, he's a great reliever. do you think he'd be an above average starter? Then maybe that's enough. But if he's not even that, like his value might be lost. So I can see him being a true reliever at this point. And I think there are enough teams that could use bullpen help to where like he'll get paid. And I think the biggest question is just more about his shoulder, which kept him out of the postseason at the very end. Like if there's any lingering effects from that, but otherwise it seems pretty clear cut to me that he should get a big contract from somebody. 00:13:30 Speaker 1: I agree on the big contract. The number that keeps coming to mind is like four years, 80 million. Like another deal that may surprise people, just how much money Morejon gets in this offseason. So do you have a team in mind who could sign the talented lefty? 00:13:48 Speaker 2: I'm not sure I completely buy this in terms of– but in terms of how bad the unit was last year, I'm going to go with the Nationals. Oh, okay. They were so god-awful in the bullpen. As much as White Sox fans know the horrors of a bullpen that can't do anything right in close games just a couple years ago, the Nationals bullpen might have been that bad or maybe even more so because the team was better. So it's not a case where like the They blew a lot of leads because the offense couldn't score runs. The Nationals could score runs okay. They just couldn't hold leads regardless. I could see the Nationals being like, well, we're not going to be huge players in free agency, but the one guy we are going to sign is somebody who could super solve our biggest position of need and then see if we can get one run. 00:14:42 Speaker 2: Game luck or bullpen luck to maybe speed up what could be a rebuild or a rise that's already on track. 00:14:51 Speaker 6: All right. 00:14:51 Speaker 2: I like that. I'm going to be bored. 00:14:53 Speaker 1: I think the San Diego Padres ultimately re-sign. Morejon, and maybe they're the ones that try to stretch him out to be a starter. But I have a feeling Sandy is going to spend some cash this offseason. I just don't know if they're going to be bringing in a whole lot of new faces, more of trying to keep some of the guys that they have. So spoiler alert, or a little tease to an upcoming prediction later in the show that I have for another key free agent. So I got Morejon staying home. San Diego. Another pitcher here, and this is lefty Trevor Rodgers. And I mentioned in a previous podcast episode that I think Trevor Rodgers is going to claim the title of most surprising free agent contract signed this offseason. I am expecting him to sign north. 00:15:42 Speaker 2: Of $ 100 million. 00:15:43 Speaker 1: Maybe he is the guy that signs like a Zach Wheeler type contract five years later. 125 million. The team that I think is going to surprise everyone in signing Trevor Rogers is the San Francisco Giants. This Giants team feels like they're going to make a big splash. I don't know if they're ready to rebuild. I get the impression that they still want to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. So if they don't sign Tarek Skubal, I think that this is their fallback plan in getting Rogers signed. And that's who I'm going to go with. I'm going to go with the San Francisco Giants signing Trevor Rogers. How do you feel about Trevor Rogers and who could be the team that wins his sweepstakes? 00:16:26 Speaker 2: There are like 5 billion fits for like all of these pitchers basically, but I think Rogers might have the most suitors because of like the valuation that teams may place on him or saying like he hasn't achieved his potential yet. So maybe we can buy low on him and, It feels like the Blue Jays have some room for somebody like him. They did address their rotation by getting Jose Soriano, so they have Cease, they have Soriano, but... Given the way Cease ended the year, given that Gosman's gone, they had Scherzer, they had Corbin, they had Bieber. They had a whole bunch of pitchers that either didn't pan out or aged out, aren't around. They do have room for at least one signing here, and I think Rodgers, the familiarity there. We've talked about the name confusion, and they already have Tyler Rodgers there, so they could– do that for you. 00:17:19 Speaker 1: They play at the Rogers center. 00:17:21 Speaker 2: They play at the Rogers center. Yep. Easy marketing. So yeah. Why not double down on Rogers is and go with Toronto. 00:17:28 Speaker 4: All right. 00:17:28 Speaker 1: And then our next go over back to the hitters. And this is the biggest target coming from Japan. And this is third baseman DH, maybe right field, maybe first baseman as well. This is a, Teiruki Saito. And we spoke about Saito in a previous episode. as maybe someone that even if the White Sox are looking to help with

