JOSE QUINTANA CAN'T BE UNDERRATED

This is silly, I know, but if you'll indulge me.

Last week I saw an article from Sports on Earth about baseball's all-underrated team. Not surprisingly, Jose Quintana was featured on the team. This is because any time somebody mentions Jose Quintana they mention how underrated he is.

And that's just idiotic.

By definition, if you keep mentioning Jose Quintana as somebody who is underrated, he cannot be underrated. You're rating him. Everybody is rating him. He is perfectly rated!

WHITE SOX TO GO AFTER EVAN LONGORIA?

It's been a fun winter already, but apparently things could get more interesting.

The Score's Bruce Levine was on the Mully and Hanley Show Wednesday morning, and during his appearance he speculated about the possibility of another big trade for the White Sox. According to Levine, he believes there'd be mutual interest between the Sox and the Rays in doing a deal for Evan Longoria.

Which, if true, well excuse me I need to go fan myself for a few minutes.

What's not clear is if Levine is just pulling this idea out of his ass, or if he's seen or heard any possible chatter between the two sides, even if they're extremely preliminary discussions. All I know is that I found out about the talk this morning, and now I can't stop thinking about it.

Evan Longoria has taken over my mind.

TIME TO GET BACK TO ENJOYING OURSELVES

The excitement is back. I've sat here at my laptop for a while now getting ready to write a post breaking down the moves the White Sox have made, but it all feels so secondary. I've already shared my thoughts on the money they're giving David Robertson, and they haven't changed.

I don't like spending that much on a closer. Never have, never will. But I can live with it because I understand it.

As for the Samardzija trade, how can any reasonable fan be anything other than thrilled? You get a great starter you can slot between Chris Sale and Jose Quintana, and you don't have to give up any top prospects to do it. If the Sox can't sign Shark long term you get the draft pick when he leaves next winter. A draft pick that replaces the second round pick you lose by signing Robertson.

There. That's the analysis. Let's get to the emotions.

WHITE SOX HAVE CHECKED IN ON JUSTIN MASTERSON

We don't know who it's going to be, or how he's going to get here, but at some point the White Sox are going to get a right-handed starting pitcher this winter. The current starting rotation consists of Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, John Danks and then there's Carlos Rodon waiting in the wings. Should Danks not be traded at some point, that's four lefty starters in the rotation.

That's not really a terrible thing, but you want to find a righty to throw in there somewhere, and the Sox just don't have a realistic option available aside from Hector Noesi, but you don't want to go into next season guaranteeing Noesi anything.

So Rick Hahn will find a starter, and I like where his head is at according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The paper says the White Sox have "inquired" on Justin Masterson. This is an idea I can get behind.