hitlesswonder

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 07:55 PM) I agree there are no good options, but even with Terrero's small advantage in average he's still only three percentage points better in OPS. Fields can draw a walk. Terrero doesn't know what one is. That's true -- if I had to pick I'd go with Fields for his advantage in OBP and probable power. I was just trying to point out that there's no hitter in AAA that is ready to hit in the bigs. Fields looks to have a lot of the same problems that Anderson has (e.g. Ks), and I hope people don't expect too much.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 07:40 PM) yep... I wouldn't mind Fields though. Fields is hitting worse than Terrero. There are no good offensive options in the Sox minor league system. They need to look outside

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 05:18 PM) Are you kidding me...Cintron has a terrible eye but he's hit for a good average most of his career and he's also been one of the best pinch hitters in baseball the past couple years. No, Cintron isn't a starter but he is a very good bench player. Before this year, I agree that he was a good bench player. But I think the elbow surgery is still bothering him...I'm not sure we'll see much out of him this season.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 05:04 PM) The fact is that Brian Anderson couldn't out hit a lot of pitchers right now. Neither can Cintron, but here we are. QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 05:16 PM) I meant to say at this point in the season (ie he shouldn't have been on the major league roster at all so far this year, but I'm not going into the future). I just felt he doesn't have the swing to succeed at the ML level and he shouldn't get enough ab's to develop that swing at the ML level (because quite frankly he has a long ways to go) so he should have just been down in Charlotte from the start. Agreed.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 05:04 PM) Good luck down in AAA BA, maybe you can figure things out because you really don't deserve to have been on a major league roster at all this season. I agree Anderson needs to be in AAA and then to leave the organization, but he did have a good spring training under a decent amount of pressure. So, I don't it's accurate to say doesn't deserve to be on any major league roster this season. Florida could use him right now.

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 04:24 PM) Here's the big issue: if Anderson has no future with this organization, then we're really going to regret it when we going into full rebuilding mode after this year. Unless rebuilding means a new manager, it wouldn't help to keep Anderson in the organization. It's clear he can't play for Guillen.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 04:00 PM) Brian Anderson will never again play for the Chicago White Sox. I hope he gets picked up by Texas or Florida & gets another chance. He's still pretty young and a bunch of guys have managed to turn into productive major leaguers after 400 lousy at-bats. Hopefully he'll be one of them.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 03:58 PM) Eduardo Perez? Probably just a 13th pitcher

QUOTE(caulfield12 @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 02:48 PM) And what do they have to trade? It's a classic case of the desperation, shake things up move...getting someone like Willits from the Angels would probably cost us Haeger and-or Broadway. We're stuck. Maybe Anderson and Haeger/Broadway for Ryan Church. We need to do something. Otherwise, we'll just have to dangle Buehrle out there for the best possible return for 08 and beyond and cross our fingers identify the right player/s to acquire in return. I'd trade Haeger and/or Broadway for Willits. He's a player with a skill set unseen in the Sox organization, and the Sox have other minor league pitchers that are better prospects than those two. I doubt the Angels make that deal. Sometimes desperation moves are warranted. Williams made one when he acquired Garcia. He gave up what many people thought was a great haul of young talent, and it didn't work in that the Sox didn't make the playoffs in 2004. But long-term it wasn't a bad deal. I'd rather see the Sox make a move than cash in a season. It's not like we're talking about them trading the next Clemens or Pujols t bring in a rent-a-player.

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 02:46 PM) Prediction time: how many games out of the AL Central lead will we be after this long road trip? I'll go with 7

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 02:40 PM) Yet we think calling up a AAA player who is hitting around .250 is going to help us. We need to acquire a new hitter soon, as this lineup has no life in it. And that pretty much sums things up. The pitching has been good enough to contend. But the problems with thin lineup are bigger than Thome being out. Crede, Konerko, AJ, Dye, Mack have all performed worse than what I would expect. The problem is that it may not be a slump for some of them -- it may just be who they are at this point (Crede, AJ in particular). The Sox need to make a trade.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 01:47 PM) I think the Sox get shutout today. I am so, so wrong Buehrle has his 2 runs...it's up to him now.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 01:37 PM) On another note, how good would Jamie Burke look behind the plate every 5 games? Is there a reason why Wiki Gonzalez isn't with the Sox? I understand the Sox are hoping Hall comes back and aren't making a move until that hope proves futile. But why not swap Molina for Gonzalez? It's not like he could be worse. I'm wondering if there's a reason I haven't thought of, aside form the Sox actually thinking Molina is better.... QUOTE(winninguglyin83 @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 01:44 PM) speak now. can we score one run? has to be in the first six or so innings. Won't score late against their pen. I think the Sox get shutout today. On the plus side, Cintron has cemented himself as the new DH with that hit. Great.