their right field situation, if there is some doubt about Brandon Montgomery's offensive ability, maybe he could be a fit for the White Sox. But Jim, when it comes to DeSoto, he's been posted. I'm going to assume he does sign before the lockout, because if he doesn't sign before the lockout, he's probably heading back to Japan then, just based on how the posting period works for him. Who do you think will end up signing the talented Japanese hitter? 00:18:21 Speaker 2: I've been pronouncing his name Sato in my head. I don't think I've heard it said, but I think it's the way the vowel usually works. We'll go with Sato. 00:18:28 Speaker 1: I am wrong most of the time. Almost every time I'm wrong with the Japanese names. So Sato, sorry about that. 00:18:34 Speaker 2: We'll go with Sato. That's right. 00:18:35 Speaker 7: Yeah. 00:18:36 Speaker 2: I haven't heard it said aloud myself, but that's just what I'm saying. But yeah, I'm going to go with the angels. It feels like if he does have to get like a Murakami like contract of just not maybe getting peak value, but might want to reenter the markets and you have ability to capitalize on value that he proves given that the angels are going through a sale that Uh, they have, they've been able to land this kind of, uh, prospect before, or at least overseas prospect, you know, the, the proximity, the Pacific, uh, is handy for Japanese free agents. And depending on where they are in the ownership transition, if this is something like they know that they can swing with Cronky taken over, like, is that a case where, uh, you know, I'm not sure how this works, but can one owner say like, Hey, I'd I can cover this if you want to swing it. I don't know if that's the case where that kind of thing happens. That's a good question. Given that Artie Moreno likes the occasional splash to maintain interest and kind of maintain a base amount of fan support, I do wonder if he's a fit here. 00:19:41 Speaker 1: As a parting gift, here you go, Angels fans. I signed another third baseman. If that doesn't work, I do like the idea of the Angels signing. I'm going to go back to the New York Yankees looking to shore up their infield. The Yankees last year ranked 28th in war at third base. And I wonder if with Sato, if they just put them over at third base instead of pushing them out to right field. They don't obviously need a right fielder having Aaron Judge. out there unless they're going back to Judge playing center field, but I don't see that happening. So I have the Yankees making another signing in the top 10. The Yankees finally flexing some of their financial might that we haven't seen in a bit. from New York, at least on the position player side. They've been spending most of their cash on the pitching side as of late. But Jim and I will take a quick break for a word from our sponsors, but we'll be giving our predictions for the top five free agents. And of course, we'll end it with who will be the biggest free agent signing the Chicago White Sox make this offseason next on the Sox Machine Podcast. 00:20:50 Speaker 7: Howard, I'm so glad I saved your number. 00:20:52 Speaker 2: My husband fell at a construction site. 00:20:54 Speaker 1: And is in critical condition. 00:20:56 Speaker 4: I knew it wasn't safe. 00:20:57 Speaker 2: I'm very sorry to hear that. 00:20:59 Speaker 4: I just want to let you know I'm here to help. 00:21:00 Speaker 2: Yeah, tell me more about it. 00:21:02 Speaker 4: Work injuries not only affect the victim, but also everyone around them. Incan Law is Chicago-based and here to advocate on your behalf. With over 100 attorneys and staff, if you or someone you know has questions about a work injury, call 312-6-MILLION. Injury Law made personal. That's Hank and Law. 00:21:20 Speaker 1: Visit the new Sox Machine store at SoxMachineShop.com to pick up your new white socks and Sox Machine gear. Sam Antonacci, Mutataka Murakami, Tristan Peters, Chase Mydroth, and of course, the celibate for Sean Burke shirts are available. Plus new Sox Machines three-quarter zip-up sweaters and coffee mugs. Officially licensed gear from the MOB Players Association. Visit SoxMachineShop.com. Welcome back to the Sox Machine Podcast. All right, we already gave our free agent predictions for our free agents from rank six to number 10. Let's go into the top. 00:21:56 Speaker 2: Five, Jim. 00:21:57 Speaker 1: And that is starting with number five, Seiya Suzuki, who is part of my off-season plan project for the White Sox. But Jim, who do you think will ultimately sign the power-hitting right fielder in this off-season? 