fathom

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 08:33 PM) i agree. Just because Reiny wants to trim the payroll alittle bit, it doesnt mean he doesnt want his team to contend... KW and JR both made that clear. Pretty much JR just wants KW to be creative, kind of like how he was in 2005. Trade Dye for some young pitchers while getting rid of that 24 million owed to him- okay good. Now you have a good chunk of change to use on free agency or even aqcuirering a guy like Roberts via trade. I'm all for clearing up payroll for upgrades, but Rock's proposed lineup had no other upgrades made with that money.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 08:31 PM) So....its a bad thing to have room on the payroll? And I think the #1 and #2 hitters have a better OBP and better speed than our team last season. The bottom of the order also has speed and power potential. I really dont mind it at all. MPH is MPH, the guy is a 22 year old highly talented prospect, I would take him in a heartbeat. That's the problem with Bailey. He's lost his big fastball, and his command has never been good. He's another miserable season away or two from being considered a flop. I'm not saying I wouldn't mind seeing him in our organization, but if you trade away Dye, you better find some offensive players via other trades or via free agency.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 08:28 PM) Tell me this roster can't win at least 80 in our division. It wouldn't. Richard is a better bet to be a decent starting pitcher in the AL than Bailey in 2009. Freel is so incredibly overrated, and he can't stay healthy due to his reckless style of play.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 25, 2008 -> 07:25 PM) 1. Freel CF 2. Getz 2B 3. Q RF 4. Thome DH 5 Kong 1b 6. Alexei SS 7. AJP C 8. Fields LF 9. Viciedo 3B 1. Buehrle 2. Floyd 3. Danks 4. Javy 5. Bailey Yuck yuck yuck. Not only would that team have a payroll of about 75 million, but it would likely cost KW and Ozzie their jobs. Bailey was throwing 91 mph last season, and there's serious concerns about just how he got his velocity up to the 96-97 mph range when he was younger.

I was dreading reading something like this. KW's been rumored to be after Odalis in the past.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Nov 24, 2008 -> 03:42 AM) Aminu, Rubio, Griffen, Harden (Arizona State), Patterson (Kentucky), Thabeet, James (Texas), Curry, Claver (Spain), and Jennings are probably the top 10 picks. Patrick Patterson looks very lethargic so far this season. I've never been overly impressed with his skillset. Watch for Gani Lawal to be a lottery pick, as scouts loved him from the camps over the offseason.

QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 08:21 PM) Top-3 picks unless something very weird happens are Griffin, BJ Mullens and Ricky Rubio. Thus far Griffin looks like the front-runner, and though he appears to have a ton of upside Mullens could pull a DeAndre Jordan I guess. B.J. Mullens looks horrible so far. Brandon Jennings could be a very high pick, as could A-F Aminu.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 05:34 AM) No he's not. Not if a team that is in need of a PG or SG gets the #1 overall. However, he's a top 4 pick for sure. The freshman class in college basketball absolutely sucks. Guys like Derozan and Hopson are mediocre so far. Speaking of recruits, I bought Gunnin' For That #1 Spot today. I can't wait to watch it.

35 pts, 21 rebs, and 5 asts for the best player in the nation today.

QUOTE (Rex Hudler @ Nov 22, 2008 -> 07:56 PM) Where can I find a TV schedule for the Maui Classic? I can't seem to find anything without scrolling through each day's tv listings The world's greatest link. http://mattsarz44017.tripod.com/basketball2008.html

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 08:06 PM) You win the prize!!!!!!!!!! It's a great post, and luckily KW and Ozzie agree with me, you, and Sqwert.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 07:56 PM) If Williams plans on trading players with the obvious intent of unloading salary, I hope he has enough sense not to sit around for several months waiting for everything to unfold on the free agent and trade market. Can you imagine the outrage if he did nothing after trading Dye/Vazquez/whomever else for Swisher like packages? I just hope it's not a situation where KW complains about how crazy the market is. Was he really expecting to sign Hudson to a 3 yr, 24 mil dollar deal?

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 07:55 PM) His range is already all but gone, I can't imagine him finding it again at the age of 36 or 37 and I don't have much interest in a low .800 OPS 36+ year old, $11M+ DH. Plus he'll cost you a first round pick to sign. In all likelihood, we're getting a first round pick for Cabrera. On the other end, I don't think KW has much interest in having 2 first round picks and having to deal with those money issues.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 07:42 PM) So in what world is he a good fit for the Sox? He's an awful fit. Well, cause I don't think anyone will give that to him. As a 3 yr, 33 million dollar player, I wouldn't mind him in RF. Of course, I'd rather just keep Dye out there, but it seems like that might not happen.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 07:39 PM) Abreu was worse than Dye in RF last year, he's a type A free agent and he's looking for a 3 year deal worth $10M+ a season. He's asking the Cubs for 3 yrs, 45 mil

QUOTE (103 mph screwball @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 08:30 PM) It will look a bit better after the money is spent on a couple of free agents. Bobby Abreu and Furcal would make a difference. Burnett and Furcal? Manny? KW will not sit on the money. If these trades happen, he has a plan. I'm still waiting for the White Sox to get into a bidding war for a big time free agent and sign that player during the 21st century (not including Konerko, which was a totally different situation).

