Chisoxfn

Absolutely not. You can talk all you want about our bullpen being upgraded and yes the talent in the pen has been upgraded but we are also relying on numerous question-marks. MacDougall while dominant when healthy has never proven he can stay healthy. Sisco, Aardsma, Massett are very unproven commodities with only one putting up good major league numbers over the past year (and that was Aardsma). So no, I'm not about to trade anyone from the pen. I'm just hoping a good chunk of these guys pitch up to there capabilities (if they do we have a sick pen) and that Jenksy stays healthy. However, if they don't we could have a disaster of a pen. That said I don't think any team has a better pen (stuff wise) than ours.

If the Yanks want to just unload him, fine. As long as we are talking about like a Jerry Owens for Johnson deal (we only have him for one year) and a couple million cash. I see absolutely no reason to give up anything worth while for Johnson.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 26, 2006 -> 10:24 AM) We're making the same exact mistake we made in the 2003 and 2004 years, when we thought we could just fill in (name pitcher) for the 5th starter position, and it would work out. Besides for adding Hall, we've done nothing to help our offense. We're putting a lot of hope into Thome, Dye, PK, and Crede staying healthy the whole season again (besides for Thome's little injuries). Also, even though we've added some guys to the bullpen, I don't think that's what KW had in mind when he said we were going to improve it this offseason. I think he thought he'd be able to get guys like Speier and Walker, but their contracts were a lot higher than he thought they'd be. All I know is that if I sit back and take off my White Sox goggles, we're not an improved team ON PAPER!. You forget how terrible Duque was for most of the season in 05 . The fact of the matter is in 04/05 we didn't have 4 other studly starters around them. In addition, we sure as heck didn't have this caliber of prospects next to them. This 07 team is better if the pitchers pitch up to there capabilities. If they don't, well than it'll be just like 06. However, I believe our team on paper was better than the production, thus I had no problem staying with a very similar team with the exceptions of finding a new OF, a RH bat off the bench that hits LHP (Hall), some more arms for the pen (albeit these guys aren't proven) and a backup catcher (Hall)

QUOTE(greg775 @ Dec 24, 2006 -> 12:19 AM) I think anybody with a brain thinks we coulda got more for BMac. I appreciate the logic but wouldn't yu all agree with me on that? That makes this a bad trade. No, I wouldn't. I don't think people realize the type of upper echelon prospects we got (Danks), the type of arm we got (Massett), and the type of high ceiling 3rd prospect we got (yes that 3rd guy is raw, but he's very projectable). Plus I'd like to think our GM has a brain, afterall he did find a way to build a world series championship club at one point in time. Also, just to point another thing out as people seem to continuously start comparing us to teams that throw out a bunch of young pitchers, I should add we still have 4 starters who are pretty good bets to log around 200 innings (the only real questionmark for me would be Contreras and his back woes).

But it was indeed very fun to watch him throw the football.

People forget that Floyd has shown major league success at one point in time or another, much like Brandon has. We are all forgetting about Brandon's unimpressive 06 campaign and relying on some great starts he made with the Sox down the stretch in 05 (a couple darn good ones) but must we forget that Floyd too had some darn good starts when he first came up at the major league level and than he too had a rather unimpressive first full year in the majors (albeit unlike Brandon, Floyd was in the rotation and I do think pitching out of the pen hurt Brandon). Still, Brandon is very much still considered a prospect, he just happens to be a major league ready one.

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 10:57 PM) It isn't about not trusting Jason. He hasn't even said what the information is, much less whether it is believable/credible. I just said with what I've heard it makes sense why we'd consider moving him. That is all, I'm not saying anything about whether people need to like the trade or anything like that. Please leave that up to yourself, thats why we have this place so everyone can have there own opinion and be willing to share it. And even if there is a reason to move a guy (and I'm not saying that in fact there was good reason or not cause again it depends on how people would feel about the situation) that doesn't necessarily mean we got the right package or right deal (I happen to like the deal from the perspective that we decided to deal Brandon I think we got some very good arms for him). That said I think Brandon had a chance to be a very special pitcher in our organization and there is no denying he'll be missed and no denying that this was a very very risky move made by Ken Williams. Maybe not as risky as the Bulls Brand for Chandler deal (Since Brand was a bit more of a proven commodity, yet no one knew he'd turn into a super star) but I guess you could see this in a similar light (although I hate comparing Brand, the #1 pick in a draft for a sport where #1 picks start immediately most of the time and where top picks are a lot more likely to make at least some sort of impact).

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 10:56 PM) You got 360? If so, BOOO. HopeHop on Rainbow 6: Las Vegas and then we're talkin'... Yep...I may have Rainbow 6 pretty soon. Right now I just have an Xbox Live free month of gold but hopefully by Christmas that will change

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 10:15 PM) By the way, I think this elusive "inside information" about McCarthy which has been mentioned in this thread is dubious at best. It sounds like spin to me. Whispers about poor work ethic, attitude, etc. surround many, many players. They typically get thrown around a lot more after a trade. Whenever an organiztion trades away a popular player, we always hear a lot more about how he really was a bad seed. I call BS. Whoa whoa whoa....none of those things are true. McCarthy is a great character individual with a good work ethic and I've never heard anyone from the organization that I've ever talked to say otherwise. I can't go in depth on my stuff but it has absolutely nothing to do with the baseball side of things from a performance standpoint. That said I still say we got extraordinary value for Brandon and I think a lot of people that are panicking vastly overrated the guy (and I've long been one of his biggest supporters and I think he'll have a good career) because we got more than just one arm back, we got at least one guy with more upside as a starter (But also a bit more risk since he's not quite ready for the majors) and than a guy who can be a stud reliever or potentially a pretty good starter (he has the pitches/stuff to do so). I just want us to find a stopgap so we can give Floyd time to turn things around (although my guess is he'll be our 5th) while Danks/Gio/Broadway all work on being potential guys that we can turn to if anyone goes down.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 10:04 PM) I'm not saying that was it, but it made it easier than if his manager said they cannot go on without him. You should get on AIM. Can't, got people over....playing some call of duty online

