Balta1701

QUOTE (LDF @ Nov 12, 2014 -> 08:53 AM) didn't someone posted last wk that the sox did loose money that yr. but that yr everything that could go wrong, did. wasn't it the sox brass who was trying to make 1 last push for a WS before rebuilding? A BIG part of that was also the chairman trying to keep ozzie/save ozzie's job.

QUOTE (LDF @ Nov 12, 2014 -> 08:25 AM) ~ the fan base of the sox will go crazy ~ mlb baseball will really start to showcase the team ~ the NL while not in the same situation will have to take notice ~ LASTLY the north siders will really need to make a splash so they will not loose to the sox anything from fans, advertising, popularity, etc..... I disagree with all of the above. The fans of the white sox barely care if at all about free agent moves. They don't appear until you have a team that performs on the field.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 10:24 PM) Not arguably, Scott Downs most definitely had a better track record than Miller. I'd much rather sign Joe Thatcher and target a LH reliever with potential. Anyone could have had Miller a few years ago. Anyone could have had Matt Thornton after 2005. I know it's much easier said than done but I'd rather take the safer. cheaper option and search for some potential. I am not paying 8-10 AAV over a 3-4 year span for a guy who's second best season BB/9, in any sample size, is 4.5 BB/9. I've seen him pitch and he's absolutely filthy but I'd much prefer the Cubs/Tigers wasting their resources than our Sox who cannot absorb these types of mistakes. But if you could have gotten Matt Thornton in 2009 on a 3 year deal, even if you paid him a ton you got your moneys worth.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Nov 12, 2014 -> 08:25 AM) Yeah, clearly you didn't take Finance 101. The rule applies to all businesses, especially the White Sox. Provide a product your customer actually wants or they will have no reason to buy it from you. This means investing in the quality of your product, or in the White Sox's case, trying to build a team that can actually win next year. If the front office can convince Sox fans they're serious about being competitive next year, Sox fans will buy more tickets and the incremental revenue will offset payroll the increase. That will be their basis for increasing payroll and there will be no expected loss. This will all be factored into their budget, which is forward looking, not based solely on history. What happened the year they added Dunn and went "all-in"? Why didn't they have an expected loss that season? I know you think because you read some Forbes valuation article that you're an expert of their financials, but based on everything that's been communicated this offseason I think you're completely in the wrong on this subject. Last year's payroll is not reflective of what they can spend this year or going forward. I think they did have an expected potential loss the year they signed Dunn and I think they did wind up losing money that year IIRC, or at the least were very close to it. They did so because they were hoping that selling playoff tickets in conjunction with season tickets the next year would make up for that potential loss. That's not an incorrect thought line if your team is in a position where 1 player can potentially be the difference between making and missing the playoffs and its a good explanation for why big ticket FAs are so often overpaid - they are being paid based on their ability to make a big difference during that 1 year period. That year's white sox are also a prime example of what can go wrong with that line of thinking - it destroyed the ability of the team to be major FA players to fill holes for the next 3 years.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 11:55 PM) I bet he's already getting fitted for a Cardinals jersey. But yeah, he'd be great to have. He'd make the Sox a force. The Cardinals signing him would be as completely out of character as the White Sox signing him would be.

