BlackBetsy

QUOTE(Randar68 @ Nov 2, 2005 -> 06:19 PM) And what would you do in 2007 when you're trying to break Chris Young and/or Owens and/or Sweeney into the majors? You'd be expecting him to hit 8th or 9th... that's it! OK Randar- what would you do in 2007 when Chris Young is ready, and assuming the Sox trade Rowand? Make Anderson a corner OF? Make Young a corner OF? By the way, regardless of the merits, I do not foresee any possibility that KW trades the starting centerfielder and one of the most popular players (internally and with fans) on a World Champion team. Don't see it. I think at this point KW is clearly heading to the point where B.A. is carried as a 4th OF to replace Timo.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Nov 2, 2005 -> 08:32 PM) I still give Haig the nod, but I'm higher than Haigwood than most. Plus I think Gonzo has a little more to prove to me health wise. That said, he has very good stuff and polish for a kid his age. Health is a close issue between Haigwood & Gio. Haigwood missed all of 2003 with an injury. Haigwood's command is his biggest issue. If he could drop his walks by 30%, I'd agree he's a better prospect than Gio. But unless an until then, Gio is better in my books. That said, they are both pretty similar type prospects.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Nov 2, 2005 -> 04:43 PM) dude, the indians could be phenomenal next year. or, they could start out slow and finish hot. plus, i dont think millwood will re-sign there. cubs 22nd... how the (somewhat) mighty have fallen Hard to gauge next year's Jndjan team. If Millwood is gone, that's a pretty big loss. They'll have to sign a good starter if they lose him. I think they'll re-sign him, though. Their payroll is way low. I love the Sox, but damn the Jndjans are going to be tough competition next year. Hopefully their bullpen - populated by a bunch of old guys - falls apart.

QUOTE(fathom @ Nov 1, 2005 -> 11:56 AM) They do have a new General Manager, but unless that GM is a 3 yr old girl, I don't think anyone on this planet would do that trade. Except for the fact that Huff is in the last season of his contract and his value will go down every day during the season. He won't get much more than a prospect in a deadline deal. No way does Huff return to TB after 2006. Very rarely do you get a starting pitcher and a player who plays a premium defensive position for a DH type.

QUOTE(Randar68 @ Nov 1, 2005 -> 11:23 AM) Please tell me what centerpiece Rowand is. How ludicrous are you being? KW would be wise to get a lefty reliever for Rowand so he can trade Marte and in the process dump a combined 5 million dollars to use toward filling the #3 hole in the order or resigning Konerko. Far more important questions than debating "what's the difference between Brian Anderson and Aaron Rowand." Again, you overvalue Aaron Rowand SIGNFICANTLY. Put down the Sox kool-aid and find your way back to reality. You've got to get more than a lefty reliever for Rowand. I wouldn't mind the Sox packaging Rowand and El Duque to pick up Aubrey Huff + a reliever from Tampa.

QUOTE(3E8 @ Oct 31, 2005 -> 08:38 PM) BTF published 2006 ZiPS projections including the four players you just mentioned in this paragraph. It's worth a look. 2006 White Sox ZiPS Projections Interesting stuff. This says that Young would be probably the best of all of them in 2006. I'm actually inclined to agree. I just love the way Young adjusted throughout the year at Birmingham and hit better essentially every month. I really could see C-Y and B-Mac being the cornerstones of the franchise from '07-'17. Throw in Sweeney (if he gets his power) and Valido (if he gets some patience), and you could have a really strong home-grown nucleus.

QUOTE(Randar68 @ Oct 31, 2005 -> 06:54 PM) You guys are VASTLY overrating Aaron Rowand. We're talking about a #7 or 8 hitter on most teams. Well. the question is whether Rowand is a .900 OPS hitter like in 2005. It's not far to say that he'll only ever be a .900 OPS guy. The question the Sox face is much more dynamic than Rowand vs. Anderson. There's Chris Young coming up faster than most expected. Truth be told, I think he's the best of the bunch. He's a .290/.390/.520 guy, I think. And where does Sweeney play when his power catches up with his swing. Mind you, that does not even take into account the man that was the origina subject of this thread. These are all good problems to have.

