greg775

One thing is for sure. If we sign Upton, that will be it for our organization. He's so expensive it'll be the Sox FO risking it all thinking one power bat to go with Abreu is all we need. The signing will cripple our organization financially so it's a last-gasp type of signing. I'll say this. If we get Upton, we need to ONLY play LaRoche against righties. He's an automatic out vs. lefties. So when a righty pitches we got in order Melky, Abreu, Upton, LaRoche, Avi. On paper, a little bit of pop anyway. If LaRoche sees any at bats against lefties, our organization is a joke.

It is weird how we have Robertson (ultra elite), Abreu (ultra elite) Sale and Q (ultra elite) and yet our team blows. (I can't put Melky in elite cause I'm a Melky/hater). We have a weird dynamic going on during the Robin-era.

I know the Sox have had some decent payrolls in the past 10 years, but if we truly are one of the small market teams, don't we have to go the way of the Royals to compete? We've got to somehow get young, cheap players and develop them and use them up til they become free agents, and then sign some guys for 8-10 million a year to supplement? Signing Upton is a huge risk at 25 mill a year for 5-6 years because hey, what if he becomes Dunn/LaRoche/Melky? It's almost never worth the risk UNLESS you are a team with money to burn. Now as a fan would I like Upton? Sure if he hits 30 HR to go with Abreu's 30! Of course.

Upton is definitely a power hitter. We'd have at least one to go with Abreu in returning to some lift and pull action in a small ballpark. Is he a free agent? Won't he require about 25 to 30 mill a year? I mean he definitely has the potential to hit 30 HR in the Cell.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ Dec 5, 2015 -> 11:30 PM) It's kind of sad we are becoming more and more numb to these types of tragedies. It's just business as usual until it will hit close to home. Great post. Let's face it. Americans on the whole are OK with these shootings as a tradeoff for the right to have guns and lots of 'em to protect our nation if somebody invades. People want guns thinking it will stop the bad guys if we get invaded. Of course there are the wackos (IMO) who just want guns to shoot animals, etc., and they are a vocal group, but mainly Americans are OK with these killings as a tradeoff for protection. Like you said, very sad. I personally am horrified and believe we are not safe anywhere. I go to church tonight. I am prepared to go tackle any wacko who looks like they are about to start a spree. We all must be ready.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Dec 6, 2015 -> 02:35 AM) I am greatful Samardzija rejected the extension offer made by the Sox. Can you imagine how pissed all of us fans would be if he had accepted the offer which to my understanding was before he has his dreadful second half? Yikes. Danks 2.0. Good post. This is why baseball is so "funny." Sox fans realize Shark is horrific pitcher yet a team (Giants and their fans) are thrilled they got him for all that cash. Hilarious sport. QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Dec 6, 2015 -> 02:39 AM) Well put. Hindsight is always 20/20. I was one of those fans that wasn't sure the Sox should extend the QO but that was based on Samardzija's ERA being above 5 and pitching like s*** at the time. Thankfully I was wrong in my thinking. I was screaming for Sox to trade EVERYBODY including Shark, Robertson, LaRoche (ha), Melky, in a do-over from the offseason. I wanted Shark dealt well before the deadline. We were led to believe he wasn't going to bring ANYTHING of note. Then why the heck did the Giants pay top dollar for him??

Here's why you don't trade Sale and just let him walk when it's time for free agency since Sox will never try to sign him then ... No contender (big money organization) is going to part with current big leaguers in a trade for Sale. We will get 3-5 minor league stars for him. Problem is all those minor leaguers could be busts. Think of all the minor league sensations who have flopped. We could get 2-3 first rounders and 2-3 second rounders in a five for one for Sale and all five could be busts. You keep Sale until it's time for the Red Sox to sign him to a seven year 350 million dollar deal. That's where this will be heading for guys like Sale in a couple years. 50 mill a year will be the going rate. It's only escalating. Keep him til he leaves. Minor leaguers blow.

This proves by the way Hahn blew it last year a month before the trade deadline. Shark obviously has value and we could have gotten some talent for him, despite the fact I think he blows. Obviously there are teams out there that think Shark is worth five years and TOP dollar.

