Rex Hudler

Well I'll be damned.... ;-) Soxfest, here is your scenario.... (Based on the assumption that neither Rowand nor Borchard bust) Within the next two years, either Carlos, Frank or Maggs will go. Before you go nuts, think about it. Maggs has contract issues. Will he be signed long term? Will he seek free agency? We don't know the answers, so he has to be considered a possibility here, albeit not the preferred one. Frank could walk after this year or after next based on his new contract. If Carlos breaks out, it would be tough to move him. If he doesn't then he'll likely be too expensive to keep around. If Frank leaves, look for Carlos to move to 1B/DH (Carlos had good hands when he played 3B, just terrible feet. He'd have to fix that to play 1B, but most of his foot problems came on throws, so I think he could). Either Rowand or Borchad will patrol CF, whichever is better at that time. My hunch is Rowand, but I will not doubt Borch's ability to improve. With that, if Maggs is still around then look for a possible move to LF. It might take 2-3 yrs for all of the to play out, but both Rowand and Borchard (with reasonably expected development) would be a better RF. Sorry Hot... But both of their arms are better than Maggs, and Maggs isn't winning any gold gloves in RF (not saying he is bad, just that there may be better options). There are a lot of assumptions here, but something will have to give if Rowand plays like I think he can and Borchard develops like we hope he will.

Anyone wanna bet that Heredia or Loaiza opens the season as the 5th starter with Rauch in AAA? Unless Rauch is lights-out in ST or someone gets hurt, I'd almost guarantee it.

Yes, any team that signs Finley will lose a draft pick, which is a big reason why demand for him is limited.

Thanks Hot........ Too bad you are married, I could hang out with you! ;-)

I voted for Olivo in this poll because of the jump from AA. I'm not as worried about the jump because he spent two years at AA and the Southern League the last 2 years has been a pitcher's league. I think he will be fine long term and I believe he will be okay this year as well, but he may only hit .258 with 8 HR and 54 RBI. Would that be considered a bust? Depends on how you look at it....... Crede will be fine and a good player, but if you are looking for 30 HR and 100 RBI out of him, then perhaps he could be considered a bust. Guess it just depends on your expectations for him. Jiminez has the least chance to be a bust in my opinion, because I believe the expectations are the lowest for him. If he hits .260-.270, walks some and plays solid D, then that is good enough. On Rowand, see my last post... Keep in mind, none of these guys are going to bust out with a career year, but all should be solid and meet realistic expectations.

Well, Rowand isn't a starter DoubleM, what makes you think this? Rowand will be fine. Like I have posted earlier, in due time he will become a 25-30 HR guy. I really believe he will hit more HR's than Crede (maybe not this year). Rowand has the best arm in the OF and covers enough ground in center. I don't think the injury will be a problem. maybe a bit of range lost, having his swing babied, his arm weaker....etc. witesoxfan what gives here? Why would he lose range when it was shoulder and ribs that were hurt? The only way his arm is weaker is if he decides to start throwing left-handed, because that is the shoulder that was hurt.

I think Olivo will start the season playing only occassionaly. Alomar will likely be the opening day catcher but as the season progresses the Sox will put more and more duties as well as pressure on Olivo. Personally, I think this is the best way to develop a catching prospect, because there is so much to learn. They don't only have to worry about hitting, but they have to learn there pitching staffs, how to call a game, blocking the plate etc. If Olivo makes the club (and we all hope he does) then he will catch at least 4 times a week. They won't keep him in Chicago to let Sandy play more often.

Olivo will be fine... Just be patient and don't expect veteran numbers from him right away. He still has a lot to learn, like all young players.

Moving Quintero was not a big deal because AT BEST he will be a backup in the bigs. However, I doubt that will ever happen. He's fun to watch defensively, and I am almost willing to bet, that we will see him again this year in a Mobile uniform. As much as I like to see him catch, I'd rather not see it against us. There was never a doubt who had more upside between Olivo and Quintero. Hence, Quintero gets moved and Olivo is in the Bigs.

