Marty34

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Sep 26, 2009 -> 11:53 AM) I think it would be a decent bullpen, but I pretty much agree with you. The premise of the thread was a cheap bullpen; I simply showed what my arrangement of what our in-house options would be. I think it'd would be decent too. I'd like to see them use their money to rebuild the offense. The point of a cheap pen is to cobble together a group that can keep you in contention until you can shake loose a reliever at the trade deadline.

QUOTE (bmags @ Sep 26, 2009 -> 11:43 AM) With our money constraints I'd guess we're going to have to take a risk of a player, because we can't afford a sure thing. But is Johnson going to come cheap even as a risk? I think the Red Sox will go after, and probably end up with, Fielder. After that, I think the Sox can be in the bidding with the other teams that need a first baseman like the Giants for example. If the Red Sox are out of the picture I think you can get Johnson for at least 25% less than Figgins will get. He'd be a better fit too, IMO.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 25, 2009 -> 10:28 PM) Convince me he'll stay healthy for more than 200 AB's. DH

QUOTE (jphat007 @ Sep 25, 2009 -> 10:24 PM) We'd have to score 900+ runs to win with that bullpen. In other words, if we have that bullpen next season we are going to lose a lot of games. Not much middle relief on the market.

Podsednik Johnson Beckham Quentin A.J. Konerko Rios Getz Ramirez

Thornton Hudson Carrasco Pena Linebrink Find me a cheap left-hander then we'd have about $15M to fix the offense I'm guessing.

QUOTE (jphat007 @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 06:21 PM) Better than paying Rios 10. Wrong. As bad as . . .

Jenks should not be offered arbitration this offseason.

Bobby gets it done when it counts

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Aug 30, 2009 -> 04:29 PM) Yeah not going to happen. Sox are committed to Alexei. And nobody is taking Paul. While I don't disagree that moving Konerko would be hard, I don't get the sense that they are committed to Ramirez.

1. Podsednik LF 2. Getz 2B 3. Beckham SS 4. Quentin RF 5. 6. Rios CF 7. 8. AJ C 9 Nix 3B Package Ramirez with Konerko as incentive to take all of Paulie's $12M next year which would bring the payroll down to about $57M

QUOTE (stretchstretch @ Aug 30, 2009 -> 03:53 PM) fact: since August 2005, this team has changed a WHOLE lot of names and faces, including signing many big name players and maintaining a top 5-10 MLB payroll.... yet every Aug-Sept including 2005 and since, I've essentially wanted to slit my wrists watching this team the last two months of the season....Ozzie has been the constant during this time and with widely varying staff when the coach is the only common denominator on an "underachieving" star studded lineup, you have to look squarely at the leader and wonder why so many players, both young and veteran, seem to lose focus, intensity, will-to-win, hustle, etc in the key stretch of the year? That "star studded lineup" is old.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Aug 30, 2009 -> 03:28 PM) We need to look at players not performiong up to expectations and handling their roles. I see the bullpen as a major culprit and defense close behind. Experience might improve the infield defense and trades the bullpen. A healthy Peavy and a solid fifth starter will also help. You can't have a middle of the order built around an aging Konerko, Thome, and Dye either.

This year was a transition year at the start getting Peavy and Rios doesn't change that. Contreras, Colon, Torres, and Garcia have combined for 38 starts this year, 64-67 is about the best you could ask for under those circumstances.

No braner, Thome on a 1-year deal. Especially if they get Rios.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 02:17 PM) I have major bullpen worries. It's not horrible but I could see it going that way. Also the aging sluggers at some point need to be replaced. It's weird but this power reliant team could be a year away from needing a new infusion of sluggers. Pretty much every team has to remake their pen each year. If Q is healthy, I can live with a middle of the order of Beckham, Thome, Q, Konerko for 2010. Konerko rolls off after with Rios assuming the 6th spot in the lineup in 2011 with Flowers arrival and Konerko, Thome, and AJ's money to replace them.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 01:43 PM) Just as I've always said in past moves, I'm perfectly fine with taking on this salary if it means they're gonna keep spending. Keep spending on what? Rios and Peavy are big $$ moves. For better or worse, OF would be set with Pods, Rios, and Q left to right. Off season would consist of tweaks, maybe Thome comes back, Jenks gets traded or non-tendered, etc... .

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 3, 2009 -> 06:52 PM) We probably have to open up an additional bit of breathing room in our payroll...not sure. Jenks is going to be around $8 million next year. The other options are trading Konerko (unlikely) and/or saving money bringing back Dye and/or Thome ($6-8 million but not $11-13 million as they're currently paid)....don't think we will ever get from out under the Linebrink contract now. OTOH, if you had THAT historically amazing rotation (Peavy/Buehrle, Webb, Floyd and Danks), it would be a crying shame to risk so many blown saves turning the game over to Thornton or Pena at the end of games. Someone like Byrd, Doug Davis...Garland, etc., is more likely for the back of the rotation unless they think Hudson and/or Torres are ready. Duchscherer has been mentioned a lot around here. Who else is rehabbing or struggling with health issues? Smoltz? Glavine? Mulder? Spending real money on a 5th starter is a waste. They don't help you in the postseason.

Thome stays, Dye goes for the simple fact that they need his left-handed bat.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 26, 2009 -> 06:52 PM) Then why did we trade Brandon Allen? That makes no sense at all....unless KW thought he could get a better young LH 1B/DH type than Brandon for Dotel. Which would have been a pretty risky assumption to make on KW's part. There aren't many LH 1B available? Oft-injured Nick Johnson? When Brandon Allen is your best option after Thome you have problems. The list of available LH middle-of-the-order hitters you posted isn't impressive. Dunn would be the best of the lot.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 26, 2009 -> 06:14 PM) As for those advocating Dunn, why would we dream of paying him almost the same as Thome in this market? They're in desperate need of a left-handed middle-of-the-order hitter going forward and there aren't a lot of them out there. If they trade for him on the last year of his deal they have exclusive negotiating rights with him for the entire year and maybe in this economy he'd accept a 3y/$30M offer.

I would not bring Jenks back. Crawford's an interesting guy, but if you do get him he goes to CF. Another guy who probably will be available is Dunn. Last year of contract @ 12M. He'll cost less in a trade than Crawford and if he signs an extension he'll give you Thome-like production for the next 3-4 years. He could also slide over to 1B when Konerko leaves. 2. Ramirez SS 3. Beckham 3B 4. Quentin LF 5. Dunn DH 6 Konerko 1B 7 AJP C Cost $58M minus prospects for Dunn.

Lots of payroll flexibility after this year and a nice cheap core of Beckham, Quentin, Ramirez, Danks, and Floyd. Of course, big holes to fill with the departures of Dye and Thome after this year and Konerko, and A.J. after next. I hope the Sox move cautiously and build this right, they could be set up for a nice run in this division over the next five years.

QUOTE (Disco72 @ Jul 25, 2009 -> 10:01 AM) Fair enough - who would you like to take their places in OF, DH, rotation, and bullpen? Too early to say, but the way this division is shaping up in the short term there's no reason why they can't rebuild and contend at the same time.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jul 25, 2009 -> 10:06 AM) Jenks? 1.) He isn't a FA 2.) If Jenks isn't with the team, it's because we traded him. If you keep Jenks he's owed a minimum of $5M next year. If they don't deal him by the deadline, I wouldn't offer him arbitration next year.