Fool. Second highest payroll in baseball, your hometown and $1.5 million per year. I don't care if you have to answer to Shemp Howard, you keep that job. I could understand it if he'd already had a long career and had made his money. But to leave $4.5 million on the table - security for yourself and your children - over whether you have to talk to Lucchino first is idiotic.

QUOTE(Randar68 @ Oct 31, 2005 -> 04:05 PM) You're doing it by blindy fudging stats that have no real bearing on what player A versus Player B will do when they reach the majors. I'm basing it on watching the kid play. But if that's the case, then you are basing your statements about Anderson on subjective criteria. In other words, your judgment is that Anderson will produce about the same as Rowand next year. But, since your opinion is subjective, it is essentially impossible to argue that you are wrong. But it's also impossible for you to prove that you are right. I note that Rowand put up an .868 OPS in Charlotte in 2001, but then put up a .692 OPS in Chicago in 2002. So a .100 point drop in OPS is not out of the question. I'm not sure who the real Rowand is, the one with a .900 OPS in 2004, or the one with the piss-poor .736 OPS in 2005. If he's really in the middle - an .820 OPS, then he's a very, very valuable player as a CF.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Oct 31, 2005 -> 03:25 PM) Also, I think Blum could be back based on what type of money he wants. This year he made 575k so if he would take a similar deal I'd keep him but with his family on the West Coast it could also be a longshot. Agreed - with young triplets, I'd expect him back in SD or in LA or Phoenix. He's got his memory...now he needs to get back to his family.

A few points: *Garland is unlikely to pop up to $8 million in arbitration. I'd think $6 million is more likely. *No way is Timo back at $1.25 million when Brian Anderson is available. *Not sure the $4 million in buy-outs are applicable in considering next year's salary inasmuch as they are already sunk cost. *Ozuna will probably get something like $400, not $ 1million *Sexson got an average of $12.5 million. I'd expect Paulie to beat Sexson's deal, given that he is the biggest name free agent available. My instinct is $13.5 million over 5 years - $67.5/5. At that price, the Sox might not be in the game.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Oct 30, 2005 -> 09:24 PM) Thoughout the course of the playoffs, I just kept telling my buddies, "I can't imagine trying to hit a Neal Cotts fastball." If you've watched him pitch regularly, it's pretty easy to tell he has one of the sneakiest fastballs in the league. Hands down. When on, and coming in at that angle, that frickin' thing can be untouchable. Yup. During Game 1, I thought the Astro hitters looked much worse against Neal's fastball than they did against Jenks' heater. It looked 2-3 mph quicker than Jenks, even. It's the deceptiveness that makes the difference. Then I found out after the game that Cotts threw one of his fastballs 94 mph. With his deceptiveness, I'm not sure there is a hitter that could touch that. My guess is that it gets on a hitter like a 102+ fastball. If Neal had a good #2 pitch, he'd be a good starter. If he had a good #3 pitch, too, I think he'd be a dominant starter.

The pattern was '08 (Cubs) - '17 (White Sox) - '18 (Red Sox) If the reverse pattern holds up, it would be: '04 (Red Sox) - '05 (White Sox) - '14 (Cubs) Motto for Cubs fans- "Wait til nine years"

QUOTE(sayitaintso @ Oct 30, 2005 -> 01:16 PM) Do you guys think that the sox have a legit chance of signing Guardado? I think Guardado wants to be a closer, and the Sox have Jenks and Hermanson in line in front of him. I'd expect Guardado to wind up with someone like the Phillies or Atlanta, who need a proven closer (I'm assuming that Wagner is gone, gone in Philly).