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 01:21 PM) So where does this lineup rank on the worst Sox lineup's over the last 5 years? I don't like to think about the past, I'm too busy looking foward to an OF of Pods-Erstad-Sweeny in 2008...or maybe sooner!

QUOTE(shawnhillegas @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 01:14 PM) Does the bench have a cumulative average under .100 (excluding Mack)? I don't think -- Pablo is hitting .250. But it is a terrible bench, especially since Cintron and Mack are not cheap. Look at it: Molina...worst hitting C in the bigs Ozuna..slap hitter that can't play defense Cintron..hacktastic hitter that is on the roster because Ozuna can't play SS Mack...decent backup for the corners (LF,RF,3B,1B) Anderson...on roster becuase Pods/Ozuna/Mack can't play CF It's just a badly constructed roster, with no one oustide of Mack really having any offense on the bench.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 01:10 PM) That's pathetic. That's an easy throw to first. You can't throw that ball away. Don't worry, Buehrle will pitch around the bad defense like always...

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 01:09 PM) Ordonez is fantastic against Santana. Cintron continues to be absolutely worthless. I don't understand why Ozzie keeps giving Iguchi days off against tough RHP. Sort of amazing that Anderson is actually only the 3rd worst hitter on the team behind Molina and Cintron....

QUOTE(Whitewashed in @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 12:04 PM) Fields?? So does this mean he gets the nod for JD's spot for 08?? That is unless they resign him or acquire someone else. Fields K numbers are pretty bad. That like of ability to make contact has derialed better prospects than Fileds (Borchard, Dallas MacPherson). I'm not real optimistic that he'd hit at the major league level. But, that's just my uninformed opinion... I'm sure the Sox have Sweeney pencilled in RF for 2008. A Pods-Erstad-Sweeney OF would be one of the worst I've ever seen. They might not hit 10 HRs as a group. The Sox will absolutely need to acquire at leats one OF (preferably 2) from outside the organization if they are going to compete in 2008.

QUOTE(Al Lopez @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 09:41 AM) Well, that's how this happens. Anderson is just one little Sweeney hot streak away from the minors. If Sweeney struggles here, BA gets a reprieve. I'm sure Anderson will be sent down before Thome gets back. The Sox have an open spot on the 40 man roster, they're looking to bring someone in.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 09:19 AM) It doesn't matter if he's pitching in my back yard, you can't deny the K's. The Ks are good, but it doesn't mean he's a lock to be a good major league picther. Yumeiro Petit had great K numbers in the minors, but he looks like he might not be able to get out major league hitters. Javier Vazquez routinely posts great K numbers and every year he's listed as "breakout" candidate. One of the reasons that he has never had the kind of success predicted for him is a tendency to give up HRs (although he did a good job on that last season and still had problems). Gio's a good prospect, but he's not in the same league as the top tier of pitching prospects. If he goes to Charlotte and posts these numbers, then I think it would be time to start wondering if really is very, very good.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 12:54 AM) I don't think you're being very fair to Gio. You seem to be penalizing him for pitching in a pitcher's park, but don't cut him any slack for pitching last year in a hitter's park. Gio is still only 21 years old, so he's still well ahead of the curve as far as pitching prospects go.... IMO the Sox shouldn't trade any of Russell, Gio or Egbert unless they're getting a young player (mid-20s) back in return. What, Philly can't make mistakes? The team that gave Adam Eaton a three year deal? The team that made their best pitcher a reliever? The team that KW got the better of in the Thome deal? That isn't relevant in the least bit. I agree that Gonzalez is a good prospect, I just meant he wasn't a top-tier untouchable prospect IMO. I've seen him pitch all of 2 times and even if I had seen more it wouldn't help because I'm not scout -- by which I'm saying I could obviously be wrong here. Just going by numbers, and given the concerns scouts have about his build, I wouldn't be averse to trading him for a good player. And by that I mean not Reggie Sanders. I was thinking more like a youngish OF that can hit. So, we're probably closer ot agreeing than ti seems. The comment of PHI isn't that their GM is great, it's just that if Gonzalez were widely recognized to be a talent on par with Hughes that PHI wouldn't have traded him.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Apr 29, 2007 -> 12:40 AM) Who exactly would we replace Buehrle or Garland with under your plan if Gonzalez is gone? We're certainly not going to overpay for anyone on the market. This "win now" philosophy needs to go into the trash where it belongs. If it were the way to go, every team would have adopted it. The plan should first and foremost be to develop the system from within. Start with a different draft philosophy. Don't trade anything. You want a good player? You draft and develop one like everyone else. Or trade veteran starting pitchers for the best available packages. Begin placing certain people on notice (as KW has done) and then fire their asses if the results are evident. If the team is poor in certain divisions, either plug from within or overpay on the market. No...more...trades. It's time to start looking at the American League central and realizing things need to shape up quickly. That doesn't mean dealing prospects you think are unworthy for people who may help now. After dealing Chris Young, which about every forecasting model has as a future all-star, it's already evident even one mistake can haunt a team. Let another ballclub make the mistake trading with us; not the other way around. So, my implication was that I'm doubtful that Gonzalez would be a good replacement for Buehrle or Garland, hence trading him wouldn't be a bad idea in my world. I know you say it's a bad udea to trade prospects that the Sox think are "unworthy", but you have to trust the organization's talent evaluators. If those guys turn out to be wrong, then new people need to be brought in. Your philosophy would require the Sox to keep everyone they think can't play -- it's like George doing the opposite on Seinfeld. As for Gio alternatives, the Sox would have to hope someone like Russell, Egbert, Masset or Sisco could step up and start. Or they'd have to bring in a veteran on the order of Trachsel or Ortiz -- I'll admit I don't know what pitchers are likely to be around in the next FA class. I'm not in the "all prospects suck" school of thought. I completely agree that the Sox drafting and scouting needs to change. A strong minor league system is vital. But one thing having prospects lets you do is trade to fill a need. Simply deciding not to trade arbitrarily elinates an avenue to improving the team. I don't know if the Chris Young trade is your motivation behind that statement, but I think the response to a bad trade should be to try to make better trades as opposed to not to trading. Chances to win a championship don't come along every year. This Sox team looks better than I thought they'd be, and I wouldn't be against a bold move by Williams to try to shore up the outfiled for this year and beyond even if that required trading Gonzalez.

