Offseason Plans

[kwill]

So a couple of things that I think should happen our.

 

 

1. Resign Buehrle: The White Sox are not looking good for the future so they better keep one of the guys that is a fan favorite. Plus, he is still a quality pitcher. I think a 3-30 million dollar is appropriate.

 

2. Trade Danks and Quentin: I know this would be a dramatic change for the White Sox. It is clear both guys want to hit the open market and I don't think we are going to be able phony up the cash to keep them around for the long term. I think we could get quality prospects for return since a team would get there production for one year and draft pick compensation if they sign elsewhere.

 

3. Clear room for the kids to play. I mean let Flowers and AJ split time behind the plate. Viciedo should have a starting spot. I am not a huge Morel fan as his plate dicipline is just terrible but getting a third baseman in the open for cheap is pretty much impossible. Also, would like to see Lasting Milledge get some playing time with the White Sox as he put up decent numbers in Triple A this year and was once a prize prospect.

 

4. Clearly, starting pitching is something that will give the White Sox an ulcer over the offseason. I think maybe we can stockpile a few arms with some trade.

 

5. FIRE GREG WALKER. I know its not all his fault, but clearly the guy didnt do a great job the last few seasons with the White Sox. Every young hitter that comes up does well to begin with than struggles.

 

 

Thank you for listening. I appreciate any feedback. Go Sox!

 

 

[caulfield12]

Besides Beckham and Fields, which Sox prospect played at a high level right away?

 

You have to go back to the time of Durham, Ordonez and Carlos Lee for rookies making an impact immediately on the Sox...and Viciedo to a lesser extent last season (not everyday play).

[cabiness42]

I don't see a scenario where 1) and 2) both happen. If you trade both Danks and Quentin, then you're pretty much giving up on winning in 2012, in which case it makes no sense to re-sign Mark.

 

I think it's more likely that either all three stay or all three are gone. Frankly, I'd be upset if KW chooses any path in between those extremes.

[Eminor3rd]

We could lose some pieces and still accidentally contend next year.

[flavum]

I don't see a scenario where 1) and 2) both happen. If you trade both Danks and Quentin, then you're pretty much giving up on winning in 2012, in which case it makes no sense to re-sign Mark.

 

I think it's more likely that either all three stay or all three are gone. Frankly, I'd be upset if KW chooses any path in between those extremes.

 

I don't necessarily agree with this. I think they can trade Danks and Quentin, and possibly Floyd, and still want Buehrle back. They might not win the division next year, and probably won't, but what if Peavy starts 32 games, Sale shows he's a future ace, Buehrle is Buehrle, and Humber and another starter are good enough?

 

And what if a new hitting coach can get Beckham on track? Morel continues to improve? De Aza shows he's a major league player? Viciedo is just as good or better than Quentin, and actually stays healthy? Dunn and Rios return to their averages?

 

Baseball is a crazy game. Stuff happens when you least expect it. They can field a team that can compete if everything goes right. And that can include Buehrle.

Edited September 28, 2011 by flavum

[fathom]

Next year's starting rotation should be....IMO:

 

- Sale

- Peavy

- Floyd

- Humber

- Stewart/Axelrod

 

Lineup should be...IMO:

- De Aza

- Beckham

- Konerko

- Viciedo

- Dunn

- Rios

- Ramirez

- AJP

- Morel

 

Lillibridge platoon with De Aza, Flowers is back-up catcher

[pettie4sox]

Next year's starting rotation should be....IMO:

 

- Sale

- Peavy

- Floyd

- Humber

- Stewart/Axelrod

 

Lineup should be...IMO:

- De Aza

- Beckham

- Konerko

- Viciedo

- Dunn

- Rios

- Ramirez

- AJP

- Morel

 

Lillibridge platoon with De Aza, Flowers is back-up catcher

 

You realize that SP rotation has only one left hander? You need Danks or Buehrle.

Edited September 28, 2011 by pettie4sox

[NorthSideSox72]

You realize that SP rotation has only one left hander? You need Danks or Buerhle.

