Black_Jack29

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Mar 14, 2016 -> 10:28 AM) I don't expect Lawrie to have many days off, so Saladino should be fine. If Lawrie has to go on the DL then I imagine Sanchez gets called up and starts at 2B. Lawrie is going to have to play 3B whenever Frazier needs a day off, so the backup 2B will have to effectively spell two players. And if LaRoche ever goes on the DL, Frazier is the only one with ample playing time at 1B, so that would mean Lawrie plays 3B on those days as well.

Among the players expected to make the 25-man roster, who is projected to be second on the depth chart at 2B? I don't think that Rollins has played there in over a decade and Saladino has had very limited time there in the minors. I can't imagine that they'd give Sanchez a roster spot simply to spell Lawrie at 2B.

I don't necessarily expect much from Johnson and Latos this year, but we really need Danks to be able to eat innings while minimizing damage. He needs to at least match what he's done over the past few years. We can't have the bullpen throwing four- and five-inning games twice a week.

QUOTE (JoshPR @ Mar 12, 2016 -> 07:40 PM) Was very impressed with bennetti Yep, he sounds pretty good. Stony was doing more talking than ususal, and I imagine that's to help Bennetti get accustomed to his new job. It's nice to hear Stone's insight in place of Hawk blabbing on about things that I don't care about.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Mar 11, 2016 -> 10:54 PM) It will be great to see a real broadcast for the first time since Hawk checked out a decade ago. I liked Hawk a lot back in the '80s and '90s. Sometime around the turn of the century, he became a caricature of himself. Very excited to watch Benetti.

Strong starts by Quintana and Rodon are also encouraging.

And now Hawkins. I hope that this is a split-squad Padres lineup. That is some ugly pitching.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Mar 11, 2016 -> 01:55 PM) Nah I agree with Balta. We need to be able to rely on Sale for 220 IP at some point if we want to make the playoffs, so sitting him isn't going to make that happen. If Sale's arm isn't conditioned to throw 220 innings right now, running him out there every five days in August and September with a dead arm isn't going to help us make the playoffs in 2016. No, I'm pointing out that Sale tends to be erratic in August and September. The ERA numbers that you're citing are monthly averages and obscure the fact that he tends to have some bad starts in the late summer. And I'm not advocating "sitting him" in general. I'm advocating him skipping 1-3 starts over the last two months of the season, which means that he'd still be throwing plenty of innings in August and September. Alternatively, you could put him on a pitch count in the late summer. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 11, 2016 -> 02:17 PM) If you're that worried about Chris Sale's work load...then be proactive. Let "Mr. Offday" start once in May and once in June when your bullpen is rested, give him a couple extra days each time, and don't let him average 116 pitches per start in June. And that's another good option.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 11, 2016 -> 11:58 AM) The only scenario where I would be in favor of this is if the White Sox have a commanding lead for home field throughout the AL playoffs by mid-August. If they're in the race but it's tight...no. You live or die based on Sale, not based on a rookie, unless he actually "asks out" of a start because things get that bad. If they're out of the race but Sale is healthy enough to keep pitching, then pitch him. Get him to 220 innings with a dead arm this year and maybe his arm is conditioned for 230 next year. The thing about Sale is that he's never been consistently excellent in August and September, like he's often been in the first half of the season. So it's not like you're not going to be missing the dominant Sale by occasionally sitting him at that point in the season. Assuming that he's falling into a dead arm period in the late summer, I'd rather he skip 1-3 starts between August and September. (This, of course, assumes that Fulmer and Johnson can put up above-average performances, and/or that Latos is healthy.)

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 11, 2016 -> 08:51 AM) You have to plan on Latos missing starts. You should also plan on Sale having a dead arm period as well. That is without random luck. Having Turner and Johnson ready to go is a big deal. Yep, I'd like to see Latos/Johnson/Fulmer taking some of Sale's starts in August and September.

It's definitely promising to see Avi hit like this, but also recall that Greg Norton led the Cactus League in batting average one year. That said, if Avi does continue to hit like this, it'll be difficult to option him down to Charlotte at the end of the month. I don't think that the Sox will cut LaRoche early on, though. They'd probably split time at DH for a while.

