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I don't think any team should ever rebuild unless the entire roster is talentless. I'm surprised how many people voted for it. I'd venture there are a lot more examples of last to 1st then there are rebuilds that pay off in a short period of time. And sustained sucess is nothing but a mirage. Large payroll teams can do it and those lucky enough to have stumbled across great draft classes and luck with injuries.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 6, 2013 -> 04:48 PM) But then Loney's coming off a career revitalizing year, and he's going to get (arguably) at least three years. Not just because of Keppinger and the "Rays Factor", but you have have to be leery about rewarding anyone in that situation, buying high, so to speak. At some point, you have to do your risk assessment and pull the trigger on someone if you ever want to improve...but my belief is we're more likely to use our financial flexibility to take someone coming off a down season or someone who's redundant on another roster (Andre Ethier) in a similar way to Thome with Howard pushing him out of a starting spot. Even buying high on Loney won't be a big deal. He's not a power hitting 1st baseman but is good in other areas. I don't think there will be huge demand for him though the 1st base market is terrible ,so you never know, but he isn't likely to break the bank. With what we got from Konerko this year , Loney is an easy improvement and it's not like we lose the HR's Dunn provided at 1st base because he'll be fulltime DH . At this point I'm not concerned if Dunn hits better at 1st , get that 1 year off the books and move on. When you lose 99 games and have payroll flexibility how Keppinger played for the Rays and us and somehow applying it to Loney isn't a consideration. Everybody comes with baggage and if they don't they cost you extreme dollars and years. My moves should avoid those extremes while adding players in their prime while improving the team in many ways as long as they produce at current levels.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 6, 2013 -> 03:00 PM) Then the question with any of those guys becomes...do they make the Sox good enough that it's willing to sacrifice a guy who can contribute cheaply in 2015-2017 for a guy who will help them compete this year? If Abreu is as advertised, then I can believe the Sox have a shot next year. If the Sox sign Loney? Much more hesitant on that one. Guess it all depends on what the market is like for Loney. My personal strategy is improve the offense and defense for next year or longer (Kendricks 2 yrs, Loney hopefully not more than 3 )while keeping as much of the starting pitching as possible .So,yes ,I'm looking to compete next year so I'm not worried about how much Beckham/Rienzo contribute to the Angels as long as we get an upgrade at the position with a decent contract. Kendricks , Loney are big upgrades defensively and running the bases and adds a much needed LH bat. To upgrade talent you have to give up something and if thats Beckham and Rienzo futures , so be it. Rienzo may end up a releiver or never make it at all while Beckham has disappointed for 4 years while Kendrick is top ten 2nd baseman in baseball with a very good all-around game. You just take your chances with trading young talent .Now with Loney and Kendricks you're improved in 2 areas without breaking the bank with still plenty of room to do more and kept our top 5 or 6 starters intact. A more rangy infield also improves the starting pitching so those are other reasons for those 2. Kendricks is 30 ,Loney turns 30 in May so both still in late stages of their primes. With all the 1 run games the Sox played this season small incremental improvements in 5 or 6 areas may pay big dividends in the next 2 years if Avisail turns into the real deal. Those 2 moves actually improve you in starting hitting, starting defense, team speed, starting and relief pitching and balances the lineup without adding a pitcher.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 6, 2013 -> 02:38 PM) The problem with doing damage in trades is...the Sox don't have many trade chips. If San Fran wins Abreu then what do the Sox have worth Brandon Belt? Certianly not Rienzo plus Beckham. That's "Quintana + Semien" or something like that territory. And lots of reports have the Giants wanting to move Belt to a corner OF position to add another bat to their lineup anyway, so they might not be interested in that at all. Then there's always Loney , Morales, Corey Hart , Morneau . Signing a 1st baseman shouldn't be a problem preferably a LH good fielder. (Loney's been my choice for a while)

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 6, 2013 -> 02:14 PM) That's an intriguing sort of move, with how Beckham has played it seems like it would be an upgrade, but it's not a move that really "fixes" this team on its own. If the Sox fill their 1b hole and perhaps upgrade the catcher's spot in free agency and are sitting there trying to figure out how to deal with having 6 starters ready for the big leagues on a team they want to compete next year, that could be an "icing on the cake" sort of move. Clears out the extra starter and does come up with an upgrade in exchange for about $6 million additional money. But it's not a move you make on its own - Rienzo + Beckham ought to be more valuable overall during that time period and for the couple years afterwards. You have to do something else to make that make sense. Can only make one move at a time, one improvement at a time. So if SF gets Abreu you immediately go after Brandon Belt. Or maybe we get Abreu.