QUOTE (103 mph screwball @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 08:30 PM) It will look a bit better after the money is spent on a couple of free agents. Bobby Abreu and Furcal would make a difference. Burnett and Furcal? Manny? KW will not sit on the money. If these trades happen, he has a plan. Well, there have been rumors that Sox are looking to cut payroll, but nothing more has been said about that. I think Abreu would be a great fit for the Sox in RF. I can't see Furcal happening, as 4 years to a guy with a bad back problem doesn't seem like the KW way of doing things.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 08:26 PM) I'm not suggesting him as a starter. THe only reason he'd start is due to injuries. So then we'd be trading Vazquez for a 7th inning reliever?

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 08:24 PM) That's quite a bold prediction considering the level of talent involved. A 3-4-5-6 of Quentin-Thome-Konerko-Alexei, a bullpen featuring Thornton-Dotel-Linebrink-Poreda/Richard at the back, and a rotation of Buehrle-Floyd-Danks-Jackson as the top 4 and you think that team isn't even good enough to finish 12 games under .500? Do you remember how much our bullpen sucked without Jenks, and making Thornton and Linebrink try and pitch in different situations? That 3-4-5-6 is good, but we're in the AL....most teams have strong 3-4-5s in their lineup. With the Tigers, Indians, and Twins looking to spend money to upgrade their pitching (offense for the Twins), it just bothers me how every trade proposal seems to be the Sox downgrading their 25 man roster talent for prospects. The Swisher trade was terrible, and some of these proposals make that one seem like Thornton for Borchard.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 07:20 PM) I agree that as a starter he'd be bad, but even last year, in a down season, his periph's are very good and he has a nice arm. I'd love to have him in our pen. But isn't he due to become a FA shortly? I could possibly by heilman for Javy because the Sox clearly are completely down on Javy and want to free his cash. However, Pelfrey for Jenks is not a fair deal at all. Pelfrey, a top prospect, and Heilman is something I could live with. He gave up a ton of homers in the NL, pitching in a huge ballpark, in situations where he only has to throw his top 2 pitches or so. Nothing about him translates to being an effective starter in the AL at the Cell.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 08:11 PM) Dye for Jackson and Niemann Jenks and Javy for Heilman, Niese, and Martinez 1B Konerko 2B Nix vs. Getz 3B Fields vs. Betemit SS Alexei C AJ LF Viciedo vs. Martinez CF ? RF Quentin SP Buehrle, Floyd, Danks, Jackson, Heilman vs. Niese vs. Niemann vs. Richard Pen: L Thornton CL, R Linebrink SU, L Richard SU, R Dotel SU/RSP, L Poreda LSP, 2 SP competition losers vs. Wassermann vs. Russell vs. Link vs. Nunez vs. whoever else for 2 spots The Sox can then look to swing a smaller deal for a CF like Taveras or sign Kotsay for 1 year if possible, and maybe sign a reclamation project SP like Freddy or Pedro as well. Lots of youthful depth there. That team wouldn't win 70 games, and then the attendance decline would destroy our payroll for the following season. Sometimes, I wish people would take a step back and look at the roster they're actually predicting and think if there's any chance of that happening.

Heilman absolutely, positively sucks! He would be pathetic as a starter in the American League.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 05:54 PM) Or, it could be Jenks and Dye, Tampa needs a closer, RF & a DH. Then you get back Jackson, Niemen, Perez & Davis. Just my two cents. Kenny Williams should be fired if that's the deal. You can't trade Jenks for "prospects".

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Nov 21, 2008 -> 05:54 PM) The question is how much better of an option is Perez than Anderson/Owens in CF as a platoon? I don't think it's clear-cut, nor is it obvious Perez can be a regular player or the type of player who can easily translate his speed automatically into 50 stolen bases. Then there's the fact that he's not really your classic leadoff hitter in terms of his approach either, more of a 9 hitter. Brian Anderson is a better player than Perez. Perez also has a horrific throwing arm that makes Juan Pierre look like Roberto Clemente.

Just say no to Perez (even if he is the smartest player in baseball). He's a weak hitter who reminds some observers of W. Taveras with the bat.