wrathofhahn

Would be nice if you relaxed the size limits a bit. 100K gif doesn't get you far

Thats awful

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 10:46 AM) If Moustakas couldnt get 5 years and $60 million at age 29, LH, key position on the infield....what can Avi realistically expect two offseasons from now at age 28 (assuming he stays a minimum 3-4.5 war player)? What would/should/could Hahn be willing to offer, know he’ll probably be too low but just checking to see if he’ll bite without insulting him simultaneously? If he is a 3-4.5 WAR player he could get a top prospect at least top 75 maybe top 50. It's all about timing if a team needs an OF and he's there they'll pay. He'll the cubs last year gave up a top 100 prospect for Avila and a LHP.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 07:32 AM) Blake Rutherford is the poor man's Ryan Sweeney. His scouting report was David Justice we'll see he is still super young.

QUOTE (ChiSoxJon @ Apr 1, 2018 -> 09:45 PM) It's still early but that doesn't surprise me It's okay, I just hope we get a MLer outta it Rutherford isn't projecting too well, Clarkin hopefully can be a backend guy one day and hopefully Polo can be a 4thOF Yeah Rutherford had a down year but he's still plenty young enough it's his advanced approach at the plate that sort of makes you believe in him as a prospect even last year with the yankees he may have had a .733 OPS but he had a .281 AVG and .342 OBP the power will come. Clarksin actually has the potential to be a mid rotation guy so we'll see. Heading into 2017 he regained some life on his fastball according to scouting reports. He was sitting 90-92 and reaching 95. Yankees were excited. After more time off his velocity slipped into the 88-90. He just more then anything needs to put together a full season in the minors to build up his arm strength and stamina. He'll probably be on a limited inning count you would think. Meanwhile I know you aren't supposed to laugh but look at Robertson reaction

QUOTE (ron883 @ Apr 1, 2018 -> 09:54 PM) If his value gets high enough I hope they trade him for prospects Thats a no for me he's until control til 2023 if the change is real (big if) then he's a guy you keep.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 1, 2018 -> 10:56 PM) Amen. Glad to see a lot of people coming to their senses on here. Avi and Abreu must be a part of this team when it hits contention mode. Cause Robert and Eloy are coming before long. And maybe Rutherford. People want the unknown. They are turned off by known commodities. It's more people would rather the resources directed elsewhere. It isn't just Robert. Eloy and Rutherford either. Cordell and Tilson are down there. Basabe and Adolfo are good prospects. Why not use Avi to get prospects which could fill holes elsewhere? We don't have enough playing time. It also depends a ton Avi. If he develops into an elite hitter that changes the calcus but if he's just good well odds are at least one of the guys I mentioned will develop into a good hitter too. Unlike Avi they'll be cheap and under control. As far as 1B and Abreu goes he's the leader but before they keep him we should have at least an idea of what his market demands are and whether he'd be willing to do an extension because 1B/DH types aren't getting the money they used to nor do they have a ton of value in trades. If he's reasonable bring him back but if he wants a huge extension it's time to move on.

Kahnle and Drob are not off to good starts. 6ER in 4IP.

Guys you maybe get something for if they are having good seasons Soria Abreu A Garcia N. Jones Sanchez Farquhar L Garcia Bag of Ball guys even in good years Gonzalez Santiago Shields So what do you expect to happen who you keep who you trading. Personally with the way FA has been going and how the 150-200 million guys are going to drag the market I'd be interested in dealing pretty much anyone with value who projects to make decent money.

Problem with Davidson is he always has had difficulty making contact even in the minors his K rate was extremely high. So a change in approach is needed. He claims to made changes to his approach in the offseason. The very, very, early results are promising we will see if it holds. 8.3 OSWING. If he can keep it in 20 range compared to the 31 percent in his career he'll be in good shape.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Mar 30, 2018 -> 10:45 AM) he's not a 3B. He was -13 runs in part time duty of their last year. With the young pitching coming through this is the last thing the Sox need at 3B. Let him focus on hitting and potentially taking over for Abreu at 1B in a couple years. For now he's the DH. He had a -4 DRS/-12.2 UZR/150 last season he wasn't great but he wasn't awful either. He's always a good arm for the position and had zero TE last season. Point is if he hits he's someone you can put there and give you much more value then Yolmer traditionally weak bat. Of course that's all predicated on him being able to hit but even this year if you had Delmonico at DH. Davidson at 3B. That allows you a spot to play Garcia. Guess it all depends on who you want to play.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 30, 2018 -> 08:59 AM) This season absolutely. You're talking to the person on this page who was probably the loudest and most obnoxious advocate of "play the kids!" this offseason every time someone suggested that Moustakas or Morrison or someone like that hit a lot of home runs last year and should be signed. Davidson was one of those kids we needed to play. We need to find a couple regulars outside of the huge talents we brought in last year. Here's Davidson's chance to be one of those. He needs to walk more and put the ball in play more this year. Good start. Let me see an .850 OPS and I'll happily give him the DH slot going into next year. If he can do that he's your everyday 3B and you go out and find a DH.

Is it a guy who you sort of seek to continue to develop and have him be more selective at the plate or is he is what he is?

