LDF

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 08:37 PM) Maybe, but I see the other teams in the division getting stronger too, with holes at SS and 3B right now, not sure how this team makes much improvement unless you have a ton of faith in Erik Johnson and Alex Avila. If the idea is to move Sanchez to SS and bring Johnson into 2B you are making your pathetic defense even worse and devaluing the strength of this roster. Without some bold moves I think the team will be lucky to make 76 wins next season. without sounding snarky, but the gm meeting hasn't even started.... lets wait for 2 weeks or so before spring training.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 08:31 PM) Where is it going to set us back to? The problem is that we are already in that spot. Yes it is scary to trade your proven commodities for unknowns which is why you need to get more value in return then you are giving up, but unless this org makes some bold moves the team is going to be stuck in 3-4 place in the division for the rest of the time we have Abreu, Q, and Sale under contract. if they don't the team may even take longer to improve themselves. imho, they have no choice, they have to take that gamble... ok, maybe not the far fetch ideas that i have spouted on, but more conservatives and go to real mlb players who are young and cost control. they need that influx of several mlb players to help this team that is just drifting... floating with any paddle or leadership. that is why i am more acceptance of hahn doing this fix instead of kw.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 08:23 PM) How in the world did he get a major league contract? b/c the FO like to rush their players and they thought he was capable of handling it. maybe defensively and not offensively.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 07:23 PM) A lot of it has to do with learning to catch in professional baseball weighed against the ability to hit. If a kid has a special bat, he is likely going to get moved to another position so that they can advance him more quickly to the majors. If the kid has an average bat the team will take their time and try and let him develop defensively. Another factor is the size of the player, obviously crouching for 1000 innings a year takes a physical toll on a person and not all kids develop the frame to be able to withstand the strain that it puts on your body. Usually they will either move these kids off right away or give them a chance to develop and then move them off to another position once the injuries start coming into play. Which leaves you with what the majority of minor league catchers are, defensive catchers without a lot of offensive upside. Obviously there are exceptions, but the depth in most minor league systems are guys with defensive skills that teams hope will develop some offense to go along with their defense. excellent analysis, i knew someone would have a better answer than what i gave.

QUOTE (Sockin @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 08:22 PM) I really hope he does. That can only be good for the Sox if they decide to put Quintana on the market. that is looking at the big picture. you have cueto, then the other tier sp's like shark etc.... so when cueto and shark sign, if the team will unload Q for the best price, that will be the time.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 08:15 PM) To be fair, I don't think the Sox having a winning season with this current roster is that out of the question. We won 76 games in 2015. Replace 6 losses with 6 wins and we would have had a winning season. It's not that far-fetched. We're capable of having one with or without LaRoche on the roster. mostly a lot of posters and the FO had high hopes. winning 80 games is really feasible esp with some key replacement. that abysmal start to the season set the tone. wow, nothing, i am absolutely nothing went right.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 07:18 PM) "The representatives of free agent righty Jeff Samardzija are telling teams that the hurler already has at least one $100MM offer on the table, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. Needless to say, that’s a huge number for a pitcher coming off a down year, but speaks to his popularity among scouts and executives." Per MLBTR I'll take a guess and say SF made the offer. Anyone else care to guess? not in any particular order, Arz, sCrubs, Stl, Sfo

QUOTE (kevo880 @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 07:15 PM) Jayson Stark Verified account ‏@jaysonst Forget the theory that Jeff Samardzija will be the bargain of the offseason. Teams talking with him say he's claiming to have $100M on table for how many yrs.... i would like to know that.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 06:38 PM) WHAT???? Someone signed him for actual money? I guess he'd be good as a defensive oriented utility man, but he can't hit at all. in the AL.... maybe it will be different in the NL.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 07:13 PM) No one was going to pay Price what the Red Sox paid him except the Sawks. STL was second about $30 million shy. This signing affects Sale/Q like ARod affected Magglio Ordonez. excellent points.... ref stl, i don't know about the 30 mil, if i had to guess i would think something in the range of 25-28 .... i really am surprise that the northside didn't put in a bid. are they wanting to be what the sox owners did in the 90's, let a golder opportunity passed them bye. but as a sox fan whew. i am glad they didn't .... i had to eat that crap since the 60.s - 70's and part of the 80's on northside vs the soxs.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 06:58 PM) I agree with this, if he is not the final piece of the puzzle (which he definitely isn't given where things stand) he may improve us a little bit to the point where we are drafting 12th next year instead of 10. If we are going to be bad, we need to be really bad to get impact talent into the system. If we are going to be good, then go get Longoria and sign a defensive first SS and Span. I don't see all of that happening, so I would be reluctant to take him on given his age. i like the reasoning.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 07:05 PM) Are we going to hold the FO accountable then when year #3 passes and we've improved to 80 wins? I guarantee this timeline that Williams referenced once has already been thrown out the window. They didn't plan for this team to be as poorly as it was, as if it was their plan all along for a team wide offensive rebound in year #3 of the phantom timeline. I'm not advocating a complete rebuild, but I wouldn't want Hahn to do anything out of urgency thinking of the fans or competing with the Northside. I still think Quintana has to go for this team to move forward. We need another star offensive player, equivalent to Q in terms of value and contract. The Freese and A. cabrera's of the world just won't work. Yes, we won't replace Q with Montas or Fulmer (atleast right away), but considering the overall state of our offense you have to take advantage trading from a position of strength in pitching well, holding the sox FO accountability is only up to the owners. we as fans has no power to influence their decision. except maybe thru selling or lack of selling game tickets. i always thought the 3 yr plan was pure fiction .... for the last month plus i have been spouting on trading Q and even Rodon for those missing pieces plus other prospects. in my my mock trade which i posted on the big thread, i advocating the trades with the reason why it would work and really not asking for the the other team prime elite prospects. .... my idea is a need to replenish the system with prospect, white thinning out the over lap prospects thru good trades and player movement. the sox can get some good pitchers for a stop gap replacement until the main core of pitching prospects steps up. i also advocating getting 1 more sp to the in case situation. but those are my ideas

