BlackBetsy

I just fear this is our Larry Anderson for Jeff Bagwell trade. Kenny Williams hasn't had a big trade bite him in the ass yet (Kip Wells and Fogg for Todd Ritchie was bad, but neither were perennial All Star players).

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 07:13 AM) Interesting quote. I'm sure JR is refering to solidifying this already impressive rotation via free agency in the offseason. I highly doubt Contreras comes back next year. Lackey, Webb and Harden are the top 3 starting pitchers via free agency. Honestly i would much rather spend money on an outfielder than spend another 10+ million on a SP. Then again KW always seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve. . . perhaps making a deal with a team to aqcuire a young cheap starter like Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf or Johnny Cueto, I kind of think JR was joking a bit - like having a great infield and outfield and saying "we'll probably have a catcher, too" I doubt the Sox will go out into the market for big bucks and lock up somebody that makes Danks a 5th starter.... In any case, the 5th starter spot is overrated anyway. If you worked your 4 starters every 5 days, you'd only need the 5th spot 20 times per year. I'd prefer a veteran that's better on long rest, like Ted Lyons as a "Sunday Starter."

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 09:41 AM) I’m not saying the move is going to happen, but center field defense has never been an issue for this organization. I guess you mean the post-Reinsdorf Sox organization. Because Jim Landis and Ken Berry were pretty good defensive CF'ers with marginal offensive contributions.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 07:43 AM) Mauer seems ticketed for 1B eventually... If he was an everyday catcher, MAYBE. But that's such a huge long-term deal, only 3-5 teams in baseball realistically could offer it and survive him suffering a major injury. If the Yankees think he's headed for 1B, they wouldn't be interested since they just locked up Teixeira for 8 years. I think that if the Twins don't re-sign Mauer (especially in the first year of their new stadium), they are playing with fire with their fan base. Mauer is from St. Paul. The most natural places for him to go are the Red Sox or the Mets if there is a chance that he would move to 1B. Neither team right now have long term solutions at either C or 1B. Victor Martinez is not the solution for the Red Sox long term at either position. I don't think he'll leave. His agent represented a bunch of players (Cal Ripken, etc.) that played their whole careers in one place. I think he takes less than what the Red Sox or Mets would offer to stay in Minnesota.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Aug 1, 2009 -> 07:15 PM) Barring injury, there's no reason to think this. His hitting approach is completely different now than what it was. But there is no place to put him if we don't want him to play CF. He's not up to CF defensively. The Sox will need a CF solution no later than 2011 and probably sooner. Pods has had three good years in MLB and has trailed off the two years afterwards each time. With his number of caught stealing, he's not really productive on the base paths as he once was. I agree that Chone Figgins would be a nice addition, but it's not clear how much salary flexibility the Sox would have after Peavy. If you are resigning Dye, then the Sox are really only $4-$5 million ahead of where they would have been - not enough to pick up Figgins. Unless they are going to take on payroll.

So based on the +10 run spread in this game, Baseball Prospectus will give us another 10% chance of winning the division.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 1, 2009 -> 06:25 PM) By the way, I'm not hating on Danks. He's a ridiculously good #4 and he's learning how to pitch still. He's a really good one too with an upside of a #2 as well. I give Floyd a little bit of a notch and right now I think Floyd is better but he's also older. I f***ing love the fact that we have both of them on the southside!!! Combine that with Buehrle/Peavy and what I expect will be Hudson next season (maybe a veteran stop-gap until Hudson takes over) and we are talking about a team that if the rotation is healthy, should contend every single season. Danks isn't a #4 on most teams right now. He's a #3 on the Yankees, #3 on the Red Sox, #2 / #3 on the Angels this year. He's at worst #3 for the Sox (I think he's pretty equal with Floyd overall but Floyd has been hotter the last few months) and will only go down to #4 because the Sox will have two legitimate #1s for the first time since who knows when (Peters / Horlen?).

