Balta1701

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 11:01 AM) He is 24 years old and hasn't played above A ball. He was a Rule 5 pick up. If he sticks, he will struggle and be a back up, so his development will fall a little more. This isn't like you are getting a first round talent. Unless he shocks the world and shows he is ready to play at least half the time on the major league team, the best case scenerio for the White Sox is they see something they like and can work something out to have him play every day in Birmingham or Charlotte. Having him on the roster just to have him on the roster, and not getting enough playing time to get better, defeats any purpose. It would basically be losing a year of development. Correct...and I have no problem with that given that otherwise he wouldn't be developing from us at all.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 10:45 AM) Let's see if the AD has the balls to make a change or wait until it's 2 years too late like Guenther. Next year will be that defining year IMO. He's still getting recruits, but at least so far, those recruits aren't panning out. I don't see them being much better next year unless Vonleh stays, Ferrill stops making awful turnovers (and flopping non-stop) and some of their big recruits can make an impact. I'll tentatively agree with you that the 2014-2015 season is going to be a key one in determining his long-term future. What's his contract status?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 10:44 AM) Where that would come in is if you want this guy but don't want him on the major league roster. If he isn't ready to play at the MLB level, you will have an overmatched guy picking up playing time and not progressing. It isn't like he is 21 years old. The clock is ticking. If the Nats liked him very much, they would be less likely to let the Sox have him for what he is probably worth. I'd complain more if I felt like he was clearly blocking someone who earned a shot at the major league roster but that just isn't the case with our catcher's spot. I'd also complain more if he was a guy we already had the rights to who was being promoted from A-ball to the big leagues. But quite simply, even if he's an utter failure on the major league roster because he's not ready...having him on the big league roster only improves the chances of the Sox having the catcher's spot filled long term. It adds a warm body to the catching rotation that wasn't there beforehand and does so with no cost in big league playing time to anyone who clearly deserves it. Maybe come July I'll be singing a different tune if Phegley's putting up a 1.500 OPS at Charlotte again, but until then, heck with it. If having him in the big leagues hurts his development...what's the harm to this team?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 10:11 AM) Is there a way that a business can test for probability of a sinkhole opening up? I know in Florida a lot of it has to do with the fact that it is sitting on a bed of limestone, but i wonder if this Corvette museum could have possibly known something like this could have happened to them. And is there any prevantive measures that could have been taken? There are techniques which can be used to detect subsurface caves that can be deployed before construction. A full ground-penetrating-radar study of the entire area on which you're building the facility could probably do it...but that's not cheap and frankly the losses are probably going to be covered by some sort of insurance policy whether you do so or not. Furthermore, it would have to be done before construction, and this museum has been on that location for decades now. Furthermore, the building of a facility could potentially disrupt groundwater flow patterns enough to, decades down the line, lead to sinkhole production in some areas that were otherwise stable beforehand. Science is getting better at detecting possible sinkhole locations from space before construction takes place, but it's never going to be 100% predictive of sinkhole formation, particularly years down the line. If you, however, know that you have a facility sitting on top of a potential collapse site, you could certainly add supports to the floor and foundation to provide some protection...but again, $.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 10:36 AM) A look at the recent history of Rule 5 pick ups would lead one to believe, it probably doesn't matter if the Nats really want Nieto back or not, and in the long run, it probably won't matter if he stays with the White Sox or not., and 2 years from now we will all forget he even existed. But if he was a prospect the Nats really thought that highly of, they probably don't expose him to the rule 5. If all we did is pick up a free lottery ticket...who cares what the Nats thought? Free lottery ticket.

QUOTE (Jose Paniagua @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 10:29 AM) This could be true, but it also happened because the Nats have several catchers they like. It's not solely b/c Nieto is what he is. I'm reading whatever I can on him...myy take on him is...early levels were a disappointment, but has played very well recently for long stretches (albeit not at a level fitting of his age) We had no young talent a year ago. Have to get creative (and we have). If he sticks on the roster he accomplishes the magical feat of defeating (just one of) these 2013 OPSes: .603, .522. That's what he'd be competing with in camp, as things stand. Plus he's said to have the defense (and of course the switch hit aspect) If 2014 is a lost season and he puts up a.450 OPS in the big leagues but gets some learning time, and we send him to AAA for the full season next year, basically we lose a year of service time on him and maybe hurt his development by over-matching him earlier than he should have been. Given that we wouldn't have him otherwise, I'm ok with that.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 10:07 AM) HA, you have no idea i wasn't serious. Back to your local programming. Thanks for checking in Schmedley It didn't even come across as funny. Making a joke about a pardon actually kind of could have been, I got that one. The extra step turned it into nonsense.

