Silly Season

Forget about Thanksgiving and Christmas, “the holidays,” if you will. Between now and the end of the winter meetings early next month, we’re officially in the silly season of baseball. Allow me these examples: free-agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts to the White Sox (mlb.com); the White Sox signing infielder Jean Segura (ditto); the Sox trading Liam Hendriks, Gavin Sheets, minor-leaguer Yoelqui Cespedes and $10 million to the Blue Jays for catcher Alejandro Kirk (The Athletic). Where do I even start? How about the Sox would never pay what Bogaerts wants? How about all the heavy lifting needed to switch Tim Anderson to second base? How about asking what makes Segura so special? How about respectfully wondering about Kirk’s weight (265 pounds on a 5’8” frame) and arm (a career caught-stealing rate of twenty-two percent)? But, like I said, this is the silly season, so silly in fact that the sage considering the Kirk-to-the-Sox deal thought Toronto wouldn’t be getting enough in return. Happy, silly, holidays, everyone.