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Aug 1, 2009 -> 08:09 AM) I don't want Hudson anywhere near the AFL this year. Further explanation? Too many innings? Exposing him to all prospect lineups?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 31, 2009 -> 08:54 PM) Right now, if it was the playoffs and you had only two choices, I would want Gavin Floyd over Danks. But that's just me. I don't get that. Danks shut out the Twins in the playoff game last year. Danks had the only victory in the series against the Rays. To me, Danks is the clear choice.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 31, 2009 -> 11:29 PM) Would KW dare to give Contreras a one year, incentive-laden contract for $3-5 million plus incentives to be the 5th starter (and keep him around Viciedo and Ramirez)? Are Torres or Hudson ready? Should they bring in a Jon Garland/D. Davis/Paul Byrd type for one year, like they tried with Colon this season as a low-risk roll of the dice. I think Hudson has a chance of being ready. KW may be thinking that with the economy in the crapper, free agents are going to be cheaper this offseason. If he's right, he gets to buy low.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jul 31, 2009 -> 10:44 PM) How many times does it have to be pointed out that Kenny doesn't know how they're going to make it work financially with Peavy? He basically admitted they are just going to wing it. They are making an exception to acquire a very special player. Shouldn't that be a good thing? They try to operate the team like a successful business organization. They try to stay in the black. But they are willing to make additional expenditures which make concept less certain in order to win. Why do you always view that in a negative light? I am a little curious as to how the budget works out in 2010 / 2011. Dye, Thome and Contreras come off this year, so that's a huge savings ($36 million?)...BUT I can't see this team contending without Dye and Thome next year. Assuming Konerko goes to DH, who plays first? A scrap heaper? Quentin shifts to RF, I get it, but is the rest of the outfield Podsednik and Wise? Unless you think Danks will be ready next year (doubtful), you have to pick up Dye's mutual option and let Thome go. But trading Brandon Allen makes no sense at that point. And Viciedo isn't going to be ready in 2010 like Allen was going to be. If the budget does expand, this is less of an issue...

QUOTE (son of a rude @ Jul 31, 2009 -> 02:45 AM) Hudson's numbers are better than McCarthy's and Honel's were. (AA) 1.76 era, 56 strikeouts in 50 innings, .85 whip, only 1 HR given up. I can't wait to see him pitch in the majors. His ERA is lower, but his K/BB is not as good as McCarthy. They are putting up fairly similar lines. Hudson may be a better prospect because his pitches have more movement.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 09:40 PM) If a player drops a ball in foul territory for an error, would that eliminate a perfect game? If the pitcher later retires the batter, I can't see why it would affect a perfect game.

QUOTE (AWhiteSoxinNJ @ Jul 26, 2009 -> 06:08 PM) Thome will be back. I think Thome is AL-only at this point, but I can see him going to the Angels to fill their DH slot, the Mariners, even the Twins (for their new park). The Yankees would want him, as well as the Red Sox if they had the ability.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Jul 26, 2009 -> 01:45 PM) I'm gonna go with JPNese unless someone wows me with something else before the end of the day. sweet I am in line for some fat royalty checks..

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 25, 2009 -> 06:51 PM) You really have to wonder if Leyland has our signs. I'm not sure that Pods gets a sign to steal. I'd be pretty sure he has the green light.

I have very little faith in the bullpen right now - and Thornton definitely can't go 2 1/3. Hopefully a couple of days off for Jenks will make a difference.

QUOTE (Capn12 @ Jul 25, 2009 -> 06:26 PM) AJ having a game. What kind of name is Fu-Te Ni? One that is kind of awesome.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Jul 25, 2009 -> 04:12 PM) Explain that one. Rephrasing Sweet Home Alabama ("In Birmingham they love the Gov'nuh" (boo hoo hoo)")

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Jul 25, 2009 -> 12:47 PM) I actually like some of those. I see you researched info on the area too. I lived in Alabama in 97-98. Montgomery, not Birmingham, but I did get very drunk in Birmingham at least once.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jul 25, 2009 -> 01:54 PM) I like Barons Banter. It's short and gets the point across. Some of blackbetsy's are good, but people might not get some of them because they seem related to the city and not the team. I totally missed this one, which is so obvious. "In Birmingham they love the Barons (boo hoo hoo)"

Here are the worst titles I could come up with, which makes them good blog titles Birminghamming it Up Re(a)d Baron Hoover Metro Section Double A Plus Southern Exposure Iron City Lumber JPNese Birmingham Is Not the Capital All Your Prospect Belong to Us

QUOTE (WHarris1 @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:51 PM) Worrying about losing Wise on waivers is absolutely f***ed. No one would even want him and even if they did that would be beneficial. They DFA'ed him earlier in the season and he stayed with the Sox, IIRC.

QUOTE (EvilJester99 @ Jul 20, 2009 -> 06:18 PM) Can't really blame him.... Especially when they keep DeWayne Wise instead of you. It's amazing how many colossally stupid moves this organization makes despite generally being smart about things.

Given what we've heard about Beckham, if he's flirting with .300, he'll probably nail .300.