Eloy? Moncada? Giolito? Kopech? With young players scared of the market might be time to start locking some guys on longterm deals. Particularly Eloy.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 2, 2018 -> 12:40 AM) The Dodgers are not going to give up a decent prospect for someone to take Kemp unless moving Kemp's money allows them to add another significant player via trade or free agency. If that wasn't Darvish, I don't know who it's going to be. Kemp just doesn't effect this year though it also sort of limits them at the deadline. I think they really want to move him the problem is sort of finding someone willing to take on his deal AND them be willing to pay the price in prospects. Right now money is so tight even the top free agents are unable to find jobs. I honestly don't know if any club is willing to take on Kemps deal regardless of prospects. Just because we have a low payroll doesn't mean ownership is necessarily willing to absorb the sunk cost of a Kemp and who else is going to take on that salary? Most of the clubs rebuilding are small market clubs. They aint taking on the salary.

Right now it's full of high upside arms. Avilian is a guy who dominates LHB batters and can get the occasional right out. Hopefully the staff uses him accordingly (ie pitching to tough lefties and innings where a lefty leads off then taking him out at the first sign of trouble). You got Soria a former closer coming off a down season by his standards (still not terrible) but pitching much better then the results would indicate 2.23 FIP 3.03 xFIP and stuff wise still right there to where he was earlier in his career. Then you have a wild card in Jones sort of house money but when he's been healthy he's been dominant. You have Viera who can reach triple digits on his fastball. You have Bummer who also throws hard and even more importantly work at the bottom of the zone. You have farquhar who is an above average middle reliever with swing and miss stuff. Minya another guy who throws hard who results to this point haven't matched his stuff. Infante. Bullpen is full of high upside arms and the sox don't have to hit on all of them to have a dominant pen next year.

QUOTE (FT35 @ Mar 1, 2018 -> 04:52 PM) Dodgers are running out of places to play their prospects but I still doubt we'd get Verdego out of a Kemp deal because that would mean they are losing 2 OF's from their depth chart. That would leave them with Puig and Pederson (both of them better off in RF) then a big drop off to Chris Taylor in CF. After that is a bunch of young guys headlined by Trayce Thompson... In other words, I think they are counting on Verdego being a part of their plans. We wouldn't need Verdego when it comes to the OF and prospects 1-2 years away our farm is stacked already. They are deep with latin kids guys that could help fill the bottom half of the farm for a 2nd wave. We don't have any really players 20-30 who you'd sort of expect to rise through the minors and make it as a top prospect most of the guys at the bottom of our system are older guys. http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2018?list=la

QUOTE (Lillian @ Mar 1, 2018 -> 12:00 PM) No, I don't believe that they were. However, my point is directed at the plan, going forward. Simply put; I think that I prefer to give the benefit of the doubt to those, whose job it is to evaluate talent, and assess the organization's best course. That's fair I'm not just sure the organization is as high on Engel as some posters are I think it was more right place right time as it relates to why he was given an opportunity last year. I could be wrong just my impression.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 28, 2018 -> 07:30 PM) Duke was left handed, with a history of being a good relief pitcher and still had a year of control. Swarzak had none of those. You keep talking about his 5 million "extra year" of control like it's some sort of boon. Was it? And yes soft tossing lefties who can get tough LHB out still have value but Swarzak was a legit setup man. That's waaay more valuable or at least it was this offseason when both were free agents. One signed for 1/2.35 million. The other 2/14.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Mar 1, 2018 -> 11:22 AM) One of the interesting implications of these kinds of discussions is the confidence, or lack thereof, which we have in the scouting department. If a guy like Engel is really not as good of a defender as many of us think, and if he has no realistic potential to hit, why does the coaching staff insist upon giving him extended opportunities? If the front office, coaching staff and scouting department is so incompetent, the Sox are in big trouble. I would prefer to trust in their competency and what they are doing. In other words, I give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume that they know more than any of us do. Was Tilson or Cordell healthy when Engel was called up? Was Garcia?

QUOTE (bmags @ Feb 28, 2018 -> 11:20 AM) I was going to post that but wasn't sure. Doesn't that just replace Hosmer? It maybe a slight upgrade.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 28, 2018 -> 12:12 PM) For a right handed relief pitcher who was going to be a free agent in 3 months time, and had a breakout year. It is funny you mention Tilson, because that is who we got for Zach Duke, and still had a year on his deal at the time. Cordell at least had shown that he could hit. Tilson is the very definition of a 4th OF. When has Tilson not hit? Tilson problem isn't hitting it's a lack of power but still he could put up a 700 ish OPS with just his hitting tool alone and with his plus plus speed be a 2-3 WAR ish CF like Dyson. Also Zach Duke season at the time and just stuff in general is in no way comparable to Swarzak.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 28, 2018 -> 02:02 PM) In an ideal world, Engel is a CF, and Cordell is a corner OF. A lot of this depends on if Engel can hit like a replacement player or not. People are delusional about Engel he was hitting 218 in AAA when he was called up. He's 26 and looks lost at the plate if he ends up being anything more then AAA fodder I'd be surprised.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 28, 2018 -> 11:55 AM) Swarzak was a pending free agent who was having a breakout year. Getting Cordell for him was a big win. You must have had a higher opinion of him then the scouting reports I was reading at the time which is fine. Most of the stuff I saw had him pegged as a future 4OF. Just didn't see the need for another one of those guys considering how many are already in our system (Tilson, Fisher, Call, Engel). If he turns into a starting CF we obviously won the deal.

Honestly when the trade was made of Swarzak I was pretty bummed to only get Cordell back who at the time was MIL 17th best prospect the return felt light. It would be awesome if Cordell to developed into a starting caliber CF.