aboz56

I will just say that if the deal has Konerko that I will no longer support the White Sox because there is no reason to make this trade whatsoever.

http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/6028324 Wonder who will want him? Any thoughts?

Koch isn't worried about the Twins using his quotes for motivational purposes. "I really don't care," he said. "They probably will. They have a good ballclub over there; there's no denying that. They've got good young players and guys who know how to win. But they're a frustrating team, especially to a pitcher, and they annoy me. I don't like them very much." I love this guy already because the Twins ANNOY the hell out of me too.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sox/cst-spt-sox151.html There's the direct link to the Sun Times article for anyone doubts that this is a real article or not.

I've seen him pitch plenty at Louisville (AAA) and this guy is not worth 2 cents. He's a decent starter at the minor league level at best. If he can't pitch for the Reds, he can't pitch for us. Anyone who would consider signing him is a completely moronic GM.

I couldn't agree more. Call me crazy, but I wouldn't deal Borchard and Crede for Vlady. Simple reason, no way we can afford Vlad/Mags/Konerko/Buehrle over the long haul. Keep Borchard and Crede, they are cheap and are both going to be good. Forget the Vlady idea, it's not gonna happen.

Dempster got drilled in the NL last season and that would only mean worse pitching in the AL where pitchers don't bat. Unless he gets better command of his pitches and learns to hit his spots, I don't give up much for Dempster. Sure, he is potentially an ace, but the key word is potentially. Up to this point, he's never totally put it together. If we could get him fairly cheap, then go for it. Otherwise, go after someone who has proven they can throw strikes on a consistent basis.

The reason lefties hit him is because he's a right handed pitcher. DUHHHHHHHHHH!

One thing that will happen is several GM's will salivate at the sight of KW and the prospect of being able to rip him off in person rather than over the phone...

USA Today sports weekly reports that Ken Griffey Jr. wants out of Cincy. The report says the Reds offered him to the White Sox for Magglio. The Sox debated it for a week and said NO. Now it says Griffey wants to play for the Yankees and was in town last week. Thank god KW didn't do this, but why even debate this move? If I'm a baseball GM, the only OF I trade Mags for is Vlady. Case closed.

So he didn't do well in the playoffs? Here's a few links for ya. Looks like he got a bit farther than the Sox did in 2000. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/scores/20021002/sfoatl.html http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/scores/20021007/sfoatl.html Just 2 examples right there.

You guys must be underestimating Russ Ortiz. Look at his stats, he is much better than Garland or Wright. Although he might not be worth Lee and Rauch, he is definitely a #2 starter and could develop into a #1 type guy. Remember, he started some game 1's for San Fran in the playoffs and came up with some great performances.

I'd say it would take a package of Lee, Rauch and probably Ginter/Biddle to grab him. Would this be a risk you'd be willing to take?

This is correct, he hasn't played a full season of pro ball yet. This upcoming year should tell us a lot about him and how he is going to develop. Sounds like he will do well though based on Baseball America's assessment.

Q: John Althouse from Greenville, SC asks: Where do you see the Sox farm system in terms of overall strength? I would place them around 20th or so...they only have 1 impact-type guy (Borchard) offensively, and I'm not sold on their pitchers. It's pretty easy to see Rauch as a 4A guy, Malone in the pen, and Honel as an average starter. As a Twin's fan, I feel pretty secure for the next few years (and beyond if a stadium is built)...Sox ain't goin' nowhere fast. A: Phil Rogers: Well, I think the Sox's system is better than that. Much of their position player talent is in the lower minors because they brought so much to the big leagues the last few years. They are deep wpitching at almost all levels in the minors. I would not be so confident about the Twins ... I looked this up the other day: the last time the Twins had three winning seasons in a row was Rod Carew's rookie year. Something to chew on, huh? HAHHAHAHAHA, chew on that bud! :****

What I also found interesting in the article was the belief that Corwin Malone could join the rotation by the second-half of next season if completely healthy according to BA. It is believed he will begin the 2003 season in the Charlotte rotation. They also feel that Felix Diaz will either start the season at Charlotte or end up there by season's end. I'm definitely looking forward to watching both of these guys develop next season along with Rauch and Honel.

Simply because BA is copyrighted and a subscription service, I don't really care to post the entire article. However, I'll write up a bit on Gonzalez and Webster from what I read on their site. - Andy Gonzalez: SS, 5th round pick (2001) 21 years old, bats and throws R, 6-2, 175 lbs. Should start next year at low class A and has a chance to be the regular SS in a couple of seasons. A solid hitter, but his best tool appears to be his arm. - Anthony Webster: OF, 15th round pick (2001) 19 years old, Bats L, Throws R, 6-0, 190 lbs. Should also start at low class A next season with Gonzalez. Has all the tools to become an all-star including a patient eye at the plate. Drew as many walks as strikeouts and is compared to a young Marquis Grissom. Hope this helps.

I'm not gonna copy/paste the entire thing, but I'll tell you the top 10. 1. Borchard 2. Olivo 3. Webster 4. Honel 5. Rauch 6. Malone 7. Gonzalez 8. Diaz 9. Munoz 10. Ring

http://msn.espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/1207/1473121.html Take him off the radar screen. (Not that he was really ever on it.)

You're article makes me sick to read. Get off KW's back and quit ripping everything he does. The easiest thing to do is be a critic. If you were in his situation, I doubt you'd do much better. Besides, a lot of Sox fans like the trade.

I believe we could land Byrd if we offered him a 4 year deal for $16 million. This would sure seem like a lot for a guy who's only proven himself for two seasons and has been shaky for the other two seasons, but if the Sox can dump Lee somehow I'm all for it. I am sure the Yankees would take Lee to play the OF. If we can free up the space, I'd like to see the Sox offer Byrd a sweet deal. Moyer would probably take a two year deal for $12 million or so (maybe 10), but I think that is over paying. Go for Byrd first.

We need to sign Buehrle to a long term deal. Then I'd like to see Moyer or Byrd placed at the top of our lists.

I'll like the trade as well as long as the two prospects we get are decent. Mark Johnson is completely worthless, Foulke would have been gone after next season and Valentine got drilled and hurt in Arizona. Meanwhile, Koch throws 100mph and won the Rolaids Relief award and we have him for 3 seasons. I think we will get the better end of the deal.

How many times do I have to say that Buehrle doesn't deserve that money yet. Sign him to a 3 year deal worth about 12 million and then work something out with him later on. Looking at guys at his current status (Zito, Pujols), Buehrle deserves around $4 million a season right now and nothing more. If he isn't pleased with that, then he can give us 3 more seasons and take a hike.

If Hummel is our starting 2B next season, then you can count on another season looking up at the Twins in the standings. If it took Crede as long as it did to be ready for the show, Hummel needs another year at AAA no matter what he is doing in the AFL. Looking at his stats this past year at AAA, he only hit .260. It's not that I dislike Hummel, I am just stating that he is not ready for the big show. He needs another full season at AAA and then he can have his shot. I do give a lot of credit to the fact that he only made 12 errors in 142 games, but barring a spring that leaves us no doubt that he is ready, send him back to AAA.