Chisoxfn

This is quite interesting. Hopefully he increases his value and the Sox can trade him for a solid young middle infield prospect.

Skipworth has shown all the ability/athleticism to stay as a catcher. In fact, most things I've read indicate that he grades out as an above average defensive catcher. If he were to move my estimate would be because a team wouldn't want to waste his ability behind the plate, although, personally I consider it a major premium to have a stud catcher who can hit. Just my two cents. Plus I'm not a fan of Alonso. He is slow as dirt now and I can only see him getting slower.

QUOTE (29andPoplar @ May 27, 2008 -> 09:39 AM) Jason I doubt the Cubs want Owens. I can't see Lou wanting him, not until they make the call on Edmonds, at minimum. Murton is a man without a position and that's what keeps him from the majors. I agree the power thing is overrated. For whatever reason Hendry has been very reluctant to part with him. Red Sox have asked about getting him back and Hendry keeps shutting them down. It is a shame he's stuck in AAA though because he can hit. Speaking of wayward Cubbie outfielders, it wouldn't shock me if Corey Patterson gets DFA'd later today. There is no reason for the Reds to hold onto Patterson now that Bruce has been called up. Bruce should get significant playing time and Freel is ahead of Patterson on the depth chart as well. I still believe that Freel is a prime target for the Sox to acquire, if they don't feel that Richar/Ramirez are the guys to start at 2B this year.

Didn't see anyone posts on this, but Ozzie responded: Orlando Cabrera Will be a Free Agent TCSN Errors look bad, especially when tied to a gold glover heading to free agency, which is why Cabrera would make some phone calls to the press box. A perceived poor glove and weakening bat won’t get you much on the open market (actually, it still will, just not a REALLY lot of money. Some teams are stupid like that.) Cabrera being charged with errors on non-routine plays sucks for him. Then again, shouldn’t a gold glove shortshop have high expectations of himself? Nothing is too hard of a play in the minds of the very best. If Cabrera is the very best, which is what his gold glove suggests, then he should be more upset with himself for missing it than the scorekeeper calling it as he sees it. Even so, those things tend to even themselves out. Cabrera’s glove has been far from gold glovish this season … unjust error calls simply make up for the unjust non-calls. If Cabrera is really making these calls … well, his status as a gold glover will be the least of his image problems. Team player? In question.

Fields today is a better prospect than Brandon Wood. Woods swing is much too long and he hasn't been that good of a minor leaguer since his breakout 40+ HR season. He still has a lot of power and raw skills scouts like, but at the same time he's failed to make the necessary adjustments in the minors that will help him be a successful major leaguer and it has shown in his limited time in the majors. Fields has a lot of holes as well, but he has at least produced at the major league level. I still say I wouldn't have any problem moving Fields because I think his value is greater than what his actual production will be (I say this because I still have concerns over his ability to hit for a good enough average and not strike out 170 times). For those more focused on Slugging, I'm sure he'll do fine with that, but I don't have any desire in having a .250/35HR/160 strikeout average fielding 3rd baseman (not given the other parts on the Sox roster). I'd rather try and acquire a prospect with a better all across the board prognosis.

QUOTE (29andPoplar @ May 27, 2008 -> 09:29 AM) Murton is a good hitter no question. However he's shaky in LF and he would be awful in CF. Not to mention Hendry wants a lot for him. I've long been a fan of Matt Murton. He would be a great fit in the Sox lineup, but again, the only way he could slide in is if the Sox were going to use him as a starter against LHP (have him play for Thome) in the long-term. In the shorterm, you'd have to play him at either 1B (with Swisher staying in CF) or in LF (with Quentin moving to CF) and defensively that may not be a good fit. I wouldn't have a problem with his lack of power either, as the Sox have more than enough power and could use a good pure hitter like Murton (good pure hitters are the type of guys that can start a rally off, plus he has enough speed to go 1st to 3rd). Would the Cubs have any interest in a Murton for Owens type of swap. I'm not saying Owens is the right fit in CF for the Cubs, but he could be an option. Value would be poor and I'm sure the Sox would have to give something else up, but again, I can't see how Hendry could have Murton too valued since he's been down in the minors and keeps getting older.