Baseball 2015. Shark horrid with sox and gets rich five year deal. Hilarious. All that money for a bad bad pitcher

Trades for CarGo and DJ LeMahieu White Sox get: CarGo and LeMahieu Rockies get: Frankie Montas, Adam LaRoche, Carlos Sanchez and Avi Garcia OK post, but why in the hell would a Rockies GM want LaRoche, Sanchez and/or Avi? Those guys are all bottom feeder of rosters so to speak.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 08:31 PM) Thats where I file every move. Someday I'm gonna like one, I promise. But you are right, man I've hated the acquisitions since we became a perennial sub .500 team. (You post was funny, so I had to respond; OK I'm not gonna comment on this move in this thread anymore; I made my point clear; I dislike). On to the next one, Mr. Hahn, Impress me!

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 09:23 PM) Greg, Navarro had an .894 OPS vs LHP last season. Should be a decent platoon. It's definitely not worse. I'll stop, lest I become a pest in this thread. Just remember, Greg was against the move. File it under "he didn't like it."

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 09:14 PM) Avila/Navarro is a better combo and it's not even close. There is no point in having a combo of Flowers and Soto. They both hit right handed and can't hit RHP. We'll see, I guess. I just don't understand why you guys are OK with this move. I'd keep Flowers around and if you had to sign one of Avila/Navarro to replace Soto, fine. This move screams of the kind of move a lousy team makes, to me. Flowers may have stunk, but he didn't deserve to get the non-tender over either of those 2 guys IMO.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 09:05 PM) this is the wave of the future, cheap, no hitting catchers whose defense may be questionable That's a pretty interesting sentence. Cheap catchers who can't hit or play defense. Mama, teach your kids to be catchers I guess. Make a ton of money for literally no production?

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 09:02 PM) Do righty/lefty splits mean anything to you? Do you even understand what it means to platoon players? Navarro has always raked against lefties (for a catcher) and Avila has always raked against righties (again for a catcher). What more do you want. Or better yet, who do you want? Go take a look at the list of available catchers and come up with a name please. I want a reason to buy mlb.com again. My team has replaced Flowers/Soto with Avila/Navarro. To me, a reasonable consumer, that is a very very bad tradeoff. Yuck. Tell me the truth people. Would you rather have Flowers/Soto or Soto/Flowers than these two newcomers?

I'm numb to caring about the shooters. All I want to know is if it was an act of terrorism and what group they are affiliated with. The coverage of the killers no longer interests me in these horrible cases of mass murder. I hope those 2 people enjoyed the lives they were given. Let's see they were born and raised to ultimately go into a place and kill more than a dozen innocent people. Nice lives. Bastards.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 04:45 PM) I didn't even realize he as a FA. Nice pick up. Catcher stabilized for next season. Have you looked at his stats? He played in 54 games and hit as badly as Avila did. They both did draw some walks though, improving the catcher spot in ability to take a walk I guess.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 01:46 PM) I personally think this is a perfectly suitable platoon at catcher. I will not miss Flowers one bit. I can honestly say I'd rather have Flowers/Soto than this new platoon. How could anybody think Navarro/Avila is an upgrade? Ugh. At least nobody's going to criticize these two guys as they platoon. Flowers was a true whipping boy here. Hate to be so negative but Sox have asked for it the last 3 years. Lots of negative news.

Good article. I liked reading that I'm not so unusual in your description of the fanbase. I am very very negative after the 3 losing seasons and you pointed out a lot of Sox fans are in similar moods. I'm really down on the team.

Sign him. Cures our 2B situation.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 06:55 AM) I agree with everything except maybe the Garcia thing, not sold on that yet. I love that we are doing something different and the off-season has barely begun. I want proof that we are not just acquiring guys (like Baltimore used to do) and will be out of the race in June. We need to make some moves to acquire real ballplayers. OK we dumped Flowers. Now we need a GOOD catcher and one who can hit .270 with 24 homers and throw out a runner or two.

It's good to get rid of lousy players like Tyler, but ... Is there the slightest chance he might have emerged in his third full season of full playing time? I would guess no other team will make him a regular, so he's probably done. He seemed like a guy with some ability. He hit some mammoth bombs, but mostly he was a strikeout machine. I wonder if it's lack of ability or if he was uncoachable. What I'm trying to say is it seemed like there was a "chance" he could be a .255, 20 HR guy.

Very sad. Bury your head in the sand if you think America is safe. You are in danger at work, at church, at the movies, at sporting events, walking down the street, sitting in your living room or on the porch. Better learn how to duck, as bullets might be coming at any time. Very very sad.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 02:09 PM) 35 year old Zobrist to a 4 year $60+mm deal? Nah I'm good. Pass. Way too much money, but it's the going rate for the teams who spend.

Beckham sure stunk as a White Sox. But he seemed like a likeable guy at least.