Kendrick from the Angels is supposedly avaialble again. Haven't researched who they have behind Kendrick but maybe a Beckham/Rienzo combo could get him since he's a free agent after 2015 ends. Kendrick doesnt walk much and is 30 now , but is a hitting, fielding, possibly speed upgrade over Beckham. Angels want pitching. Of course it also makes the Sox older but its only 2 years at $9.5M/yr. Sox could deal him at either deadline in those 2 years if no progress in standing are made. Perfect kind of contract for the Sox needs.

It'll be interesting to see what the winning bid is. Unfortunatly all bids will not be revealed nor will we know if it's only the top money that gets him. Any team seriously interested would offer in the range of 5-8 years and $60-80M.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Sep 30, 2013 -> 07:37 PM) http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/09/quick-hits-4.html I'd put the Mets and Giants with those 5 to make it 7.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ Oct 2, 2013 -> 08:49 PM) Wow. The White Sox pretty much put the Indians in the postseason. That's why I was pretty happy Cleveland lost. They kicked our butt so someone needed to send theirs home . Thank you TB.

QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Oct 1, 2013 -> 08:25 PM) Wasn't able to watch. I appreciate all the in-game updates. Hell of a game.

Huge kill by Hawks . Crawford coming up big.

Hossa given a goal had puck with empty net . Caps player tripped him down. Final 6-4 Hawks !!

Even strength but goalie pulled.

1 man advantage 5 secs left in it . Extra attacker for Caps. 1:38 left in game.

Caps with a 2 man advantage for 1M 26S . Yikes !

Odouya gives the Hawks back the lead on a shot that wouldve been wide deflected in by the Caps goalie Braden Holtby. saad with the assist . 3 point night for Saad.

Caps defenseman Connor Carrick #58 grew up on the south side and is a Sox fan.

Hawks give and go between Handzus and Saad . Saad ties it up. 4-4.

Green with another PP goal .4-3 Caps. 3 PP goals for the Caps. Hawks defense not agressive at all sitting way back letting Caps pass at will among the 3 guys at the top. Actuall iy was Grabovski again getting a piece of the Green shpt.

Caps PP goal to start the 3rd by Green. 3-3.

Seabrook with rebound goal on Hawks PP, assists by Hossa and Saad. 3-2 Hawks.Handzus injured.

Washington ( Grabovski )just scored on a 2 on 1 to tie the game at 2 in the 2nd period. Bollig 1st goal ever was 1st goal for the Hawks . Kane was the 2nd. Was 2-1 Hawks at the end of 1 . Ovechkin had the 1st Wash. goal on a PP. The Bollig goal was right after a Hawks PP expired but before the Caps player got back into the play.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 30, 2013 -> 01:23 PM) Keith Law said that. He's trying to be too fine, seems maybe a little afraid of early contact. Makes his pitch counts too high. He may be a reliever long-term, but he's got the stamina to be a starter if he can keep the pitch counts down and stop walking as many guys. He needs to talk to Mariano Rivera about that cutter and his curve is ML caliber too. His slider and change are so so.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Sep 29, 2013 -> 01:59 PM) If they can do that, I would then trade for Cargo. A line up of: SS Alexei CF Avi Garcia RF Carlos Gonzalez 1B Abreu C McCann LF Viciedo DH Dunn 3B Gillaspie/Keppinger 2B Semein/Beckham Bench Phegley Keppinger/Gillaspie Danks Garcia or Konerko That still could be under 100 million. With Helton retiring I don't see Cargo being moved.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 29, 2013 -> 01:46 PM) I thought the exact same thing. At least we only lost 99. The off season should be more fun than the regular season. The continued loyalty to the ex-Sox and Buddy Bell will tell me if chnages are coming or not. You don't hire people who have no experience winning anything to turn around an organization.