bmags

QUOTE (spiderman @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 04:01 PM) My only concern is that the White Sox management may not know what they currently have. If there's any truth to that, then I'm concerned. They have played 100 games and don't have a winning record, but are just a few games behind for a wildcard spot, albeit being a few teams. Does the last 8 games cause the White Sox to re-think what they saw for the first 90? Do they still think the team underachieved for 90 games and are now playing up to what they thought? Could they have gotten more value on Samardzijia had they pulled a trigger on a move? This may not even be fair to the Sox, but they normally like to 'go for it' and aren't a team that typically rebuilds so not doing something, at least to me, signals they don't want to risk being wrong about thinking this team can win, but also not mortgaging what few prospects they do have. This was a good post.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 04:04 PM) Therein lies the problem....judging that ability to compete based on beating two last place teams on the road (and the Red Sox were in a horrendous slump, something like 2-12 or whatever) isn't much of a basis for suddenly believing they'd changed or transformed at the drop of a hat. Saladino's suddenly a core, franchise piece...at 3B? The odds just aren't in favor of that going by his entire career MILB history. I don't know, Saladino was jerked around a bit and probably overpromoted, when he settled into AA and AAA he resembled his earlier years. He has shown .800+ OPS at multiple levels.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 03:54 PM) Recall that Scott Kazmir, who one would assume has a similar value to Samardzija, garnered the A's ... not a single top 200 prospect. And Mike Leake garnered the top arm in giants farm.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 03:49 PM) And Eric Johnson was a top 100 until last year but now he's rebounded to possibly be even better than he was when he was a top 100 guy. Oh? Is Eric Johnson a position player now?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 03:17 PM) The one time the Sox won the WS, they added Geoff Blum who wasn't a big add at the time. Became one in one AB, but other than that one AB was pretty insignificant. I am not comparing this team to that one, but the deals have to make sense. We can all be disappointed, but if we don't know the cost to add or the offer to sell, it's all complaining perhaps about something you would be complaining about not happening. Surprisingly that team was not 2 games below .500 in august.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 03:17 PM) We are in no way obligated to sign a big ticket FA. There won't be many anyway, especially if you don't plan on looking at starting pitchers. Heyward will cost a pick, Upton apparently will, and Cespedes won't. There aren't as far as I know any major players slated to be available at non-OF positions We have no top 100 position player prospect ready to go for 2016. If they want to improve that team then, they'll do what they did last year.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 03:13 PM) Bah, hard to regret what we don't have, we'll just say how the system is lacking position player prospects and then go play the FA market. Probably give up a draft pick again in the process. Exactly. We will both not be top 10 protected, and almost assuredly have to sign a big ticket FA.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 03:11 PM) Anyone wish the Sox went 3-5 on that trip instead of 7-1? I feel like the Celtics, feel good run to et into meaningless playoff position, then in draft see a great player (winslow) drop to team you leap frogged for your fruitless playoff birth. Except sox won't even get the playoffs.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 03:09 PM) Only disappointed they didn't sell Samardzija. Glad they didn't make any foolish acquisitions. If they did not find they could add a player of value with the players they wanted to keep, they should have sold. We just had every relevant wild card team load up. God, this is so frustrating. I'm frustrated they didn't move soon enough for a package, then it turned out the market was great, and we decided not to be a part of it to try and compete, and then we do not do anything to get better. What ...are you doing White Sox FO

I have to say, this was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen to not do ANYTHING.

Let it rip.

What an absolutely idiotic lack of strategy by the front office.

Yeah, Montas could be fantastic but very high risk at this point to drop in value. Still think he'd be a dynamite reliever.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 01:45 PM) Building our team around pitching, I absolutely could live with it. This isn't the steroid era. I'll take productive players and both Eaton and Revere are productive players. I also think they make the pitching staff better and when you think of who Revere is replacing, it isn't that big of a deal. We clearly would want to find a longer term power source at 3B though but yes, I could live with a relative lack of home runs in this era. I want the team to have good players and in my mind, Ben Revere is a good player. I also never had any issues with Juan Pierre, even though he was a slap happy single hitter. I think he was underappreciated for a long time in his career (unfortunately, by the time he got to the Sox, he wasn't very good anymore). I've always felt that stat people underappreciate single hitters with no power. Especially in the case of Pierre where his defense didn't drive strong value. Revere has an OPS > .700 which isn't bad for a slap hitter. In fact, it is better then Avi's and it doesn't even consider the value of defense, etc. Pierre was underappreciated? He was a hero after the 2003 marlins. Everyone wanted two speedy guys batting 1-2.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 01:41 PM) Revere LF Tulowitzki SS Donaldson 3B Bautista RF Encarnacion 1B Martin DH/C Navarro C/DH Pillar CF Travis 2B Wow. Good god. that's a video game.

For some reason I had thought Mets had to remain payroll neutral.

Wellp.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 12:11 PM) If we are talking three team I would love to find a way to turn Samardjiza into Puig This. I'm very much in agreement with Chisoxfn. I'd prefer any piece we add be longer term. A rental (especially after Smarj experiment) just seems foolhardy.

I wish I could have watched Dick Allen play.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 11:48 AM) He was a saver special, signed for 10k in the 10th. That's usually more like a 20th round pick's bonus, give or take. I wouldn't expect much from him, though if he does do well, bonus. I did not think he'd be a major leaguer, but college player who by all reports made nice contact and was solid in everything. Thought he'd be interesting to follow at lower levels, but looks like he's not.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 11:45 AM) If #Padres don't get what they want for Upton,they'll keep him and get draft pick;the #Tigers more urgent on Cespedes since no compensation https://twitter.com/BNightengale/status/627156078082404352 Padres are so convincing

I have a feeling as time gets closer to expiring we'll see a deal opened up with teams we are familiar with. Many trades we've done with Oakland/Arizona/Boston. AZ not a likely match due to performance.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 11:39 AM) Anyone know what Jones' stuff looks like? He hitting 100? I do recall them tweeting out his first few outings that he was definitely still 97-100

QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 31, 2015 -> 11:28 AM) He has the physical tools to be an acceptable outfield defender, so I want to say he can improve. But he really seems to lack the instincts out there and if he's this bad now, I don't know why he didn't get better in his long minor league career spent solely in the outfield. I don't think the odds of him hitting well are minimal, but we might be having a vocabulary difference as to what "really hitting" is. If his defense can't improve, might be reasonable to say that he has the upside of 2.0 WAR player, which is nice to have but obviously not something you'll mortgage the franchise to develop He's been getting professional instruction for so many years now. I just can't believe he can improve much.

Ah.