On the list of reasons to keep or not keep certain starting pitchers... I think whether or not you have a 2nd lefty in the rotation falls somewhere only slightly more important that nose-picking ability. All else equal, sure, I love a good nose picker. Or a 2nd lefty in the rotation. Whichever. But all else is never equal - you get the best pitchers you can.

 

[pettie4sox]

On the list of reasons to keep or not keep certain starting pitchers... I think whether or not you have a 2nd lefty in the rotation falls somewhere only slightly more important that nose-picking ability. All else equal, sure, I love a good nose picker. Or a 2nd lefty in the rotation. Whichever. But all else is never equal - you get the best pitchers you can.

 

(Removed)

Edited September 28, 2011 by pettie4sox

[chetkincaid]

I'm keeping John Danks before I keep Buehrle. Youth wins out.

[NorthSideSox72]

I'm keeping John Danks before I keep Buehrle. Youth wins out.

So he stays for one more year at about $8M, then he's a free agent. Assuming he has a typical year, he's looking at a 4 or 5 year deal in the territory of $15M a year. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[greg775]

Next year's starting rotation should be....IMO:

 

- Sale

- Peavy

- Floyd

- Humber

- Stewart/Axelrod

 

Lineup should be...IMO:

- De Aza

- Beckham

- Konerko

- Viciedo

- Dunn

- Rios

- Ramirez

- AJP

- Morel

 

Lillibridge platoon with De Aza, Flowers is back-up catcher

 

Your starting rotation screams for a veteran inning eater like Mark.

If EVERYTHING went well career-year wise your team could 'conceivably' contend.

So why not have a guy like Mark anchoring your staff?

[Rowand44]

The only way you keep Danks is if he agrees to an extension. Since that's probably not happening from either side at this point, him and Quentin are pretty much sure things to be dealt. After that, as long as Sale is starting, De Aza and Lilli are platooning and Dayan is starting every day, I'll consider the off season a step in the right direction.

[chetkincaid]

So he stays for one more year at about $8M, then he's a free agent. Assuming he has a typical year, he's looking at a 4 or 5 year deal in the territory of $15M a year. Just something to keep in mind.

 

No I mean they should keep Danks if they can finally sign him to an extension. If not, then trade Danks and (ugh) keep Buehrle.

[NorthSideSox72]

No I mean they should keep Danks if they can finally sign him to an extension. If not, then trade Danks and (ugh) keep Buehrle.

They way I figure it, Danks costs more money than Buehrle in a multi-year deal, but I feel confident that the overall results they post over the next few years will be pretty damn close. But I also think that Danks has injury risk written all over him, so I have a bias that way. I'd rather trade Danks now and re-sign Buehrle, unless Danks is willing to sign some shockingly cheap extension.

 

[macsandz]

Next year's starting rotation should be....IMO:

 

- Sale

- Peavy

- Floyd

- Humber

- Stewart/Axelrod

 

Lineup should be...IMO:

- De Aza

- Beckham

- Konerko

- Viciedo

- Dunn

- Rios

- Ramirez

- AJP

- Morel

 

Lillibridge platoon with De Aza, Flowers is back-up catcher

 

So, just prospects for both Danks & Quentin?

[Jordan4life_2007]

So, just prospects for both Danks & Quentin?

 

You expect major leaguers back?

[LittleHurt05]

Next year's starting rotation should be....IMO:

 

- Sale

- Peavy

- Floyd

- Humber

- Stewart/Axelrod

 

Lineup should be...IMO:

- De Aza

- Beckham

- Konerko

- Viciedo

- Dunn

- Rios

- Ramirez

- AJP

- Morel

 

Lillibridge platoon with De Aza, Flowers is back-up catcher

 

That's not awful. Wouldn't be the AL Central favorite, but has some potential to be successful. Once again though, your chances of competing depend on a few guys playing to their career norms or living up to their potential.

[kwill]

You have to think of what the team can get back too. Buehrle is a free agent who is most likely to retire before playing for another team. Danks and Quentin can gain the whitesox some quality prospects as they come with first round draft picks the following year. Also, it seems like both guys are determined to hit the open market so the chances of us in reality signing them are slim to none. The White Sox have always been lets rebuild on the fly while competing for championships. At least if they sign Buehrle they can tell the fan base they have a chance. I would not be opposed to trading somebody like Alexi as he going to get really expensive in the last few years of his contract. Also, there might be a chance he is older than what he said coming into the league. Again, it is all about trade solid assets for quality youth players while trying to compete at the same time.

