GreatScott82

QUOTE (JoeCredeYes @ Mar 18, 2016 -> 12:51 PM) The time has come for Kenny to go. Yes. Actually he should have left a LONG time ago.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Mar 18, 2016 -> 12:42 PM) What. A. Mess. Agreed. This whole situation is awful. I don't care who is 'right' or 'wrong'. When your team's best player is this disgusted with management, that does not BODE well for a team that is desperate to make the post season. This is getting UGLY! This is not how I wanted 2016 to begin.

This is such an odd sorry. It puts a bad taste in my mouth as a White Sox fan and as a family man. First off, I think each team needs to establish boundaries in regards to family being allowed in the clubhouse, on the field, on the plane and the frequency of each event. It appears as if communication was very poor in regards to La Roche and White Sox management prior to Drake coming to Spring Training on a daily basis. I do know Drake was there just about everyday last spring as wel. So what's with the sudden change in 'rules'? Is it because La Roche is coming off a horrible season and at 13 million, the Sox want him to take season preparations more seriously? If that is the case, the organization is being too inconsistent with rules. In this case, I understand how La Roche would be upset. If it was fine before-- it should be fine now. Now does it warrant a sudden retirement? Does it warrant him not being willing to compromise with management? Or simply was this the excuse he needed to step away and have the ability to spend all the time he wants with his family. Let's face it, I'm sure he was aware of his offensive decline and overall concern to be a productive DH full time. Regardless of any opinion in this matter, it's simply a sad situation for both parties involved. The outside comments coming from players around the league are a bit unfair to the white sox organization. I for one know how much they care about their players and their families. The White Sox are simply taking this spring extremely serious. They NEED to have successful season and I believe because of this.. The urgency is there more than ever before to make the playoffs. I believe that not only is Robins job on the line, but KW's job is in jeopardy this season as well. KW is trying to set the tone now. Unfortanatey for him and the team-- he should have established these boundaries prior to the 2014 season.

I'm thinking CarGo will be the starting RF for your Chicago White Sox. Not sure why... Just a hunch. Seems to fit into the 2 year window they have going on, he's a lefty who can bring in much needed run producing power. And similar to Frazier, the Sox have been linked to him for quite sometime.

Between these comments and the Rollins addition, you can pretty much rule out the chances for signing Desmond or Fowler. It looks like your starting RF will be Avi Garcia. I thought Hahn was more creative than this. Hoping the worst RF in the AL defensively and offensively can rebound is a bit of a pipe dream. Especially for a team you expect to contend with.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 02:44 PM) Ugh, why...he was below average in all 3 categories last year. He provides you absolutely no offense from the RF spot. MASSIVE fail by Hahn if Shuck gets more at bats this season. As of right now--the offseason has been a failure in my opinion. Todd Frazier was a good addition, but there are still a gaping holes out in RF, SS and DH. We all know Saladino is not an every day starting SS on a contending team. We all know Avi is bad and the only thing going for him is his age. We all know the La Roche signing was a bust and the DH spot in the lineup is a huge concern. If one of these guys can be average--that's a positive, but the chances for all three being positive WAR contributors to this team (that is supposed to contend) is a bit of a stretch. I can accept playing Saladino every day at SS until Tim Anderson is ready to go. However, the fact that they did not address that RF spot is beyond me?!?

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 08:08 AM) There's still Jackson, and apparently we're looking to trade for an OF They have been saying this for like two months now. I highly doubt something happens before ST or even the regular season. And Jackson is a serviceable OF, but not a game changer. I'm not sad about Fowler going to the O's because I feel he is above average and serviceable but not a game changer. The White Sox need another power hitter in the lineup OR somebody with a very high OBP to help balance the lineup. I like Fowler's OBP, but it wasn't worth losing a 1st round pick over IMO. Who is available via trade? It looks like the market has dried up. Hence my concern with another full season of Avi out in RF botching routine pop ups.

It looks like Avi will be patrolling RF this year.

337 pages of cespedes talk. I think it is safe to say the fan base wanted this guy. I'm assuming he signs with the Nationals today. I wonder what plans D & E are?

I'm assuming something will get done before tomorrow night. (Cespedes or a different OF option) The fans will be all over KW and Hahn during the Q&A session about it.

I'm curious to see how Avi can produce in the the minors this year both offensively and defensively. As of now, he does not belong anywhere near the MLB main roster.

If both the Orioles and Tigers are in talks with Colorado, that means Cespedes and Upton may be forced to drop their asking price significantly as potential suitors are dwindling. I bet that three/four year deal the Sox are offering will actually start to look good to them soon.

Watch Hahn surprise everyone and trade for CarGo.

Today is Wednesday. That means the White Sox will announce a signing at some point today. Stay tuned! Wednesday December 9th- Brett Lawrie Trade Wednesday December 16th- Todd Frazier Trade Wednesday December 23rd- Jeremy Sands Waiver Deal (Not as exciting, I know) Wednesday December 30th- Gordon or Cespedes FA signing? I mean why mess with the established pattern now?

