Chisoxfn

I also should mention I would prefer Olivo to AJ. I want someone different behind the plate. I could end up regretting it and I like AJ as a player but I'm ready for someone else. I want a guy that has a hose behind the plate and can really stop a running game. Plus AJ can be so frustrating to watch at times. Not saying who we get will be better, but I'm ready for a change.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 18, 2010 -> 08:48 AM) Yep, definitely better than last season. It will be very interesting to see how they incorporate Boozer into the offense. I really hope he doesn't become the focal point. Boozer will be a huge part of the offense and the two man game they will run at times will be beautiful. However, Deng should still flourish because this team just does a beautiful job of running a motion, pick based offense. I've really enjoyed watching them play and they should get much much better with Boozer back and just more playing time (to gel). And with bigs we are deep. Asik looks like a future defensive stopper off the bench and than we know what we got in Noah/Taj/Booz. Gotta love that depth. Plus a vet like Kurt Thomas if someone goes down. Deng seems to be a lot more active this year. So glad to have Del Negro out of here.

QUOTE (balfanman @ Nov 18, 2010 -> 08:18 AM) I'm not so sure of that. I like Olivos' skill set, especially the ability to throw out base runners, but if what was said about him before is true, you can't have a pitching staff that doesn't want him catching them. For all of A. J.'s faults, the pitching staff aparently loves him. Has that been said at all recently? I know that was his knock as a rookie with the Sox but has that changed?

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 18, 2010 -> 08:35 AM) Korver, Watson, Rose, Deng (small sample size this year) are all better FT shooter than Noah. Noah is a career 70.7 percent FT shooter. Noah's probably my favorite player on the Bulls, and loved the pick when he was drafted, but he should be the last resort in that situation and just made the observation that it seems like we're not efficient enough with our inbounds plays (a common theme in some of the Bulls games this year). Watching us on offense, one thing I'm not concerned about is our coaching. Thibbs is legit.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 08:59 PM) I've seen Noah turn the ball over probably 10 times in the last two weeks when he tries to bring the ball up the court. Rose needs to go get that ball from him right away. Also, I know he made the FT last night, but the Bulls are going to lose a game or two this year cause they put the ball in Noah's hands at the end of the game when the other team is trying to foul. I don't think so. Noah is one of the Bulls better free throw shooters. He shoots in the low to mid 70's and he's a big target so you can get him the ball easier on certain in-bounds plays. Plus, we can't pretend that Rose or Deng are tremendous free throw shooters so unless we are talking about Korver the Bulls currently don't have a whole lot of other options to inbound the ball too that shoot better at the line than Noah.

QUOTE (Real @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 08:43 PM) Ronnie Brewer is awesome. Asik is a beast. lol Did you watch Asik on Duncan during the last 8 or 9 minutes of the first half. Duncan couldn't make anything. Missed like 4 or 5 straight shots as Asik was playing great D. Asik did blow quite a few shots on offense where he had tremendous offensive position.

QUOTE (Real @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 08:40 PM) Bulls cant hold the Spurs jock, the difference in talent is hilarious Bulls lose this game by at least 18 I call bulls***. First half of that game the Spurs couldn't hold the Bulls jock and the Bulls missed a lot of open shots in that first half. Second half got ugly but lets not act as if the Bulls were playing horrible, they just weren't putting in some of there open shots. Bulls on the 2nd of a back to back played admirably and could have won that game had some buckets fallen in that 3rd quarter.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 07:12 PM) lmao. Kevin Towers would have to enter the witness protection program if that's all he could net for Upton. I'd be dissapointed if the Sox gave that up for Upton. Upton might be talented, but lets not pretend he doesn't have some issues and lets not pretend as if Floyd doesn't have significant trade value. And yes, I am a huge Gavin Floyd fan.

How can you not like Brad Miller (or Joakim for that matter):

Say you make the trade and than let Konerko walk and replace him with Dunn (or keep Konerko). Offensively you are talking about: Pierre - LF Granderson - CF Rios - RF Morel - 3B Ramirez - SS Beckham - 2B Dunn - 1B Quentin - DH ? - C That is a pretty damn good defensive unit with some pretty solid bats. The rotation would be iffy, because I don't think there is much money left but you'd have pretty much zero holes and your lack of power to an extent in the outfield would be made up by the production at 1st/DH. I'd more and more intrigued by this completely hypothetical scenario. Also, against tough lefties you can sit Granderson and use Viciedo who can rake and slowly develop (Quentin would slide into the outfield in those situations).

