hogan873

MLB will probably have to change the rules. They'll make home runs for the opposing teams worth 2 times what they normally would be. Sox pitchers would have to stand on a mound that is 90 feet from home plate. Opposing hitters would be allowed to use aluminum bats. The Sox would only be allowed to have two outfielders. And even then, Sox opponents would occasionally forfeit just to avoid the embarrassment.

QUOTE (buhbuhburrrrlz @ Jan 18, 2018 -> 03:27 PM) If you don't mind supernatural elements Dark on Netflix is a pretty crazy ride (it's better if you go in knowing nothing about it) Dark was fantastic. I've seen it described as a more adult Stranger Things, but aside from some early similarities, it's really something different.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Jan 12, 2018 -> 09:08 AM) This thread is Greg's masterpiece. His Mona Lisa Yeah, this thread needs to be tagged as classic.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 11, 2018 -> 01:41 PM) Miguel is OK by me. How were his peripherals before I decide whether he's good or not. I don't despise him or anything. As far as Shields/Opening Day. Geez. If he pitches Opening Day it's telling the world and our fans: "The White Sox wish to tank one more season. Please bear with us as we tank. And please enjoy your 25 dollar parking and 10 dollar beer. We are allowed to charge that while giving you James Shields one more season before we get good. That is all." Don't wreck another thread with comments about peripherals, please. I think every fan (every informed fan, anyway) is aware that the Sox are not planning on competing this year. Who they roll out there on opening day doesn't really matter. And parking is $20. It's $10 if you go on Sunday. Tickets are still relatively cheap, especially if you buy them second-hand (SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, etc.) As far as beer and food? You can bring your own water and food in clear containers. I always buy a beer or two, but we bring water and snacks for the kids. And yes, they are allowed to charge what they do...all teams do, regardless of the product on the field.

QUOTE (steveno89 @ Jan 11, 2018 -> 11:08 AM) Somewhat surprised he is getting a major league deal as well, but hard to be that upset when we need veteran stability in the rotation. Does Covey get cut? Pardon my ignorance, but can he be cut since he was a Rule 5 last year? I'm not sure how that works.

$4.75 million. Not terrible. I feel mildly better about the 5th spot.

I'm okay with this. Better than Covey. Is this a minor league deal?

QUOTE (mac9001 @ Jan 10, 2018 -> 10:40 PM) It would make for good TV if they just randomly throw a new guy out there every 5th day. You know...that sounds like a good marketing plan. Have a fan lottery where they can bid to pitch an inning for the Sox. Every fifth day they would just roll out a string of fans to throw an inning at a time. Line up 5-10 fans per game to cover the first five innings. Have the bullpen cover the rest.

I think what's lost in the argument over how bad Soria really is is the fact that this was a pretty damn good trade. I think we should be less concerned with Soria and more pleased about Avilan. That guy definitely fills a hole in the bullpen, and he could be worth a decent return at the deadline. Soria still fills a hole, and he could be an effective late inning guy if he bounces back a bit. By June, Greg and the residents of Kansas City could be singing "I told you so", or others will be saying, "See, he's not that bad!". I imagine, however, there will be a lot of people saying "Meh." On a team not expected to compete, "Meh" will probably be good enough.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 5, 2018 -> 02:40 PM) Right, I have no problem with the trade, but a lot of people got their panties in a bunch when Greg called a spade a spade and said Soria isn't so good. So talk about arguing a small point just because. I doubt anyone will give him credit when he turns out to be correct. It will just be of course he wasn't any good, that wasn't the point of the deal... Well, to be fair, Greg didn't say Soria isn't so good. He said he's awful, essentially one of the worst pitchers the Royals had, and apparently a really bad guy. Kansas City (the city) is rejoicing because he was traded. That's why folks have "their panties in a bunch".

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 5, 2018 -> 11:42 AM) Geez. I'm just trying to add some context here. I live here and I'm just relaying the relief of Royals fans getting rid of Soria. He was the whipping boy of fans all last year (much like me despising Dunn that one year and me despising Rios, etc) and the talk shows are blazing. Do you guys check Twitter? Type in Soria's name for gosh sakes. I don't like being negative Nancy but I'm just passing along what I KNOW from living here. Soria was booed; Soria was despised; Soria was a bad clubhouse guy; Soria was the scapegoat for all the Royals' bullpen woes. Soria will make me consider whether to buy mlb.com this year cause he will drive me insane UNLESS as I pointed out Coop fixes him. I also said the other reliever we got sounds fine. Read my posts before you guys say I'm totally out of line. Don't you want info passed on? We can't be Sox shills all the time for gosh sakes. Be reasonable. He's awful; Coop easily could fix him. He's so bad greg doesn't want to watch him pitch on mlb.com in a Sox uniform so shoot me. You guys over-react. Read my tweets; they are not that negative since I do bring up Coop. This goes both ways. Some of our players get trashed on here. Like take away two weeks of a hitter's 0 for 30 and the hitter is different. Look, I get it. Sox fans are excited cause he's new, the unknown. I'd love if Soria does what some relievers do and has a good year after a bad one. You are extremely negative about Soria. Like he did something to you personally. Look at his stats, both traditional and advanced. He's not bad. He's better than Covey and Farquar. He fills a hole that the Sox needed to fill. The bullpen is a mess, and Soria makes it better. Is he overpaid? Yes, most likely. Does that really matter? Not right now. This was a very good trade. It's not like the Sox gave up a top prospect or someone from the MLB roster. If the Sox acquiring Soria makes you not want to watch them, that's...odd. It just seems like your dislike for this guy is misguided.