00:22:12 Speaker 2: I support your idea. I'm going with the White Sox. Oh, okay. I want the White Sox to be represented somewhere on this list, and it feels like this is one of a couple opportunities, the other being starting pitcher, to where it makes sense to hold them to the standard and see if they deliver. But yeah, I'll go with you on this case and put the White Sox down. 00:22:36 Speaker 1: All right. I like it. So that probably answers your question later on. in this show. For me, I think this is where the Toronto Blue Jays spend some cash. And this really surprised me. Akimoto last year led the Blue Jays in home runs with 33. George Sprainer was second on the Blue Jays in home runs with only 15. They have an issue on the power side and power was really what helped them, Jim, reach the World Series in 2025. I still can't make sense of what happened to Vlad Guerrero Jr. This season, I hope fully he snaps out of it. But I don't see Sprinter coming back to the Blue Jays. So the Blue Jays definitely need some more thump in their lineup. And this is where I think they do surprise some people around Major League Baseball. And they are the ones that outbid everyone for Seiya Suzuki. 00:23:29 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good pick. Gave him some thought. Uh, yeah, the Vlad thing is just kind of hanging over everything because he doesn't bounce back. Like

they need a lot more help than that, but yeah, just, it was a, you know, uh, they tried, uh, yeah. Dalton Varshow didn't quite, uh, pan out a lot of either regression or self-scouting to solve, uh, in Springer being out like, yeah, just. You took what you could get from Springer at the end of his deal, and I think he provided enough at the very end of his contract. But yeah, there are some openings for the Blue Jays to add offensively, and I didn't think of it, but I just wanted the opportunity to put the White Sox down because I do believe that they do have the opportunity to add this sort of contract if they want to. All right. 00:24:14 Speaker 1: Well, I do like it. 00:24:15 Speaker 2: I love the idea, obviously. 00:24:17 Speaker 1: It was part of my off-season plan project. We're going to go to another outfielder. This is Randy Rosarito. And if I had to guess... I'm going to say Rosarito's going to sign for a deal larger than Suzuki because of age reasons, even though defensively Suzuki's much better and offensively they're very similar. To me, Jim, Randy Rosarito screams a Dave Dabrowski signing. So I'm going to go with the Philadelphia Phillies. And back to another surprising stat, the Phillies last year, if you go by weightedrunscreativeplus or go to fagraphs.com, Sort by that column. Out of all the Phillies hitters who had at least 100 plate appearances, old friend Derek Hill finished third on the Phillies with 109 weighted runs created plus. So again, this is another situation where Bryce Harper and Kyle Shore would need a lot more support offensively. So many talented veteran hitters on that team were below 100, below league average last year. So I feel like in order to help Schwarber and Harper, that Dave Dabrowski spends the cash of the Phillies, are not shy about spending, and they end up signing Randy Orozarena. Who do you think wins the Randy Orozarena sweepstakes? 00:25:39 Speaker 2: I have the Phillies as well, but it was more just because it'd be a very funny outcome. Very Dabrowski in terms of like, spending money to solve the problem, but also being a declining defender in the Phillies. We've had lots of defensive problems. It felt like almost two Phillies in that way to where like, I wanted that outcome to, selected if you didn't do it. But since you did it, this is where I'm going to pivot and go Toronto because I didn't see you have them as needing an outfielder, needing somebody like they have room at DH if they want to, if they need to age them down there to where they could rotate them between some spots, kind of like give them the George Springer treatment, but also play them in the outfield probably more and count on him more in left field. But yeah, I think... Phillies would be the funniest. I think the Blue Jays have room to make it work in a less disastrous way. If it goes poorly in Philly, it hurts them. Maybe it's the signing that cripples them just because they've been kind of walking this fine line between just