Lax on locks....haa.

I'd have to ask Paulie and see what he thinks is best. If 15 or 30 days off brings him to 100% and right now he's at the best he'll be at during the season (since he won't get rest to let it heal) and it will negatively impact his play (thus keeping his numbers at his current rate) than I'd say DL him and go with Anderson in CF (Swisher at 1B), plus call up Fields and get him plenty of at bats as well (at 1st/DH/3B).

QUOTE (fathom @ May 26, 2008 -> 05:53 PM) KW...please never trade with Beane again. Swisher reminds me of the offensive version of Billy Koch. Both of them are lemons. There is no comparison. Koch's issues had more to do with no longer shooting up while Swisher has just gotten too much of an upper cut going. He's looking a lot better this past week (each game I've noticed the swing getting more and more level). I think we are about to see the Swisher the Sox acquired.

I could give a flying s***. He's a good baseball player and he's going to be a big part of what the Sox do this year. He's also looking freaking stellar as of late. Produce like you have and you can call the press box, fans or whomever the hell else all night long for all I care.

Swisher probably had his best all around game at the plate today (despite not having a bunch of hits, he hit the ball hard to all fields today). I've noticed his swing plane getting much more level and I think he's actually got things figured out and we'll see that.

I always thought Rogers was a White Sox fan.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ May 26, 2008 -> 10:25 AM) My ideal situation is that the Sox trade Gooden, Hinrich, 09 first round pick for Brand. Then draft Rose and a lineup of this: PG: Rose SG: Gordon SF: Deng PF: Brand C: Noah Bench (main guys) Noc Thabo Tyrus This would allow Rose to be a have a ton of assist and score a modest 10 PPG. He wouldn't be needed to take over guys, just be a distributor while this talented roster feeds off his athleticism and ball handling skills. This lineup would be very good, your bench would be solid and Tyrus would get a lot of PT. I think if the Bulls go that route it would be very important to bring Duhon back in a bench role. It would be nice to have a veteran PG to help Rose, plus having that guy to provide stability as Rose goes through the growing pains. The only other thing I'd like to do is package Gordon elsewhere, but as long as Hughes/Sef/Noc are able to get a lot of minutes off the bench I'd be fine. I really love the Sefolosha and think he's going to be a huge reason the Bulls end up winning a few championships in the next 7-10 years.

Regardless I'd like to see the Sox take a different approach in the draft and take a boatload of toolsy but raw middle infielders. These are the type of guys that if they develop can be impact guys at SS/2B & CF (all areas of weakness in the Sox system).

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ May 26, 2008 -> 10:18 AM) I saw some highlights of Alonso, and when he runs, it looks like he has weights on his feet. Slow kid. Might put up good numbers, but I hate guys that are so slow. I agree with your picks there, Smoak gives us a tremendous three hitter who will be a big time power guy, walk a ton, I question whether he will be a .300+ hitter, but his other numbers will be great. Beckham seems like a great five hitter, but people are questioning his ability to stick at short which is key, but then others have said he can, so that will be interesting. Wallace might be the best pure hitter of all of the guys, seems like a Todd Helton-type if Helton didn't play in Coors. Crow would be real interesting for me because he is a Mizzou guy and he is a guy who could succeed in the bullpen immediately this year and then start in the minors the following year. Wishful thinking, but I think he could be a solid pitcher in the pen for the Sox with a mid 90's fastball with movement that he commands tremendously, a great slider and solid change. When it comes to Beckham in the clips I've seen he shows good range and a strong arm. I think he can stick there. Still, given that guys like Brandon Crawford should be around in the 3rd, I wouldn't have a problem going for a more raw/toolsy shortstop/middle infielder later on and going with the pure sluggers (who also appear to hit for average, so these guys aren't Adam Dunn's; just want to point out that I'm not being a hypocrite because I've made it clear that I hate pure sluggers in the sense that all they do is draw walks and hit for power; they also have to hit for an average to be worthwhile in my book). Wallace has a sweet swing and shows some good power too. It could turn into a stellar pick because like Smoak he has very few holes in his game at this point which should lead to a quick path to the majors and they also have the ability to be game changing offensive players at the big league level. Wallace and Smoak are both better athletes by a long shot than Alonso (he looks slower than Paulie for god sakes).