I don't see anything to complain about this trade. Soria could be a trade candidate at the deadline, and at worst they buy him out after the season. Avilan seems to be a fairly intriguing piece. A solid lefty out of the pen, which the Sox need. He'll be fairly cheap, as well. Oh, and there's the $4 million. Hahn picked up a couple arms for the bullpen, and I think we can all agree that the bullpen needed some help. A little money was sent our way. And the Sox really didn't give up much. Nice job.

Dark on Netflix is really good. It's in German, but the subtitles are easy to follow. It starts off a little like Stranger Things but then goes off in a totally different direction.

QUOTE (fathom @ Dec 29, 2017 -> 10:38 AM) I've felt for a month now Yelich will end up here along with Prado. It will clearly require a huge package and think it will be something like Hansen, Collins and Rutherford. Sign me up for that That package seems a little light, but taking on Prado's contract should give them some flexibility. I wouldn't be upset over a deal like that.

Just finished Wormwood on Netflix. Fascinating story of the CIA experimenting on their own people with LSD.

QUOTE (GenericUserName @ Dec 22, 2017 -> 10:02 AM) I would say we might be able to decrease the price if we take on a bad contract. Maybe the reason we haven't done that with Kemp or Ellsbury yet is because that is our plan with the Marlins. Who might they try to dump with a bad contract?

I see Yelich costing considerably more than the Sox (or the fans) would be willing to part with.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 17, 2017 -> 06:22 PM) That was disgusting. Even the announcers couldn't figure out what was wrong for like 9 reviews, and it decides home field in the AFC. The fact that it took the replay officials five minutes to make the call tells me there was not disputable evidence. They were looking for a way to call the pass incomplete. Just awful.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 15, 2017 -> 11:16 AM) At the very least, it would be fun to see him play in 2018. But if they do get him and don't re-sign him, or eventually flip him for prospects at least as highly thought of as the ones they give up, I'm with Balta, heads need to roll. Yeah, I agree. If he ends up coming here and plays the season and then signs elsewhere, that would be the worst case scenario. I would hope that Machado understands that coming to the Sox now means he's going to be part of a rebuild for at least one year. Or he would understand that he'll be flipped at the deadline.

If a deal for Machado does go down today or this weekend and the Sox end up getting him, there could be an explosion on the board. I've been checking in every 30 minutes or so half expecting the error message pop up saying the site is too busy.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Dec 15, 2017 -> 10:13 AM) Crazy that Hahn and company are trying to sell him on the culture. It's like arguing a player wants to be in our clubhouse because of the chemistry alone and not the winning. (thank you Don Cooper). Maybe they'll tell him he can shred one uniform he doesn't like, and if he re-signs he can bring his kid to work once a week.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 15, 2017 -> 10:07 AM) No one really knows the offers, but if Machado is traded, the Orioles are going to get some pretty good prospects. Who knows, maybe Abreu and Avi are in the mix. Mark Gonzalez called the package impressive, so I doubt that is several A ball guys hoping to find their way. No doubt. He's one of the best in the game, and even if only for one season that's worth a lot. A team that acquires him could trade him at the deadline and still get a decent return, or they'll have the first chance at signing him to a long term deal if they don't trade him. The Sox's offer may not include the top prospects, but I tend to agree that there might be some ML talent attached.

QUOTE (Baron @ Dec 15, 2017 -> 07:20 AM) That's why it's important to get him in the organization now if indeed you want a shot at his services next offseason. This is why, I'm sure, the Sox are pursuing him now. I would hope that it works. I think it would be difficult for the Sox to sign him next off season when there will be plenty of suitors who will be willing to pay a s*** ton of money.

The Sox aren't ready to compete despite what a guy in KC says. If they do acquire Machado, they'll have a pretty good offense that still will have a couple holes. The starting pitching has the potential to be really good, but that's only if things work out as they should. When the season starts, their rotation will be Giolito, Lopez, Shields, Fulmer, and maybe Covey (hopefully not). Who knows what we'll get out of Shields, and Giolito, Lopez, and Fulmer will still be learning and getting used to pitching in the majors. The bullpen is a mess. All that being said, I do expect them to be better than last year, but they will not be ready to compete. 2018 will be a building year for POSSIBLE contention in 2019 and certain contention in 2020 and beyond. By the way, no one gets upset when you start a thread.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Dec 14, 2017 -> 11:18 AM) I can't see how you're perceiving that upon reading the tweet. It was reported earlier that the Sox made the best offer to the O's. This tweet says other teams have made better offers. I was just asking which is true. I guess that no one actually knows except for the O's.