YASNY

Regarding the point about Grilli and the Tommy John surgery, that is a point I've tried to make a few times this off season. So many posters can't get past his high ERA without taking that into consideration. I'm not saying we should give Grilli the 5th spot, but he should get the opportunity to earn it now that he has gone the full recovery cycle of the TJ surgery. These preconceived notions saying one pitcher or the other SHOULD be the 5th starter is flat out wrong. Give them the ball in Tucson and let's see who grabs the position. Discussing the relative strengths and weaknesses of each pitcher is one thing, but let them decide who earns the spot while on the mound this spring. I don't condone GIVING it to any of them, as none of them have earned that type of consideration as of yet.

Yep. And that's why he was so pissed when we didn't.

Fotop, you are certainly correct in your assessment. If Rowand goes in the tank, we're screwed. However, I think Aaron Rowand is just too good of a ballplayer for that to happen. Now, if he gets one of those nagging injuries that effects his swing, power or speed, that can be a problem. But if ARow stays healthy, I believe he'll produce.

He's in mourning.

I disagree with that. Rarely do things all line up like a row of dominos. You have to make your moves when you can make them and go from there. Expecting a GM to have 6 deals in place, all contingent upon the first one is ridiculous. DePodesta may be able to hedge his bets to a certain extent, but while he is attempting to do so, the whole damn thing can fall apart if someone comes in there and sandbags everybody.

19 of which will be against the White Sox. And that dude always kicks our asses.

That is not beyond the realm of possibilities.

Ok.

Well, so much for a good baseball discussion. Edit: I meant to quote the hooker/suicide post.

No one else seems to feel this way, but I'll go on record as saying it. This will be a move the Sox end up regretting.

Dave Duncan.

Snatch?

I have a prediction. If we don't add another starter to the rotation, the person that pitches the best in spring training will be the 5th starter. It damn sure won't be decided on a message board in December.

mariotti sounds an awful lot like some soxtalk posters.

The Sox need to resist the urge to call up players too early. Their arbitration/free agency clock needs to be delayed so as the Sox won't lose the good ones before they hit their prime. It also serves the purpose of giving the kids time to learn how to play the game the right way. More experience in the minors, means less learning on the job at the major league level. To me, this is the key to Twins success. They took the hit with their young players 6 years ago and let some play at the big league level, and suffered because of it. Since then, just about every kid they've called up has been major league ready or very close to it. The A's are showing a similar pattern now, but they are trading for young major league ready players in addition to developing them

But ...... There's a catch: Edit: More Burnett info:

I think, rather than become a FA, he can demand a trade.

:headshake Here I've been wasting two years on Soxtalk and haven't made a dime.

That stupid Kenny Williams!!!! He's getting RIPPED OFF.

Any new developments?

It won't be 11. Luis Aparicio

At this point in time, that stands as a dead rumor.

Aboz .... good job, my friend. I was hoping someone would call him besides me. Doing so seems to have become necessary a lot more often throughout Soxtalk lately. People have to stop and think, these players, managers, coaches and even GM's are people too. These people have families also.

There is speculation, rumor and fact. Speculation is guess work on somebody's part. Rumor is the repeating of someone else's speculation. Fact is when the deal is done, approved by MLB and announced publically. Until it get's to the fact stage, I don't worry too much about any of it. It damn sure isn't worth getting pissed off about prior to that point.