QUOTE (shipps @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 06:28 PM) Unbelievable. That was the spot we were going to meet up at so now to plan B which includes about 5 different places. Nuevo Leon use to have 2 locations. 1 on 18th st east of blue island and the other on 26th est of palaski.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 06:08 PM) But you're not going to start a thread on the 2017 draft, are you? who???

QUOTE (TheFutureIsNear @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 05:33 PM) Ehh...I mean if he's a final piece type of guy after acquiring bigger pieces, sure I'd take him. I'm just really afraid of the FO signing Span and Freese and trying it again with more or less the same roster. To me that's worst case scenario. The defense and hitting on the roster is broken and needs to be fixed. Band aids won't do the trick. i think i will pass, b/c of his hip injury.... i think it is degenerative illness on his hip. too much of a risk factor esp for what it will take to sign him. maybe a 1 yr contract so he can re-establish his value...

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 03:33 PM) I have a hard time believing anything anywhere close to 100% on the June draft when the 2016 spring seasons haven't even started. you make a good point but it help in fans getting into the draft and prospect for the hype and excitement ..... it is all in fun.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 03:27 PM) Yeah that really sucks. I hope they have insurance. book it, they are smart business people.

QUOTE (shipps @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 03:10 PM) So Nuevo Leon burned down. what..... which one???? to me that was the best... but then again i may be bias b/c we knew them in the 60's.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 04:26 PM) Yes. That's about what I thought he'd get. I think Greinke gets more AAV over less years. in all honesty i was thinking of the bidding of 35-38 mil ..... i bet he would have gotten that if boRass was his agent.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 04:21 PM) Even if they have to absorb the total cost of that contract, they have to replace his bat, or they are not going to have a winning season. I sure hope that the front office is not going to make a move contingent upon being able to find a taker for LaRoche. at least we agree on that. so the org answer should be the first priority is to rid themselves of dead contract and then to find a cleanup hitter. then i would have responded that the first step is to find a 3b, then a cat and then a dh. the class of fa in 2016-2017 is looking pretty darn good.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 03:52 PM) I think it came down to a number of things. 1- Trumbo is a 1B/DH ( Seattle had too many) 2- Trumbo had just one year left 3- Seattle wants a better defensive outfield 4- trading Trumbo's projected 9M salary opened up money for Aoki 5- Montero plays 1B with Cruz likely the DH which opens up RF for Aoki 6- Seattle needed a catcher and Clevenger fills that void while coming with four more years of control The Trumbo trade and Aoki signing make alot of sense really. nice. counter

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 04:10 PM) Hasn't Cashman said repeatedly that the Yankees weren't going to sign big contracts to 30+ year old pitchers anymore after what happened with CC? I doubt NY would go after him if he opts out. well, that is a smart move, unless they trade for a young pitcher.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 03:59 PM) 1) Baseball money is stupid now 2) There needs to be a way to address teams with infinite pockets a salary cap .... which the union found a way around it. fyi. the salary in the cba was a JR and the commish pet and look at it, it was a screw up ...

QUOTE (Lillian @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 01:25 PM) I'm still betting that the first priority is to find a clean up hitter. I hope so. not until they decide what to do with laroche contract.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 02:59 PM) Why don't they have awhile, are they going somewhere? We're already on year 8 without a playoff appearance. If they're going to rebuild the minors it'll take time. i will disagree on this and for the following reasons. ~~ of the 8 yr it is going on 3 yrs of when FO gave the timeline ~~ the success of the northside team, they can not let that team continue to do the positive moves per the media outlet ~~ the careers of the main core players, how much longer can the team wait. ~~ the sox will continue to flounder until they, the FO does something drastic and positive that the fans can see.... meaning player movement. ~~ the adv money and success