CWSGuy406

Wow, a thought just popped into my mind. If we keep Konerko, we'll have SEVEN different guys in our lineup who will, most likely, hit at least 20+ homers (Thomas, Konerko, Uribe, Crede, Lee, Dye, Rowand) -- and, at least two of those guys would hit 30+ homers, with the possibility of FOUR. Bombs away...

Me and witesoxfan (at least us two) are on paper (or somewhere, on Soxtalk) down as saying we think that Lee is going to have an absolutely monster year this season. MVP-like. Carlos Lee.... Yes! Getting to your point, if Cora is non-tendered, I bet he's signed by us. All of the connections on the team, plus he's a low-strikeout, pretty high OBP guy. Solid defensively, I assume, too, but you've seen him more than I have. He's a lefty too, right?

Definitely true. While I've advocated trading Konerko, seeing him go will be tough. I'll admit it. He had me in tears when, in 2003, amidst one of the worst slumps I've ever seen, Paully manages to jack an 0-2 off of Eddie Guardado into the left-centerfield stands. I was in tears, so happy for the guy... Wanted to add, in the tenth inning. What a f***ing game that was...

Oh yeah -- forgot about the team option. Team option for '07 is for six million, then? Damn. That's a good deal. Halfway there, but definitely a very nice start.

Can you explain the whole buyout thing to me? What if the Sox decline the buyout in '07? Does that mean that the Sox get another year of Dye @ five million, or what?

That lineup is very good if we can add two more things to it. First, add a guy to platoon with Harris to hit vs. LHP's. Next, make sure you have FIVE competent starters, so the pressure isn't on the offense to put up double digits every fifth night. I'm tellin' ya, give me Cairo and Vazquez (+ cash with Vazquez), subtracting Konerko, and we got ourselves one hell of an offseason...

Just for clarification, not a big deal or anything, but Dye will be making four million in '05, and five million in '06 -- IIRC, reading the whitesox.com article about it, that's the way the contract breaks down. Same thing with Hermanson, too. I think it's something like two million in '05, three million in '06, with a 500K buyout (rather than the 2.75 million per year).

Excellent. Hopefully my team can at least put up a pretty good fight with the Hawks. I must say, I think we can definitely take it to them inside. It's just, can our guards handle their guards... (And I'm confident in both of our starting guards, both of them are absolutely amazing shooters, and the other can handle the ball amazingly well too, one of the best behind-the-back moves I've ever seen).

Meh, I think there are better routes to go. Soriano is sort of like Dye -- both will give you some nice power, pretty solid average, but both come with the strikeouts. Not saying that I don't like the Dye signing, but we don't need anymore of those types of players. Now, Kenny's gotta find us two more things -- a leadoff hitter and another starter.

On Base plus Slugging. FWIW, I really don't know what factors into it, but I've always assumed it deals with walks, homers, and extra base hits. And, back to the topic -- I believe that Kenny has enough for a player that would either platoon (Cairo at, say, two-three million -- not saying that's what I would give him...), or another reliever (though I doubt that's the direction we're going to go). Like GeneHC, any other move will have to come with another contract coming off the current Sox' books (most likely, Konerko or Lee).

I dunno, I'd rather just do this deal with just giving up Konerko (not Garland), and definitely not Anderson, even if it means signing someone like Renteria. Konerko and one of our younger relievers (Adkins, Diaz, Munoz) for Vazquez, with NY eating half of the salary for the remaining years, with NY then turning around and trading Konerko + prospect to 'Zona for their prize, the Big Unit.

Yeah, I'd say that if we beat Bremen tomorrow (we play them at Bremen), we're a pretty good lock for (at least) second place. Who's the teacher you know? And if you come see us play (or, see Hillcrest play), you should be able to tell who I am pretty easy -- I'm the smallest guy on Oak Forest, obviously, on the bench. If you see me, give me a hollar -- the name's Keith.

Great work, striker! Great analysis!

"You're" even smarter... :rolly

OK - I'll admit it. Polanco.

Jim, I didn't want to quote your whole post, but talking about what could happen in the coming weeks months... I gotta tell ya - made two more moves (and a couple of minor moves, minor league deals), one being signing a MIF, be it a platoon guy with Harris (Cairo), or a fulltime player at second or short (Polanco/Renteria), as well as trading PK (for this scenario, let's just say Konerko for Vazquez + Cash) -- I'd be real, real pleased with that as an offseason. You'd have a lineup of, in no specific order: C-Davis/Burke 1B-Gload 2B-Harris/Cairo, Polanco, Uribe (Depending on the scenario) SS-Uribe, Renteria (Again, scenario dependent) 3B-Crede RF-Dye CF-Rowand LF-Lee DH-Thomas Only problem with the lineup is it's a little righty dependent, but against righties, Harris will/should play and do well, same for Gload. With a staff of Buehrle, Garcia, Vazquez, Contreras, Garland -- it could potentially be pretty dynomite, or it could, at the worst, be just average. Finally, a bullpen of Shingo-Marte-Politte-Hermy-Cotts-Adkins-Diaz/Baj/Munoz is tons better than going into last year, especially with Adkins and Cotts having another year under their belts.

Really? Just us and the Cards? Wow... that's, interesting, and very correct. I'm just kind of shocked about it, so sorry if those first couple of sentences came off as odd. Hmm, if it's just between us and the Cards, we might be able to get him for less than the ten million. Maybe around eight million, nine million? Four years, 32 million, and I'd be absolutely ecstatic...

I'd definitely take Cairo at that price. In essence, you'd be paying right around (and I'm rounding up) two million for your leadoff hitter, that being Cairo vs. lefties and Harris vs. righties. I've said that the platoon should put up, at the very least a .270 AVG and a .370 OBP. While making a move like signing Cairo wouldn't make many headlines, he'd definitely be a solid pickup.

.........

Last night, Oak Forest beat Reavis, winning by 13. The score really shouldn't have been that close, we played a very poor first half, and dominated the second half, only to have the lead lessen a bit due to the bench players, ie, me, being in the game. Bremen on Friday, and then next Friday, Hillcrest. 4-1, off to a damn good start.

No, Harris. The smart thing to do is give Maggs his 15 million, hell, who cares what's going on with his knee. Hell, give him more than 15 million. Give him 20 million over ten years. As long as JR opens up the wallet, that's all that matters...

HEYYYYOHHHHHHH!!!!!! PWNED!

How so? Were the Sox ever on the fast track to getting Benitez? I certainly didn't think so. And, while Percival might have been nice, he got an awfully good contract (overpaying, IMHO) from Detroit. Hermanson did a damn good job closing, in a penant run, for the Giants last season. So what, he can't start -- oh well, like qwerty mentioned, most relievers are failed starters anyways. He's a nice reliever to have, especially at 2.75 million, which isn't an awful lot -- he's definitely not someone Kenny found at the bottom of the barrell (sp?)...

Pot, meet kettle... :banghead

Butter -- sorry if I'm pushing onto territory I shouldn't be on, but what team's GM are you? Because, you obviously have information that relates to who the Sox go out and try to get, and who they haven't gone out and tried to get...