In about 3 hours, a European made box the size of a washing machine is going to try to harpoon and land on top of a comet and the livestream can be watched here. This is just a fun sentence to write.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 09:17 PM) If Andrew Miller was the only missing piece I'd be all in for him. Having holes at DH, LF (maybe RF since we don't really know what Avi is yet) and having to find a starter or two, he's not the missing piece. I say that same thing about Victor Martinez. I take a fundamentally different position here, I would pay the market rate for this guy even if he's not the last piece. He's young enough and fills an important enough weakness that I'd be willing to do that even if he's not the last piece.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 05:34 PM) Ok I take back saying I want him. No thanks. Not at that price. That's a tolerable deal for the Pirates and they ought to pay it.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 05:59 PM) Yeah. Wouldn't be shocked to see him get $10 mill a season even. Relievers are so inconsistent I don't think he'd be worth the investment. This is the one spot I'm ok with paying the premium price. He's unlikely to be worth whatever contract he'll get because teams will pay for the fact that they need someone to fill this position, but we're talking about a left handed reliever who fills a need who is 29 and has a 2.57 ERA the last 3 years while pitching in Boston. We have the need, we clearly need a lefty this year to have any shot, Surkamp and Snodgress might be able to contribute but they're not good enough reasons to not do this kind of move.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 04:54 PM) My presumption is you could trade for a Jackie Bradley, who Boston has soured on. Also depends on what the view is of best statistics for defensive players. For example, if you focus on UZR, Bradley, Markakis, Aoki all rank very highly amongst outfielders. They don't necessarily all rank highly from a DWAR perspective. Dustin Ackley might be easily available. Again, I'm focusing on defense here and not saying that all of these players are there. Maybe you have that guy on your current roster in Jordan Danks (not sure how he'd grade out defensively over a full season). I don't know what UZR you're looking at but the one I'm looking at does not show that. Aoki was a below average fielder his first 2 years and a barely average fielder last year - he'd only be an upgrade since Viciedo was so bad. Nick Markakis has been bad to terrible on defense for the last 6 years according to UZR.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 04:26 PM) Ichiro? Not sure if his defense has taken a dive the last few years but if it hasn't and we're going all in, he might be the perfect one year fit as was semi suggested on the site yesterday. Both fangrapsh and B-R have him being a below average fielder the last several years. B-R thought he had a decent 2013 defensively but otherwise they've had him as a negative defender since his late years in Seattle. Fangrapsh has him being ok in 2012-2013 but below average in 2014 and 2011 and certainly not a strong plus fielder like he was in his early years.

QUOTE (Jake @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 03:35 PM) I don't hate Hillary, but she's toward the bottom of the list of Dems that may or may not be contemplating a presidential run. What she is though is tough, experienced, and probably the most thoroughly vetted candidate to ever run. I don't expect any big surprises or mistakes. I do wonder if Dem voters, particularly the sort that vote in primaries, may be tired of her by then. The left has been growing more and more worried about her whole not-really-being-all-that-much-of-a-leftist thing. They were worried about that with Obama too, though, and he still won - of course, I don't think people knew that much about where he fit into the spectrum when he was getting elected. I'll almost certainly be voting against her in the primaries but in a post citizens united world I can't see anyone having a shot at her. The Obama campaign in 2008 was plenty wall street friendly and that helped them a lot, but I think the level of support she'll now be able to get financially will be unprecedented.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 04:12 PM) I don't think that is the case. Having another ace pitcher helps you win games to an extent, regardless of who is in your lineup. Plus our lineup will still have guys like Abreu, etc. I think you can find good defenders for less and get away with not having big bats in certain spots in the lineup when you have great pitching. If you can suggest an available, good defensive corner OF, I'm listening for names?

