jackie hayes

He's going to be the starter in Toronto, though. Don't think he would have come here to back up AJ.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 09:23 AM) He wasn't eligible for rookie of the year last year, if I recall correctly. No, he pitched too much in 2005. But I think kyyle's basically right. There was a ton of talk about him, too-high expectations. When he didn't dominate at the start of the season (he was pretty bad, really), everyone kind of lost interest. And moved on to Liriano. But the hype'll pick up again as soon as he delivers. Still unbelievably young.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 08:12 AM) as President of Soxtalk, I will have this man killed..... Drat, foiled again, the only promise that could possibly be more popular than mine.

Write in, baby! Who cares about this stupid election? We all know it doesn't matter who gets elected president of Soxtalk. Do you really think it's going to change anything around here; make one single person smarter or happier or nicer? The only person it does matter to is the one who gets elected. The same pathetic charade happens every year, and everyone makes the same pathetic promises just so they can put it on their resume to become a mod. So vote for me, because I don't even want to go to college, and I don't care, and as president I won't do anything. The only promise I will make is that if elected I will immediately dismantle the Soxtalk government, so that none of us will ever have to sit through one of these stupid threads again! Or don't vote for me... who cares? Don't vote at all! I totally wrote that myself.

QUOTE(fathom @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 12:24 AM) We have a very short window to legitimately compete for the world championship, and so many of the moves that are being proposed make us significantly worse for this upcoming season. Why? If we get good young pitching, there's no reason we can't compete for a long time.

QUOTE(KevHead0881 @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 12:11 AM) Well, I'm guessing this article will eventually have its own thread, but KW all but nixes this deal in the article, so I thought I'd post it here... Not really. There's been talk of a straight-up Crede-for-Figgins deal for a little while, and that's all he nixed. Not that this one will happen, just saying.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Nov 27, 2006 -> 10:06 PM) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/spor...30_felix26.html I wish that kid would get more attention. He's amazing. Wth? When he came up, everyone said noone's been this good, this young since Dwight Gooden. How much hype do you want?

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Nov 27, 2006 -> 06:12 PM) Personally I think Tejada is overvalued and Crede is undervalued but that's just me, and I'm sure most baseball people probably wouldn't agree with that sentiment. But Joe will be in line for a Tejada like deal when he hits FA, if he keeps improving offensively. Maybe. But mostly because salaries have increased, not because he's valued as highly as Tejada. I love having Joe on the team, but this was the first full season in which he cracked an .800 ops. Tejada does that every year, often pushing .900, and is a ss and .300 hitter to boot. That's a big difference.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Nov 27, 2006 -> 06:05 PM) It depends how desperate Arte Moreno and Bill Stoneman are to make a deal here. I'd obviously prefer Aybar over McPherson because he could step in for Uribe after next season. Don't forget that the Halos desperately want to win now, and are willing to give up prospects (except for their elite ones like Wood) to do so. Remember that the Angels offered Santana, Aybar and Kotchman just for Miggy Tejada. Crede is a little less valued than Tejada (although he's better defensively) and the Angels are getting a veteran starter in Freddy Garcia who could easily rebound for them. And Figgins value is down from last season after a sub-parish year. Crede's a lot less valued than Tejada, c'mon...

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Nov 27, 2006 -> 05:56 PM) LOL -- so the Sox would get six years of Aybar, four-six years of McPherson, four years of Santana, and two-three years of Figgins for one year of Freddy Garcia and two of Joe Crede? Plus ten million dollars of relief? You sure you can't get Jeff Weaver, Brandon Wood, and Howie Kendrick added to that deal? It'd make it more fair. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Remind me not to hire you as my gm. Although KW made that mistake, and he's turned out okay...

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Nov 27, 2006 -> 05:50 PM) If we trade for Figgins to play CF, then the Garland and Anderson for Danks, Hurley and Masset deal could possibly be back on. But you could also not include BA, and just use Figgins at 3B or LF instead. But if we didn't do that, we'd probably still need upgrades at 3B and LF still. McPherson would be a good guy to buy low on (or even Kotchman). How would people feel about a Santana, Figgins, McPherson and Aybar for Crede and Garcia deal? Then after you do the deal above, you have 5 starters and some stud SP prospects. You're expecting too much in each trade, imho. Both McPherson and Aybar? No way. I doubt you get even one. If you do (get one), you make that trade immediately.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Nov 27, 2006 -> 05:33 PM) Are you implying that Chris Young is one of the top prospects in all of baseball? I didnt even think he was OUR top prospect. He would have been, if we had kept him. (At least by the BA list.)

QUOTE(SoxFan562004 @ Nov 27, 2006 -> 05:26 PM) If that's true, then IMO Boras is trying to bust 30 day window and challenge the posting system. To post the 50+ million, the theory was the Red Sox would tie in Japanese networks, ads... etc, a one year deal probably wouldn't lend itself to those types of deals being very profitable It depends what it meant. Suppose he came in around $15 mil and the Sawks stuck at $7.5. Maybe he replies, okay, $8 mil, but only on a one-year deal. Sounds doubtful. The rumor before bidding ended was that he would insist on a 3-year deal.

Bold prediction: None of Pelfrey, Hughes, Bailey, or Wood will be traded to the White Sox for one of our starters.

Lots of people are expecting too much for our players. They are bargains, yes, but not as good as the bargain that a pre-arbitration player is. Why are all these teams gonna send us loads of very-close, top-10 prospects to save a few million for one year?

