Jordan4life_2007

QUOTE (PeavyTime @ Mar 30, 2011 -> 09:38 PM) I've give you the 09 Yankees, but they are more an exception than the rule. 2008 Phillies were pitching. You're right for the most part. Teams with subpar pitching rarely end up winning it all. But you're assuming guys like Beckett/Lackey, two guys with a number of years of proven performance, will be as bad (and in Lackey's case he wasn't bad) as they were last year. If they are, then Boston won't win it all. But if they bounce back, and there's plenty of reason to believe they will, they're most definitely the team to beat.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 07:50 AM) Hehehehehe Honestly I was just looking for sleepers at the end of the draft, I could care less about picking up some scrub back up player, I wanted to find some young guys that I knew had a good shot at getting solid playing time, Cashner was one that stood out to me. That was you? Dickhead. lol. I'm not really mad. I've just got to get used to having guys that are readily available in most leagues yet scooped up by every team in this Oprah of a league.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 30, 2011 -> 01:16 PM) Great. The "Going to see the Cubbies this weekend" season on Facebook has started again, ugh. I'm too jacked up that we're a little over 14 hours away from the start of the season to care about that garbage. Though I'm sure it will annoy me at some point.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Mar 30, 2011 -> 08:48 PM) Lester, Buchholz, Lackey, Beckett, Matsuzaka will be enough for that lineup. I can easily see Beckett bouncing back with a Beckett-like year. He clearly wasn't healthy last year. And his peripheral stats were still plenty good. Much the same with Lackey. He had what could be considered an off-year and still posted a solid 4.0 WAR (our two best pitchers from a year ago posted WARs of 4.3 each). He should be better in his second go-around in the AL east. I'd love to be wrong, of course. I just don't see it.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Mar 30, 2011 -> 04:53 PM) I still can't believe this guy has lasted 8 years without getting banned He's good like that. He's a joke of a poster yet he never says anything ban worthy. I've probably spit out more ban worthy material and I'm ten times the poster he/she is.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Mar 30, 2011 -> 07:07 PM) Q's going to have a pretty good year. The only way I see him getting non-tendered is if he spends a good deal of the year on the DL. But say he has a monster 1st half of the season then injured for the rest I still don't imagine he'd be non-tendered. Personally, I don't care if he goes Pujols the first half. Another significant injury and his time in a White Sox uniform is over, IMO.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Mar 30, 2011 -> 01:36 PM) But you can't compare them from a contract point of view because Ricky Romero exchanged the risk for future earnings by capitalizing on guaranteed money from the blue Jays, which is exactly what Evan Longoria did too. Had anyone suggested that the Whtie Sox resign Alexei Ramirez based on Evan Longoria's contract, they would have been laughed out of the room. So sure, they may be comparable pitchers, but the contract doesn't make sense. I would also say that the future value they agreed to is about $13.1 mill - the value of his club option in 2016. Perhaps Romero keeps improving and proves that he is a better pitcher than Danks, but I tend to think that he's slightly worse due to his command issues. Either way, we can't compare his contract to the one Danks is eventually going to get. I wouldn't necessarily say that. I think it's possible that that the White Sox are dead set on giving him 3 years and/or far less than $16 mill at this point and Danks' side has been dead set on getting 5-6 years plus more than $16 mill. The fact of the matter is, that would be the biggest contract the White Sox have ever given to a pitcher, and it could be quite a bit more than Buehrle's contract, which is currently the biggest (at 4/$56). In base value alone, it's like 14% bigger than Buehrle's contract, and it could ultimately be like 43% bigger in value and a year longer. It's not a small contract, and not something that Reinsdorf might easily approve (especially because Danks hasn't won him a World Series...only half joking). We'll just have to see how it plays out. If he won't compromise, I hope Jesus Montero ends up with the White Sox. That would be rather sweet.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Mar 30, 2011 -> 10:20 AM) Cutting Q's time down out there could help. Milledge isn't great either, but I don't think he's nearly as bad as Quentin. I get what you're saying. But we've got to see if 2008 was just indeed a career year. His value has diminished enough as it is. A part-time CQ is almost worthless. And if it gets to that point it'll at least let us know that he should be non-tendered next year.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Mar 30, 2011 -> 02:40 PM) Dude but they have for 10 years now! It's hard to draft can't miss guys when you finish above .500 every single year. The one year we didn't finish around .500 we got Beckham! Since they changed their drafting philosophy we've picked Poreda, Beckham, Mitchell and Sale. Would you rather be worrying about Rick Porcello and Clay Richard this year than have Peavy? I mean that was the big gripe at the time, taking Poreda over Porcello. We basically gave the Pads nothing for Peavy. I'm ok with how the drafting has been going the last few years; we just gotta wait for the fruits to ripen some more. It's also very possible that after this year our system looks stacked again. Guys develop out of nowhere. And we've basically gotten nothing in return. The Red Sox and Braves have long debunked the myth that a top 5 pick is essential in acquiring elite talent. The players are there if you scout well and spend some coin. And while we've gotten better, as there was nowhere to go but up, recently with our first round picks (though Mitchell instead of Trout is looking really bad right now), we're still lacking.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Mar 30, 2011 -> 02:06 PM) This is true. I think Coke has moved to the starting rotation for the Tigers, and while it's true their bullpen has question marks I don't think it's any more than the Sox or Twins. In fact, I have a feeling that Sergio Santos will be our closer before the season is finished. A lot will have gone bad if that happens.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Mar 30, 2011 -> 12:19 AM) I would say that the best compromise would be to go 4 years with a vesting option that should be easily reached if Danks stays healthy. It becomes a regular team option with a large buyout if not reach so that, assuming it isn't reached which would also assume that Danks did not pitch particularly well, he would still go into free agency with a bit of change so he can still get a 1-year deal and not need to make a killing on it. Somewhere around $16 mill a year at full value, so like... '12 - $12 mill '13 - $15 mill '14 - $16 mill '15 - $17 mill '16 - $20 mill or $4 mill buyout, vests with 90 starts between '13-'15 or 25 starts in '15 Total guaranteed value is $64 mill over 4 years while the 5th year, if reached, pushes the total value to $80 million (maintaining the $16 mill per year value). If Danks is healthy and pitching well, he's worth that contract and, again assuming health and all that jazz, he is still young enough that he can secure another pretty sizable deal and push his career earnings well over $100 mill. Wow, that sounds perfect to me. Almost too perfect. But I'm not going to stress about Danks until next offseason.