how expensive and limited their roster can be. I think the Blue Jays have a little bit more room to absorb that before things go terribly wrong. Okay. 00:26:53 Speaker 1: So you're really setting the stage here, Jim, that if the White Sox are looking to be a player in the outfield free agent market, that the Toronto Blue Jays are going to be a serious contender in those markets in which the White Sox, if they do decide internally that they're going for Randy Rosarino or Seiya Suzuki. 00:27:13 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think there are a few teams that need just runs, however they can be fashioned, whether it's like just getting a bat first guy and putting him in position and hoping positioning solves issues or what have you. But yeah, the Blue Jays seem like they are primed to add somebody given just how much they've lost. 00:27:34 Speaker 3: Yeah. 00:27:34 Speaker 1: And they need to, because that division is only getting tougher in the American League East. 00:27:39 Speaker 6: All right. 00:27:39 Speaker 1: So that's the end of the position players. Our last three free agents that we're going to make predictions for are all starting pitchers. And we're going to start with Michael Caine. And I teased this earlier, Jim. I'll make it easy. I think the San Diego Padres are going to bring Michael Caine back. There's some word out West that the Padres want to sign Tarek Skubal away from Los Angeles Dodgers. But I I don't see that happening with the Padres winning a bidding war against Los Angeles Dodgers. And Michael Caine was so critical in their success last year. And he was outstanding in the postseason. For those reasons, I think, again, the Padres spend the cash to bring back home the talented pitching that they had last year. And Michael Caine's another one that will lead their rotation. Who do you think Michael Caine will sign with this offseason? 00:28:32 Speaker 2: I do think it'll be the Padres. I think they're the most likely, but in the interest of giving our little contest here some diversity and not just have us go chalk or be in too much of agreement, here's where I'll go with the White Sox because I do think in terms of the kind of contract they could offer him given his age. He does fit that. And I think the way he pitches does fit what the White Sox try to do with their pitchers, like East-West and singers. He seems like he has a few different ways to get guys out and could age well into his mid to late 30s. So if they're going to sign somebody, I think maybe the Padres just have the inside track and snap them up and the White Sox don't really have a chance. But terms of the type of pitcher, I think he's probably the most White Sox pitcher on the board. So I will throw my vote that way just to represent that viewpoint. 00:29:29 Speaker 4: Okay. 00:29:30 Speaker 1: So you have the White Sox signing, say, Suzuki, and you're predicting that the White Sox will sign Michael Caine. How did you stay under the $ 130 million payroll, Jim, in the offseason? 00:29:44 Speaker 2: No, it's volume shooting. It's like a case where we're putting the White Sox down all 10 spots, hoping to get one, and that way you get a nice clippable highlight. And that way we get, oh, I predicted it. Yeah, I predicted a few things. I'm not a genius. I'm going for the short-term hit here. All right, I like it. 00:30:01 Speaker 1: All right, I like it. Okay, so just got Michael King to the White Sox. You heard it here first on the Sox Machine podcast. Number two, someone that I have the White Sox targeting, is Freddie Peralta. So, Jim, I'll have you start here. Who do you have Freddie Peralta signing with this offseason? 00:30:21 Speaker 2: Going to go with the White Sox, just because they need a starting pitcher. He does a lot of things well. Yeah. I could keep doing this and that way one of them will hit. Cubs need a starter. Cubs need rotation help. Like it feels like they could be in play for Rodgers or King for that matter. So they seem like somebody could spam the board with and one of them will hit. And I think in this case, I will go with Peralta just because. They certainly saw enough of him. I think they probably have an idea of what the real Peralta is like and what he does. And so like in terms of discerning the Mets version or the Rays version, trying to figure out which one was closer and how to value that. It seems like they might be most interested or have the most conviction in him should it come down to a bidding war, like a mild bidding war for services. 00:31:13 Speaker 1: Yeah, I also have the Chicago Cubs winning the Freddie Peralta sweepstakes, Jim. It would definitely make the month of November very interesting if it does get leaked that the White Sox and Cubs are the top suitors for Freddie Peralta. I think many teams would pivot. Then again, we'll talk about Tarek Skubal here in a second. I just don't know how many teams are actually in the Tarek Skubal market. I figure there's far more teams in the Freddie Peralta, Michael King, Trevor Rogers market than there is for Tarek Skubal. And what great off-season intrigue it would be in these upcoming weeks if it is Cubs versus White Sox. in trying to sign Freddy Peralta. I think Peralta is a great fit for both teams. It definitely makes the month of November interesting from a baseball perspective when in Chicago sports right now, I don't know how much you pay attention to the NBA or NHL, Jim, but as I was listening to sports radio on Monday after the Bears beat the Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears have more wins than the Blackhawks and Bulls do combined. 00:32:21 Speaker 2: I try to pay attention to the Blackhawks. They're making it very, very, very difficult. Very difficult. And great arguments against the salary cap being any kind of salve or hope for evening out competitive balance or helping a team turn around faster if the front office doesn't have what it takes. 00:32:38 Speaker 1: To our fellow bloggers and podcasters who cover the

