Marty34

Pitching staff is already a mess. Look at that Twins lineup . . .

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 06:36 PM) Not the worst attendance I've ever seen in all my years watching the Sox? That goes for any given game, really. Lower your expectations.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 06:36 PM) Not the worst attendance I've ever seen in all my years watching the Sox? That goes for any given game, really. Lower your expectations.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 06:15 PM) I didn't take it to mean anything other than what you posted FWIW. Still, it was a really embarrassing crowd. There are reasons for it - 2nd game of the year, cold weather, low expectations, coming off a terrible season - but it's still embarrassing. That crowd almost makes the Marlins look good in comparison. I think it's silly to blame the customer of any business for not buying the product.

On a brighter note, Cubs fan friend of mine texted me and said there were still at least blocks of 10 upper deck boxes available for Friday's opener. Of course Sox attendance is going to be bad they lost 99 games last year

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 04:14 PM) Major League Baseball teams? No, amateur sabermetricians care.

QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 04:10 PM) I'd be more worried about how he thinks Nate Jones, he of the 2.77 xFIP last season, is "awful". Who cares about xFIP.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 04:08 PM) Hey look, the guy who wanted to spend every available dime in the free agent market on mediocre pitching is complaining about spending money in the free agent market on mediocre pitching.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 03:56 PM) You can thank Nate Jones and Scott Downs for walking everyone. Nate Jones is awful and Hahn decided to give Downs $4M guaranteed for some reason.

QUOTE (Charlie Haeger's Knuckles @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 03:58 PM) "Its too cold to go to an outdoor sporting event." Are you posting from the game?

This Twins lineup putting up 5 runs against this bunch on a cold April day does not bode well.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 02:21 PM) Wasn't Garcia supposed to be a + defender? Certainly you can't be surprised by a Sox player evaluation being wrong.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 2, 2014 -> 12:04 PM) You know I was just thinking... what would make this game thread better. More Adam Dunn talk! It's the logical answer to this playing time issue. Everyone knows it even if they don't acknowledge it.

They should've just dropped Dunn.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Apr 1, 2014 -> 12:43 PM) More interested in the AAV of the TV deal than the ownership stake. Several teams are cashing in with huge AAV's, like the Rangers, Phillies, Dodgers, and Angels. Not to mention what the Yankees get. The Sox get about $45M/season in their current TV deal. Other teams deals that have been signed recently - Padres $60M, Astros $80M, Rangers $80M plus $100M one time fee, Angels $147M, Dodgers $280M, and Phillies $100M. The Cubs and Sox deals both expire in 2019, so Comcast will have them to play against each other in their bidding, unless the Sox want to jump to another network. The Sox have leverage because where they go the Bulls will be brought along. If Fox Sports wants to get back in the Chicago market that's a good start. Would the Hawks follow the Sox or stick with the Cubs?

I have some experience with Sprint dealing with large contractual obligations. My guess from that experience is that Sprint has looked at every way possible to break that deal and can't. In my opinion, US Cellular Field will never be known as Sprint anything because Sprint doesn't want it. That Sprint can't wiggle out of this contract is a testament to what a skilled negotiator Chairman Reinsdorf is.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 30, 2014 -> 03:25 PM) Money aside, I've heard Hahn and Laumann talk about Rodon more than once and in person for both of them. They both believed, at least earlier this year, that Rodon was far and away the number one prospect for the draft class. All things considered, I don't think they'd allow him to get by if they were given the chance to draft him. That being said, he's not getting past Houston in my opinion. The reason they are talking him up could be because they don't want the decision on whether to take him at 3 or not. I don't believe there's any way they take a Boras "client" at three. I'd be surprised if it were even an option.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Mar 30, 2014 -> 04:40 PM) Come on Balta, you're better than this. This post is something I would expect from Marty. I clearly explained where I was coming from and why. For someone who throws names around (mine) you certainly have one thin skin.