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 08:08 PM) No. I wouldn't want Arias one bit. OBP is a problem? So is the fact that he hits for no power. He's slugged above .400 once, and just barely at .423. His OPS has topped .750 once in his minor league career. Why would I want him when we already have him. No, the third guy doesn't really excite me a whole lot. He is what he is, another young arm to add to the system. Just turned 20 years old a couple of weeks ago. And yes, I'd rather have another live arm in the system than Arias, because Arias isn't good. He'll probably make an okay backup. If he's starting for your team, you have lots of problems, though. And twenty-some-odd stolen bases don't change that. That's not to say that I'm a huge fan of this deal. I'm excited to have two of the best lefty pitching prospects in baseball in our system, but I'm quite pissed that McCarthy is gone. I'm excited at our prospects (no pun intended) for 2008 and beyond, but 2007 is going to be very tough with Flaeger as our current fifth starter. Unless, of course, they ink Clemens, which makes so much sense right now, but probably won't happen. To add to that, those steal numbers are not impressive. Good base stealers in the minors put up ridiculous totals (see Ruddy Yan) and when I see guys like Rogowski and company getting right around 20 steals I'm not very impressed (unless I know a guy is ridiculously fast). You got to be really careful about looking at certain minor league stats, in the ends stats are great in the minors but very few of them (especially offensively) deal with the tools/upside (unless we are talking about K/9Inning which is a very good indicator).

QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 06:55 PM) Isn't Hirsh 24 or 25 already? Danks is in another class when compared to Hirsch, imo.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 05:23 PM) It certainly might have an impact. Other teams might shy away from him, thinking Jordan would hold out for a sox deal. You see how guys drop into the teens just because of money. No team wants to lose their 1st round pick. Its too hard for that to happen in the draft. Danks is a talented guy and he isn't going to sit out just to come to the Sox system. We may be one of the systems he prefers but it would be assinine for him to pull a JD Drew just so he comes to the Sox system (since there are plenty of other good organizations in baseball, imo). That said I'd love to get Danks bro cause they are both ridiculously talented. I still like this move, even though I'm wondering who we are going to pick up as a starter (cause i don't want two rookies in our rotation or unproven guys to break camp, unless we plan on seriously upgrading the offense somewhere).

QUOTE(spiderman @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 04:20 PM) Danks split last season between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma, where he combined to go 9-9 with a 4.24 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). He has a career minor league record of 21-30 with a 4.20 ERA in 92 games (82 starts). Question: Did Danks pitch in pitcher friendly parks ??? It was actually the opposite. I think he was a guy that pitched in some very hitter friendly leagues.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Dec 23, 2006 -> 02:03 PM) That's the best idea I've read. Sox should offer one year, $20 million. Kenny Williams says they have plenty of money to make a move, just he didn't want to. It would make this trade look a helluva lot better... That would be an outstanding move. Plus its a great guy to have around the Sox young arms.

I am actually for this deal for a different reason and its because of some inside stuff I know about the situation. Danks is a studly prospect (definately the caliber of McCarthy, although not as developed so there is a risk with that) and Massett is a very good looking young reliever.

Got off of work early today and than my team and I went to a brewery down in SD for lunch, had two beers and kicked back before we left for the holiday.

Nope, I just got back from San Diego (where I've been the past couple weeks) and go back to the office Tuesday and than back to SD till New Years. But than I get the week of New Years off (Cause I'm taking it off).

Either way it sounds like the Dodgers will be sharing that facility with the Sox (either immediately when its built, if the Sox can get the Reds or another team to come over) or in 2013 when there lease is up. Please let someone come sooner so I can stop making that drive to Tuscon before 2013.

QUOTE(EvilJester99 @ Dec 21, 2006 -> 08:33 PM) Any update on when TalkBhawks will be up and running? It'll be up by tonight.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Dec 21, 2006 -> 03:04 PM) An Australian Cultural Dictionary for Jason, Dan and PA.

Maybe someone could help me get a restraining order for Christmas

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 21, 2006 -> 11:25 AM) He's nothing but an insurance policy. I agree, but I see way too many people continuosly saying he's pretty much got a job on our bench and personally I don't think that is true (plus I don't want it to be true, lol).

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 21, 2006 -> 11:01 AM) I'm pretty sure Luis Terrero was brought in to try to take this exact role, he's a righty, he's at least non-terrible defensively from what I'm told, can't hit worth a lick, but he at least covers the defensive role. If we wanted to focus more on the bat, then I think he'd have to be the one to go...and anyway, he's about the only other guy on the 40 man who isn't considered either a decent prospect or expected to be on the team this year. Terrero is terrible. I'm not saying we don't give him a chance but the guy couldn't make it with the freaking Orioles...that should say something right there. He's a decent defensive guy but can't hit for crap at the major league level and isn't exactly a toolsy guy. I'll take my chances with Mack in CF before I'd have Terrero as our main CF backup (since I'd rather utilize Sweeney if Terrero is my other option and just creatively find a way to get him AB's). I just don't think we picked him up to be on the roster...will we give him a chance during spring, sure, but aside from that I think it was just a guy that caught our eye and Kenny knew he could get him cheap and have him as a worse case scenario.

Damn Knicks...what a fluke play, although it was also a great one.