QUOTE (Chet Lemon @ May 26, 2008 -> 06:37 AM) Obviously if the team is in good position at the ASB (and they should be), trading Contreras wouldn't make much sense. I do believe that he is a ticking time bomb right now, and will likely blow up in the second half of the season. It seems to be a trend that he pitches well for one half of the season, then pitches lousy the other half. I appreciate Contreras and given the fact that he's a consummate pro, I do not wish to see him gone, yet my head tells me that it will be hard to watch him in the second half. The only way trading Contreras makes sense is if the Sox are significantly upgrading the lineup. Otherwise, we hope he keeps things up and Kenny can move him this off-season (and I think that is the ideal scenario, you get an above average season from Count and than move him for a couple valuable pieces in the off-season).

Thankfully not. Going to be studying though.

I actually watched a lot of clips of Wallace yesterday and my opinion is changing. He's in my better shape than when I saw him a year or two ago. My flaw with Alonso is out of all of the guys he seems to have the least athletic build. I'm now leaning, Smoak/Beckham/Wallace if we go the college route & Skipworth if we go the prep route. I would take Crow if he somehow fell to us (But I can't see the Reds passing up on him).

A Stanford vs Fullerton Super Regional would be awesome. Those two teams are big time rivals and are the epitome of college baseball on the west coast. I'm going to hope that it happens.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ May 26, 2008 -> 09:51 AM) Kyle Pederson names top 5 pitchers to watch and Aaron Crow not one of them. Wow. Great analysis. Yes, I am a homer, but he is a top 10 pick and he picks Andrew Oliver from OK State over Crow. I was stunned not to see Crow. Than again, they listed top hitters and you didn't see Pedro Alvarez in there (although that could be because statistically he isn't). Crow is 12-0 though and I sure as hell wouldn't want to face him or Matsuz.

QUOTE (daa84 @ May 26, 2008 -> 09:44 AM) they still havent posted the bracket online...im not by a tv, can you tell me where vandy ended up if you saw it or remember I don't remember, but they were a 2 and had a tough #1 seed in there bracket IIRC. Jesus, Mizzu/Miss, two of the best rotations in the country. Going to be a rough run for Miami as the overall #1.

Wow, making it tough on Miami. They get to deal with Mizzu. Titans get UCLA/Virginia as the 2 & 3's in there conference. They've played well against the Bruins this season, but there is no doubting UCLA's talent (preseason #1).

Selection show starts in 5 on espn.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ May 25, 2008 -> 09:29 PM) I see. Bureau hasn't been banned has he? I hope he can still post here and at least give us updates on our prospects. No one was banned.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ May 25, 2008 -> 08:06 PM) Sox talk always seems generally excited over 2 things, young power pitchers and young power hitters. When we got Aardsma, Sisco and whoever else KW got for the 06 pen this place was loving it. I remember making a post about experience and the wildness of unproven youth and was pretty much flamed. Gotta love CQ though. He seems like the real deal. Remember, while those guys didn't end up panning out and throwing strikes, the big flaw with last years Sox (along with the pen) had to do with the veteran hitters that couldn't do anything worth a damn. Heck, even this year, the biggest problem with the club has to do with its veteran players. The young guys (Danks/Floyd/Quentin/Ramirez (as of late) have all done a great job.