Balta1701

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 12:18 AM) Before signing with the Braves for $4MM with an additional $4.5MM in incentives, starter Gavin Floyd reportedly turned down a two-year offer from the Orioles that could have reached $20MM in value with incentives, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. In an interesting reversal of the usual bargaining positions of player and team, Connolly writes that Baltimore was not interested in giving a one-year deal to Floyd (who is still working back from Tommy John surgery) because it sought to secure another season at a reasonable price. Meanwhile, the previously-durable righty chose the shorter-term deal, presumably hoping to prove his health and command multiple years when he enters next season's free agent market at age 31. Per MLBRUMORS Yeah, so he thinks he's healthy, his agent thinks he's healthy, he's going to pitch early in the season, he thinks he'll pitch well enough to score a multiyear deal after one year, and he wasn't going to sign a cheap deal giving the team 2 years of control. Just not a match for us at all.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 03:34 AM) As far as I'm concerned, Rick Hahn has had an A-grade offseason so far. Infusing this team with top-tier MLB ready (or near) talent is so difficult, yet so crucial to avoid a prolonged rebuild. I don't see any feasible way that Adam Dunn get's dealt, but as Spring Training nears, there could be a team or two still desperate for some power, and it would be possible for him to get something done. Perhaps Viciedo/prospect could net him a catcher? Who knows what happens next. One interesting thing to note is that Ricky has not traded away a single "prospect" at any point this offseason. Or hell, I can't remember if he's done so at all. Last offseason we didn't trade for anyone and we didn't sign anyone who cost us a draft pick, this offseason we haven't traded away anyone from our minor leagues and we haven't signed anyone that cost us a draft pick. I think that's a trend as well. Hahn isn't "flipping prospects for players".

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 09:15 AM) That is where the assumption that a strike out is just like any other out, therefore they don't matter comes into play. If he has 50 less strikeouts, those other 50 ABs are either walks, HBP, or balls in play. Assuming they are all balls in play and he has a .300 bipba, that is 15 more hits, which is 30 more points on the batting average and OBP based on 500 AB. A strikeout is NOT like any other out. I agree totally with this. If his HR stay constant, the difference between 200 K's and 150 K's is the difference between a batting average well above .250 and one well below .250. I know the limitations of that stat...but I also would say the difference between a .270 and a .230 hitter is practically the difference between a big leaguer and a backup.

QUOTE (JoshPR @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 05:22 AM) He doesn't have that edge, that intimidation factor either. Are you sure? If he came in to some sort of truly metal song would that help? Hitting 100 doesn't hurt.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 10:26 PM) Unfortunately I agree. I feel like I'll be kicking myself next May though. Semien needs more time and Beckham is a stop gap of sorts. Kicking yourself in May because Beckham continues to struggle and Semien is still at AAA isn't a bad thing. You're not going to foul up Semien by keeping him at AAA, if he's struggling there...then that was where he belonged.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 17, 2013 -> 02:35 AM) It seems a common comp for Davidson is Mark Reynolds, which I am okay with. Although Davidson will probably strike out slightly less, play slightly better defense, and hit less HR, but Reynolds was about a 2 WAR player with Arizona, which isn't great, but it's fair value in return for a closer. Striking out slightly less than Reynolds is a big deal, frankly. If he struck out slightly less but hit fewer HR, there's a good chance it would make him a more consistent ballplayer. He can't because that's not his game, fine I get that...but the difference between 200K's a year and 150K's a year is very large.

@DHuddy41: Get ready south side, that is an unreal head of hair coming to chi town. Good luck Matty! Welcome to AZ @Areed43 !!

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 09:38 PM) How many times have we seen defensive scouting reports be completely wrong? Alexei's scouting reports were totally off base. For the vast majority of players, you really need to see them play consistently to judge their defense. I'll trust the Sox' judgement. Usually if a guy is elite as a minor league defender they call him that (see Iglesias, Andrus, that robot the Braves built to play short). Semien might get there with time but he's not there right now.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 09:21 PM) It's pretty much consensus that Semien is average, or perhaps a tick below or above. Most scouting reports say something along the lines that he's a good defender at 2B and his defensive value takes a hit at SS. The one thing people aren't calling him is "elite" and if he isn't an elite SS then him and Davidson pencils in as a weak left side. It could get better with experience but that's how it would be on paper.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 09:17 PM) Here's a new problem. IF Keppinger were traded, we'd have to choose between Leury and Gillaspie (with Konerko, Phegley, and JorDanks/De Aza taking up the other spots) Leury makes a lot more sense as a backup than either of those two. He is able to play short and neither if the others can.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 08:09 PM) Possibly this will be decided by a trade or FA signing? I do like Jones though. Will Jesse Crain return? I really don't like the idea of bringig in a right handed vet for this pen. I really want to I've one of the rookies the last spot. But a lefty veteran, I'm game.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 08:40 PM) It isn't that. The question is does he need more seasoning in the minors or should he start in the bigs? Same question for Semien basically There's nothing in his record suggesting he needs more time except ws a little young. Multiple full minor league seasons including success at AA and AAA and a cup of coffee in September. I'm usually the guy saying "give the guy more time in the minors" but this guy needs a shot in the bigs.

Cats are crazy.

QUOTE (Jake @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 07:58 PM) No reason to think Semien will be a bad defender But if he's average at short and our 3b is poor, that's a very weak left side.

