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QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 03:52 PM) Dude you gotta stop with the Alvarez thing. He is no better than LaRoche. As a DH he is much better than LaRoche. LaRoche had a .687 OPS last year, Alvarez had a .780. He had double the home runs. I would have much rather taken Alvarez as a DH than LaRoche (granted laroche could spell abreu at first better).

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 03:54 PM) Although I like the pick ... Gordon Beckham, Lance Broadway, Brian Anderson, Walker .... I'm too tired to think of the rest .... they all called. The Sox don't have a great past in the draft. Very likely the 28th pick wouldn't turn out to be anything. Worth discussing that none of those picks happened under new CBA. Having an additional first allows you to throw additional money at HS players to not go to College, which is only a worthwhile sentence when we are talking about MLB.

QUOTE (bear_brian @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 03:45 PM) Is there any possibility that this signing is a prelude to a trade? Before signing Albers, the Sox had Jones, Jennings (or Phillips), Putnam, Duke, Petricka and Robertson, with either Jacob Turner or Scott Carroll in the spot start/long relief role. Adding Albers seems to make one of those others expendable ... You have to assume some of those will not have great years, and some have options, so no reason to make room. Not a lot of bullpen help in AAA to supplement.

Gammons has really lost it.

QUOTE (staxx @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 03:50 PM) It's about Albers. It's not a good tweet. "Oh, really, when the Sox are showing interest in a marginal reliever that hasn't signed yet and then sign them that shows they mean business?" I like Albers, but...what? That signing isn't indicative of anything from Sox.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 03:13 PM) I agree. I was just asking you if you thought Abreu made up for not hitting on the others. I've been dealing with grad students all day. I didn't really word it properly. No I agree with you. While last year was especially bad, I think Sox are actually pretty good at acquiring major leaguers. But the problem is they do have a budget, so it hurts when they miss out on their cost controlled players because there is never anyone immediately behind them. Last year's free agent class should have been supplementing Davidson/Micah/Avi/Eaton, but 3/4 have brutal flaws.

Oh man, Werth not only is market untradeable he's literally untradeable. Honestly, doesn't that mean if they sign Cespedes they are putting him in CF?

Glad he's back but skeptical he is as good as last year.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 03:10 PM) Does the fact that they struck gold with Abreu offset this? Imagine the team if they were not shrewd enough to sign him. You just can't look at the negatives. No FO is going to hit on all transactions. You need to weigh the positives and negatives together. That's why the teams that are consistently the best develop their own. The true price they are paying is from not developing their own players. I think the rest of my post addresses this pretty clearly.

QUOTE (kwill @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 02:59 PM) So what is plan B. I would hope it would be to add a player like Jackson and another starting pitcher without giving up a pick. I know our rotation is stacked with lefties but Cliff Lee is a very intriguing option to me. I would like to see an improved outfield defense. I hope the White Sox would think about 2017 payroll flexibility as well. I'd prefer jackson/pitcher over jackson/desmond.

fathom - high five on posting the same thoughts on avi/davidson.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 01:55 PM) Last 10 games Rose is PER is just under 18 and last 5 games it is over 20. I am not a Rose hater, I just live with acceptance at who he is, but I am very frustrated that for 1.5 years now he continues to say he needs to get his conditioning up. You had an offseason dude.

I'm firmly in the Jackson camp, but can't we at least let one of our position players develop at MLB level? What if Saladino surpasses expectations and can move to 3b after Frazier?

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 02:44 PM) This contract is a bad contract the minute he signs it. You can either spend money there or on scouting and draft/international players with value. The fact Avasail Garcia is terrible at baseball is what is killing the White Sox. This as well as a neglect of prospect resources is where the White Sox have failed miserably over the recent years. A replacement level RF is what they need. They struck out on Davidson and Avi, and you are seeing the price you pay when you don't have a farm that can cover mistakes. If we have starters in RF/3b, this is a very different offseason.

I just hope we don't sign Fowler.

One thing on Hawaiian islands, I assume you'll rent a car. The islands aren't big and you can go around to the different parts within a few hours (farthest). Kuaia was my favorite, less developed than Maui is now. If you want to just chill and hike, I don't think you'll fail with any of them.

I don't understand how grown-ups oversleep for things. I wake up every day at the same time even when I don't want to.

QUOTE (Disco72 @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 11:29 AM) Advice on Brazil's visa process? I'll be doing that in the next couple of weeks (traveling in March). Definitely get to a consulate in person. It's pretty expensive, a shame you aren't going in June when its free. What cities you going to?

The Nats are the new yankees though in that they have not met a high priced FA they don't like.

42 million for next 2 years of Werth, who is providing a .685 OPS.

So, it looks like we'll be very improved for 80 games from last year. HOpefully whomever we get in RF is actually a marked improvement (i.e. no fowler please). The benefit to our pitching staff is worth more than the offense.

OMG lol the nats are going to put him in CF? That is such a nat move. @JonHeyman Nats showed interest in Upton but at 3 years. With harper/werth, hard to see how J-Up fit at all. Nats consider everything

QUOTE (Saufley @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:31 AM) I hate to rain on anyone's parade but, what will this board be like if the Sox don't sign Cespedes and aren't able to sign one or two of the second tier players? Well, frankly I think there have already been valleys where that was realized so there isn't much more to say. I was willing to support this offseason if they could really check all the boxes but they did not.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:30 AM) Again, if the Nats work out a trade, who would go? Do they trade Revere? He plays CF and will be their leadoff hitter. Nats don't want Rendon leading off. Werth? Who wants that contract, and a declining aging player? I don't see a fit at all Sigh, if they want to trade Harper I guess we can take him from them.

QUOTE (blackmooncreeping @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:29 AM) Rosenthal didn't say anyone was a frontrunner. Morosi basically retweeted Rosenthal. Nightengale said what he said, but he has also been parroting the 3 year limit thing and no one believes that. Not saying the Nats won't end up with Cespedes, but I don't see them as being a clear favorite necessarily. Momentum like this from national writers never bodes well.