[greg775]

No I mean they should keep Danks if they can finally sign him to an extension. If not, then trade Danks and (ugh) keep Buehrle.

 

Didn't Mark have some insane amount of quality starts in a row to start the season?

Tough crowd.

[southsider2k5]

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/artic...rdialog_oneline

 

Similar Sox cast could yield better results in '12

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | 09/29/11 10:00 AM ET

 

Comments

print

e-mail

 

CHICAGO -- It would be easy to blame the disappointing 2011 White Sox season on Adam Dunn's and Alex Rios' massive offensive slumps, as well as Jake Peavy's mound struggles as he fought back from 2010 surgery to reattach his lat.

 

That assessment would be somewhat unfair because a total team effort left the South Siders well short of their playoff goal, but easy nonetheless.

 

To say this particular trio, along with second baseman Gordon Beckham, must bounce back for the White Sox to contend in 2012 ... Well, not only is that an accurate statement, but their possibility for future success or failure also becomes a serious consideration for general manager Ken Williams to weigh in building next year's team.

play video

Dunn's solo homer

00:00:50

8/4/11: Adam Dunn cranks a solo home run to right-center field in the bottom of the ninth inning

Tags: home run, Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox, hitting, More From This Game

 

Share:

Facebook

Twitter

Email

 

Related Video

 

Season in Review: White Sox

Peavy's nine strikeouts

Rios' two-run homer

 

"Well, we are going to have our challenges," Williams said. "We've got a good young core of players that have come through, and have really shown some ability and have played really well. We've got to blend that with some of the veterans that we know are coming back. And the difficult part about that is not really having a good gauge as to what to reasonably expect, based on what has happened.

 

"Do you go back to counting on what they have done for seven or eight years in some cases, and look at this as an aberration? Or do you account for it, and account for the uncertainty and commit yourself to making sure that we continue to build this young core up so that this next group can do something special?

 

"Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward," Williams said. "That might be the point where we are at, right now. But it's too early to make that decision."

 

With Dunn owed $44 million over the next three years, Rios owed $39.5 million over three and Peavy on the hook for $21 million for one year (with a potential 2013 buyout), it seems unlikely any of them will be anywhere but in Chicago. All three players speak with confidence concerning bouncing back to their career norms, which would almost instantly make the White Sox an American League Central contender, assuming young talent such as third baseman Brent Morel, pitcher Chris Sale and outfielder Dayan Viciedo continue to develop. Add in the potential for a rejuvenated Beckham to go with veteran staples such as Paul Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski and Alexei Ramirez, and this same 2011 failure could be a 2012 division champ.

 

"Absolutely. I have faith in every single one of these guys," Sale said. "This is like a family, right now. And we pull for one another, and some guys have had good years and some have had bad years.

 

"You can throw that out the window, and come back next year with a clean slate. There's a lot of talent on this club. This year wasn't the year we expected, not the year we wanted, by any means. But I truly believe this group of guys here can make a run for it."

 

Position by Position

 

Catcher

The first disabled list trip of Pierzynski's durable and accomplished career slowed down one of the best offensive runs he had been on in recent memory. Pierzynski has full no-trade veto power. But more importantly, he has plenty of value handling pitchers and at the plate. Look for the reserve role to go to free agent Ramon Castro to Tyler Flowers, who made a positive mark on the pitching staff with his work behind the plate late in the season.

 

First Base

Like a good bottle of wine, Konerko simply gets better with age. The White Sox captain posted his fifth career season with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs, playing hurt for a good portion of the last two months. He shows no signs of slowing down in the final two years of his three-year, $37.5-million deal. Viciedo and Dunn will both be able to work in at first, when needed.