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Nov 27, 2006 -> 04:42 PM) I actually commented in a thread last week a deal of this magnitude, involving those players, was fairly matched. This proposed scenario is problem, in one sense, because we're expecting someone to overpay for one of our starters. Not put us in a position where we're unloading Crede packaged with Garcia. Even for a player of Santana and Figgens calibur. Problem I have is if you believe Figgens will be in LF, who's our 3B? If you believe Figgens is our 3B, you can't POSSIBLY maintain Podsednik in LF. Hopefully, if this is true, another starter is traded for a package possibly involving a 3B/SP prospects. Or Anaheim includes an additional infield prospect See, Kenny's listening to you. Where's our Santana, indeed.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Nov 27, 2006 -> 04:41 PM) Santana and Garcia could be deemed a wash. No...

Link. If this article is right, and they're offering $7-8 mil, that is absurdly low. Unless it's a one-year deal.

Wow, didn't see that coming. Not my first choice, but a pretty good one.

QUOTE(ptatc @ Nov 20, 2006 -> 01:40 PM) KW worries about making the Sox better, not what happens on the other side of town. Any deal with Baltimore had better begin with Bedard otherwise they have nothing we need. It'll end there, too. Bedard and Markakis are nearly untouchable. Rightfully so -- Bedard is, by himself, more valuable than any one of our starters.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Nov 20, 2006 -> 02:21 AM) I'm no baseball historian, but... -Biggio (arguable, but check out his age 25-30 seasons. Average OPS+ of better than 125 while playing MUCH better defense than Soriano at 2B). -Robbie Alomar -Joe Morgan -Rogers Hornsby -Jeff Kent (Kent exploded in his 30s, so no, up until age 30 he wasn't as good as Soriano has been. That being said, I would be willing to wager a LARGE amount of cash that Soriano won't be nearly as good as Kent was. Kent also played 2nd base well into his 30s, while Soriano isn't playing 2B at age 30.) There's five, three of which are clearly above Sori, two of which are debatable, and I'm sure someone can scrounge up another five. But this is tough; Soriano is done as a 2nd-baseman, whereas all these guys played at second well into their 30s. So in essence we're now comparing an OFer, or a bad defensive 2nd-baseman, to guys who were good enough to stick at 2nd for a majority of their careers. I agree with all these, then add Eddie Collins (who really should be the first name off any Sox fan's tongue, shame to me), Jackie Robinson, Napoleon Lajoie, Lou Whitaker, and, by the time Soriano's done, Chase Utley. I think Sandberg is better, too. Personally, I'd put more ahead of him, but those are the ones who seem the most obvious. If you really think, after looking through all these players, that Soriano is better than all of them, I'd love to know why. He doesn't get on base more, hit for a better average, or hit (regularly) with more power. He strikes out a ton and despises walks. What a prize...

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Nov 20, 2006 -> 12:38 AM) Well I think Morgan is over-rated as all get up. But those are other aspects, he couldn't hold Soriano's jock with the bat. Hell Jeff Kent is a better offensive 2nd baseman than Morgan, imo. Alomar was a legend and in a total league of his own (best defensive and aside from run production numbers, best offensive one as well). When all is set and done, you take his span of actually playing 2nd base and put up those stats with any 2nd baseman in the same span and you'll see that he was a truly legendary offensive 2nd baseman. Doesn't mean he's one of the greatest offensive players of all time or anything, but during his span he's one of the all time best offensive 2nd baseman (absolutely no doubt about it). Of course I was saying this 2 and 3 years ago when everyone around seemed to slam him and think so lowly of him. I never understood why either cause the guy can flat out rake. I'm sure he'll be above average, but imo he won't crack top 10. And he'll be FAR from the best hitter of the bunch.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Nov 20, 2006 -> 12:19 AM) (yes this was his best ever, but even before you could make a case that he was the greatest offensive 2nd baseman ever...although Robbie Alomar is the greatest 2nd baseman of all time). Don't agree with the rest either, but on this, you've got to be kidding. As bad as Morgan is as an announcer, there's no chance you put Soriano above him with the bat. Hornsby was an asshole and a Cub, but him too. Just the first two that come to mind, I'm sure there are more.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Nov 20, 2006 -> 12:07 AM) I'm sorry, but this is a tremendous move for the Cubs. We are talking about one of the premier offensive players in the game going to a team that needed offense and some talent at the top of the order. On top of it all they also got a very good base-stealer. Sure its a lot of money but the Cubs can afford it. Great move by the Cubs (even though the deal is too long but who the hell knows what the economics of baseball will be 8 years from now anyway and I still think you can always find teams to take guys like this off your hands 4 or 5 years from now anyway. Ummm...Soriano is an above average left fielder and I assume thats where he will play. And I have no doubt he'll continue to improve in LF. He has a good arm and good range. This is a TERRIBLE move. He's had exactly one season where he's looked this good. And even this year, his obp and slg were below Ramirez's. (Although JUST BARELY, and his ops+ was somewhat above, playing in Washington. It was a very good year, just not one of the greatest seasons ever, as many seem to think.) But then, he's got speed. But as with Pods, it apparently doesn't help him steal bases. To sign this guy for 8 years at one of the League's highest salaries is hilarious. They've said he'll play cf, fwiw.

I don't think this is such a "crazy" deal. $4-5 mil per doesn't look like bad value as long as Catalanotto gets 400+ abs each year. Always gets on base, not too many hrs, but makes up for it with a high average and enough doubles. Good signing. Plus, I always think of him as a Ranger, anyway.