Kalapse

QUOTE (BaseballNick @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 08:02 PM) Have you included Viciedo? I ask because supposedly that's not official yet. No. When he signs we should be a little under $91M not including any money Philly may be sending our way for Thome and estimating the salaries of Jenks and Betemit.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 06:09 PM) Cabrera-Vazquez-Swisher-Crede-Uribe-Hall I believe totaled over 35 million in salary. Our current payroll is about $88M.

Well the Reds adding $3M in payroll with the Ramon Hernandez deal can't help the odds of a Dye for Bailey swap.

QUOTE (joesaiditstrue @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 05:14 PM) from what i've read, beckham doesn't have the arm to play 3rd (or short..), and he was projected as more of a 2B, though the Sox are firmly planting him at SS in the minors until he's brought up His arm isn't the problem, it's plenty strong. Whether he has the range and footwork to stick at short is the question.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 02:44 PM) Just like Josh Rupe was the "wildcard" when we traded him...or Matt Guerrier was going to be "the next Maddux" according to McClendon and the Pirates' GM at the time. Yeah, they really ripped off KW and gave up that Marte kid, who they weren't even going to keep on the roster because of a numbers game in the bullpen. If Carlos Torres lights the world on fire with the Royals, it will be the first time a young White Sox starting prospect has amounted TO ANYTHING this decade, unless you want to count Brandon McCarthy. Daniel Cortes not Carlos Torres.

QUOTE (fathom @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 12:59 AM) Santo's biggest fear: Michael Young is on the market. Believe me, Santo is not alone. It would be pretty funny if the Rangers traded Young before the ridiculous 5 year, $80M extension they gave him 2 years ago even kicks in. Last year was an option year, he starts making $16M a year in 2009. Imagine how undesirable Michael Young will be in 2012 or 2013 when he's 35/36 years old, incapable of playing even a mediocre 2B, putting up a low .700 OPS and making 16 million dollars with a full no trade clause.

QUOTE (fathom @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 10:40 PM) I don't get it either. They're close to signing Ibanez also. Should be funny watching him make an ass of himself in RF.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 09:51 PM) I at times think you and whitesoxfan101 are the same poster. How did you come to this conclusion? Well Kenny did say that expects Lillibridge to fill Ozuna's old role, that could be a clue.

Everett in '05: .299/.351/.495/.846 w/ RISP .302/.434/.558/.992 w/ RISP & 2 out .317/.371/.529/.901 w/ Men On Sucks to have a guy like that in the 3 hole, makes it real hard to score runs. But yeah, Geoff Blum was the more important player.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 08:38 PM) Why would getting a CF open up the 2B spot? Their outfield is full (Scott-Jones-Markakis) if they acquire Freel with intent of playing him everyday (I doubt that's what they're doing) he's either gonna have to platoon with someone or play 2B/3B with one of Mora/Roberts going elsewhere, Freel has played plenty of infield in his career.

QUOTE (knightni @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 08:23 PM) I disagree. Dye, Konerko, Crede, Uribe, Iguchi, Rowand, Pods, The 4 starters, Jenks, and even Geoff Blum were more integral. There's no way you can guarantee the Sox win the World Series without him and that's good enough for me. I wouldn't call any trade Kenny made prior to 2005 that added a player who was a member of the Championship team a bad deal and that includes the Foulke/Koch trade.

QUOTE (chunk23 @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 08:16 PM) Reds are close to trading Freel to the O's. I think a move like that opens salary room for them and is a possible prelude to the Dye-Bailey move. Except the rumor is Freel for Hernandez who makes $8M next year, even if the Orioles picked up half of his '09 salary the Reds would still be adding $1M in payroll rather than subtracting from it.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 07:41 PM) UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM NO?!!?!? People hate Jim Thome and worship Aaron Rowand so it makes sense.

I know some of you were curious as to the current payroll, well I did a little math. Players under contract or ARB eligible and guaranteed to make the team in 2009: Buehrle 14 Thome 13 Konerko 12 Dye 11.5 Contreras 10 Pierzynski 6.25 Dotel 6 Jenks 5.2 (ARB Estimate) Linebrink 4.5 MacDougal 2.65 Betemit 1.8 (ARB Estimate) Ramirez 1.1 ------- Total 88 million

QUOTE (103 mph screwball @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 02:53 PM) How about this to ponder. Would you rather trade for Taveres or pick up Patterson and not give up any talent? If the Sox want speed and he dropped Boras, Patterson is a possibility. I'd rather give up Broadway or some other crap we have lying around for Taveras. Corey Patterson is just awful and there's really no reason to believe it's just going to click for him playing in the American League, he's best off heading to Japan.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 02:47 PM) Maybe I need to look up his stats but "BA" and "walk" don't go together from what I recall. Well Brian hasn't logged a ton of plate appearances in his big league career but in his short time in the majors he's walked much more often than Corey Patterson. Patterson draws a walk once every 22 PAs while Brian draws one every 15 PAs. Corey Patterson doesn't even try to give the illusion that gives a crap about drawing walks, they mean nothing to him. Brian also has a much better K:BB ratio.