QUOTE (scs787 @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 04:08 PM) At some point I really think the Sox need to take advantage of the fact that their #1 and #2 are being paid like a #4 and #5 Then you eventually throw in Rodon to the mix and Noesi as a cheap 5 (assuming Danks is traded) and that rotation is not expensive at all. After thinking more, I'm against it if Danks is still here, but I'm for it if he's gone. Sale- 6M Max- 25M Q- 3.4M Noesi- 1.9 Bassitt/Rodon- 500K Total- 36.8M Conversely the top 5... Dodgers rotation- 78M Phillies- 74M Yankees-74M Tigers- 73M Giants- 65M I'm not quite confident enough in Bassitt to set up a rotation competition between him and Rodon out of the spring. Maybe the team is willing to do it, but he's a guy who has 1/2 a season above A ball and a lot of injury issues last year. Maybe the team really loves what he's done this year, maybe they also have more confidence in someone like Beck contributing this year, and that would leave them willing to do it, but that rotation as written really does look like it has a role for a guy on a 1 year, value rebuilding contract. Masterson, Johnson, the guy from Oakland, someone to fill that gap out of the spring and give some innings until Rodon is ready seems like such a good fit.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 04:02 PM) It is tough to put a number on it really. $20 million a year would be ideal but is also not realistic for what Scherzer is wanting and what another team will pay for. Another pitcher is of real need. We can't compete with Noesi, Danks, and Bassit as our 3, 4, and 5 so getting another starter that is equal or better then Quintana is important IMO. There is at least a plausible way to make that work...if Noesi shows any growth this year that turns him into a solid #4, then the thing missing is a #3 starter. The question we have to ask then is whether we're going to try to buy a #3 starter which is James-Shields expensive, or we're going to try to piece together one out of Bassit + a FA + anyone else from the minors followed by a part season for Carlos Rodon. OTOH, if Noesi and Danks show no improvement over last year, even if we bring in a #3 starter candidate, that could leave us with a pretty weak overall rotation despite spending a ton of money.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 01:42 PM) Technically speaking, if you have confidence in your farm system and lots of cost controlled guys, as long as it doesn't prevent you from continuing to sign your cost controlled guys to fair extensions, the thought process of going big isn't a bad idea. outside of the pitching staff i would not have confidence in the white sox's ability to produce cost-controlled guys from their farm system. I have more confidence in them trading for players from other teams' farm systems, but even that has left us recently with a Matt Davidson.

QUOTE (bmags @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 11:10 AM) Is it possible this is the one time where the hype over how much a star player will get will not at all match-up to what people pay him? I can't remember a time when the contract for a front line starting pitcher didn't live up to the hype.

QUOTE (LDF @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 10:35 AM) anderson is important to the sox, why even take a chance to rush him. the sox have several infielders who can hold the fort for a yr. letting anderson fully develop is more important. but yeah, i agree this might be the yr the sox move Alexei and that pains me. The white sox don't seem to view rushing people upwards as "taking a chance" with them, they seem to view it as challenging them. If a person doesn't perform, they seem to think that they'd rather have this happen earlier so that they can work to correct it rather than later at the big league or AAA level. I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of the way they do this, but then again they run a franchise and I don't.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 11:00 AM) It was a good pre-preseason for him, I'm glad he did it. Especially because he doesn't like playing pick up in the summer And when he had some things he struggled with he then had an extra month+ to work on getting back into the routine with those things. Now we just need him to stay on the court

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 10:52 AM) It's all in the reps for him. The more he plays the better he will be for it I'm thinking the world championships time worked about as well as I would have hoped.

For all those who were irrationally scared about it magically turning into a different virus, the USA is now ebola-free. Every single person exposed to the infected people have hit or are about to hit their 21 day clearance levels, including people who lived with the first patient while he was symptomatic, are ebola-free. The only people infected by any of the symptomatic people were two health care workers directly exposed to him with inadequate safety precautions. The only person to die of ebola in this country was the case where an uninsured person came into a hospital and was mysteriously sent home with the "antibiotics and tylenol" treatment for 2 days which I'm sure is totally unrelated to that being a way to get rid of a person who comes to the hospital with flu-like symptoms and no insurance. Every other person who has been treated in this country has survived.

QUOTE (LDF @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 10:17 AM) the rtn going to the dodgers in form of a payment, is not going to be any young prospects. If you want the Dodgers to pick up money, that's probably not true.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Nov 11, 2014 -> 12:25 AM) Yeah, when Anderson's bat is MLB ready the Sox will find a spot for him somewhere. The Sox may have to work with Anderson as he goes through defensive growing pains but they won't hold Anderson back. It could also depend a lot on what happens with the team this year. We've been waiting for someone to give a fair offer for Alexei for a couple years, that could happen this year and rush him, or they could blow a ton of money trying to build a competitve roster this year and need to hold Anderson back until a slot opens up (or even trade him in the process).

I like how the article you linked 2 shows the words "knees" and "contract". Just about sums it up for me.

That's better.