Jerry is going to have to swallow his pride and get off this little 3-year rule when it comes to pitchers. He went 4 years with Mark because of '05. But Danks will command a minimum of 5 years. So something will have to give.

So if my math is correct, that's two FA years bought out by the Dodgers. That's another equal or better pitcher than Danks extended by their club. Only one left is Kershaw. And I'm fairly confident the Dodgers will take care of him soon. I still stand by my stance that if something can't get done with Danks after this season that you trade him for the absolute best possible package.

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 07:17 PM) More ridiculous than A-Rod for MVP, anyway. I mean, Posey had a damn good season and I don't see him being anything but great for his career, but I'm gonna need to see WAY more than ~450 AB's of good play before I start talking MVP favorite. There are way more rookies who falter in their second season than win MVPs. Posey's '10 rivals any of Mauer's seasons outside of '06 and '09. Kid is special. Maybe not this year. But an MVP is imminent, IMO.

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 07:15 PM) Thats he's extremely underwhelming away from coors? I'm still in denial about that. But touche. I'm leaving it up to Cargo to prove once and for all he's not primarily a product of Coors.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 06:57 PM) See I never understood why people thought he was good. If you think his 08 season was 'outstanding' then I think that's where the difference begins. He showed power and didn't strike out a lot, but he didn't walk much and was slightly on the older end of the prospect age scale. Maybe outstanding was the wrong word to use. But he looked to be headed in the right direction. A legitimate 5-tool talent. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Still disappointing.

