Marty34

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 26, 2012 -> 11:41 AM) And so why are you judging that he's unfixable if you're assuming other teams will find him a developable talent? And if teams are deciding whether he's repairable despite all the issues you're highlighting, then why would you expect his "Value can fall farther" than it has already? He has value to a team that's rebuilding. Slugging LF'er is the easiest position on the field for a big market team to fill.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 26, 2012 -> 11:32 AM) Yeah, we know. B, I don't think he'll reach that Vlad Guerrero upside!

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Apr 26, 2012 -> 11:34 AM) If he is as bad as you say, then what value does he even have now anyway? The other 31 MLB teams watch these games too. You hope some team values him more than the Sox. Matt Thornton was traded for Joe Borchard after all.

I don't believe Viciedo will be worth the wait, too many holes in his swing without much development of patience. At best I see him as a 5-6-7 hitter, not the dynamic 3-hitter we had hoped. I think it'd be a good move to deal him before his value drops further (see Beckham).

Per Mark Gonzalez, Ventura stands by Santiago as his closer.

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 07:16 PM) Crain and Thornton would be the set up guys. I think it's imperitive to have a second RH set up guy when Crain is the other RH'er. His innings have to be monitored very closely.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 07:02 PM) I've seen enough of Santiago and Reed to know what the right move is. Santiago was never supposed to be the closer to begin with, so there's nothing wrong with pulling the plug on him already. Reed should close. Always should have. I think they were buying time for Jones to move to a setup role. With the sudden implosion of Santiago I'd probably move Reed to closer now and roll dice that Jones is ready to set up. This also means there's no real role for Santiago. I'd probably bring Bruney up to help in easing Jones' transition.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 06:59 PM) NOPE. We're not in "win now" mode. Rebuilding year. He's not going to be a part of any future with the Sox...why bother? we were in "win now" mode last year and this year's team is better. Besides how does signing Gonzalez do ANYTHING detrimental to this team's future?

Think they'll kick the tires on Mike Gonzalez after today?

Well, I'd rather they find out that Santiago can't close in a game like this (Stewart the only other option) than another 9th inning loss.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 25, 2012 -> 08:06 AM) I'm pretty sure that would be either illegal or against the rules of the two sports, at the very least. I also highly doubt it because we know profits are reinvested in the Sox, and I can't imagine them running the Bulls any differently. I don't know, but there's a reason why you own 40% of a sports network and start a business like http://www.silverchalice.com/. The Bulls are one of their clients. Maybe their billable hours are crazy for the Bulls.

I thought they'd contend with Peavy pitching as a #3 starter. If he is back to ace form, this team has more upside than when they were putting together last year's "all in" bunch.

I'd be surprised if Chairman Reinsdorf doesn't operate the Sox and Bulls as a single entity financially. The Bulls are a cash cow in a league that has a salary cap (40% of basketball related income is it? Sweet deal for the owners.) Some of those massive Bulls revenues make it over to 35th street and owning the network is probably one way how.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 23, 2012 -> 07:52 PM) People want a total rebuild, but can't let a guy have a bad week before developing players takes a back seat. Sit down and watch Viciedo develop. There's really nothing else he can do in AAA. It would be a waste of time. Sure. With Viciedo though what are we looking at? We'd be satisfied if he turned out to be a Nelson Cruz-type. That's a good everyday corner OF'er, but nothing you should build a season around developing.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Apr 23, 2012 -> 07:24 PM) Couldn't be more wrong about Viciedo from what I've heard. He's just a baby and quality prospects his age are typically still in AA. He's 23, certainly not exceptionally young for a slugging LF prospect.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 23, 2012 -> 05:30 PM) If they're going to compete, it's not going to be because of Kosuke Fukudome's contributions in the corner OF spot, it's going to be because we got Viciedo's struggles out of the way and got to the point where he is a contributor. Same story for Beckham and probably Morel. Edit: This story is, of course, the Tyler Colvin story all over again. The only one "on the clock" right now is Beckham. Viciedo and Morel have time. I think Viciedo's star has faded somewhat within the organization and I wouldn't be shocked to see him used as trade bait.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 23, 2012 -> 08:42 AM) My worry on all of those guys is still the same...that if the team is going to decide they want to compete, they can't tolerate these guys slumping for all that much longer, and that means Fukudome and Lillibridge are going to start putting them on the bench. But...putting them on the bench is the worst thing we can do to develop them. That's the big catch-22 here. We're going to have to lose games we could be winning to turn those guys into anything useful...but if we don't do that, then they're going to need to be replaced next season. Well, you could lose games and these guys still not develop. Besides, none of, Beckham, Morel, or Viciedo, are franchise prospects. Viciedo is a slugging LF'er, when the Sox get their CF'er, De Aza will be shifted over to left as part of a platoon anyway.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Apr 22, 2012 -> 03:25 AM) Santos to the DL. Looks like Kenny sold high at the right time. This is why when people were disappointed with the return for Santos they should not have been. The Jays were taking a risk trading for a guy with his kind of slider.

I was the first one to here to say they would contend.

I like when poster's old comments are brought back.

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Apr 21, 2012 -> 10:35 PM) Not sure I follow. Context? Just as obsessed with Sox as a Sox fan is, or just as obsessed with the Sox as a Sox fan is with the Cubs? just as obsessed with the Sox as a Sox fan is with the Cubs.

Like him or not, Cowley is the only one in Chicago sports media to write this truth: @cst_Cowley Biggest load of crap in this city. Cub fan is just as obsessed with the Sox, but better at pretending he's not.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Apr 21, 2012 -> 09:43 PM) 12-game hit streak for Ravelo. Can he stick at 3B? Fielding stats look a little rough, but that doesn't tell the whole story in the low minors of course.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 21, 2012 -> 09:27 PM) The Bulls were a 78 win team last year and started off with losing 8 wins by losing Buehrle, Santos, and Quentin. So, if they got nothing from Dunn, Rios, And Peavy like last year, and a couple other guys crapped out, then yeah, there we were. Have we gotten contributions from Dunn, Rios, or Peavy so far this year, yes or no? Ok, so you did write that.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 21, 2012 -> 09:10 PM) Ivan Nova won 16 games and put up an ERA of 3.70 as a 24 year old. Garcia's basically their 6th starter if they have everyone...they're missing Pineda right now, as I noted. Hughes is actually probably a bigger weakness than Nova. We might well have a better rotation than those guys, but it's certainly not an open and shut case. You might take Humber over niemann, but I'll take Matt Moore over Sale. And Feliz is in the same situation as Sale, coming out of the bullpen. B, I swear there was posts in a thread in late January or early February where you argued that this team was a 90-loss squad with the losses of Buehrle, Quentin, Santos et al. You used WAR or some such to make your case. Am I mistaking?