2008 White Sox

[DBAHO]

Very interesting article from the Daily Southtown here;

 

Now that the 2007 season is over -- what's that you say? It isn't over? Trust me, it is. The White Sox can begin to figure out what to do about 2008.

 

They have a bullpen that needs some retooling -- though it appears they might have stumbled upon a decent combination right now -- an outfield that has question marks at just about every spot and a possible need at shortstop.

 

Fast forward eight months and this is how the 2008 Sox roster could very well look:

 

Batting order

 

1. Jerry Owens, LF: He's proved he can hit some at the big-league level, and has the speed, bunting ability and bat control that manager Ozzie Guillen loves from his leadoff man.

 

2. Khalil Greene, SS: General manager Ken Williams is good for one big trade per offseason and this could be it. Williams reportedly wanted Greene as part of a trade-deadline deal for Jermaine Dye, and he could finally acquire the quick, slick-fielding shortstop in an offseason swap with San Diego. The Sox would send Jon Garland -- who nearly was traded last offseason to Houston -- and Brian Anderson to San Diego for Greene, reliever Heath Bell and a pitching prospect or two.

 

3. Jim Thome, DH: He might be slowing down a little power-wise, but he still has a high on-base percentage and will drive in runs for the Sox.

 

4. Paul Konerko, 1B: The Sox can only hope he gets off to good start in 2008, something he didn't do this year.

 

5. A.J. Pierzynski, C: He's hitting for a decent average (.268), gets some clutch hits and continues the lefty-righty-lefty trend in this order.

 

6. Aaron Rowand, CF: Yes, Sox fans, the center fielder returns. After Rowand's great 2007 with the Phillies -- through Sunday he was hitting .314, with 19 homers and 66 RBI -- the Sox could sign the free agent to a long-term deal. He solves the problem in center, can steal some bases and hit for power. A perfect fit -- and they'd have some money left over after dealing Garland.

 

7. Ryan Sweeney, RF: With a solid top and middle of the order, the Sox put Sweeney in a non-pressure situation. He can also steal some bases, and would complete an outfield that would cover a whole lot of ground.

 

8. Joe Crede, 3B: It's his job for the first half of the season. If he performs well, the Sox trade Crede -- who will be a free agent after the '08 season and cost too much -- in midseason and bring up Josh Fields. If Crede doesn't recover well from his back surgery, they promote Fields anyway and part ways with Crede after the season.

 

9. Danny Richar, 2B: Another low-pressure situation for a prospect. Hit a little, steal some bases and play some good defense and that's good enough for this team.

 

Bench

 

Pablo Ozuna: The super utilityman can play pretty much anywhere at any time.

 

Darin Erstad: Guillen loves this grinder, who'll make a solid backup for Sweeney and Owens as they go through the learning process.

 

Toby Hall: Finally healthy, Hall will get more playing time in 2008.

 

Alex Cintron: Just in case something happens with Richar.

 

Starting rotation

 

Mark Buehrle: That contract extension ensures he's back for a good while.

 

Javier Vazquez: Finally living up to his potential this year (10-6, 3.65 ERA), Vazquez is the Sox's No. 2 hurler.

 

Jose Contreras: Back to his old form recently, the Sox hope Contreras can give them at least one more solid year. On the other hand, if Garland and his $12 million salary aren't traded during the offseason, Contreras and his $20 million over the next two years could be.

 

John Danks: Expectations will be a little higher, but the left-hander is up to the challenge.

 

Nick Masset: He didn't perform as a reliever, but the Sox have hope for him as a starter.

 

Bullpen

 

Bobby Jenks: Forty-one straight. Enough said.

 

Matt Thornton: After a rough start in 2007, he's quietly returned to his '06 form.

 

Mike MacDougal: He has some of the best stuff of any reliever in baseball. It's just a matter of utilizing it for a full season.

 

Ryan Bukvich: The right-hander doesn't have the best stuff in the world, but Guillen loves the right-hander's competitive spirit. Bukvich's sinker helps, pitching at U.S. Cellular Field.

 

Heath Bell: He's cheap, solid against righties and a proven commodity.

 

Boone Logan: As tough on lefties as anyone in the AL.

 

Ehren Wassermann: A shocker for the final roster spot, but he throws tons of strikes and can be the long man or a one-out reliever.

 

Ok so let's look at a couple of new players mentioned there.