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 28, 2007 -> 03:53 PM) Gio's numbers are better than he really is, in my opinion. Like Tony said earlier, I'd have no problem if we used him to acquire a good young hitter. I know KW did a good job of upgrading the pitching in our system last offseason, but he neglected to add anything on the offensive end that will help our aging squad. Trading Gonzalez for a player that has proven they can play in the majors would be a good move, in my opinion. Just becuase he's the Sox best prospect doesn't mean he's in the same league as Bailey, Pelfrey, Hughes, Hirsh, etc. There's a reason PHI was willing to trade him for Garcia. If some team likes the numbers he's putting up in that huge park in BHAM, do a deal. He might turn out to be a decent pitcher, but he also might be exposed in park where it's possible to hit HRs. The problem is that the Sox will still need someone to replace Buehrle and possibly Garland next season. But I personally liked the "win this year" philosophy better than counting on prospects. QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 28, 2007 -> 11:47 PM) No way we win a bidding war for ARod. I think it's more likely if we get in a bidding war it would be for Zambrano or in 2008 for Santana. Agreed. I think the Sox will follow their tried and true formula of pursuing top-tier FAs but failing to sign any becuase in the end they won't beat the top bid. I think the Sox "big" signings in 2008 will be Rowand, and maybe a retread 5th starter to replace Buehrle.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Apr 28, 2007 -> 10:20 PM) Just remember everyone, if he's struggling (which I consider inevitable), this is one of our top offensive prospects. I think the only real offensive prospect in the Sox system is Cunningham. I don't mean to bash Sweeney, but he's struggling in AAA. And even if he weren't, it's not like he'll be a better hitter than Mackowiak. The Sox system is very weak, and if they want to compete they should really trade for an OF that can hit. They'll need one next season anyway.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Apr 28, 2007 -> 01:09 AM) One question is, do you really think Hirsh plus Tavares (who I see as nothing more than a fourth OFer on a good team) is better than Floyd and Gonzalez? I think you can make an argument either way, but from a pitching standpoint, I like Floyd + Gio better. You can argue all day whether the package should have been better, but honestly, I'm not too pissed at this point. Gio starting the season the way he has is putting him back on the map as one of the better left-hand prospects in all of baseball. It's true that Tavares isn't that special, he's sort of like Pods but with the glove to play CF. But that wouldn't have been bad, as the Sox could then have ditched Pods and brought in someone that could hit to play LF. It's pure conjecture at this point, but I think Hirsh will be better than Gio or Floyd. He racked up great numbers in the PCL and is doing well with the Rox now. Gio is off to a good start, but it's possible the park in BHAM is hiding the gopherballitis he had in Reading last season. If Gio moves up to Charlotte and proves he can pitch in that bandbox, I'll start thinking he might do something in the big leagues. I hope the Sox move him up soon. At this point, there's no sense wasting any of pitches in his arm at AA.