Link

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 10:01 AM) I say executive order.. It's official. You have literally no idea how government works.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 07:35 AM) Job interview where? Been through enough interviews where I haven't gotten the job that I can be superstitious and not say which school until I have an offer...but its B1G, so the joke worked well.

QUOTE (Swingandalongonetoleft @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 09:37 AM) In other words, "bad contracts" realistically can't be avoided. They can...if you're willing to not be competitive for several years.

I've officially found 2 "World of beer" locations and I can't recommend that place highly enough. Anyone else ever found one?

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 09:15 AM) I don't think that they can sign Melo and Mirotic. It's just not possible. Trading Taj, Dunleavy, and Kirk gets the Bulls the necessary $$ to sign Carmelo. Mirotic will be looking for more than the MLE I think too. I think you are looking at something $7-$8 million per year for Mirotic. Is there any way to back-load an MLE deal into future years? i.e. Mirotic gets an Omer Asik type deal with a MLE level the first year and a heavy backload into years 2 and 3?

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 12, 2014 -> 09:12 PM) wow, indiana. epic meltdown This game was the line that got one of my friends/fellow alums/season ticket holders saying it was time for a coaching change.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Feb 12, 2014 -> 11:18 PM) http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/02/dodg...e-to-terms.html One of the recent defectors, a no-hit SS without speed. 23 & needs significant time in the minors. Scouts wonder if he can post a .220 BA or .300 OBP in MLB. Sounds a lot like a poor man's Leury to me. Not that we would want to but we could probably buy out Leury's 3 arb & 1-2 FA years for about half that amount. This ought to serve as a note as to how good getting Leury back for Rios actually was.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Feb 13, 2014 -> 01:07 AM) Jeter hit .316/.362/.429/.791 in 150+ games as recent as 2012. He posted nearly that same line in his rookie year. He was a consistent, top tier player. AND he has more memorable playoff experiences than any other major leaguer ever. AND he has a handful of rings. I'm not saying Jeter was on steroids, but I really don't think this type of player ever exists again. If guys like Pete Rose and Nolan Ryan can continue to be productive into their 40's then it's got to still be possible with guys in the future.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Feb 12, 2014 -> 04:35 PM) Tip of the day: Don't build a museum for expensive cars in an area with lots of caves. You do realize that "areas with lots of caves" pretty much covers the entire midwestern united states, right?

Trapped in a hotel now awaiting news about whether my flight this evening is canceled. At least I have the internets. First time I've gotten to walk around in a truly legit snowstorm in > a decade. Can't tell whether I enjoyed it or hated myself for it.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Feb 12, 2014 -> 10:33 PM) You guys are just trolling now. And hating too. Except Marty. Gosh I wonder what that must be like to have to deal with.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Feb 12, 2014 -> 09:10 PM) Yeah let's just go ahead and pretend 2011 never happened & also pretend that DeAza has been anywhere near as bad as Dunn has been. BTW you factor out Dunn's 2011 completely and guess what? Dunn 2012-13: .211/.326/.455/.781 as a DH DeAza with the Sox: .279/.343/.420/.763 as an OF with 60 SB in that span DeAza's far superior even if you hack off what was at the time the single worst season in MLB history, which is completely unfair to discount especially with an all-or-nothing power hitter going into his age 34 season with a slow enough bat already. Dunn could very easily have a similar season next year. If he declines any more than he already has he won't take the field for anyone in 2015. Alejandro De Aza could just as easily seirously injure a leg again next year, he has a history of doing so. Why are you discounting that?!

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Feb 12, 2014 -> 08:49 PM) Adam Dunn with the White Sox: .197/.317/.405/.722 Alejandro DeAza with the White Sox: .279/.343/.420/.763 To be equally fair to what they're likely to produce next year we should count a full season against De Aza for the year he destroyed his leg. It's just about as relevant as what you just posted to what they'll do next year.

Opening job interview talk with joke insulting Indiana football...good laughs...pledge to get them back during basketball season...success.

QUOTE (Willard Decker @ Feb 12, 2014 -> 07:21 PM) Particularly when said trade discussions don't involve one. --Captain Decker Ooooooh, Decker Unit goes for the burn!

So...develop the middle infield prospects we have this year and we have a trade destination for Alexei. Possibly even midseason if Jetes gets hurt.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Feb 12, 2014 -> 05:20 PM) Are the Dodgers going to give $25M to a player who may become a poor man's Leury Garcia? If so, holy s***. Dumb. (Who was this talking about?)