Kent retired. He didn't even want to play baseball last year but his option vested and he was guaranteed a nice chunk of change if he just stuck it out for 1 more season. He won't be back with the Dodgers.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 01:00 PM) I don't believe they give up two picks. If they pick from 16 and on, they give up their first rounder, and if they pick before that they give up nothing. The other pick is a sandwich pick which becomes two sandwich picks if a team in the top 15 grabs him. He'll play somewhere, I'm sure his agent has received at least light interest to decline arbitration. If a team in the top 15 signs him the Sox will receive 1 sandwich pick and that club's 2nd round pick. OC isn't going to go unsigned, a team will give up a draft pick for him eventually.

At least it's a firm, erect logo. What kind of message would it send if they went with a limp, flaccid symbol? A poor one, that's what. Personally, for what the logo lacks in length and girth I think it more than makes up for in vigor, intensity and I'm sure angry, explosive copulation if the head's fiery expression is any indication.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 02:32 AM) That's a pretty solid pickup for the Tigers. Doesn't seem like they gave up too much in the 25-year-old AA guy, but the 17-year-old pitcher obviously has potential (strictly for being so young if nothing else). Moscoso has also had some pretty serious shoulder problems the past couple years.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 02:01 AM) It's easy to say this 3 years later, but at the time we all felt that we didn't get enough for a 17 game winner. And further, I feel like you saw two things that said he had a declining fastball and have therefore concluded that these are true and define the player homer bailey. Eh, speak for yourself. I LOVED that trade when it went down. Getting 2 young starting pitchers with considerable upside for a $10M starter who was throwing 86 MPH and showing obvious signs of shoulder problems was god damn coup. I was performing grand dances of joy and elation when that trade went down, if the Phillies had bothered to give Garcia a physical before finalizing the deal we likely would have been the ones to get 11 s***ty starts out of Freddy in '07 before he broke down for good.

QUOTE (3E8 @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 12:21 AM) Where's Alvarez I assume they left him off since he has yet to play above the college level.

So it's starting to look as though hall of fame sports writers do receive and run with bad information.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/prospects/y2009/ Should be interesting to see what Baseball America's top 100 looks like compared to this. 1. David Price - P - Rays 2. Matt Wieters - C - Orioles 3. Jason Heyward - OF - Braves 4. Rick Porcello - P - Tigers 5. Cameron Maybin - OF - Marlins 6. Madison Bumgarner - P - Giants 7. Travis Snider - OF - Blue Jays 8. Alcides Escobar - SS - Brewers 9. Neftali Feliz - P - Rangers 10. Colby Rasmus - OF - Cardinals 11. Mike Moustakas - SS - Royals 12. Andrew McCutchen - OF - Pirates 13. Brett Anderson - SP - Athletics 14. Matt LaPorta - OF - Indians 15. Dexter Fowler - OF - Rockies 16. Chris Tillman - P - Orioles 17. Trevor Cahill - P - Athletics 18. Jarrod Parker - P - Diamondbacks 19. Buster Posey - C - Giants 20. Brian Matusz - P - Orioles 21. Elvis Andrus - SS - Rangers 22. Tim Beckham - SS - Rays 23. Mat Gamel - 3B - Brewers 24. Tommy Hanson - P - Braves 25. Lars Anderson - 1B - Red Sox 26. Mike Stanton - OF - Marlins 27. Austin Jackson - OF - Yankees 28. Carlos Carrasco - P - Phillies 29. Eric Hosmer - 1B - Royals 30. Carlos Triunfel - SS - Mariners 31. Wade Davis - P - Rays 32. Fernando Martinez - OF - Mets 33. Phillippe Aumont - P - Mariners 34. Yonder Alonso - 1B/OF - Reds 35. Nick Adenhart - P - Angels 36. Jake Arrieta - P - Orioles 37. Scott Elbert - P - Dodgers 38. Freddie Freeman - 1B - Braves 39. Jeremy Hellickson - P - Rays 40. Jesus Montero - C - Yankees 41. Adam Miller - P - Indians 42. Brett Wallace - 1B - Cardinals 43. Lou Marson - C - Phillies 44. Jeremy Jeffress - P - Brewers 45. James McDonald - P - Dodgers 46. Derek Holland - P - Rangers 47. Kyle Blanks - 1B - Padres 48. Angel Villalona - 3B - Giants 49. Matt Dominguez - 3B - Marlins 50. Jeff Samardzija - P - Cubs Breakdown: 4 - Rays, Orioles 3 - Braves, Giants, Brewers, Rangers, Marlins 2 - Cardinals, Royals, Athletics, Yankees, Phillies, Mariners, Dodgers, Indians 1 - Tigers, Blue Jays, Pirates, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Mets, Reds, Angels, Padres, Cubs 0 - White Sox, Astros, Twins, Nationals

Cowley confirmed it.