Chisoxfn

One thing to point out. Over the past few years the Sox philosphy on drafting did take a fundamental shift. I don't know if that was driven by Hostetler or Hahn or whom, but the reality is, when you look at our early round picks, we have had quite a few successes or at least perceived successes (still way too early technically on Rodon / Fullmer) after an extended run of stinkers in the early rounds. We also have seen the farm system get stronger. What we still haven't been able to figure out is how to develop (or find) the right position players and I don't know that we have necessarily changed that trend (although you have to give Sox credit for Semien (A's) / Saladino / Sanchez / Micah who all look like they should play at least a few years in the majors, if not more) and obviously Anderson is the one top end position prospect trending in the right direction. I might be overstating on Saladino cause he's probably the one I have the least faith in of the bunch but I like his presence enough to stay patient with him, however, he will never play as a starter at 3B (and I highly doubt he'll be able to stick at SS either, I think Saladino's best bet is as a super sub where Sanchez and Micah could potentially both start with the main issue being they both play the same position (although Sanchez might be able to play a good enough SS).

Bush is my top choice and I actually think he'd have a shot at winning the general election if his last name wasn't Bush. However, since it is, I don't know if he'd get enough of the independent vote in a general election. For all the reasons I like him, smart, moderate, but progressive, he won't actually get the republican nomination. Too much of the party has fallen way too to the right because of how insane Obama is and it just drives me nuts cause a good moderate candidate would be able to win and would be a boon for this country. The far wacky right drives me just as mad. They are creating the need for a 3rd party, but the problem is it just means while the 3rd party is created, the left can continue to do whatever they want.

Bush is my top choice and I actually think he'd have a shot at winning the general election if his last name wasn't Bush. However, since it is, I don't know if he'd get enough of the independent vote in a general election. For all the reasons I like him, smart, moderate, but progressive, he won't actually get the republican nomination. Too much of the party has fallen way too to the right because of how insane Obama is and it just drives me nuts cause a good moderate candidate would be able to win and would be a boon for this country. The far wacky right drives me just as mad. They are creating the need for a 3rd party, but the problem is it just means while the 3rd party is created, the left can continue to do whatever they want.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Aug 3, 2015 -> 02:45 PM) When was the last time a 30-year-old pitcher was signed to a big contract and was actually worth the money? Grienke? He might also be one of the only ones.

I would think Hawkins would be a given.

QUOTE (bmags @ Aug 3, 2015 -> 10:32 AM) Was just about to come in and post on that. Rookies learning curve is huge, difficult to come in and produce right away. It also sounds like Fuller still sucks and already has nagging injuries. Fuller supposedly has had a really good day in practice (and I think they said had a good day yesterday). Started off slow but picking it up. Did he just get hurt or something?

QUOTE (shipps @ Aug 3, 2015 -> 10:17 AM) Yeah I was kind of thinking this is bad too. But what can be a long term injury that is of the shin? Nothing, but long-term implications of the season won't be good if he can't play. Hard to get up to speed as a rookie wideout as is (although in recent years their have been some more rookie's who have clearly done well) but sitting out for a while and the whole thing being a brand new offense (not just for him, but for team) doesn't bode well to any impacts he'll make this year. Hopefully it is all premature and he's back in the next few days. Fact that he is still in a pool gives me cause for concerns. Seems odd for a shin injury to extend this long anyway. He's already missed 6 weeks. I do like the reports I've been reading about the camp. That said, I have heard too many seasons of good reports so I'll keep it limited. I hear offense looking good and I think, welp, our defense probably just sucks hard, haha. That said, I have such a good feeling about the long-term future of this franchise with Fox / Pace in charge.

White's injury seems to be a real problem. Fox is very noncomittal and some indications that he might not practice at all in bourbanais (sp?).

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 02:51 PM) The problem for us is...as you say, they got clearly better. That certainly seems to make it a lot harder for us to gain the remaining WC ground, right? Absolutely, but you don't see me pleased with what we did. I'd have bought a long-term bat and gone for it or I'd have traded Shark (presuming you got an offer of at least a top 100 guys + something else). If you didn't get an offer like that, I would just hold on to Shark.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 02:47 PM) Great you can sit there and play the stand pat card. Your not going to receive sympathy for trying. Toronto and Baltimore are going for it and trying to make a playoffs. They know they can make any more excuses. It's do or die. AA is under pretty much a make the playoffs or your fired line, so what good to him is his farm system and a longer term plan if he can't get in the playoffs. I think the Sox doing what the Jays did would have been bad given our current roster (not to mention we wouldn't have had the horses to do it). That said, at least a few of the guys they got will be under team control.

