Kalapse

Just 14 of the top 40 Free Agents from this past offseason: 271 AB: .196/.258/.292/.550 - 4 years, $36M 303 AB: .274/.306/.327/.633 - 5 years, $44M 145 AB: .207/.286/.331/.617 - 3 years, $18M 15 GS: 54:41 K:BB | 4.83 ERA | 1.43 WHIP - 7 years, $126M 6 GS: 22:14 K: BB | 6.31 ERA | 1.79 WHIP - 4 years, $47M 284 AB: .289/.336/.496/.832 - 6 years, $100M 213 AB: .244/.345/.385/.730 - 8 years, $70M 260 AB: .281/.321/.338/.659 - 2 years, $18.5M RE-SIGN 193 AB: .238/.308/.394/.702 - 2 years, $18M RE-SIGN 15 GS: 55:40 K:BB | 5.63 ERA | 1.51 WHIP - 3 years, $24.5M 16 GS: 48:34 K:BB | 4.90 ERA | 1.50 WHIP - 4 years, $42M 6: GS: 17:26 K:BB | 7.13 ERA | 1.61 WHIP - 5 years, $20M 268 AB: .269/.300/.384/.684 - 3 years, $20M 15 GS: 35/47 K:BB | 6.69 ERA | 1.81 WHIP - 3 years, $33.75M

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 10:41 PM) I disagree with this....a shrewd GM could get one or two top-notch prospects for someone like Buehrle. When was the last time a pitcher of Buehrle's caliber despite being a possible rental became available for trade in late June? Has there ever been a better pitcher than Buehrle to be dealt at the end of June/beginning of July? Has a pitcher of Buehrle's caliber ever been dealt at the deadline? I mean, I'm certainly not Mark's biggest fan but he has to be one of the best pitchers to ever become available for trade at the deadline in the era of free agency.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 10:30 PM) O - Michael Young, and any Angels player that is "freaking" loved by anyone on this board Whoa, whoa, whoa hang on a gosh darn second. Are you saying you wouldn't guarantee Michael Young, king of the moderate power, no speed, no defense, very good contact, moderate on base, high strikeout ballplayer 85 MILLION DOLLARS over the next 6 years? FOOLISHNESS!

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 10:27 PM) How many years does Crisp have left on his deal? He seems like the type of guy the Sox covet. $11M guaranteed over the next 2 seasons. Which is f***ing ridiculous considering how insanely mediocre he is.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 10:02 PM) That's what scares me. I'd rather tinker and trade a couple guys like Dye and Jose and our hors*** relievers like Thornton and MacDougal and be buyers in free agency. The minute we trade Mark we're just another Royals. Free agency alone can not save this team.

QUOTE(quickman @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 09:53 PM) Well as most of you know I hate all our farm players and think they are all very highly overrated. That said I actaully like fields and am willing to let him play the rest of this year to really see what he has. Right now he stikes out way to much. He needs better concentration and needs to hit to the other side, but this season is over so why not let him play. In addition with all the injuries we have in the outfield I think its very telling that Andersen is not being called to play. I hate the guy but I think this shows that the sox really hate him too. He must have really pissed them off with his goofy attitude. Anderson has been injured (shoulder) of late and suffered a slight concussion yesterday. He's been DH'ing for the majority of the time since being demoted due to his shoulder injury. So it would have made no sense to promote Anderson when he's incapable of playing the field, I doubt it has anything to do with them "hating him."

Actually most everyone including KW wanted Hunter Pence included in any deal for Jon Garland but that's really neither here nor there. The Rockies got a pretty damn good package for Jennings.

Iguchi is a terrible defensive 2B. His arm strength is all but gone and he has no range to speak of not to mention all the odd mental mistakes he seems to make out there.

Perhaps this could help.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 08:30 PM) The B level propects for rental player argument doesn't hold much water. I'd like to see evidence of it. Off the top of my head, the major in season trades(Buehrle-level) of the past 3 years: 2006- Bobby Abreu to the Yankees for 4 nobodys. Wasn't a rental player IIRC, which actually hurt what the Yanks got in return. 2005- No major trades? 2004- Freddy Garcia traded for a ton of young talent. Carlos Beltran traded for a ton of young talent. Both were rentals. Now, like I said, this was all of the top of my head. Please correct me where I went wron. July 11, 2003: The Texas Rangers traded Ugueth Urbina to the Florida Marlins for Adrian Gonzalez, Ryan Snare, and Will Smith Adrian Gonzalez was a 3 time top 100 prospect ('01: #89, '02: #31, '03: #31) and Urbina was a rent-a-player who had a 4.19 ERA and 1.39 WHIP at the time they were traded. Ryan Snare was a 2nd round pick in 2000 while Will Smith was a 6th round pick that same year.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 03:26 PM) If you don't want to play, don't... you don't have to be a dick about it. Or I can post whatever I want and tell you to shut your face. I know you've never been a dick about anything on here. How exactly do you go about deciding what constitutes an overrated player and what constitutes an underrated one? Who is underrating these players and how are they doing it?