QUOTE(DonkeyKongerko @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 10:13 PM) That's worse than backtracking. He's practically contradicting statements he made earlier. Now he's saying the appeal he was involved in was "tangential"? And that he doesn't know a name but just has heard rumors?? Sounds like he's saying he doesn't know anything at all. Will Carroll, your credibility meter is dropping. That exchange on Baseball Musings has all the hallmarks of a cat trying to cover his crap on a marble floor.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 05:27 PM) Sadly, No. Had you mentioned something on BB, I might have. I think we discussed it over at BTF recently. http://thenats.blogspot.com/2005/10/nats-p...tegy-alert.html Same strategy - get flyball pitchers, churn them into prospects/position players. When your park favors hitting, get pitchers. When your park favors pitching, get hitters. P.S., DM is a great writer and great mind for baseball. His WV scoring is really innovative.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Oct 29, 2005 -> 04:54 PM) Washington is an extreme pitcher's park. For the next couple of years, while they wait for their new stadium, they would be smart to sign lots of guys like Loaiza. -- Players on the cheap, who have a high flyball rate would stand to benefit the most. -- Sign them to 2 year deals, backloaded. When they put up a sweet ERA in the first season, you can ship them out for actual good players in return. Have you been reading me at Nats Blog?

How come no one has said WHERE WOULD HE PLAY yet?

QUOTE(knightni @ Oct 28, 2005 -> 03:38 PM) Maybe they can offer him a front loaded contract with a declining skills clause, like Frank. It would give him Year 1: 17 mil Year 2: 15 mil Year 3: 12 mil Year 4: 10 mil Year 5: 8 mil (mutual option) I totally agree with you. Add in the fact that the Sox will get about $10 million in 2006 as their share of the profit on the Nationals, and it makes a whole lot of sense to make 2006 and 2007 (when Konerko is more likely to be productive) much higher in terms of contract value. Heck, I'd give him 5-$60 as $20, $15, $12, $7, $6. Use the Nats money on years 2006-07. Or give him a $10 million bonus and make it $15, $10, $10, $8, $7.

QUOTE(Brian @ Oct 28, 2005 -> 01:37 PM) Agreed 100%. Last time a rumor like this came out, nothing came of. Not worth losing sleep over. This is a bit more than a rumor when Will Carroll confirms that he was involved in the appeals process. I just hope it was not a White Sox outfielder.

QUOTE(fathom @ Oct 27, 2005 -> 09:38 PM) The thing is, THEY WEREN'T USING STEROIDS DURING THE PLAYOFFS! What would that have anything to do with it? Steroids improve your performance over the long term, not the short term. Taking steroids all season and then going "clean" during the playoffs doesn't mean you weren't helped by steroids in the playoffs.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Oct 27, 2005 -> 09:14 PM) Pods or Dye would be worse. About 1 million times worse. Rowand played OK, but was not decisive in any games. Pods won Game 2 with the walkoff, Dye game 4 with the bingle up the middle (no steroids there). I'm praying that it is not a White Sox. Let it be Manny.

QUOTE(Randar68 @ Oct 26, 2005 -> 10:58 AM) They may move Anderson in a couple years but he is possibly KW's favorite player. Anyone notice Aaron Rowand's offense against good pitching in the playoffs? Isn't it weird that Rowand and Anderson sit next to each other on the bench all the time?

QUOTE(Steff @ Oct 25, 2005 -> 02:40 PM) It's MLB's show. I don't disagree...but I wish they could just say, "Here's our rule...it's open when it's below X degrees out and not raining. No exceptions." There shouldn't be any ad hoc efforts. One rule for the season and post-season, and put it in the official rule book for everyone to see.

QUOTE(Steff @ Oct 25, 2005 -> 04:42 PM) 12-2 at home. Just like Buehrle before Game 2.... This guy is tough - he's their best pitcher right now. He's hot, and he pitched awesome after they had a gut busting loss in Game 5 of the NLCS.