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QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 05:01 PM) I really hope the Sox can sign Cespedes or Upton or some of the comments made on this board are going to be unbearable. Come on. That's really the fun of this board. It's like watching NASCAR or preschool dance recitals. They are mostly boring but you just wait for the crashes.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 03:46 PM) Ozuna was a four plus WAR guy just two years ago, is still under control for a long time and can play CF. Like Inciarte, it's going to take more than Adams "plus" to get him. We just don't have enough quality minor league depth remaining to not have to surrender Anderson or Fulmer. If you're all in, it means trading Anderson and having no long-term deal in sight for SS or catcher. The other teams with top 10-20 systems are better positioned for this move. They are not all in to the pint of trading anderson or fulmer. If RH wouldn't trade them in the Frazier package, he wouldn't do it for ozuna. If the mlbtr texas package is to believed than a package centered around adams may work. Not syaing it will but it's another option to explore.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 03:41 PM) Erik Johnson for Ozuna and then sign a starting pitcher That works too.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 03:24 PM) I guess ozuna trade talks are heating up and Span might be signing soon. I guess we should know hopefully by the end of week if the Sox do something. How about trading for ozuna? On mlbtr they are said to be looking for a young pitcher. This is a guy I would trade Adams and maybe another piece for.

QUOTE (Markbilliards @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:53 PM) Start getting ready to have that thought all the time my friend. I would imagine everyone on here has these thoughts as you watch yourself age in comparison to players. Age 16-18: You start seeing those real young prospects and have the moment you just did where you are shocked that these guys are younger than you, but have so much potential. Age 19-22: You start seeing some of the superstar prospects make appearances in the major leagues and you start to wonder why you never were better at baseball. Age 23-26: You see most of the guys who make it to MLB come up and it hits you even though it was always obvious. You will never play in the major leagues. You'll stop having daydream fantasies about somehow becoming an MLB player. Age 27-30: You start to think about how the players your age are in their MLB prime. Then you evaluate your own physical condition and question if this is your prime. Age 31-35: You start seeing guys your age who had good careers, but are starting to fizzle out of baseball. You think about how young the new rookies look, even though it felt like just yesterday that they were your age. You'll start saying things like, "Oh to be 23 again". Age 36-40: You rarely see guys your age playing anymore. Than you once again have the feeling that you know you can never be a MLB player. I would imagine it keeps going from there. I bet you get to a point where you have all these feelings again, but instead of about you, you're comparing the player to your kid. Age 50+: You see managers getting hired and think, I remember him in the minors.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:52 PM) In the years before Maggs, the Sox had a stretch where they did a good job with a rent a RF. DJ, then Burks. Tartabull had a decent year. I miss those days when they had no problem finding hitters. No kidding.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:44 PM) There are so many "what ifs" that can be associated with that plan. But like you said I'll make sure to mark it down and revisit later. Please do. This is the plan that makes the most sense for a long term competitive team.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:40 PM) He's making $1.5 million. That's literally the exact same amount the Dodgers signed Beachy for - except it's non-guaranteed for Beachy (with options). Given $1.5 million to play with, the White Sox signed Turner and the Dodgers signed Beachy,. Didn't Beachy have two UCL replacement surgeries? If so, the Sox made the correct choice.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:37 PM) The White Sox know what they need as much as anyone. They didn't get Gordon. As long as KC was willing to pay up, they and every other team weren't going to get Gordon. Now it's on to their next target. If that fails, the next one. Eventually they will have another OF. Hahn has admitted as much. Who knows, sometimes, your 2nd or 3rd or 4th choice works out better than choice #1. I would have loved it if they signed Gordon, but it didn't happen. There are other teams that could use his services that didn't sign him either. No need to panic, there are more than a few guys left that give the White Sox a pretty solid upgrade. This is the way i look at it as well. sign the deal that makes the most sense for this year while keeping the future in mind. They need to start building a consistent winner, not just look to this year.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:36 PM) I'm not arguing the value of what they got in return for the prospects. I'm saying that labeling Frazier as a stop gap is actually pretty insulting to what he can actually do on the field. I'm using the term stop gap only in reference to the plan for the Sox. He is here for 2 years until Trey M. is ready. He will not be re-signed at the end of 2 years unless Trey has majors issues going forward. I wasn't using the term as an implication of his talent. I really like him as a player.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:29 PM) Or 3 of your better prospects. They will get someone to play the OF and hit a bit. I'm not too worried about that. I don't think the "prospect" were all that much for the quality they received. I also agree that they will find a new OF. I'm just not sure if the price for cepedes will make they correct choice.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:29 PM) Then why not just have Mike Olt sit out there until he's ready? That would of saved the team prospects. Because RH found a cheap way to improve the position. If the Reds price was too high and would have impacted the future, they wouldn't have made the trade. You have to admit, everyone is touting the new All-star 3B but the sox paid very little for him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:27 PM) Then one of the other options, Fowler, or someone like that, needs to be brought in instead, or Fulmer/Anderson traded for an OF. This roster can't go into 2016 with an OF of Melky, Eaton, Garcia. I agree they should find someone to replace Garcia. Ideally, it will be Cepedes, if the price is right. If not, they will find someone else.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:20 PM) I agree with this and I agree that you can't trade for Frazier and do nothing else. I just hate going after a FA who just had a career year, to me you are setting yourself up for a large financial commitment that won't work out and stump us for years. I also understand get why we are going for Cespedes, I just don't see that deal working out for us. Then they shouldn't sign it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:19 PM) This post is nothing but trolling. There really needs to be a troll face icon. It would save a great deal of typing.

