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QUOTE (mmmmmbeeer @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 11:39 PM) I read a lot of concern on here about Avisail....I don't get it. I'm a huge proponent of his and think he's going to be an excellent bat. With that said, we all have different ideas of what needs to go right for us to succeed or is making us doubt any chance of succeeding...What are your 3 keys to this season? Here's my 3: 1. Robin Ventura needs to show that he can manage an ML team with talent. He had an excuse last year with the roster being what it was but I think it was more than obvious that he was making many poor in-game decisions that had nothing to do with a lack of talent. He needs to step up this year or folks are going to be calling for his head early and it will disrupt the clubhouse. 2. Tyler Flowers showed flashes of the offense he achieved in the minors last season. Our stats gurus on here were quick to point out his absurd BABIP during his streaks, but from the eye test he was making more consistent contact and seeing the ball well during those stretches....no surprise that more contact leads to a better offensive contributor. We really need Tyler to feel comfortable most of the season if the Sox are going to make some noise. 3. Carlos Rodon and how management decides to manage his innings. The kid has the ability to be dominant and make an immediate impact on our club leading to easier victories out of the 4th spot in the rotation. I was a fan of bringing him along in the pen out of ST and ease him into a starting role....we know that isn't happening now. My next hope is that we milk those 130-140IP during the regular season being, outside of a possible BP role, we don't need him in the playoffs with our top 3 starters. We need every win we can get and I don't want to see him handled with kid gloves...give him a job and an innings limit and let him do his thing. I think those 3 are luxuries. I don't think Robin needs a particularly good year. Frankly, a great bullpen can make anyone a good manager, so if he gets career years in there he'll look so smart. For me, these are the real keys if sox are to jump from a realistic 8-9 win jump to a full 15 win jump to a possible wild card at 88 win: 1. Be remarkably healthy - this team has pretty much zero positions that an injury can occur and the team have an acceptable backup. On this end, and maybe this is greedy to include here, but one of the biggest things that could help this year is Erik Johnson and Beck making huge jumps in Triple A so that we can have that additional depth to bring up if we need burn from a long man in bullpen. 2. Stars need to be stars - Jose Abreu needs a year as big as last year. Sale needs a year as big as last year with more innings. Samardjiza/Q, again, need no dropoff here. We just do not have a deep team to overcome lack of starpower. 3. Bullpen - Robertson needs to be shutdown, Duke needs to be last year Zach Duke, and Putnam/Petricka need to be their June/July selves. Frankly, this I am hopeful for. We killed our bullpen with innings in april-may last year, and throughout the year, with some of our crap starters. Putnam/Petricka were overused, Belli was overused, and then they'd explode. But one thing I've been thinking about is how crucial this year is for our minor leagues. Will 2017 be another 2013? We need to see Anderson, Hawkins, Trey, May, Thompson, etc either be good or turn it around. If Davidson turns around, it would be crucial to future of sox moves. If they don't, we need a bunch of the arms to hit so that we can trade them off.

QUOTE (Andy the Clown @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 10:38 PM) For those of you who were around for it, did you criticize our signing of Albert Belle? Because he was basically a violent, homicidal maniac... Belle was most hated player in MLB when Sox signed him. No doubt a lot would have not liked it. I still loved his 98 season though.

Gillaspie keeps getting autocorrected, apologies to Conor. I don't want him moping at me.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 10:23 PM) As an aside,let me say that competitive balance picks are so bogus. Agreed.

QUOTE (Rooftop Shots @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 08:35 PM) Can you imagine puttiung Scherzer on top of all of this? I Know its a bad move to tie up all that money, but obviously the front office IS getting agressive like they said they would at the beginning of the off season. Can't even imagine what a friggin dogfight the central would be if he came on board. My brother and I were joking about this. But really, just for fun: Sale Scherzer Q Samardjiza Rodon (for maximal dream sake) That's is a starting five of 2 aces, two top twos and a future #2. That would be filthy. Playoffs you could throw Rodon in pen.

I said its at least average in AL. There's still a lot of room for error on this lineup. Gillespie 2 years in is still hard to project. 2b will be below average. Flowers very well could end up like June Flowers year round. And possible regressions from Ramirez/LaRoche/Cabrera all at or over 30. Beyond them we have no one exciting ready to come up. So, we need a lot to break right. But hell, we ought to be due for some luck.