Frazier is under team control through next season and will be 32 when he's eligible for free agency. I'd not be inclined to extend him right now. If he's in .800+ OPS territory this season and is willing take a three-year deal after this year, maybe.

The only way that trading for Bruce would make sense for the Sox would be a LaRohce-for-Bruce swap. And the Reds have no incentive to make that deal, unless Bruce is miserable in Cincy and somehow becoming a problem for the organization. The Sox would likely have to include a reliever, and I wouldn't want to give up Petricka or Albers for a (likely) very small uptick in offensive production from Bruce.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Mar 9, 2016 -> 07:54 PM) Jay Bruce will be a free agent after this season unless his '17 option is picked up. If his '17 is picked up then he still becomes a free agent the same year as Melky, Lawrie and Frazier. Given that Bruce has put up a .654 and .729 OPS, respectively, over the past two seasons, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that his 2017 option would be declined by the Sox. Bruce is likely to hit better than LaRoche this year, but probably not by much. I haven't read up on the Sox's prospect rankings for months, but I don't recall anybody being that high on May. He could surprise, but I don't (yet) see any evidence that he could be a starting major league CF. It speaks volumes that, up until a couple of months ago, Trayce Thompson was regarded as our best outfield prospect. The consensus among scouts seems to be that Anderson is the only position player who is projected to be even close to a sure thing in the majors. And that's a pretty damning indictment of our farm system. DH is relatively easy to fill, but CF is not. I've heard rumors of Anderson's defense being somewhat suspect and whispers of the Sox moving him to CF. I think that's unlikely, though, especially with SS being relatively hard to fill Eaton being decent enough defensively to play CF. Until the Sox start developing position players in their minor league system, they're going to have to either get lucky with trade opportunities (Frazier, Lawrie) or rely on mediocre free agents (Jackson, Avila, Navarro, etc.) to fill holes. This is why I'm glad that Hahn was able to hold onto that comp pick this winter.

Some people have a face for radio. Rowand has a voice for print.

85-77 Competitive, but I objectively think that the Tigers will do slightly better and the Royals will win 90-ish games (but not the pennant again).

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Mar 9, 2016 -> 02:35 PM) Agreed and I think people are just running with Levine's speculation. There's no room for Bruce unless Cinci takes LaRoche and one of Avi/Melky back in the trade. The Sox have too many outfielders and should-be DH's as it is. I just don't see how the Sox and Reds match up in a trade involving Jay Bruce. With LaRoche and Jackson hitting FA next year, and Melky the year after that, I'd say that the Sox don't have enough of the OF/DH types going forward. If the Sox wanted to dump LaRoche for Bruce, they'd need to throw in something other than a current Sox outfielder. A bullpen arm would make the most sense. And even then, I think that may do more harm than good.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 9, 2016 -> 12:19 PM) Welcome to Soxtalk Cheers!

QUOTE (LDF @ Mar 9, 2016 -> 12:07 PM) welcome aboard!!!! for me, hahn didn't do crap, not until he gets at least 2 comp picks for the up coming draft in the first rn. Thanks!

Really nice offseason by Hahn, especially considering the (relative) budget constraints. I wish that Hahn could've gotten an outfielder to sign a two- or three-year deal, as the Sox will need at least one more after this season (Avi is more of a DH than a position player). But it seems that many of them are intent on hitting free agency and cashing in next winter, so I guess you take what you can get. I don't think that any of the big-name outfielders were good fits for the Sox. Upton wanted well over $100M and the Sox don't offer those contracts. Cespedes obviously wanted as much money as possible this season and wanted to bolt for free agency next year. Same for Fowler. Gordon wanted to stay in KC (can't blame him, either). Heyward was their only realistic fit, given that his contract is not guaranteed for its duration. But he had his pick of teams and the Sox aren't exactly high on the list of most free agents right now. I'm not liking the idea of Avi being on the 25-man roster in April, though. I get that LaRoche could really use a platoon partner, but I'd much rather that Avi get as many at-bats as possible, and Charlotte is the best place for that. He has little-to-no defensive value and needs to learn to stop chasing junk out of the zone. So, unless LaRoche is injured/unproductive again or Eaton is forced to DH while his shoulder is on the mend, I'd prefer that Avi work on his swing (and defense) in AAA until September.