QUOTE (Sockin @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:17 PM) You don't trade for an All Star third baseman to be a stopgap. They did because he didn't cost much . That's why the trade took so long. Mark this for 2 years from now.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 01:10 PM) We already committed ourselves to the "risky compete next year move" when we traded for a 3b who is a FA in 2 seasons. Next offseason's FA class is weak enough that we can't solve the current problems next season as easily as we can right now and we have no choice but to put a roster out there all-in by the end of 2017. I still disagree that the previous moves committ the sox to this. They traded for a 3B to hold the spot until their next prospect (Trey M.) should be ready. He is a stop gap but a good one.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 12:43 PM) Were these players tested for steroids by MLB? They were not during the majority of their careers. How can you be so sure they were clean? PEDs affect everyone differently. Griffey kept getting hurt. There is plenty of suspicion about Pedro. How did Randy Johnson improve with age? Where is the proof that these guys were so clean? Prove they cheated. Iknow you want it the other way but look at it from this point of view. Whenyou want to give someone an award or raise do you look at what they may have done or what you know they did? We know for a fact that some did. Whether it was because their ego was so big that they ignored they couldn't resist or they were too stupid and got caight. You penalize the ones who got caught.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 11:21 AM) This kid is supposed to be the next big thing, 16 years old out of Cuba. Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler 2h2 hours ago Here's a new highlight video of Cuban OF Lazaro Armenteros, who has his first showcase on Friday: http://www.baseballamerica.com/internation...ighlight-video/ … Beating those choppers to third and short was impressive. You would think the opposing outfielders would have learned to play a little deeper when he was up.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 11:06 AM) He could. So could Avi. So could Laroche But that's no better than 50/50. But look at the sox run differential from last year - 72 phytho wins. If anything, the win total exceeded the sum of the parts. A lot would have to improve for this team as is to contend. You cant' trade controllable young talent like they did for a wish and a hope in Melky Cabrera (aging with a history of PED use) and a couple of others. I think cabrera has a better track record to improve than Garcia. cabrarea is 31, I wouldn't call that aging. Laroche you could at 36 you could. They have their young talent for 4 years at least. Don't make stupid decisions now that could limit the future success.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:57 AM) Not improving the 0 WAR LF and RF makes the Frazier trade absolute madness. This is where hero-worshiping comes in. Frazier's here, not because the Sox will win, but to have a home run hitter to watch. Might as well get full hero value and let him participate in home run derby this year, if that's the plan. Maybe he is just better than what they had last year. By your comment, I assume you believe that Cabrera has no chance to improve this year?

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:55 AM) The way I look at it is that the WAR side of it bakes in the penalty. Even with the DH penalty knocking a win and a half off of every season, he still comes out looking like he belongs. So to me, that means his offense was superlative enough to put him in. This will be the question that the voters need to answer. I agree with you but so far the voters don't seem to like the "DH mostly" player. I look at it like Ozzie Smith. It took the voters longer than it should have to let him in because he was seen as a "defense only" player for years.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:08 AM) I think it just goes to show how powerful PEDs are. They can take a mediocre player in Sosa and turn him into a would be HOFer or take a HOFer in Bonds and suddenly make him better than Ted Williams starting at age 36. I really think, for the most part, that the HOFers from that era are generally clean. That is why Bonds's numbers stand out so much. It is typically the mediocre to average players that turn to PEDs and make them look much better than they already are. It is when PEDs are given to the best of the best like Bonds or Clemens that it just turns into a joke. Look at the last few years of HOF inductees and soon to be inductees that played through the steroid era. There has not been an ounce of suspicion surrounding these guys. Thome Griffey Smoltz Martinez Johnson Thomas Maddux Glavine Larkin Alomar Ripken Gwynn Can you imagine the numbers those guys would have put up if they used PEDs? This is what always made me laugh. The early 2000's diamondbacks are the ones that stick in my mind. Guys like Jay Bell, Steve finley and Luis Guitierrez ( I think that was his name) hitting nearly 40 HR when in other years they didn't hit 20.

QUOTE (Jose Paniagua @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:27 AM) I do agree with this. '17 could have Fulmer too. But we are win-now in the sense that we ...aren't ....win-later. If that were the case we'd still have all those young guys we just traded away. The Sale/Abreu window necessitates that. But all they did was make the team better without giving up much. They do not need to be in win now mode if they determine the contract isn't worth it. That is how they get stuck in average to below average teams. sign the players ONLY if they contract and value make sense. Don't go way over their determined value just because it's a need this year. They made their decision with Gordon that a 4th year was too much. They have a value on Cepedes and they need to stick to it. If he signs good, if not move on to the next option that will make the team better but not sacrifice the future.

QUOTE (Sockin @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:26 AM) Because you only have two years of Todd Frazier and the FA class next year is awful. That is 2 years of Frazier not just one, after which Trey M. may be ready. May be the move the following year is a trade for a money player not a FA. There are many options if the price becomes to big especially for an inconsistent player like Cespedes.