I never quite got the Rodon thing. If they offered him a QO he probably wouldn't have stayed anyhow but why didn't they want him? Is there some larger issue under the surface. For a likely playoff team, it's hard to replace a guy like Rodon

I think the Sox were trying a bit of a strategic move by not offering Rodon the QO - both as a favor to him and to build up a little goodwill with Boras.

Here is an NBC Sports article from November, and here's a more editorialized version from Jim Margalus at Sox Machine. From the Sox Machine article, Rodon's injury history may have come into play, too:

The White Sox chose the course in between by withholding the qualifying offer, and here’s where the information asymmetry is a little too stark for me to have strong feelings about it. If the White Sox were phrasing Rodón’s injury issues as euphemistically as possible during the second half of 2021 and don’t think he’s a great bet to ever hold up for six months, then their decision is readily defensible. They’re just going to have to wait for Rodón’s 2022 innings total to illustrate that thinking, because coming out and saying it while Rodón’s trying to find his next job would be a dick move.

I've tried to respond to this post a few times but keep cutting myself off, because I have Very Deep Thoughts on what may or may not have happened. But.

- The White Sox appear to be hard-capped, salary-wise.
- The White Sox medical team had serious concerns about Rodon's health moving forward.
- The White Sox had several holes to fill this off-season (2B, RF, RP).
- The White Sox also *may* have been frustrated with Rodon at the end of last season - I certainly got the sense that they felt he could pitch when he felt he couldn't.

In the end, Rick Hahn decided he couldn't blow his entire budget on the gamble that Rodon would be healthy, and so he didn't.

I do think that if the team had been able to make March's Kimbrel-for-Pollock deal in, like, November, then Rodon might still be with the team. But, they couldn't.
I also think that given its recent history the White Sox medical team deserves a more skeptical glance on, well, everything.

For the last two or so years, Hahn has made completely defensible moves time after time after time and *every one of them* has backfired on him. It's like he's lost six or seven big coin flips in a row. And the injury situation has just been brutal, making the decisions look worse. (From @Sportradar and @SBekovic on Twitter: Since 2020, the #WhiteSox have only played 35 games with all 6 of Anderson, Robert, Abreu, Jimenez, Moncada and Grandal in the lineup. They are 24-11 (.686) in those games.)

I do think that if the team had been able to make March's Kimbrel-for-Pollock deal in, like, November, then Rodon might still be with the team. But, they couldn't

But Kimbrel was an option they picked up. If it was strictly money, just let Kimbrel go. The Sox didn't really save any money in the Kimbrel-Pollock deal.** Drop Kimbrel, offer the QO ... if he takes it, try trading him (or can you not do that after a QO?); if he doesn't take it, you've got $16 M to spend on an OF. Canha 2/$26; Escobar (IF) 2/$20; McCutchen 1/$8.5; Pederson 1/$6; Pham 1/$7.5; Rosario 2/$18. If the White Sox were in a corner financially, it was one they put themselves in by exercising the option on Kimbrel.

** Technically it was Kimberl at $16 for Pollock at $10 but Pollock has a $10 M player option with a $5 M buyout so it was looking like $15 for 2022. He's been so bad this year he might take that option so it could be 2/$20. And I see the trade report I read put it at $10 this year and Cot's agrees while b-r puts it at $13.

I understand the Sox didn't save themselves money by trading Kimbrel. Didn't mean to imply that they had, sorry.

I think Hahn *wanted* to save money in a Kimbrel trade but when that did not materialize, he used that money to fill a separate hole (Pollock in an OF spot).

And I don't think Hahn felt that declining the Kimbrel option was a viable choice. He had just traded a more-than-serviceable relief pitcher and the team's starting second baseman for Kimbrel, and the rationalization at the time was that he was getting that extra season. If he didn't pick it up, then he gave away Madrigal and Heuer for literally less than nothing (-0.1 WAAadj). He needed to try and get *something* for Kimbrel.

But that's the crux of the problem, right...one negative result begets another, over and over again.

I wonder how different the White Sox' evaluation of relief pitching is from other teams. It seems vastly off.

Hahn should have been fired when Reinsdorf went over his head to hire TLR. It's not surprising to me that Hahn has not been making good decisions. When the leaders are trying to row the boat in different directions, you get dysfunction.

The white Sox should have brought Jocketty in or somebody that had a good relationship with TLR.

The white Sox should have brought Jocketty in or somebody that had a good relationship with TLR.

Or, you know, just not hired LaRussa.

If he didn't pick it up, then he gave away Madrigal and Heuer for literally less than nothing (-0.1 WAAadj)

If it makes you feel any better, Madrigal and Heuer have -0.2 WAA this year...