Chisoxfn

Are you guys not thinking. I haven't read the entire thread but Ozzie was going to have to maximize what he could from his starter last night because he has a horrid pen and a double header coming up which will involve a guy making his White Sox debut in one of his games (and while I love Floyd you can't just pencil him in for 7 innings). If there wasn't a double header tomorrow I'm going to say he would have been pulled in a normal case.

When Mac was sent back down he was feeling fine, but they sent him down cause he's lost a lot of confidence. He still has had the stuff but I have noticed he hasn't been used as much as of late so maybe his shoulder is a bit sore to the point that he can't pitch on a consistent basis. I'd rather make sure Mac is healthy because i still feel he could be a very valuable piece via trade (if he comes off the DL and throws a couple good games he could get the Sox a nice piece) or a key part to the pen next year (yes I still would count on him next season).

QUOTE(29thandPoplar @ Jul 6, 2007 -> 08:42 AM) Yes, and one of those scouts was Duane Shaffer. He drafted this guy twice and the 2nd time overdrafted him. I don't necessarily like putting blame on just drafting one guy, because every team in baseball overdrafts guys pretty much every year because in the end after the first round or two you got to just go with who you like for the most part (cause you never really know where various guys are on various teams boards) but Brooks was a guy that everyone was shaking there head when he was drafted. Not because he didn't have talent, but because no one in the world had him going when he did. It was similar to some of the draft picks that Billy Beane made early in his career. I do remember the Sox being the one team that really really raved about him (I guess it would have been Shaeffer whose quotes I'm remembering).

Wow....Transformers was a real winner too. Between Die Hard and Transformers I've actually seen two straight very very entertaining movies. Must be a record cause I was about to write off movies as becoming horrible.

Listen Here The past couple weeks Mario and Jason discussed the fire sale, the organization's ineptitude over the Buehrle fiasco and now finally they've put the focus on the Sox biggest weakness....the bullpen. Do Mario and Jason think anyone in the pen should be around next season or do the Sox have a couple keepers in the pen. Gage and Scalise not only discuss this, but they throw out some scenarios in which they move certain relievers and write off certain relievers. Our second segment (brought on by the requests of the masses...ie our 5 listeners) involves a lecture by self proclaimed minor league expert Jason Gage, who teaches Scalise and the listeners a thing or two about the guys to be on the look out for in the Sox system (warning this segment is not for the faint to heart as Gage will point out the harsh reality that is the complete lack of position prospects in the org). So check it out, and give us some more feedback as well as information on what else you'd like us to banter about in our next show (which will be next weekend...barring some trades which would bring on an earlier special edition of SSR). Listen Here

QUOTE(RME JICO @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 04:13 PM) I wonder who nominated SoxTalk, they must be a dedicated member? Also, don't forget to vote from 26-30 July for SoxTalk.

Funny cause I remember this guy initially getting some comparisons to Mariano Rivera (just in terms of his deliver and arm action). Boy were those scouts off, haha.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 10:59 PM) Sickels had both Ellsbury and Bowden listed as B or B+ prospects coming into the year. Pena and either of those guys would be OK with me (not that anyone cares). I don't remember saying it, but if I said the Sox should trade Garland for 2 B prospects, I was wrong. He should be able to command an A prospect like Kemp plus something else from a contending team. Garland should command two A level prospects and a B level prospect. If you can't get that keep him and try to get that for Vazquez.

QUOTE(heirdog @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 08:01 PM) Which one of Lumsden and Cortes was an A level prospect? Granted MacDougal may not have been worth even that (he was pretty damn good for the Sox last year though) but its not like they got two of our top prospects. Lumsden was one of the best arms in the Sox system at the time and was having a very strong season. He dominated last year for the Royals as well but has since hit a funk. Make no mistake, he may not have been an A top notch prospect, but he was a guy with top 100 talent and upside and Cortes was a very very projectable arm (but like all A ball players, they really have minimal trade value because there are so many things that can get in there way).

QUOTE(BearSox @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 10:53 AM) If Dye keeps this up for the rest of the season, we won't be getting any compensation. If we were to offer him arb. in free agency, I doubt any team would give up the draft pick for him. We really need him to just start raking for about a week or so. Maybe package him with Buehrle down to LA and get Kemp + some. Trust me...the Sox would get the draft picks. Average out the two seasons and you still have a guy that is going to get type A compensation and a team will still give him at least 7 mill or so a year over a few years (at least that much and possibly more if he shows much of anything down the stretch).