 

Khalil Greene is hitting .240/274/.456 this season. Sounds like another Juan Uribe doesn't it. However, Greene is hitting .267/.301/.498 on the road, a .799 OPS. But is he worth giving up Jon Garland and Brian Anderson for?

 

Bell has a 2.27 ERA this season, his 1st real good one since being traded from the Mets. His numbers are actually better away from PETCO though. But is nothing more than a 1 year wonder, and would moving to the AL and the Cell majorly hurt his numbers as a reliever?

[Kyyle23]

After dealing Linebrink last month, I got the impression that San Diego decided that they want to hold on to Bell for quite some time. If KW could swing Greene and Bell + 1 or 2 prospects for Garland and Anderson, I dont think I would be terribly upset. Garland and Peavy would have some mean ERAs in Petco together

[NorthSideSox72]

I find it unlikely that Ozzie, who likes to use offensive subs so often, will choose a 4 man bench and a 7 man bullpen. Also, I don't think Cintron sticks around for 2008.

 

[JDsDirtySox]

I highly doubt Fields hasn't earned a starting spot somewhere on the 2008 team.

I don't like his defense at third... but LF is where I hope to see him.

[jasonxctf]

that team has .475 ball written all over them.

[eickevinmorris]

Gross. I'd much rather move Garland to the D'Backs for Quentin/Hudson/Cruz and then buy extremely low on Furcal (I know his contract blows, but there's one year left on it and he is a decent bet to rebound-I'm thinking we won't have to give up anything more than one of McCulloch/Broadway and Richar, if he plays well the rest of the season). Sign Rowand as well (as much as I think he's an average OF, he's a hell of a lot better than what we're working with).

 

Furcal

Hudson

Thome

Kong

Fields

Rowand

Quentin

Sweeney

AJ

 

Of course, that's if we plan on "going for it" next season.

 

[AirScott]

Khalil Greene would be a good power hitter for us (he has 19 homers in Petco Park), but he missed 41 games in each of the last two seasons and I don't know if you can expect him to hit for average. Plus he strikes out a lot. So I'd rather not trade Garland for him.

[Kalapse]

After dealing Linebrink last month, I got the impression that San Diego decided that they want to hold on to Bell for quite some time. If KW could swing Greene and Bell + 1 or 2 prospects for Garland and Anderson, I dont think I would be terribly upset. Garland and Peavy would have some mean ERAs in Petco together

That would be a pretty weak trade, San Diego has a near barren system, I like Khalil Green but he's really not that good of a player and you always have to be weary of trading for Padres relief pitchers especially someone like Bell who was so terrible with the Mets and has now seemingly turned it around as a 29 year old in the San Diego bullpen. Kevin Towers has a knack for picking up bad relievers, finding a place for them to succeed in his pen then dumping them and they never find that same success again. There has to be a better fit out there like say, the Dodgers who actually have some talent in their minor league system.

 

I mean a soon to be 30 year old reliever who has had one good year, a SS who's incredibly similar to Uribe (+ injury concerns) and a C to B- prospect or two for Jon Garland and Brian Anderson? No thanks.

[striker]

I'm sick of power hitters, they have gotten us no where in the past two years. We need OBP guys. Guys that can hit opposite field. We need guys that can hit Jeff Weaver and Jake Westbrook (guys with losing records and ERAs over 5 that completely shut us down). We need to get rid of

 

The only players I wouldn't deal are Kornerko, Buehrle, Jenks and Vazquez. I wouldn't miss anyone else.

Edited August 14, 2007 by striker62704

[Chet Lemon]

I would take Fields over Erstad and someone else (Bourgeois maybe) over Cintron.

[LVSoxFan]

I'm sick of power hitters, they have gotten us no where in the past two years. We need OBP guys. Guys that can hit opposite field. We need guys that can hit Jeff Weaver and Jake Westbrook (guys with losing records and ERAs over 5 that completely shut us down). We need to get rid of

 

 

[Jim Spencer]

Khalil Greene would be a good power hitter for us (he has 19 homers in Petco Park), but he missed 41 games in each of the last two seasons and I don't know if you can expect him to hit for average. Plus he strikes out a lot. So I'd rather not trade Garland for him.

 

Sounds too much like our Shortstop now.

 

 

 

[kapkomet]

Sounds too much like our Shortstop now.

EEEEEEEEEEyup.

 

I really don't want to see UriKbe anymore, like ever.

[RockRaines]

And what happened to Dye?

[kapkomet]

And what happened to Dye?

He Dyed. Duh.