QUOTE (Jillian Michaels' Abs @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 07:06 PM) The Sox are trading all their high character guys this off season Good return though, very surprising. What is Kevin Towers doing?? He's trying to win now without sabotaging himself long term with FA contracts. I don't know whether they have a win now roster, but if the think they do, they're filling holes with solid, established MLB guys. They're exactly the type of team the white sox should be taking advantage of right now. For the past decade we've been the team on the other side of that deal, trying to put a winner out there right now without signing a big money FA

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 07:49 PM) Rob Neyer is one guy who doesn't like the trade for the SOX. Just dogged Davidson, basically only considering him a 1B, which makes no sense with Abreu - who he didn't mention. If his bat plays well enough he could be a 1b, he will get several years to improve at 3b and we won't be terrifically mad if we have to move him. He's here to hit, put Alexei Ramirez next to him for a couple years and let Alexwi cover the ground while he's learning. Semien and Davidson might be a pretty poor defensive left side though if it winds up that way.

QUOTE (TheFutureIsNear @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 06:59 PM) Trust me, I was a huge KW supporter at the time, but can you really blame Law in retrospect? The World Series was amazing, but from '06-'11 Kenny put this franchise in a pretty bad state for what amounted to 0 playoff series wins. Kenny had some pretty horrible moves in that stretch. I feel like the problem with Law was he basically always said Kenny's moves were bad, and so when he nailed a team or two in the middle of the decade laws critiques missed, but when Kenny's success rate dropped below 50% late in his term suddenly Laws rate on Whire Sox Evans got better. If there's a 50 50 shot and you almost always say "terrible move", for a while anyone will look bad and anyone will look good.

Hell if Jones has a solid year closing and piles up 40 saves we might be able to get a big return for him next year too.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 05:46 PM) I disagree in the idea that just because the Sox are not going to compete, they do not need a bullpen. I think it becomes disheartening to lose games especially those that the team should win, because of a crap bullpen. I ma not saying to trade or sign a $10M closer but guys like Lidstrom and Crain are good pieces to have out there. Winning is a good thing even if you are young. Experienced pen guys can also help younger guys figure it out which mostly likely helped Jones and Reed. Crain makes a ton of sense in that regard. If the White Sox were to sign Crain...which young guys would they have in the bullpen? Jones (3rd year) Belisario (5th year and in his 30's) Lindstrom Hypothetical signee 2 lefties Maybe 1 rookie out of Rienzo, Johnson, Petricka, and Webb. The lefties might still be kids, fine, but if you add another righty it suddenly becomes very hard to have more than 1 kid around. A veteran lefty would make a lot of sense to me unless they have more confidence in Veal/Leesman/SantosRod than I do right now.

QUOTE (bear_brian @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 05:35 PM) I am not sure on that. I have been running my own payroll number, and have used Abreu at $ 17M this year, giving them the $ 83M figure. If you're counting that then you're not counting the guys it takes to fill out the roster. Right now that's >$5 million.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 05:29 PM) I look at it as: it sets the Sox rotation for the next 5 years, allows the core to grow and compete together, couls compete next year if all goes right, and allows them to trade Beck, Rienzo, Snodgress, Jaye and one of EJ/next years 1st rounder if need be to plug other holes. But it's not like there won't be options next year. Price could well be a FA at a comparable price. Scherzer ditto. And in terms of Japanese guys, this is the 3rd "all time talent" pitcher to come out of Japan in the last 8 years. They're starting to regularly develop high level MLB arms on a regular basis.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 05:16 PM) If Rick gets creative with the deal (Like JDA, Paulie), I can see it. And I'd like it Adding Davidson and Eaton allows them to spend. I just think of it this way. Put yourself in the position of the Rangers or Red Sox or Dodgers, a team obviously capable of competing in 2014 and beyond. You can tentatively look at Tanaka and say "if I sign him for 5 seasons, there's a shot he could contribute to 5 playoff-contending teams, and he's very likely to contribute to a playoff contender in his first 3 seasons when he is 25-28 years old in particular". The White Sox on the other hand would look at him and say "If I sign him for 5 seasons, I'm hoping maybe everything goes well and he can contribute to 4 pennant chases, with 2014 being unlikely to involve one even if I sign him given how many kids the roster is filled with". He's worth so much more to a team that can contend this year. The WHite Sox, to first order, would be paying him $100 million for 4 seasons that count, whereas the other teams would e paying him $100 million for 5 seasons that count. Imagine Darvish coming over, putting up a near cy young caliber season his first year and being on a team with 70 wins. That's a pretty major waste.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 04:18 PM) With the recent additions of Eaton and Davidson, does the change our outlook on the draft? Go after best pitcher available? The answer should have been best player available regardless. In MLB draft you may target things your system needs in the middle rounds, but the top of the draft usually is highest-ceiling guys who are still 2-3 years away from the bigs even if they're in college. By the time anyone you draft is pushing the big leagues, your roster is likely to look very different. The Sox could use the middle rounds to focus on adding a couple extra catchers if they think there's a need there because they only have really 1 obvious long-term candidate at lower levels (Ayala), but then many of their positions look pretty weak right now so you don't want to overdraft too much.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 05:01 PM) The $20 million is done in installments. You get the point though. We're pretending Abreu's money doesn't count against payroll if we quote $83 million. Fine, spread it out however you want, it still is getting paid, in addition to a big expansion of draft spending this year. Tanaka's posting fee you're talking an extra $5 million a year in off the books spending.