Blackhawks at Bulls, thoughts and prayers– Thoughts and prayers. It's going to be a long winter for you guys, but regardless, Jim and I have the Chicago Cubs signing Freddie Peralta, which then brings us to number one. And that is Tarek Skubal. And if you watch our friends over at foul territory, there's been a lot of conversation. And I think like, It really surrounds the idea of there's just that many teams that are going to fork over the amount of cash and years to sign Tarek Skobel. But what I do find fascinating, they had Jim Ducat on their show recently, Jim. And Jim does a great job with our friend Mike Farron over on MLB Network Radio. And they're starting to get this idea floating that It's going to be really hard for any team to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Dodgers may surprise other teams and not sign Skubal to a 10-year contract. they may only sign him to like a five-year or seven-year contract, but a huge AAV, like we're talking maybe approaching $ 50 million a season for Tarek Skubal. And if it was like a five-year, $ 250 million contract, again, Jerry Reinstorf, go for it, man. You don't have any money. And if you're worried about longevity with pitchers and you don't want to sign a pitcher to a 10-year contract, well, if Skubal's only willing to sign for five years, but $ 250 million– Go for it. Challenge Los Angeles Dodgers for that amount. 00:34:16 Speaker 2: Opt-outs every year. 00:34:18 Speaker 1: Opt-outs every year, exactly. Maybe every half season, as you referenced earlier. I just think at the end, it sounds like Scooble really enjoyed his time at Los Angeles Dodgers. This is where it's really tough to beat out the Dodgers when it comes to offseason spending. And it's a clear need for the Dodgers to bring back Tarek Scooble. So I think this is one of the easier layups. I'm going to go with Los Angeles Dodgers, re-signing Tarek Scooble. Jim, is that your prediction as well, where Scooble lands? 00:34:49 Speaker 2: Yeah, just because I think they can do the creative accounting that helps make it palatable for both sides. Maybe the Mets are also in that boat of needing a starter and poning up when necessary. Will they do it again in case Juan Soto and winning that bidding war? Don't know, but they strike me as the team that might be closest to Being able to compete with the Dodgers on both fronts of whether it's sheer contract value or just doing something weird on the books to make it make sense. Like you said, the Giants are another weird one in terms of this feels destined for the Giants tried and couldn't do it. That kind of market. But yeah, Dodgers seem like a... I've made enough daring picks that I think I will try to make a boring one here and see if I can notch a win. Give myself a, not that it's a lock, but at least a lower odds probability of making it happen. All right. 00:35:49 Speaker 1: Well, let us know in the comments section, either on SoxMachine.com or on YouTube, your guys' predictions for these 10 free agents. And you have one more to make as well. And that's where we're going to end the show. Who will be the biggest free agent? the White Sox sign this off season. We've been correct in the past. I was correct with the Andrew Benatendi signing all those years ago. But Jim, I mean, you've got Michael Cain, you got Seiya Suzuki. Is Cain or Suzuki your prediction, the biggest free agent signing for the White Sox? 00:36:23 Speaker 2: I think I'll go with Suzuki just because if I had to pick one, I think, you know, King's ties to Padres are probably too close to, Given that the Padres need a lot of pitchers, or at least multiple pitchers, I don't think they're in scooble territory. I think they need to spread that money around a bit. And I think King, given how well he's pitched for them, how well everybody seems to work there, would be an easier pick. So I think Suzuki is more likely to test the open market and go somewhere else. And so by that virtue, I think I will go with Suzuki being the White Sox pick. biggest free agent ever, which isn't saying much, but still saying something. 