Jake

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 04:33 PM) How many girls do you even hear about playing HS baseball, the size/strength differences start appearing real quick. Someone can kiss my ass if Jennie Finch couldn't have been a HS baseball player

It's a total crapshoot, especially if you're not picking number 1 overall. The costs of picking first overall are just too high to justify the potential payoff. Let that happen when your whole team accidentally gets hurt or when you're a small market team that can't afford to compete.

Wanting to compete this year has not affected our ability to trade at the deadline

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 03:41 PM) Jake, if you start to trade Rios and Peavy, you're basically giving up on next year also. When organizations get in trouble is when they try to rebuild while contending. It's very hard to look at the roster without Rios and Peavy and think this team can even sniff competing against the powerhouse Tigers. There is a good chance that we don't even feel the loss of Peavy, production wise. Rios hurts which is why I would want the most for him and why I wouldn't be eager to move him unless someone gives me exactly what I want. If you got a high level prospect like Olt, there is a slight chance that he ends up being a just-as-important position player in the next year and almost certainly in the second year if all pans out. The way I would do it is you try to bring enough in for next season that it looks like a .500 team -- and sometimes those teams happen to take off. You continue building through that year, maybe trade off a guy or two if you fall out of it and hope to be really ready the next season. We're going to have a decent amount of money to play with and you have to count on getting players that make you better in these trades and maybe, just maybe, somebody of our own contributes offensively in that time. Maybe a Phegley, maybe a Sanchez or Johnson, maybe Dayan breaks out. This isn't the NBA...it doesn't really pay to be bad. A high draft pick is great, but not worth all the costs of losing. Teams can be rebuilt quickly with some savvy. We've seen it before (2005, anyone?).

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 03:29 PM) He's 20 years old in AAA. Offensively he hasn't been horrible and from reading accounts his defense has been very good. Let him play in Charlotte this year and next and see if he can play in the majors at the old age of 22 in 2015. He has been horrible offensively. I'm not writing him off, but he has been horrible this year and that is disappointing. By no means do I think he is a lost cause.

QUOTE (Joxer_Daly @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 03:55 PM) Yep! Hawk hasn't bothered me in the slightest, to be honest. Anyone else feed go funny during that last inning or is it just my computer/internet connection? Only cynics and non-Sox fans dislike Hawk. Hawk is especially awesome if you are new to the game.

Carlos Sanchez has been really disappointing this year.

QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 03:13 PM) I just can't see how Hawkins staying in High A and striking out at such a ridiculously high rate is a what's best for him. His K rate is absurd. I don't think the level of play has anything to do with it, which is the only reason I say he stays there. Could be a huge blow emotionally to get sent down and I would assume that the K rate would be just as high if he goes down to low A and doesn't change anythign else.

Nate Jones appears to be a changed man

LOL at what Crowe did

That is easily an error on Gordon Beckham. Quit bulls***ting

QUOTE (MuckFinnesota @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 02:57 PM) Carlos Torres also pitched for the Mets today...I'd rather see him out there than Nate Jones. The Cubs swept a bad team, and the Sox may get swept by an even worse team. What's wrong with this picture? WHAT?

woooooooooooooooo

Stone criticizing Flowers for setting up too early. I remember Hector being interviewed on the Score in the preseason and talking about how much he liked throwing to Tyler because he gave him a good, early target with his mitt.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 02:47 PM) If you give up Peavy and Rios, it's unlikely one team would be willing to give up enough in return to make it worth it for the Sox. I would be asking for a lot more for Rios than Peavy if it were me.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 02:45 PM) Matt Garza We can fill two of their holes in one move. Kablam

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 02:44 PM) With all their injuries to the pitching staff, it's more likely they use him to acquire a starting pitcher. Funny you say that, I have just the guy you're looking for...

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 02:41 PM) Limited playing time but made the bigs quickly. Last year he didn't show a lot in less than 40 at bats. I see he had 5 hitsd and 5 RBI's so that might be encouraging Look at his #'s in AA last year. Some believe he could be a corner OF'er if need be, as well. He has been hurt for part of this year and is just getting started, so don't read too much into his early season stats for this year.