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 10:02 AM) I just don't see how they deal LaRoche for anything. If an offer of LaRoche & $8M in cash for a lower-level prospect didn't get it done, I don't think anything will. Judging by Hahn's comments, it sure looks like they don't want Avi starting out there. Plus he has another option. I think they hold on to LaRoche. Avi definitely has more trade value than La Roche. In fact there is a decent possibility of Avi being traded before they send him down to the farm. However, i just don't see the Sox risking another season having La Roche DH. Either they keep him on the bench as a backup to Abreu/ late inning defensive replacement or they release him and eat his entire contract. Another possibility is a team experiencing an injury to their 1B during ST and call for La Roche's services at a mega discount. One thing is for certain, they do not want La Roche as their DH and pretty much were open about it. Hahn indirectly said we need another RF as well. So either they move Avi to LF, send him to the farm or trade him away. Many questions will likely be answered within the next few weeks.

QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 09:51 AM) I don't think Frazier needs help at third.... No really though, Melky in right is scary. Dude was barely decent in left. I think the game plan is to have Melky DH. I don't see La Roche being apart of this team come opening day. Hopefully Avi can learn a few things from Gordon come spring training. (If the Sox sign him) If the Sox go the Cespedes route, I can see them moving Avi to LF and have Cespedes play RF.

I'm all in on Cedpedes. He doesn't cost a draft pick, had recent success in the AL, provides the team with much needed offensive punch AND has a cannon of an arm to help improve either LF or RF. Hopefully Abreu was in his ear during their Cuba trip. Frazier and Cespedes had 194 RBIs between them both in 2015. Talk about much needed production!

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Dec 16, 2015 -> 12:10 PM) I agree this deal is fair. I'd consider it a slight win if we make the OF move we are all waiting for. If we don't, than I think much less of this deal. Cespedes for the rest of us?

Sox are desperate for offense, Dodgers want Puig gone- this makes sense to me.

Merkin mentioned that the Sox really want to keep their draft picks. Cespedes seems like the guy they would be interested since he does not cost a draft pick.

I would trade Tim Anderson before i consider dealing Trayce Thompson. Trayce came up and made all the other outfielders on this team look below average to adequate defensively. He also impressed with the bat, yet it was a small sample size and Robin kept benching him for some reason? I'm not saying a want to trade Anderson, but IMO Trayce is going to be a special outfielder!

I hate to say it, but La Roche will be here in 2016. That salary is immovable. It will be another Adam Dunn situation, a contract ride out. Thankfully this one will not last as long. KW and Hahn have done a pretty poor job at evaluating DH's over the past 6 years. The Ozzie Guillen DH platoon in 2010 with Andruw Jones and Mark Kotsay was more successful than what we have witnessed over the past half decade.

Yes. Base running and defense just awful. I remember Hawk saying "This defense sucks" earlier in the year. I was shocked to hear it come out of his mouth, but it goes to show how poorly disciplined this team was in 2015. I know , Its not Robins fault. Lol.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 15, 2015 -> 08:44 PM) I know this board has decided that managers really don't matter at all. And I know a couple posters think I post about the Cubs too much. But I have a question for Robin lovers. ... Do you think if he managed the Cubs this year they'd have been lucky to be .500? I think so. Why? The lack of urgency of his teams. It's always early in Robin-land and White Sox land. There's always the chance the team will get red hot and steal a WC berth. I truly think he couldn't have gotten this young Cub team much above .500 if even above .500. Conversely do you think Maddon could have gotten us a WC? I happen to say yes. We have a GREAT pitching staff and a few good hitters. Call me a moron but I think we have a mediocre to lousy manager and the Cubs unfortunately have a good one as do the Indians. BRING BACK GARDY baby. South SIDE Gardy. I think the only reason this board believes that managers don't matter at all is because the team we love has in fact a manager that can't really manage. Joe Madden is way better than Robin it is not even close.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 4, 2015 -> 07:14 AM) We can't even quite be bad enough to know when to lose. The funny thing in all of this is that it will wipe out a decent percentage of moves that Hahn and Co. might have been tempted to make, so that's not a bad thing. The biggest concern has to be that taking some of those options off the board will force the White Sox to make a trade like the proposed one for Todd Frazier that will end up causing the team to not only tread water, but really push contention into close to fantasyland and force the inevitable trades of Sale and/or Abreu a year or two down the line. This is dead on! At least it forces them to stay away from the free agent market and increases the probability of making trades. Apart of me hopes they sell off veteran assets and continue to focus on building up that next core of players. The reality is that they will likely bring in a veteran 3b like Frazier, pick up Ramirez's option at SS and once again play ring around the Rosie with Johnson and Sanchez at 2B. Don't even get me started on the catcher position. This team cannot commit to a direction at all. Either get younger and let the kids develop (which should be priority #1) or keep confusing yourselves and your agitated fan base by attempting to shore up positions with veterans which hasn't worked AT ALL since 2009. I'm praying for a two year rebuild to FNALLY shore up the SS, 3B, 2B and Catcher positions with young talent. Since they don't know how to draft position players, filling up those holes will likely have to come via the trade market.