GreenSox

QUOTE (ptatc @ Dec 16, 2014 -> 06:43 AM) That was a quote out of frustration when his bullpen was blowing games. He will not be able to do that with a successful bullpen. The roles need to be defined in some manner. Defined in a very broad manner. This business of "X has the 7th", "Y has the 8th" is silly stuff. It only makes sense when you have a sizable lead in a game. Their role is to get outs. Use the best pitchers when there are men on base. I thought he handled the pen fine, running out of pitchers in that game notwithstanding. He tended to leave in starters too long - the good ones were overpitched (although Ventura quit using them 110+ pitches after he put Sale on the DL) as were the bad ones (presumably because the bullpen was weak - hopefully he'll yank Danks this year before he pitches us out of games). His personality is fine, as long as the players are motivated, which these players should be.

No. And no. The pages have turned

When Asked about "roles" last year, Ventura astutely said that their role is to get outs. I hope he maintains that philosophy. He still needs work on those bunting in front of Abreu and pulling Abreu for pinch runners thingies he does .

There's a 90% chance that the Samardizja trade will be a net loss from a personnel standpoint. Rents usually are. You benefit now but pay more later. That's why I don't like them. Still this one went about as well as they can. Sox might reap indirect benefits such as more ticket sales, more interest and an ability to get preference in trying to sign him. Semien was no cinch to excel at 2B himself. We have 3 candidates. Hopefully one will do adequately and they should be able to handle the position defensively. Teams do need young players. We got our Scherzer: Samardiza and then Rodon. Maybe they'll sign Samardizja and we'll get both. Scherzer wouldn't give near as much marginal value to this team as even Melky will. Right now you can make an argument for a cheap starter and cheap 4th OF. Giving prospects for upgrades at C (and it's dubious whether the names thrown about are upgrades anyway) and 3B isn't worth it. Those positions are average right now. Could improve.

As an aside,let me say that competitive balance picks are so bogus.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 03:46 PM) IF Hahn can trade Danks and get a prospect or two for him, while offsetting the cost of what Melky costs (after trading Viciedo, which accounts for around $4M), would you do it and "risk" Rodon as the 5th starter this year? No But it's not because I am fearful of what it would do to our team this year...my timeframe actually goes beyond 2015. It's because pitching Rodon before he is ready wastes his service time and is a poor use of an asset.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 09:30 AM) You'd probably have a majority willing to give up Anderson, Montas and Hawkins for Josh Donaldson at this point. Seems like the plan of action from the beginning was to pull all his moves off without losing any key future pieces. Still a bit in disbelief. Not a huge Cabrera fan but it's almost impossible not to feel positive about the overall direction of the franchise compared to a year ago. Robin Ventura. Your turn. LOL Sox fill major holes with above average players by giving up ZERO top prospects (and very few prospects at all), and now we want to pay Tor 3x what they paid in order to shore up a weakness? Yikes Castro was dreadful at the plate last year. That's the thing. This is not an all or nothing set-up we have for 2015. No top pitching prospects for Nick Swisher or Edwin Jackson involved. Farm retained. Room for growth. Even the Melky deal is only 3 years. Everything's good. Let's keep it that way.

Prob end up just cutting him and saving 3 mill

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 01:49 PM) We just traded for a guy on a 1 year deal likely to sign a 9 figure deal next offseason that we may not want to pay. We better be caring 100% about the White Sox making the playoffs this year. Make the playoffs this year and then pick up the pieces next offseason. We already made that call. We can think long term as a secondary priority, but we absolutely have to win 88 games this year. Sox put themselves in a position to be competitive. That's all. They didn't mortgage the future, nor should we, and I certainly hope we don't. There's no reason to. You can't snap your fingers on a 73 win team, make a bunch of moves and say "We're winning the world series this year." At least not this 73 win team which was a legitimate 73 win team or thereabouts (maybe could have won 78 had without the short term injuries that it had). It's not like anyone had an inexplicable off year who is likely to bounce back. Sure they signed a 1 year player; I wouldn't have done it, but they also didn't give up any key pieces for today or tomorrow to do so. And if this team really did go all in for 1 year, that's exactly what it would be...it would be back to sub 80 wins in 2016.

Melky Cabrera is not a marque left fielder. He's just the best of a bad FA lot. No way should the Sox tie up 3 or 4 years at big money for this guy. it will interfere with their ability to make future moves. Nor should they trade top prospects for a year of Upton or whomever. They have done a great job rebuilding while also not only protecting the farm, but improving it. Keep at it. they can get a stopgap by basically paying 1 year of someone's inflated salary.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 07:36 PM) If Connor is on auto-launch out of ST again this won't bother us much. I'm looking for an even better Gillaspie this year. He's obviously by no means done getting better. I mean that's clear as day right? The issue with him is the D. that doesn't have the ability to get better as easily as O does. But, yea, I like him and agree he can improve particularly offensively. He kind of was in a weird position in San Fran, being on the 40 man since his signing (in his contract). He quickly ran out of options, and they had no room for him because of Sandoval, so they sold low, to the Sox benefit.

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 03:23 PM) I think that the team's defense is holding them back from being a really good team. There's defensive question marks at 3rd (I think that the team should think about Gilapse in LF and finding a defensive minded 3rd baseman.), 2nd and LF. I'd like to see that too, but I thought they'd try it out last september if it was under consideration.

QUOTE (bighurt4life @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 07:19 PM) that would be a huge overpay for victorino to make qualifying offer, probably in the 16mil rage next year. He'd snap it up, and if he didn't nobody would be willing to pay him big money plus give up the draft pick for an aging, average player. Agree - no way Victorino nets a QO Sox should be willing to get/sell him for his contract and a C prospect.