It was on his non throwing elbow right? Is recovery same as a pitcher? How many batters have had this?

Brett Myers is a completely different level than any roider. Ultimately Melky served his punishment and was reinstated. There's a system in place now, Sox followed it. Frankly it's just a different time than when I was proud that the players helped put a testing system in place. I don't want to ban every player who ever did steroids from being a white sox. Doesn't mean I want to pump them full of drugs either. Just, as far as player issues go, this is way below DUI and Certainly below domestic violence.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 07:39 PM) The part of the steroid red flag you haven't acknowledged is the guys who have their production fall off a lot once they're off the steroids. Okay, but the suspension happened in 2012. Last year should have cleared those concerns

QUOTE (venom4789 @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 04:59 PM) so pick 7 game plans go on sale tuesday for non season ticket holders, gonna have to pick one up, will probaly get rid of a crosstown ticket if i get one, to much douchbaggery goes on at those games. My exact same plan. If like to do a pick14 but frankly I'd rather go to a bunch of June/July /August games. Not much for May/April.

QUOTE (Ozzie Ball @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 04:38 PM) -3.5 UZR and -4 DRS in LF this year. Career -3.9 UZR/150 in LF, so below average but not terrible. Much worse in CF, so hopefully Adam stays healthy and Melky in CF never needs to be an option. Sigh, was really hoping he'd rate out as average.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 04:34 PM) normally, I disagree with just about everything you type. However, you are correct here. These appease almost everyone. The Sox made the team competitive without giving up the precious suspects that most people on the board covet. Even if the don't make the playoffs, they will have a competitive team until the young players are supposed to arrive. The only part of the team that is not set for awhile is the starting pitching. If JS leaves after just one year the Sox will need another starter. Even if Rodon is ready in 2016, they will need one more back of the rotation starter. The team as a whole is fairly young. One of the best moves that could happen imo is EJ miraculously finds his form. Would provide huge insurance and talent to the the rotation.

So what kind of defender is Melky?

QUOTE (Alexeihyeess @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 05:20 PM) Fyi- Cooper doesn't really work with minor league guys. He says this in interviews repeatedly. Yeah but Sox have done great jobs with reclamation projects like this in the past (in minors)

Missouri DC Dave Steckelleft for an HC position at Missouri State. Great guy, wish him the best. I hope we hire Kuligowski as next coach.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 12:43 PM) Don't like the comment that it knee is because of wear and tear already. I also have no confidence Bulls doctors did a good job.

His 12k/9 was pretty enticing. Just needs control, which is obviously easiest thing to teach a pitcher. /green

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 03:55 PM) I honestly didn't think it was possible to have a winter like this. It is almost incredible how many things came together in a month and a half.

While I don't think that telling a group who is actively posting about baseball on a baseball message board in December is your target audience, I will say this: talk about the white sox on social media, at work, and to your friends. Get the word out that baseball is back. I've said it before but I'm glad Cubs are going to be good. Baseball will be back in Chicago for first time in a while. Let people know sox are going to be great.

Since the plethora of moves is reminding me so much of 2005, I'm hoping Ynoa takes the roll of bizarro Jenks. Not so much closer, but finds himself a dominating reliever as a sox, and makes his way up in July as a shut down reliever just in time.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 04:32 PM) Except Toronto's in win now mode too. That move would make no sense unless they got all top prospects back and punted on this season. He's not talking about TOR he's talking about OAK including him with Samardjiza. Trade was happening at about same time.

McDermott out 4-6 weeks. Just sucks.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 06:47 AM) Thank you for being so good. Because of your greatness the White Sox are a desirable place for FA to sign. We were looking at years of a painful rebuild until Babe Ruth 2.0 showed up. And Chris, just wow man. #dynasty Post your love for the new king franchise of baseball This is so spot on. At end of 2013 I was so dead set on doing a full rebuild. Then Abreu comes and I felt so uncomfortable not competing with him. Thank you Jose for bringing baseball back.

Sooo Eaton Melky Abreu LaRoche Ramirez Garcia Gillaspie Flowers M. Johnson/Sanchez Looks pretty good. At least average in AL. I think I forget about LaRoche a lot when I think of our holes. That 1-5 is better than last year. If Garcia can be a player that would be brilliant.

If I have one criticism, it's that he did these moves too closely together and thus hurt our so talk discussion spacing.