Balta1701

Carlos Rodon, if he reaches his potential, is a #1, top of the rotation level pitching talent. With a guy who hasn't even pitched at high levels you hesitate to say that anything worse than that would be a disappointment, but he was viewed as a top of the rotation guy coming out of college and nothing we saw from him in the minors last year would change that. You wouldn't expect him to be incredible out of the gates in 2015 or maybe not even make the big leagues because you shouldn't hold any pitcher to that standard so rapidly after being drafted, but the "penciled in" path for him would have him on par with the other top of the rotation lefties on this roster within a few seasons.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 22, 2014 -> 09:04 AM) The result was the exact same. The offense as a whole is terrible, it doesnt matter who is at QB. Given the factor of 30 difference in the salary cap hit of the 2 potential QBs, one would still call that an indictment of one particular player.

Matt Hasselbeck is still in the NFL?

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Dec 20, 2014 -> 01:14 PM) The faster you move you move on from Cutler, the faster you can move onto finding a new QB. It may not happen in a year or two, but as long as you actively seek one out, you'll find one. For some oddball reason, people have this connotation that Cutler is the ceiling when it comes to QBs and the Bears will never get one as good if not better than him. It's a loser mentality really. To be a little fair...that "oddball reason" is "40 years of experience with the franchise".

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Dec 19, 2014 -> 10:33 PM) Not really interested in that deal. I'd be game for that if Trestman was staying around, which he won't be.

That is one impressive win.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Dec 19, 2014 -> 05:00 PM) My thoughts exactly, if Bulls can match what's out there and they don't it would be an extremely short-sighted move. The Bulls would be able to match whatever he's offered regardless of whether the cap goes up or not.

I had 2 people in a pickup truck yell that word out the window at me while I was biking home last year. I still cannot figure it out.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Dec 19, 2014 -> 03:30 AM) It will look nothing like that. Impossible to predict how an MLB roster will look in 2-3 years Everyone knew we'd have Melky, Samardzija, Robertson, and LaRoche 3 offseasons ago, come on man!

QUOTE (flavum @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 08:57 PM) He's played 29 games above A ball. Probably won't be invited to major league camp. Just a minor league transaction. With Ravelo gone there's a spot open.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 06:20 PM) I posted this in our previous discussion of projections for the Sox, but this needs to go here too. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/does-projec...thing/ When we talk about projections, and you have disagreements with them, this will be referenced often. Projections are not trying to be perfect. Metaphorically speaking, they are painting a picture of what you look like in October of year "x" based on how you have looked in every year prior to that. Given that it's based in the future, we have absolutely no idea what you will look like, but given the circumstances, we can probably make an educated guess. That's all this is, and if it's incredibly wrong on a few samples, it doesn't mean the system or the process is wrong. So the 2 sigma SE prediction appears to be about plus/minus 8-10.

QUOTE (fathom @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 06:01 PM) Yesterday during Hahn's interview with Mully and Hanley, it sounded like there was one more player they were specifically targeting and were trying to make it work money wise. George Kottaras?

QUOTE (shipps @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 04:52 PM) What is most disturbing in all of this is that I feel that they are continually making decisions now that will put this franchise back years and years to come with no end in sight. They have already predetermined failure for the next couple years just based on bad decisions in the past two years but I feel like the time table is continually being pushed forward by this idiots. They need to leave like yesterday so we can stop regressing further...IT JUST WONT STOP GETTING WORSE. I've been consistently impressed at how some teams are able to rapidly completely turn things around by nailing a draft or two even when I think they're down for years. The Atlanta Falcons are probably my best recent example of this - they looked like a disaster the year of the Vick suspension, I thought they would need years, they drafted Matt Ryan and were in the playoffs the next year. It seems like there's always at least one "rapid turnaround" from a poor record to a solid one in the NFL every year.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 02:50 PM) With the injury time he missed last year, I would imagine he is ticketed for Charlotte. QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 02:59 PM) Yep. If he's hitting 300/340/450 in charlotte in July, ok, that's a good problem. From all accounts his defense needs work. Let him season in AAA. Sanchez is just further ahead developmentally, even if his ceiling is lower. All this makes so much sense to me that the organization-driven talk of the job being his to lose makes me think that there's a good chance they'll actually give him the job. It makes no sense based on his background to give him the job, so the only reason that would even be out in the ether is if they're actually leaning strongly towards going with him inside the org.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 02:17 PM) If he is good, he turns into McCown, and someone overpays for him. If he sucks, we don't want him anyway. Play the rookie you have under control. Will someone genuinely overpay after "2 good games"?

It's not the Mumps is it?

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 10:50 AM) Body cameras aren't a cure-all. There are 4th Amendment issues that will need to be resolved. There will be police reports where the camera either wasn't turned on or malfunctioned (both could come from benign or malicious intent). Body cameras will help - both officers and the public should want them and advocate for them. But there are going to be plenty of speed bumps regarding their implementation nation-wide. I did not say that they were a cure-all. I cited specific research on a case in California where the addition of force-wide body cameras led to a 60% reduction in police use of force and an 88% reduction in complaints against police. So while some of your anecdotes may be correct, if these results are scaleable nationwide then that is an enormous signal of less police-on-others violence associated with those cameras, and that's what I was pointing to.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 10:17 AM) Right. Imagine this roster without Melky Cabrera AND Viciedo. That's a roster that has Jordan Danks, JB Shuck or some other minor leaguer getting significant playing time as a starter in LF. That does not sound like a good time. Imagine this roster without Melky Cabrera and with Viciedo. It's pretty much equally bad but with a tad bit more money. Maybe worse, far more circus music to be played in the background on average fly balls.

QUOTE (bear_brian @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 09:07 AM) That's not much different than having Konerko limit our bench options last year. Take Tank's money, sign Bonifacio - who hits lefties exceptionally well- and can play CF, 2B and 3B, and you have the answer. That gives our bench maximum flexibility, and allows a platoon player for either Gillaspie or LaRoche when desired. It makes sense to me but I never would have offered Viciedo arbitration in the first place, so maybe they see more in him?

QUOTE (hi8is @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 06:40 AM) Pretty amazing news to see walking down an airport terminal in flordia. I was like... "Um... So I gurss I could go to Cuba now." I believe I read that there still will not be direct flights allowed any time soon.

You can make a bench work with: Viciedo Danks2 Saldino/Leury and have a role for everyone. Viciedo could get a few hundred PAs as a platoon partner for LaRoche, pinch hitter, and backup corner OF. I just don't know why you'd want to do that.

QUOTE (Jake @ Dec 17, 2014 -> 09:52 PM) I wonder how much of a look they'll give Saladino at 2B. He very well could be the best of the bunch, especially for this season. As of right now he's the backup utility IF who can also play a "solid" SS. If they bring someone in to fill that role, you'll have a clear statement about how much confidence they have in him starting the season.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 17, 2014 -> 06:10 PM) They just gave these guys more of a reason to hack US companies. Billions of dollars worth of stolen credit cards is not enough.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ Dec 17, 2014 -> 05:58 PM) I think the officer got a little too smart for his own good; poor judgement is all he is guilty of and that's just my opinion. On a related note, will police killings rise as a result of what's happening lately? From the places where data is available, when body cameras are added the amount of violent encounters between police and citizens declines so dramatically that it would be the dominant effect if these major departments follow through on purchasing them. Something like >50% decrease on both sides when people knew the police were wearing body cameras.