 

[whitesoxfan101]

If we could somehow keep Dye, and get Greene and Rowand, that puts us back into contention with our pitching IMO. Also, I'd like to see Bourgeois get a shot to make the team as a bench player as well. The only problem with my idea (which would move Fields to LF, put Crede at 3B, Greene at SS, Rowand in CF, Dye in RF, Kong at 1B, Thome at DH, Richar at 2B, A.J. at C) is you don't really have a leadoff man though, so who knows. As for the pitching.....trade Contreras, and make the #5 spot an open competition again IMO, whoever is ready. That bullpen is kinda a crapshoot, as always. Since we don't keep Dye AND sign Crash though, keep Dye and figure out a way to get/have a leadoff hitter to play CF.

Edited August 14, 2007 by whitesoxfan101

[WHITESOXRANDY]

that team has .475 ball written all over them.

 

You're way overestimating that team. No way could they stay out of the cellar with a starting rotation like that.

 

[WHITESOXRANDY]

We want to collect as many low OBP guys as we can that way our pitchers won't get too comfortable working with all those runs.

 

You always want to keep the pressure on them.

[knightni]

I highly doubt Fields hasn't earned a starting spot somewhere on the 2008 team.

I don't like his defense at third... but LF is where I hope to see him.

 

+1

 

 

Someone hasn't been paying attention.

 

 

 

 

 

This looks like an article from like, June with Richar added in.

[striker]

I think we'll have to trade Garland and hope Contreras rebounds. Garland's stock is higher. Though eliminating Contreras's risk would also be nice.

[Jeremy]

Interesting article indeed.

 

I like the idea of upgrading SS - that should be perhaps our biggest offseason priority - but don't love the idea of bringing in another low OBP guy.

 

I hate the idea of playing three centerfielders, two who have absolutely no pop, in the outfield.

 

I hate the idea of Fields spending anytime in the minors.

 

I hate the idea of giving Masset a starting job over Charlie, Floyd, Gio, and Egbert.

 

Edit: I thought about SS a bit more. Furcal might not be a bad idea if his huge contract means he'd come cheap. I'd probably rather spend that money on Dunn though. We should look into Bill Hall. His value has to have dropped some after a mediocre season in CF.

Edited August 14, 2007 by Jeremy

[soxfan3530]

Gross. I'd much rather move Garland to the D'Backs for Quentin/Hudson/Cruz and then buy extremely low on Furcal (I know his contract blows, but there's one year left on it and he is a decent bet to rebound-I'm thinking we won't have to give up anything more than one of McCulloch/Broadway and Richar, if he plays well the rest of the season). Sign Rowand as well (as much as I think he's an average OF, he's a hell of a lot better than what we're working with).

 

Furcal

Hudson

Thome

Kong

Fields

Rowand

Quentin

Sweeney

AJ

 

Of course, that's if we plan on "going for it" next season.

 

 

where's crede is this lineup??

[southsideirish71]

Home runs=Bad?

 

Opposite Field singles=Good?

You can take your singles, I'll take the HR.

 

Hell I love opposite field singles as much as anyone. But you still need thumpers in the middle. To me the perfect lineup, has a mix of a few speed guys hopefully who can take pitches, walk, get on base, your middle of the order thumpers, a line drive doubles guy behind the thumpers would be nice, and then some of the oppo types.

 

You get too much of one thing, and the team gets shut down. You need a mix.

[WHITESOXRANDY]

Interesting article indeed.

 

I like the idea of upgrading SS - that should be perhaps our biggest offseason priority - but don't love the idea of bringing in another low OBP guy.

 

I hate the idea of playing three centerfielders, two who have absolutely no pop, in the outfield.

 

I hate the idea of Fields spending anytime in the minors.

 

I hate the idea of giving Masset a starting job over Charlie, Floyd, Gio, and Egbert.

 

Edit: I thought about SS a bit more. Furcal might not be a bad idea if his huge contract means he'd come cheap. I'd probably rather spend that money on Dunn though. We should look into Bill Hall. His value has to have dropped some after a mediocre season in CF.

 

Agree with your post. Maybe a Furcal for Jose deal ? Then, Owens is not needed as a starter.

 

[bjm676]

Very interesting.

 

What about Crede? Where to play Fields?

 

What about Dye? Re-sign him? Is Sweeney ready?

 

Is Owens the answer for CF? Bring Rowand back?

 

 

Sounds like Kenny has his work cut out for him this winter.