TCS Morning 5: So there is a chance?

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Another day passes, and the possibility that the White Sox have not stood idle while the last of the upper crust of free agent outfielders were snatched up by more aggressive suitors remains alive. ESPN's Jim Bowden went so far as to say on MLB Network that the White Sox are one of three finalists in the bidding for Yoenis Cespedes--a process with no formal stages--along with the Mets and Nationals, with the Mets seeming like the franchise Cespedes would be more obliged to take a short-term deal for, and the Nationals more willing to shell out a long-term commitment, and the Sox somewhere in the middle.

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TCS Morning 5: "Well NOW surely the free agent market will open up!"--17th Edition

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Chris Davis signed a contract--a very large, seven-year, $163 million contract--over the weekend to return to the Baltimore Orioles. In the end, the Orioles were able to win out over the competitive bids from...surely someone, at some point.

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TCS Morning 5: A post-Alexei existence

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It is going to be awfully weird to see Alexei Ramirez in another uniform. Luckily, he's headed to San Diego, which means he'll most likely never be seen again. Ramirez is reportedly headed to the left coast on a one-year deal with undisclosed terms, pending a physical. Even without the terms, it's looking pretty clear that the market for Ramirez did not exceed, and likely not even meet the heights of his one-year, $10 million option.

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TCS Morning 5: A confusing juncture in the White Sox offseason

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We're going to look back at this and laugh. Laugh at how confusing this moment of the White Sox offseason was, when both primary and secondary options were being plinked off the board at an equally disconcerting pace, and the only reports of their activity is a sort of maddening and incoherent posturing.

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TCS Morning 5: What just happened to all of our plans?

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 Alex Gordon was never the ideal target for the White Sox. He's far older than the rest of their core, more of an immediate boost to the 2016 team than a long-term solution, more of an all-around stud than the pure offensive injection the lineup desperately needed, and more than anything, just plain-old more essential to the Royals than to anyone else. 

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TCS Morning 5: Hitting minicamp

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The first two years of Todd Steverson's beginning of the year hitting minicamp have featured the first look at Jose Abreu, Adam Eaton, and also MLB camp cameos for Marcus Semien and Trayce Thompson. It does not have nearly the stigma of "pounds of muscle" or "Camp Cora" in terms of false pre-Spring White Sox hope.

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TCS Morning 5: The White Sox at the doorstep of an ideal offseason

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It's not done yet, and they seem curiously abandoned the pursuit of the best option, but by all reports the White Sox have at least recognized their moment of opportunity, deftly identified their flaws, traded brilliantly to shore up holes in their roster while holding onto their top prospects and navigating within ownership's payroll restrictions, and are steps away from expanding their payroll beyond previous limits to secure a top four option in an incredibly strong market for corner outfield help.

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TCS Morning 5: And so we wait

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It's a waiting game on White Sox news of an acquisition that will bridge the gap between "a series of good moves" and "a good offseason," or even "a good team," and at last update they are "quietly in the mix," but it's a good time to remind that the White Sox being at risk for losing a compensatory draft pick is part of what makes this offseason a unique window of opportunity.

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TCS Morning 5: Now it's time for an outfielder

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It's not like the White Sox only have one hole left. It'll be a minor victory if Tyler Saladino stays over a .600 OPS in full-season play, Adam LaRoche is very likely toast, and needs a platoon partner even if he isn't. Erik Johnson doesn't seem very good, we know John Danks is not. Their bullpen is fine, but is not an imitation of the Royals super pen that is currently the vogue. There is plenty they could do to improve the team.

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TCS Morning 5: White Sox rumors are pretty much where you left them last week

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White Sox news mostly stayed in a holding pattern all weekend, as did pretty much any and all updates on the corner outfield market. The Sox left the Winter Meetings with Rick Hahn saying he wasn't done improving the offense, and explicitly stating "There's still room in the payroll to improve the club."

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TCS Morning 5: Now that the Lawrie business is done...

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Most of Wednesday felt like the Sox deal for Lawrie had fallen through. After being reported to be on the doorstep of confirming the trade with Oakland as reporters were heading to bed Tuesday night, nearly all of Wednesday went by with no report of progress, some word of squabbling about the prospects going in return, and buzzing about the Sox now shifting their focus to Todd Frazier.

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TCS Morning 5: A glimpse at Trayce Thompson's future?

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 The Boston Red Sox agreed with former White Sox farmhand Chris Young to a two-year deal according to multiple reports. After initial alarmist concerns that this hinted at a trade from the Red Sox outfield group of Mookie Betts, Rusney Castillo, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Brock Holt...until more sober voices suggested that Young was more likely a platoon bat/competent major league quality insurance for when one or more of those previously named falls flat on their face in an everyday role. Which is likely.

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