Kottaras has turned it on during the month of June posting a .298 AVG and a .823 OPS along with 2 HR. He's still only 24 and was at one time considered the heir-apparent to Varitek. I could definitely see KW having him included in any deal he makes with the Bo-Sox for better or for worse.

Well Ellsbury is still in the game and just flew out deep to CF making him 0-3 on the day.

You can't offer him arbitration therefore you can not receive compensatory picks. Iguchi more than anyone else on this team needs to be dealt before the deadline.

A good point was made on a Red Sox board. The Sawks seem to make it a habit of obsessing over certain players then overpaying for them when given the opportunity to bring them in. JD Drew, Julio Lugo and Covelli Crisp being examples of this. This is not the first time Epstein has gone after Buehrle, he made an offer for him this offseason. I don't think it's that far-fetched to make the assumption that Epstein and CO. REALLY want Buehrle. The Red Sox giving up big time talent for Buehrle does seem to be a realistic possibility as Epstein goes after his guy.

If Buehrle is dealt to Milwaukee then one of Gallardo or Braun needs to be acquired in return. Corey Hart and Turnbow would be a terrible return. Up until this point in his career Corey Hart has been a bust, a very good June is not going to make me think otherwise.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 05:25 PM) But you know it will be Lowrie and some A ball reliever who throws hard. KW wouldn't make a deal like that. He really needs to come away from this thing looking like he got one hell of a deal and Lowrie is not nearly good enough to get this deal done alone. I mean to come away from this thing without even receiving a top 100 prospect in return would be a complete disaster.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 05:21 PM) I have a bad feeling that Lowrie would be the main guy in any trade. There's not a chance in hell you consider this trade unless Buchholz or Ellsbury is the main person in it. That's why I like what I'm reading on some of these Red Sox boards. It seems the consensus from the more logical posters is that Epstein can't get this thing done without giving up one of Ellsbury or Buchholz.

Jacoby just flew out to center.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 05:13 PM) who's playing for the AA affiliate? They already played and Lowrie went 0-5. That's about all they have as far as position prospects in AA. QUOTE(chisox2334 @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 05:14 PM) theirs report on whitsoxinteractive.com in " whats the score" saying raido staions in boston saying boston close deal with buerhle. which no on elese knows but this guy so ya their is message from one guy who says he knows this. yet, no one elses does. I'm about 99% sure it's bulls***. SOSH would have picked up on any reports by now.

I'm reading some comments from Sawks fans over at SOSH and they seemed convinced that KW is looking for a CF as the major piece in any trade. I find it interesting that this is what opposing team's fans seem to think this team is in need of right now. IMO if KW is strictly going by position when deciding which prospects to go after, OF should be near the middle of the list. You can always find OF in free agency especially this year.

Seriously though. I've been a KW backer since his tenure began up until this very second. I have a ton of faith in him to do what's best for this team and I believe he's an excellent GM. However if KW f***s this up, I'm done with him. 1.) If the team Buehrle is traded to is given a 72 hour window in which to work out an extension I expect a TOP prospect as in the #1-#2 in the team's system to be included in the deal. NO MATTER WHAT. 2.) KW rushes this thing and ends up getting back what appears to be on the surface a less than ideal package of players for Mark Buehrle. If either of these 2 happens I expect KW to be fired immediately. He's done a damn good job since being hired as this team's GM but this is his biggest moment, he CAN NOT afford to f*** this one up. Kenny needs to come away from this thing looking great.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 05:01 PM) Ya, I'm calling BS on this one. Even though that guy on WSI is a fairly regular contributor, none of the Bosox forums have picked up on it. Nothing has been posted on Sons of Sam Horn about any of this. Just the usual speculative chatter.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 05:00 PM) With Ellsbury playing for Pawtucket, it doesn't look too promising. The game has yet to start however.

Lets just say for the sake of argument that the Red Sox were given a 72 hour window to sign Buehrle to an extension. The Sox best be getting Bucholtz and a couple more major pieces back if this is the case. I don't buy it for a second but if it is true then I expect a King's Ransom of top flight talent to be on its way to Chicago right about now.