 

Second Base

Beckham has talked about fighting to find a more consistent mental approach, as much as making adjustments at the plate, in preparing for a greatly improved year in 2012. His defense was Gold Glove-caliber, and he clearly has the potential to be a consistent extra-base run producer offensively. Omar Vizquel wants to continue playing at 45, but it's not likely the free agent will return as the White Sox utility infielder.

 

Shortstop

Alexei Ramirez's 2011 numbers didn't finish far off from his 2010 American League Silver Slugger effort, but it was not the breakout effort the White Sox expected, after giving the shortstop a four-year, $32.5 million extension. He remains one of the more athletically-gifted infielders in the AL and has middle-of-the-order type ability in terms of run production.

 

Third Base

Morel won the starting third-base job with his defense, and he certainly didn't disappoint in that area over the course of the season. But with seven September homers, Morel also proved that he could be somewhat of a factor with the bat. The White Sox see him more as a hitter with higher-average potential who possesses some pop.

 

Outfield

There's little doubt Juan Pierre received and earned the utmost respect from former manager Ozzie Guillen, the coaching staff and his teammates during two years with the White Sox. But with the White Sox having converted Viciedo to the outfield and ready to give this force on offense a starting nod, Pierre seems to be the odd man out through free agency. Alejandro De Aza ignited the White Sox offense during his two months with the big league squad and could be a viable leadoff replacement candidate, as could Brent Lillibridge, who might be the team's best defensive outfielder. But in Rios, De Aza, Viciedo, Lillibridge and Carlos Quentin, the White Sox have five players for three spots. They could move Quentin, who enters his final year of arbitration, or go with De Aza as a fourth outfielder and use a power setup with someone else assuming the leadoff role.

 

Starting Pitchers

When Mark Buehrle took the mound on September 27 against the Blue Jays, it quite possibly could have marked the end of an era in Chicago. The veteran southpaw has proven to one of the game's most successful pitchers. Buehrle might be looking for a change of scenery in his first real foray into free agency, but has not ruled out a White Sox return. Peavy, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Philip Humber and Zach Stewart stand as rotation possibilities, but Sale becomes the real wild card. Sale was dominant as a late-inning reliever, but the White Sox are anxious to see him throw 100 pitches an outing and see where he can go. The surplus of starters could lead to another trade, even if Buehrle doesn't return.

 

Relievers

Sergio Santos stabilized a bullpen looking for an identity when he moved into the closer's role in late April. The hard-throwing right-hander struggled in September, but the 2011 campaign marks just his third year as a full-time pitcher. Matt Thornton will handle the left-handed setup role if Sale moves to the rotation, with right-handed setup man Jesse Crain coming off of a White Sox debut in which he set a personal-high for holds. Addison Reed showed enough during a September callup to receive 2011 Major League consideration, while Will Ohman will also be back as a left-handed specialist/middle reliever. The White Sox have a $3.75 million option on Jason Frasor, but the local product didn't perform with the effectiveness he wanted after coming over from Toronto.

[Marty34]

"We've got a good young core of players that have come through, and have really shown some ability and have played really well."

 

This just isn't true. Their core of young players is the problem.

[Balta1701]

This just isn't true. Their core of young players is the problem.

Actually I'd say that's quite true. The Sox got a ton out of their young players this year. The only one I'd legitimately say was absolutely disappointing was Beckham, and he was balanced by guys like Santos, Lillibridge, and Humber well overperforming.

 

When you ask who the 3 players were who underperformed the most, you still come back to Peavy, Rios, and Dunn, and they're not in the "Core of young players".

[jenksycat]

I see no point in trading Quentin in the off season. Him and Dayan are your starting corner OF, if the team is in it you keep him, if not you trade him at the deadline (which we should have done this season any way)

[Marty34]

Actually I'd say that's quite true. The Sox got a ton out of their young players this year. The only one I'd legitimately say was absolutely disappointing was Beckham, and he was balanced by guys like Santos, Lillibridge, and Humber well overperforming.

 

When you ask who the 3 players were who underperformed the most, you still come back to Peavy, Rios, and Dunn, and they're not in the "Core of young players".

 

The Sox current core of young players isn't one you can build around. Sale, Viciedo, Morel, Beckham just isn't enough.