QUOTE (knightni @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 02:58 PM) Is Dunn even passable at 1B? There is no reason Dunn couldn't play 1st decently enough.

Since it is open enrollment time, I thought it would be interesting to get an idea of what everyone pays for their healthcare? I just filled mine out and my total cost for myself and my wife (Dental, HealthCare, Vision, and Long Term Disability, etc) was $2100 for the year. The employer is contribution $8500. Thank goodness for their contributions.

I'd be down for a Buehrle for Rasmus deal. Probably wouldn't work straight up but maybe there is a framework there? Hell if I know. But St. Louis is the only place you could deal Buehrle to without taking a major PR hit. You'd have to spin it in the sense that he always wanted to play there and the opportunity came up to let him go "home" or blah blah blah. Losing Paulie and Buehrle would be a PR nightmare. Again, doesn't necessarily mean the Sox couldn't win by not bringing those guys back (or in Buehrle case dealing him) but there are PR ramifications you have to consider.

I actually like the idea of leaving Quentin as our DH. I think he's worth more to us right now than he is on the trade market. Plus he isn't expensive and his upside is pretty strong in a DH role. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of getting a nice, athletic outfielder and than finding a cheaper 1st baseman.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 10:27 AM) Everything that I've seen says they want to go with Salty at their catcher next year and will spend their money on Beltre and/or trying to get AGon. Gammons and Stark say otherwise and I trust their opinions much more than some of the beat writers out there. It seems like there are so many just horrid rumors out there.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 11:22 AM) You guys underestimate CQ's abilities as a fielder. He has a very good throwing arm and is improving in the field I can live with Quentin in left field, but as of now we have Pierre there. Quentin has a strong arm but he's not very accurate with it and has absolutely zero range and gets even better reads/jumps on balls. He is an utter train-wreck in right field and that is coming from someone who always felt people were harsher on Dye than he deserved. Dye was bad out there, but he at least got good reads and made all the routine plays. The problem was he was old and had no range.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 10:38 AM) If June really is true, Garcia will be back, and it will happen soon, I bet. I'd rather grab Garland. I have much more faith in him being the innings eater we'd need. That said, the money might not be right as someone could pay hefty given what he did last year (which was inflated, imo).

I find it hard to give up Floyd. He's signed to a fair deal and we have cost control on him. I also believe we will ink Danks. However, if Kenny can get the right talent I guess anything can happen. I doubt he'll consider moving Buehrle and Peavy is unmoveable as of this time so I guess Kenny doesn't have many options since he doesn't have a farm system to attract talent and has limited payroll.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 10:44 AM) It would be nice to have 9 gold glovers on defense but that ain't gonna happen. CQ is serviceable in RF and we need to stick with our talent. He can do it! Repeat the mantra If by serviceable, you mean the worse or 2nd worse right fielder in baseball, than you are correct.

QUOTE (SoxPride56 @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 10:27 AM) I'm not following...how so? Quentin can't possibly play in the field on a regular basis after seeing how much of a disaster he is there? And we also know Matsui can't. So if Matsui comes in, he'd be the DH, which means Q can't DH. But that is solely based upon the fact that I don't want Q to be an everyday outfielder. He can play every once in a while but not more than once or twice a week.

Matsui signing would probably mean Quentin would be moving on.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 10:23 AM) Heyman reporting that Orioles are going after Konerko (like they did after 2005). I am reporting that Konerko will say NO.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 10:17 AM) Besides every baseball writer reporting they're going to sign two big bats this offseason? It's been everywhere. They've already signed Jhonny and Benoit to pretty big deals, and they're considered the leaders for VMart and Dunn. They unloaded a ton of payroll from last season. Boston is the leader for Vmart.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Nov 17, 2010 -> 09:43 AM) Would still be in the same spot because Huddy would just replace EJax, so either way, you have 4 starters and then Chris Sale/Tony Pena Ya, but you'd have 10M more to play with to address holes.

I don't think anyone can pinpoint his exact recovery date right now. However, if it better to be conservative and to expect there to be delays. It wouldn't take too many delays before you are talking about a late May comeback. Right now the Sox are smart to not expect/count on Peavy. Unfortunately that really hurts when you don't have any guys you can look to in the farm to help you until than. In retrospect it would be really nice to have Huddy.