My plan as Hahn is to get this team back on its feet again ASAP. No extended rebuilds. We'll assume that not much is different around mid-July, which is when we'll be dealing. Step 1. Crain: He's a must-trade. I think you could really steal from someone who wants Crain, but even if you don't love your offers, you have to pull the trigger on something. Step 2. Peavy: Try to see the market. You should be able to get a lot for him, and this is a case where I'd be willing to wait until the offseason to move him if he needs to prove he is healthy or whatever else. He is the most replaceable star we have, in that our pitching depth is pretty damn good and we have a good track record of developing starting arms. Step 3. Rios: Similar story to Peavy, but even in the offseason I would demand a king's ransom. He could be on this team until 2015 if we want him at about market value and if you want to rebuild quickly, this is an option. However, if you can pry away a Mike Olt type of player then you do that and be okay with the fact you will lose production in the short term. No A-ball prospects of any pedigree for Rios. Rios can still be a part of your next winner and you make the point clear to trading partners. You can always trade him next year, because again he is not blocking any prospects. Step 4. De Aza. See about his value. He's a good player in a premium position and you might be able to get something nice for him. We just have to accept that we don't have a good way to replace him and if you want to compete in the near term you will probably have to buy a centerfielder. Again, I wouldn't be forcing the issue to trade him but if you can get a good player at any level I would probably go ahead and do it. Step 5. Alexei. This is a tough one. He isn't the same player he once was and his contract is long but not fabulously expensive. With that said, a team in need of an SS will probably pay something nice for him. In this case, you're making Gordon your short term SS. Kep is your 2B and you hope Carlos Sanchez pans out in the next 12-18 months. If you go into the offseason and want to add parts to make a competitive team, you may end up frustrated that you don't have a half-ass decent SS. Part of the deal, though. Offseason plans: you give PK the finish to what is likely to be a "meh" season, pat him on the ass, let him walk. He probably retires, I would guess. You stick it out with Dunn. You're not going to get anything for him and after dumping some mixture of Peavy/Rios/Crain/PK/Floyd, you really don't even need to save more money. Dunn may very well hit 40 bombs again and is just the type of guy that can add a little excitement to a team that may be in a transition year. In the final year of his contract, if he still looks like a 40 bomb guy, he may actually become quite valuable in trade. He isn't blocking any prospects at this point, either. Bring in one major FA piece. You have some choices and you'll try to get one that the market doesn't overvalue. My primary target would probably be Kendry Morales to give you a middle-of-the-order bat for the next 3-4 years, but it is important not to overpay. Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Curtis Granderson, Nate McLouth, James Loney, and several others will be worth looking at as well. You don't have to get a top-top guy, but bring in a veteran that can fathomably be on your next playoff team. If you get good value, get another one. It's fine to accidentally win. Tyler Flowers will either be good enough to be your starting C or you hand the keys to Phegley. Tank gets another year, but his position is negotiable depending on your other moves. No need to look at adding pitchers. You can bring in a Matt Lindstrom-type, because again sucking isn't fun so it isn't a problem to spend a million or two on a guy that will keep you from losing some games. In the very worst case, these guys get valuable at the deadline. You should be in a position where a couple things can go right and you win and at worst you should be another productive offseason away from winning.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 02:18 PM) I don't remember a week where I've seen as many angry bat flips by Konerko as I've seen the past few games. He's seeing the end of his career rapidly approaching

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 02:17 PM) He threw his bat on that grounder farther than the ball went in the air. He had nice form on it. He's gotten very good at that

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 02:15 PM) Rios continues to not hustle out of the box. Learning from the master, Paul Konerko

What a play by Pena, don't see many 1B doing that.

Offensively, I just wait anxiously for Dunn's ABs because I at least know there is a decent chance I get to see a bomb.

QUOTE (staxx @ Jun 16, 2013 -> 02:12 PM) No phegley the last 2 days... Is he on a plane to chicago??? Would be weird timing as Flowers has batted about .370 over the past 10 games