00:37:03 Speaker 1: No, he would definitely require beating bet attendees five years, $ 75 million. I wonder how Cubs fans would feel if Suzuki did switch sides of town and signed a deal with the White Sox. The Cubs, this is such a critical offseason for them. They have to spend some cash. They should be one of the more active teams this offseason. For me, I'm going to go with starting pitcher, I'm going to go with Sonny Gray as the White Sox biggest free agent signing this offseason. I liked a lot of the points that you made about Michael King, Jim, and why he would be a great fit for the White Sox. If Sonny Gray at this stage of his career is only going to merit maybe a two-year contract with a club option for a third year, that fits more in the comfort zone for Jerry Reinsdorf's spending. Jerry knows who Sonny Gray is, and Sonny Gray had an excellent season for the Boston Red Sox last year. So if there is confidence from a White Sox front office perspective with the analytics team, that Sonny Gray can still deliver 160 plus innings. He was one of the best starting pitchers third time through the order last year as well. So you could really push him. And if he's looking for one last chance to get into the postseason, you could have a motivated veteran starting pitcher to add to your rotation to help lead the way for the White Sox. So that's why I'm going to go with Sonny Gray as the White Sox biggest free agent signing. 00:38:30 Speaker 2: I like that one. And also not like a demoralizing one. Uh, if case of like, if he were the biggest free agent signing, but they also added help elsewhere, you could say like, Oh, that could be a good off season could be built around a sunny gray contract or at least have it. If not headlining being a co-headliner, I could see it being, uh, of use. Like, I guess my biggest concern is like the striking the balance between the

strikeout rate, taking a hit and a really high left on base rates for him. Um, in terms of like how, that's going to strike a balance between him, like figuring out a different mode for success versus like regression, kind of giving them a little bit of a kick, not sure how that'll work out. So like, that's why I don't have them as a top targets, but I could see the market shaking out to where like Sonny Gray and the White Sox are very, very good fit. 00:39:17 Speaker 3: Yeah. 00:39:17 Speaker 1: And back to your point that you just made, if the White Sox signed both say a Suzuki and Sonny Gray, I think that does address two of their bigger needs this off season. Sure. I, for those that say I want the White Sox to continue adding starting pitching beyond Sonny Gray, yes, I would agree with you as well. The White Sox should take this opportunity. The more I've been thinking about this, Jim, even though I'm not crazy about this free agent class, I think the White Sox should spend cash aiming for quality more than quantity and be in this pool in the top 10. I do like the fact that you predicted the White Sox twice in our free agent predictions, because even though I didn't, and that's more because of my doubt and mistrust in Jerry Reinsdorf, but the White Sox should be in this market. They should be throwing some cash this off season so they could fight regression and And they can build a stronger team leading to 2027 and do this before December 1st. So you don't have to worry about it whenever the off season picks up again after the lockout and to see and who is available and how they've been working out during the off season. Don't worry about that. Just get these deals done with the motivated guys before December 1st. And with that silence, I will take that Jim agreed with me on that point. But that will do it for this episode of the Sox Machine Podcast. Thank you guys so much for watching and listening. Our next episode is going to be recapping all the things that were said during the general manager meetings in Las Vegas and see what comes out of it with any rumors, whispers, gossipers, and what directions the White Sox will go. And then, of course, there will be more MOB awards that will be announced later this week. And we also owe you guys a PO Sox episode, too, to answer some of your questions about So those are going to be, again, another tease of what our upcoming episodes will be this offseason. We're also waiting, again, White Sox, if you want to make a move so we can have an emergency podcast, that'd be great as well. Thank you so much for watching and listening to this episode. This is a video podcast. So if you watch the video on our YouTube channel at youtube.com slash Sox Machine, please hit the subscribe button. We greatly appreciate it. You can listen to the show wherever you listen to podcasts such as Spotify and Apple Music and follow us on social media. We're on all the social media platforms at Sox Machine as the Sox Machine podcast is a production of SoxMachine.com. You're on for all the things Chicago White Sox baseball and part of the Foul Territory Network. Alongside Jim Margulis, I'm Josh Delson. Thanks for watching and listening.