QUOTE (Paint it Black @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 07:01 PM) How is Posey for MVP ridiculous? On a side note, Keith Law picked the White Sox to win by 2 games. I thought about making a thread but then realized 40 posts of "Keith Law hates the White Sox" without anyone having actual proof, isn't fun. Yeah, Tulo is my MVP pick. God damn he's good. But I don't see Posey as a top candidate as ridiculous at all.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 06:41 PM) I think ceiling wise Viciedo is absolutely on par with those two. The problem is that his floor is a AAAA player, where those two have already established themselves as above average starters. If he becomes just a little more patient at the plate, he is going to be a force. Just because... Carlos Gonzalez @ 21 years - .288/.336/.478/.814, 130 games (120 at AA), 19.9% K, 6.9% BB, 547 PAs Dayan Viciedo @ 21 years - .274/.308/.493/.801, 86 games (all at AAA), 21.5% K, 3% BB, 363 PAs We are also well aware that Viciedo can atleast hang at the major league level, though he wouldn't have been able to maintain his .308 MLB batting average with a .365 BABIP. I'm obviously not trying to say that Viciedo IS Carlos Gonzalez, just that they have pretty similar minor league numbers and progressions and games overall. Gonzalez is a superior athlete (and thus, also a superior defender), but Viciedo has a lot going for him as well. He still has a lot to work on, but there is no question that he could turn into an incredibly special player within the next 2-3 years. So yes, while it's frustrating that the Sox didn't have the depth required to deal for Adam Dunn at the deadline last year, they did the right thing in keeping Viciedo around. You obviously think more of Viciedo than I do. I'll be content with early 2000's Jose Guillen as his ceiling. Heyward and Posey are generational type talents. And you know how I feel about Cargo.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 06:35 PM) For sure. Remember when Sam Smith had Iverson to the Bulls around 02/03? I was thrilled. Dude took his (pretty weak) teams to the finals 2 times in a row. He was a good. The Sixers made the finals once in '01 and never came close after that.

I will say that Rose has to kinda cool it with the 3-point shooting and 20 ft jumpers. They haven't been falling at an acceptable rate for a while now. He can get to the basket at will and he should focus more on the mid-range game.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 06:01 PM) Another position with a lot of similar players. Someone had to go to make room. Another one bites the dust. I was really high on him after his outstanding '08 season.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 06:18 PM) There's a reason he wasn't traded. The Nats can ask for Buster Posey, but they're not likely to get him. I still don't see your point? So because the Nats weren't going to settle for our garbage that's somehow a win for the White Sox? And why are you bringing up names like Heyward and Posey? As if Viciedo is in the same stratosphere.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 06:10 PM) The new GM of the Padres really, really liked some of the guys in the Red Sox system, or else just decided to help out the Red Sox. That's myth. Why the hell would Hoyer want to "help out" the Red Sox? Where's the monetary gain? Well you were going to have to give up something for a two month rental. That's the position the Sox put themselves in when they decided that Kotsay was a feasible option. The Nats weren't going to give him away.

Doubting the Twins is so 2008. They're the team to beat until proven otherwise.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Mar 29, 2011 -> 08:50 AM) I have zero love for "farm systems", and don't care whether we ever have a good "farm" or not. In the free agency era of baseball, free agency > farm systems. How many "can't miss" prospects did I have to witness fall on their face for the Sox in the last decade and amount to nothing? 50? Meanwhile, 2 of them ever became something? Meh. You don't have to love them. But to act as if a strong farm has no relevance whatsoever due to FA is ridiculous. Yeah, the Sox have pretty much sucked in the drafting department, amateur and international wise, for the last decade. And that's partly why we continuously come up short to the same team year after year. lol@using the Cubs as some sort of staple as to why farm systems are of no importance. And if you want to get technical, their farm had them 5 outs, or a Bartman, away from getting to the World Series and probably winning it. Not FA. The Twins have been to the postseason 6 times in 9 years. f*** World Series titles. Everybody knows it's basically a toss-up once you get to October. Like Who? The '09 Yankees? And how many years did it take for them to actually net the right FAs before their money finally bought them a title? Look at the core of the current Red Sox. How were they able to acquire Adrian Gonzalez? We wouldn't have had a chance unless we were to trade away key pieces from the major league team. How about the Phillies? They have what's looking like the greatest rotation of the last 25-years due to the farm (Hamels), pieces to trade (Halladay, Oswalt), and they had enough to acquire Lee in '09. Not to mention guys like Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley were all drafted and developed by Philly. How about the Braves? Hanson, McCann, Heyward, Kimbrel and Venters all came through the system. And they've got another bevy of premium 'spects on the way. When the trade deadline rolls around and contenders are looking to upgrade, it's the ones with the deepest systems that are always the major players. We tried to get Dunn last year and failed because we couldn't afford to part with Viciedo. Overpaying for free agents every year is no more of a proven formula than drafting/developing. It's the combination that makes for for a successful franchise.