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 11:26 AM) Brian Roberts would be perfect for the White Sox. He was almost traded for Adam LaRoche and Marcus Giles last winter. Funny how Kenny and Theo both fell out of favor pretty quickly with a lot of people after winning long awaited titles. Has this season turned the tide back into Theo's favor in Boston? You mean the Theo Epstein that gave out horrid contracts to both JD Drew and Julio Lugo (or at least thats how it looks right now). QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 11:54 AM) I'd absolutely love to get Wily Mo, but not for Mark. Not a chance. MacDougall or Thornton plus BA for Willy Mo and we'd have ourselves a deal. QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 12:13 PM) That and the fact that he bounced back and is playing great means Baltimore will not move him, especially for the crap KW will have available to move. If he kept most of the rotation he still would have plenty of prospects he could move to get Roberts (maybe not any prospect that was of LaRoche's caliber but he could still offer something) and a guy like Roberts would significantly upgrade the Sox offense and make the club just a far more efficient ball club (because I think we need speed).

Considering he's signed to the cheap, has a power arm and throws from the left side I'd look at getting a package similar to what was given up for Ron Villone a couple years back (and that was a pretty good package). Relievers with good arms tend to get other teams some good talent (s*** just look what the Sox gave up for MacDougall and I think some teams in baseball would grade Thornton higher than MacDougall would have been rated at the time of the trade).

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 11:14 AM) I'd absolutely love Orlando Hudson, he's the best defensive secondbaseman in the game, will only be 30 next year, has good contact, decent power, pretty good speed and good plate discipline. I don't know what the hell they'd want for him but I could definitely see KW being interested in the O-Dog. I second that. A team built on pitching needs good up the middle defense and the O-Dog would provide just that. Mix him with Uribe (or another person) and you may have the best up the middle defense in baseball. Plus as a second baseman he isn't going to get a fact contract and if the Dbacks are that frustrated we could maybe get him on the cheap.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 11:45 AM) I wonder which starter this might be? Is anyone involved in stalled contract negotiations? It absolutely will be Jose Contreras (he's the first to go, imo, and than as the deadline approaches either Buehrle goes or one of Jon/Javier goes if he gets an amazing offer, otherwise Kenny holds off till the off-season to move the 2nd pitcher).

Ya its hard. We do some interviews over the phone some are transcribed by 3rd parties so it can be difficult. The Egbert one is much better and gives you more of an idea as to who Egbert is. It also just depends on the player, sometimes you get guys that will talk your hear off (Sean Tracey is a great example of this type of interview) and other times you get the very quiet players that you have to really try to push into saying much more than a sentence or two answer.

Bugs & Cranks, which is a very popular baseball blog, is doing a run down of the best 8 baseball communities on the web and our very own Soxtalk.com was today's featured site (so in their eyes, we are amongst the top 8). I wanted to say that I'm very proud to see this site get this type of pub/cred and remind all of the members here that it is each and every one of you that helps make this place really special. Sure the Sox are playing like piss, but we still have some of the best baseball and non baseball discussion on the entire web and I hope to continue to see the discussion and member base as well as the site grow. Check out the write-up, its pretty cool (well maybe I find it cool considering it wasn't that long ago that I was in high school working with Scalise with SoxNet when we launched this place to be the official message board). http://bugsandcranks.com/the-clubhouse/pal...ise-soxtalkcom/

He will be in Chicago and is replacing David Aardsma. He will likely start Friday's game and than go back to AAA Charlotte (Unless a trade occurs soon).

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 10:03 AM) I dont like the Kemp deal either to tell you the truth. Frankly I like keeping Mark or addressing a serious need like a lead off hitter or middle of the field player. I think our young pitching could use some help but overall im pretty happy with the direction that is going. I really dont see much out there that interests me with Mark. Jose, on the other hand could go for a deal that would adress some power in the OF. If Betemeit or the Dodgers Chinese shortstop are added into the deal would you change your mind? To me those would be the difference makers to me. However, I still think its best to sign Buehrle and than move Garland or Vaz for a ransom (as well as Contreras for whatever you get cause moving Jose is a no brainer).

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 06:30 AM) And after watching the Sox' pen last night, I am thinking the big club could use him. I couldn't find an AAP page for him either, I was considering picking him up myself. He's a cool story. IIRC he was signed by the organization after pitching at one of those random try outs in Birmingham.

I want to point out that Rodriguez should be considered a prospect because he has a pretty live FB to go with (off the top of my head) a pretty nice looking slider.