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Mar 29, 2014 -> 01:15 PM) To answer your question, aside from track records, whether or not Shields makes sense depends on how the Sox development goes this year. If we're at essentially the same point next year that we are right now, then Shields makes as little sense as Jimenez (very little). Fair answer. Given it though, It's difficult to envision a scenario where the Sox improve enough to where signing Shields would make sense. He'll be 33 opening day 2015.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 29, 2014 -> 01:05 PM) So much wrong packed into ~25 words. Just stop bringing up Jimenez. If you haven't noticed you annoy 99% of the posters on the site with this repetitive garbage. You and The Ultimate Champion should get an apartment in Baltimore and go troll an Orioles' board. I'm just curious as to how Shields is a better option than Jimenez would have been.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Mar 29, 2014 -> 12:32 PM) I still think we end up with Hoffman and I'm 100% cool with that unless Rodon is there at #3. Boras "represents" Rodon. Right now, I'm guessing we take Hoffman or Beede.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 29, 2014 -> 12:44 PM) Is his agent asking for Greinke money or is he getting Greinke money? That's just agent talk. Greinke was going into his 29 year old season where Shields will be going into his 33 year old season. That is a HUGE difference for starting pitchers and it should not be understated. Ultimately, I do think Shields will end up out of our price range but the White Sox will have to adjust to the escalating contracts and they have shown willingness with the whole Tanaka saga. If they were willing to offer 6/120 (IIRC those were the parameters for Tanaka) to a pitcher who has never throw a pitch in the MLB, they must be willing to at least entertain bringing a guy like Shields aboard. Offer Shields what you think is plausible and go from there. Having a 1-2-3 of Sale-Shields-Quintana makes a us a scary playoff team if we can skate by with enough of offense and defense. How would you like your team to go up against Sale and then have to face Big Game James the next day in game two? It would be one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball. Johnson would be a great back of the rotation guy just logging innings. Without injury Sale, Shields, Quintana and Johnson could fathomably log over 800 innings. s***, Shields and Sales could push over 450 alone. I am bias because I love Shields' game but we have powder to blow and he's a safer bet/better fit than Scherzer, Rasmus, Headley and the other big free agent names being thrown around. Sign Shields and Victor Martinez to be leaders of the new young core and all of a sudden this team looks very competitive. Regardless, the biggest catalyst to this James Shields free agency talk would be Dayton Moore. If Kansas City doesn't make the playoffs he probably gets canned. Who knows what the new management would think of Shields or what their plans are. If KC does grab a playoff spot, does Moore throw huge money at Shields to rationalize trading Wil Myers? Should be interesting for White Sox fans either way. Detroit is at the end of their window and it is Kansas City who has the best shot to overtake them. Stealing Shields from them would make it all the more sweet. It would be funny if those 9 pages were actually devoted to Scherzer. The thread turned to the future of the rotation. I think the Sox have a chance at Shields, but I don't understand how Jimenez would not have been a better signing. Shields is going to be around $75M.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Mar 28, 2014 -> 03:38 PM) Really depends on what the source of his issue is. He has been too hittable for someone who is said to have elite stuff, so that does that mean he is tipping pitches, or his stride is off, or he is overthrowing? If scouts think the issue is something that is correctable he is still a worthy selection. I think the Sox like him because he has the most upside of the college guys as Beede and Rodon already seem near their ceilings. I agree with this. Not to say there isn't concern with his numbers, but it would be tough to pass on his stuff as a college arm at 3. Also, there was a scout quoted that said ECU was an awful defensive team which might account for some of those numbers.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 28, 2014 -> 08:34 PM) Then they don't have enough depth to trade Quintana by your standard. Quintana as a #3 is easier to replace than it is to find a #2.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Mar 28, 2014 -> 07:54 PM) I understand your point, Marty, and I think it's a reasonable one. There are many ways to skin a cat. There is nothing about Q that says "untradable." Hell, I don't know that there is anyone in the League that is untradable. A team can accomplish any number of objectives in a given trade. If you feel like you are accomplishing that objective(s), and you feel like you are winning the deal, then you can make the deal. Especially given our level of competitiveness in the foreseeable future. It is certainly not out of the realm of possibility that someone approaches us about Q and offers a package that makes sense to us, extension be damned, you may want to make that deal. Yep, many ways to skin a cat and pitching is a great thing to have . When it's cheap it's even better. I think it's likely they will need a pitcher better than Quintana before this rebuild is complete (if their pursuit of Tanaka was legit, they think so too.) Signing Shields would give them a stopgap while waiting for the #3 pick and the prospect they received in the deal for Quintana.