Just for conversation sake, how does Olivo's arm compare with IRod's? Very well...... His arm strength is about as good as it gets. Just a side note: HSC, did you ever get a chance to see Humberto Quintero catch? For those that do not remember, he along with Alex Fernandez were the players traded for Jiminez. As good as Olivo can be and as impressed as you are with him..... Quintero makes Olivo look like a little leaguer. That is not a knock on Olivo at all, but Quintero was unbelievable behind the plate. It usually took about 3 innings of watching him to realize how good he was. I don't think his arm is any better than Miguel's, but he got rid of the ball twice as fast, had quicker feet behind the plate and just dominated runners. I believe in the first week he was with Mobile after getting traded he picked off or threw out 11 runners! Too bad the guy couldn't hit a lick. Unless the Padres pull a miracle with him, the guy will never hit higher than .200 at any level. Sorry for getting off track, but it was just a random thought..

are you talking about that zeringue guy???..the draft choice???...guess he went to college ...wasnt he also a football player??? Zeringue went to LSU. He played sparingly his freshman year and mostly in the OF. Not sure of his current status in that program. I do not believe he was a football player.

i think he would really have signed the draft choice that we had, he might have held on to mark johnson. I think he was referring to Tony Richie (sp?) the catcher that went to Florida St and has become an All-American. He was a 2nd or 3rd round pick (I believe) and we didn't sign him. He was very highly regarded and still is.

Either way, I am a Rowand supporter. Ya know what? I think Borchard will have to have a monster st to push rowand off....methinks jm is set on rowand if he has solid numbers during st...my bet is borchard starts the year in aaa but finds his way up by June...... Sooner or later they are going to have to find a way to make room for both Rowand or Borchard. I really hope Rowand will break out this season, because I think you guys will really like what you see. He hasn't shown the power that will come. He can be a legitimate 25-30 HR guy.

I think the Sox expected too much too soon from Wells. They weren't patient enough. Wells will definitely be the best player in that trade from either side. Come to think of it, he already is.

I'm not sure about the Exhibition game, I will have friends and family in town... but later in the season is possible. Let me know when you are coming in and I'll get you my email address. A guy can never turn down a round of drinks from a hottie, can he? ;-)

That idea has about as much chance of happening as Mike Ditka becoming the head coach of the Lions. It's called territorial rights and TV markets and there is no reason for MLB to think of adding another to the mix, whether the population base is there or not. They are having the same problem in DC, but there are reasons (mainly keeping politicos happy) to grease Peter Angelos palms and move a team there. The bottom line is, someone talks and someone prints it. It doesn't give it credibility.

If Marte continues to be a big part of the Sox bullpen this year (and beyond), and the Sox win as expected, then the trade should not be second guessed. I do believe Guerrier will still be a solid Major Leaguer, however. But the Sox still have depth in terms of young pitchers, so even thought I would like to see him in a Sox uniform, it looks like that trade will work out well for both teams. Also, don't be deceived by Guerrier's numbers last year. I looked this up after last season on a bet and was surprised at what I found. In 23 of his 27 starts, he was 7-8 with a 3.09 ERA and excellent hits/IP and K/BB ratios. He gave up 32 ER in the other 4 starts, which were terrible. Before you argue that every start counts (they do), but I would rather have a pitcher that was pretty darned good in 23/27 starts and bad in 4, then a guy who was downright average over the course of the whole year. Regardless, unless Marte goes in the tank in a year when it matters, I think the trade can be seen as a good one for both teams.

If the Sox were as patient with Kip Wells as they have been with Garland and Wright, we would have three guys with the potential to really break out this year. Wells is a solid pitcher and would be much better on a team other than Pittsburgh. Basically, if Kris Benson is not healthy, then Wells is their #1. That is a bit much to ask of him right now. Wells has a much higher upside than Fogg and will become a solid starter in the big leagues. The jury is still out on Fogg as many of you have mentioned may end up in the bullpen. I too hated this trade from the first time I read it. If it were for Todd Ritchie and Brian Giles, then that to me would have been more reasonable based on the timing of the trade. Before you say i am nuts, remember that Giles was on the "block" and discussed heavily at that time as well. Also, Sean Lowe was coming off a great season for the Sox both as a spot starter and out of the pen. Combine that with the Pirates desire to get rid of Todd Ritche, and that trade would have not been out of the question. Rumors were flying at that time that the Sox were going after Giles. In my mind, Ritchie was no better than Kip Wells at the time of the trade, so it made no sense to make the deal. Definitely KW's worst move (other than trading for the wrong guy -Barry/Berry- from the Dodgers).