QUOTE (asindc @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 02:35 PM) How does the fact that he wasn't traded indicate that they were unwilling to do so? Should we also assume that they were unwilling to trade LaRoche for Trout? Yeah, I am with you. Just cause he wasn't traded doesn't mean they weren't willing to trade him. I don't know that they were really listening and if they were, I presume it would have taken an overly strong offer to get him (vs. a normal offer) but just because someone isn't traded doesn't mean a team wasn't listening. If they didn't get an offer that made sense to KW / RH and that would be an offer that outweighs benefits of comp pick + continuing to give it a run with the current club, then they didn't pull the trigger. We can say we'd have done things different but to clearly assume that is just absurd. Were the Pads never interested in moving Upton? They were, they just never got a price they felt was good enough. They might have been crazy cause they aren't near as close to the WC spot as we are, but they clearly in their eyes, didn't think the offer was worthwhile.

QUOTE (shipps @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 02:30 PM) http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0723-story.html Its pretty plain and simple to me. Yeah my memory was different from reality. No surprise. I corrected my post.

QUOTE (shipps @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 02:29 PM) I heard it on the radio. I am sure its in print somewhere. Ok I was wrong. Jeff was right. Below is the quote.

LOL

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 01:23 PM) I'd be pissed as a Cubs fan they didn't do more I'd be thrilled as a Cubs fan. Be a realist. They ain't going anywhere yet. They are in a better spot right now then I expected them to be in and doing anything short sighted (with the cash they'll have in the off-season) would have been ridiculous.

Jays still looking at pitching. I presume it would be blasphemy to cut a deal with them for Shark (would be a proverbial waving of the White flag) but, alas, they still have the package to do it. Houston and Dodgers have the ammo as well.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 11:48 AM) Well until the last couple of weeks. The bubble might be bursting there. They'll just build more ghost towns. Stabilized a bit though. Their whole economy is a relative sham based upon government mechanisms.

If I'm the Cubs, I'm not paying an arm and a leg to move up. They don't have the horses to go deep into the post-season. If I'm the Cubs, I give it the ole college shot and either swing big for a long-term piece or make some small moves that give the impression of us going (an if everything works out, great, we get their) but nothing more. Being over aggressive now, given the position they are in, would be absolutely insane, imo.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 11:55 AM) What scares me about that tweet is Nightengale has a very good Sox source, so our FO might actually think that this is an issue when they have Leury Garcia rotting on the bench. Well I hope they aren't really considering Leury because Leury doesn't matter. We aren't not winning the WC because of Leury. It is because of guys we have in our starting lineup. So reality is we are talking about 8 guys + Soto (since he gets enough playing time), maybe you are kind and include Shuck (since he should be playing more anyway). Clearly you can find better ballplayers then Beckham and Leury but they aren't why we are where we are today.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 11:54 AM) How did we not catch that earlier? Well then, this deadline is OVA If that is real, Nightengale must be on Quaaludes and gin. Funny thing is...of all insiders, when it comes to the Sox, I trust him the most. I presume this is some BS spin from Kenny / Hahn to drive leverage, I just don't know what GM could look at them with a straight face after hearing that. This isn't Hawk and his "where will he play" logic. Those teams were far deeper then this team. If they believe we have no holes (check that...no major holes) on our roster and no needs, they are delusional or aren't intending on competing and are really going to sell, haha.

Damn you people with your facts. Damn you all to hell When it comes to Pierre...I go off my memory of people not liking him with the Sox. Hell with facts...who needs facts. Was it over when the Germans bomed us at Pearl Harbor?

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 11:49 AM) Revere has arguably the worst outfield arm in baseball. Problem with my logic is I don't think much of Eaton's arm either. And I don't really like the idea of the Melk man in RF. Eaton would play fine in left, just not sure I'd like him in right but I probably overvalue the importance of an arm. You are right on Revere...it isn't to the levels of Juan Pierre or Johnny Damon though. They had arms like me.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 11:47 AM) Pierre was underappreciated? He was a hero after the 2003 marlins. Everyone wanted two speedy guys batting 1-2. By the sabs, he was nothing but an awful player.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 11:42 AM) He's basically Juan Pierre if Juan could defend. I know Eaton is showing more power this season but do you really want those 2 guys in the same outfield? Building our team around pitching, I absolutely could live with it. This isn't the steroid era. I'll take productive players and both Eaton and Revere are productive players. I also think they make the pitching staff better and when you think of who Revere is replacing, it isn't that big of a deal. We clearly would want to find a longer term power source at 3B though but yes, I could live with a relative lack of home runs in this era. I want the team to have good players and in my mind, Ben Revere is a good player. I also never had any issues with Juan Pierre, even though he was a slap happy single hitter. I think he was underappreciated for a long time in his career (unfortunately, by the time he got to the Sox, he wasn't very good anymore). I've always felt that stat people underappreciate single hitters with no power. Especially in the case of Pierre where his defense didn't drive strong value. Revere has an OPS > .700 which isn't bad for a slap hitter. In fact, it is better then Avi's and it doesn't even consider the value of defense, etc.

One other thing to think about...we are only .5 a game ahead of Texas who added Cole Hamels (and Hamilton is back healthy...no clue what that will actually mean but he's back). Not saying they are contenders, just saying, as currently constructed (and within a crazy run) they are only .5 game back of us and just added Cole Hamels. Their are a hell of a lot of teams around the Sox in the standings who have upgraded pretty significantly.