QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 14, 2013 -> 01:36 PM)
Once again...I'll repeat.
The White Sox scored the 4th most runs in the American league last year. They outscored the Tigers. They outscored every other team in the AL Central.
They did so with a .600 OPS out of their 3b slot. That's cumulative, over the full season...a .600 OPS. Counting Youkilis.
Getting >.700 OPS out of the 3b slot would be like Viciedo turning into an all star for what it would do to the offense.
Yes, we lost AJ and his .830 OPS. Flowers could do that, but if all he does is put up a low-.700 OPS, the Sox will, on paper, be exactly where they were last year in offense.
If they're expecting "Just enough offense", then they're expecting substantially worse seasons from Rios, Konerko, etc, with no improvement from Viciedo or Beckham to offset it. Because last year, the Sox had substantial offense.
It was the middle-of-the-pack pitching staff that cost the Sox last year, not the offense.
Sox offense
4.8 runs per game in the first half, 4.5 runs in second
Sox pitching
3.91 ERA in the first half, 4.15 ERA in the second
DET offense
4.4 runs per game in the first half, 4.46 runs in the second
DET pitching
3.97 ERA in the first half, 3.50 ERA in the second
defense
Sox 70 errors total, DET 99 total. that helps the ERA but not that much for DET. It was our pitching getting tired and the weather cooling down silencing our power hitters. So Balta has a point here.