That's a little better. Aside from the money issues, I think CJ is much better. With CJ, you don't have to pray that he'll be healthy for 100 games, it's damn near a given. BigHurt, what you are missing here is that the decision was made to give Olivo the chance to be the everday catcher. There is no need for CJ based on that premise. You can argue whether CJ or Alomar is better til you are blue in the face, but the real argument is whether the commitment to Olivo is the right one. I say that along with that commitment, Alomar is the perfect compliment to Miguel and the right guy to help speed up his development. HSC, I will agree with you on Olivo. Miguel brings a special set of talents to the catching position that is not normal. He will not hit like a Mike Piazza and at least at first, he will not be considered one of the best game callers in the Big Leagues. But he will provide an arm that base stealers will have to respect, he will hit respectably now and better later, and he brings speed that catcher just don't have. He also plays the game with a passion that is fun to watch. It can get him in trouble at times (see below), but he truly has fun while playing and plays hard. Wally did a great job of bringing that out even more in him last year. Olivo's weaknesses are game calling ability, an occasional lack of focus (see high # of passed balls) and maturity (has a bit of a temper at times). All of those things are what Alomar will help with. Sandy will be the perfect mentor. I think if they handle Miguel right, give him a fair chance if he struggles early and don't expect too much, then he will be fine. The addition of Alomar will work very well.

Random thoughts from several posts..... 1. Rowand is not 6'1". I have never put a tape measure to him, but 5'10" sounds about right. I am 5'9 and he is about the same height, give 1 or 2 inches. Size notwithstanding, if Rowand is healthy (they say he will be) then look for him to have a solid year. He has potential that he has not yet shown in Chicago. Eventually, he could be a 25-30 HR a year guy and drive in 100 (if he is not leading off). 2. The Jiminez trade was a good one. They got a Major League player for a guy who will be no more than a backup catcher (Quintero) and Fernandez who was a spare part. The Sox have way too much outfield depth for a guy who only walked 13 times in 489 at bats to make an impact. He was good for the Barons and at the time, I hated the way that trade affected the Barons, but it was a good one for the White Sox. The Sox have enought OF's. Fernandez was not a CF either. Can you say Borchard? Valenzuela? 3. Speaking of other Sox OF. Valenzuela is indeed right-handed and does remind me of Ordonez as well. The guy can flat out rake. He had Tommy John surgery on his elbow, which is what kept him out last year. 4. Look for Carlos Lee to have a helluva year this year. His plate discipline got much better last year and he had a great 2nd half. I think you will start to see the focus from him that is needed for him to really improve.

I disagree with that big time! JP and Olivo are not an option unless Alomar gets hurt and they are forced to go that way. They got Alomar for one main reason. Sure he will play a couple days a week and provide some insurance in case Miguel doesn't play well. The bottom line is he is here to tutor Olivo. He will be the perfect teacher/role model for Miguel and will only help Miguel's development. Don't discount this factor, because it will be a very important part of the development of the team this year.

I agree with you guys....... I don't think 3 catchers will make the opening day roster. I think JP will clear waivers but you never know. I'd say JP's days as a Sox catcher are numbered barring injury or a terrible ST by Olivo. I think you will see Olivo catching 4 to 5 days a week and Alomar the other 2 or 3.

and i have been to rickwood before to see the sox barons classic.......i just love that place......i like the met too dont get me wrong but nothing compares to the feeling you get when you are at rickwood........... Every baseball fan should go to the Rickwood Classic at least one time... What a feeling you get when you walk into that place? It is truly like walking back in time. The history of that ballpark is unbelievable too... I wouldn't want to go there everyday for games, but that one time a year is magical. For those of you who don't know, Rickwood Field, in downtown Birmingham is the oldest standing ballpark in the country. It is two years older then Fenway and four years older than Wrigley. It was reverted back to yesteryear when they filmed the baseball scenes from the movie Cobb there. Rickwood was home to Satchel Paige, Willie Mays as a 17 yr old, Pie Traynor, Burleigh Grimes, Reggie Jackson among others. Major League all-star teams used to play their barnstorming tours here against Negro League all-stars so everyone from Cobb to Ruth, to Dizzy Dean all played there. You can take a self-guided tour during the day there. I walked out onto the field and stood in the left-handed batters box and then on the mound. You could almost feel the history. Sorry, I get a little carried away sometimes. There is great book detailing the history called Bases Loaded (or something like that). They have a lot of info on their web site too. Check it out if you are into that kind of thing..... Rickwood Field

HSC, the other board that I go to is at www.worldcrossing.com. The name of the board is Chicago White Sox. I just joined it a year or two ago, but apparently it was started by some guys that used to post on the old Tribuen boards. Feel free to join in....

Thanks for the compliment Jim. I have been around baseball a long time, playing, coaching and umpiring (all at the amateur levels). I have also had several friends play professionally, so I have an idea of what they go through and how hard it is. I know enough to know that I don't know everything, but that I do see the game from many perspectives.