No, I wouldn't make a Kemp for Buehrle straight up deal. The deal should include Betemeit (along with Kemp) plus a lower level prospect. And yes, that is a deal I would consider making. I still over-value Buehrle and I find it ridiculous teams wouldn't give up 2 top prospects to get him (plus one highly talented prospect that has flamed out and needs a change of scenery). If I were a GM I would give up a s***load to get Buehrle in my rotation because he could be the difference. He's the best pitcher to hit the trade block in years and should some talent. I also would prefer Kemp over Pena because he's a much more complete prospect. Pena has some amazing tools (namely ridiculous power) and I"d love to get him (but I think the Sox could get him without giving up a starting pitcher if they wanted him) but Kemp is a 5 tool player who can play defense, projects to hit for an average, looks like he may not strike out a zillion times and can hit for power in his own right. And that doesn't even factor in Betemeit who fills a serious need of the Sox. I'm just not trading Buehrle for one guy because the whole point of moving some of these arms is to get multiple guys to fill holes because the Sox system is so damn position prospect weak. By the way Red...good to see ya back around a bit. You completely give up on the better version of the Sox (ie the White Sox?) or just been takinga break from here focused on how the Red Sox are going to eventually go down to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim?

I don't get what some of you guys are saying. Fields is no Crede defensively but he's already pretty good over there for a young player and has really gotten better every year. I would be surprised if he didn't develop into an above average defensive 3rd baseman (and for those that have followed my take on Fields....this is a big time change from what I said about him a couple of years ago). The guy just has a phenomenal work ethic and will be a very good major league 3rd baseman.

QUOTE(redandwhite @ Jul 5, 2007 -> 09:28 AM) Long time no see, you s*** stains (You know who I'm referring to). Mark Buehrle' agent has pinned the White Sox to either give him the full no-trade protection or pawn him off to the highest bidder for fifty cents on the dollar. With that being said, being discussed on other Red Sox boards across the internet is the idea of trading the struggling Wily Mo Pena whose talent is as enormous as his tree trunk legs, but isn't being given the time of day in Boston. Rumors have the White Sox swinging Mark Buehrle out West for Matt Kemp. Wily Mo Pena has had three better seasons in the Majors than Kemp's had in the minors. He's still only 25 years old and everybody who watches him on a daily basis knows that with consistent at-bats, he'll be the Raul Mondesi (.300-30-100) kind of stop gap in some teams outfield. So I ask you. Wily Mo Pena for Mark Buehrle. In my best Howie Mandel impression: Deal... Or No Deal? Absolutely no deal. I would throw bricks at the stadium if the Sox made that trade. Bucholtz and Pena and I'd consider it but either way its a moot point because Buehrle will sign.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Jul 4, 2007 -> 11:05 AM) It worked pretty good for the Marlins didn't it?... but then again, we wouldn't have Joe Giardi. Thank god too....we wouldn't have a rotation after a year if we relied on Girardi. I just want talent...right now I think the Sox best bet is going to be to hold onto Dye (I don't think the club will get a better offer than the compensation picks they'll get for him at the end of the season), move Garland or Vazquez as well as Contereas (basically I'd move Vaz if the Sox were going to sign Buehrle and Garland...otherwise I'd move Garland because at least you know that Buehrle and Vaz would be around for a few more years...than hope like hell Floyd and Danks pan out and find a vet or another rookie in the off-season). Vaz should get the Sox a really good influx of prospect (Garland would do the same as well; I'm basing this on the assumption that Buehrle signs). Move Iguchi and Uribe or guys like that for AAAA players that maybe could fit into the pen or A ball players with good stuff that are just a long ways off and because of that teams are more willing to give them up. Than hope like hell that you can move Thome...please be able to move Thome. If you could move Thome/Vaz or Garland/Contreras and than take the picks for Dye you should be able to get a serious influx and with the right luck in terms of the rotation (having Floyd and Danks continue to develop and step up behind Vaz/Buehrle) than you may just be able to compete a lot sooner (also assuming Kenny acquired some good major league ready talent) and than spent some of the money saved (by moving Contreras/Dye/Vaz or Garland/Thome) on a couple veterans to come in and fill some holes (keep a lot more of that money for later on down the road when you need to potentially upgrade and throw it to a few more draft picks by paying over slot money).

I'd say package him with Dye but even than all you get is Milledge and at that point I'd probably rather just take the 2 draft picks for Dye (although maybe I'm wrong) and hope someone gives up a a couple mid-level guys and the Sox dont' have to give up any dough for Jose. With his last couple performances his value is dropping again (the thing is I think he could still be a dominant pitcher, his mechanics are just shot to hell right now).