Scherzer would be a poor use of resources. They'd get a lot, lot, lot more marginal value from using that money in other places. Cespedes/Porcello trade was fine. Good to see pitching leave Detroit. Porcello is subject to comp, but he'll never get a QO so that won't matter.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 05:30 PM) you do have a point about more players being avail. i do like Victorino, but his contract is something i really don't like. The contract is fine. It's 1 year, just what we need. You don't want anything long for a 34 year old Sox don't need more long term contracts. It will reduce their leverage to make later improvements. If he's real cheap - I'd consider it.

This would encumber the Sox with another long term contract, when they really need a young athletic outfielder. I wouldn't do it. Can't fix everything in 1 year. The progress in a year and a half has been remarkable, esp. considering that there has been no ding at all to the farm.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 02:51 PM) John Danks, while not well liked around these parts, is a solid #4. Sure, he's paid like 2 or 3, but he is just fine as a #4. The main need is obviously LF. I still expect to see Melky, Rasmus or Aoki on this club, and if not, the LF will come via trade. I am fine going to battle with Gillaspie at 3B (sign Bonafacio, Rick..he's a perfect fit and platoon w/ Conor against LHP) and Flowers at C. Danks is pitching like a #5 for a good team. I guess the plan is with a fortified pen, they can withstand 6 innings and out of Danks and Noesi pretty well and they are probably right. Bonifacio is terrible. He had good splits last year but not the year before. Aoki is okay, but I wish he was better defensively. Still, I wouldn't do anything drastic at this point. We probably need to keep Danks (Rodon should not spend a second in the majors until 100% ready). They need someone in LF. Hopefully they will continue down the road of not trading top prospects, esp. for someone on their downward arc (which is where most of the outfielders on the block are). They don't need to encumber their entire budget right now. They probably want to sign Jeff S long-term and there will be better hitters available. As for this LH stuff, why is it normal for a LH hitter not to be able to hit LH pitchers? The same isn't true for RH hitters and RH pitchers.

QUOTE (Bigsoxhurt35 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 06:53 PM) This would seem like Rodon is going to battle for a starting job. But he can also bolster the pen even more and that's not a bad thing. Given that he is a Boras client, will not sign long term, I'd hate to use service time for him in the bullpen. In his case, I think he needs to get ready in Charlotte

QUOTE (CWSpalehoseCWS @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 04:36 PM) I think it was more along the lines of Cooper knowing how to make Noesi more effective than the Sox saying he needs to be starting because his stats were better. Of course - they claimed him because they thought they could fix him. But they still took a middle reliever and immediately put him in the rotation.

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 04:04 PM) With McCarthy, Masterson and Santana gone, it's time for us to look at some high risk high reward type pitcher to compete for a spot in the rotation. Please bring us Medlen, Beachy, or Brett Andersen, in that order. Agree Prefer lottery ticket to Peavy

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 03:21 PM) Not all WHIP is created equal though. I see a guy who gets a lot of ground balls who was on a team who may not have had a ton of range or defensive prowess. The Sox infield defense could be better than it is, but I feel safe saying it's better than the Marlins. Maybe the Marlins can tweak Rienzo, but I was definitely wrong on him. We're complaining about Jennings putting up a high WHIP in the majors, but Rienzo's was just as bad in AAA this past year, which does not bode well. Nobody's complaining about the trade. No one has said this is a trade that the Sox should not have made. While he does miss bats, he also walks players- not exactly what you want in the 7th and 8th (especially in situations where bats need to be missed). this idea that he's better than any incumbent Sox pitcher is "Grass is always greener" on steroids. the Sox have done well eyeballing other teams pens for guys with some control issues like this so it wouldn't surprise me at all if it turns out extremely well.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 03:29 PM) P I'm not saying Simon is awesome, but I don't see any argument at all the he didn't have a substantially better 2014 than Noesi. And it's hard to make any sort of positive argument for Noesi outside of 2014. I'll make this argument: Noesi is a starter. He is not a reliever. Look at the evidence. His only other decent year was when he started most of the games. Despite a bullpen in tatters what do the Sox do immediately upon claiming this middle reliever? they put him in the rotation and keep him there.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 03:34 PM) I think he is a middle/long reliever. I fear last year was a bit of a fluke. I think he is decent, but not as good as what we saw last year. Who knows. These guys are inconsistent by nature. Personally, I like Putnam more than Petricka. I like Guerra a lot - more than most. I thought I saw something in Webb, although his year overall wasn't good. I think he will be good.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 12:57 PM) Its the difference between trading someone at peak value (Petricka) and someone at their floor value (Webb). Webb has the stuff to succeed and I think he is going to be a lights out guy eventually, but his development is going to take a little longer, something they have the luxury to provide with Guerra, Putnam, and Robertson also in the pen. If you can get a solid return for Petricka, the Sox should take it. RP's are the most unpredictable position for year to year performance. I agree with that, but I don't know what value he has out there. Petricka had low K totals. teams want and need Ks from their late innings guys. That's why I like using him as closer because I didn't see him as that useful coming in with runners on. His WHIP wasn't very good either. I'm not sure the Sox are sold on him. Yes, if someone values him highly, I'd trade him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 03:01 PM) But if you've got one guy Coop says "I can work with" and one guy Coop says "I can't work with".... I think that's exactly what this trade is. Our problem child for their problem child. Bud pardon me for not jumping for joy believing that we've made some big bullpen upgrade with a 1.5 WHIP pitcher. Coop has some fixing to do before that happens. W