Balta1701

Manti Te'o will miss the Chargers preseason game at Chicago this week with a sprained foot.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 04:27 PM) There are a lot of rumours and whispers out there about PED's and Trout, but I think it's simply because of his slighter stature and the fact that he was instantly so dominant after being a low 1st rounder (relatively unprecedented in the last 20-30 years)... Now with Pujols and Verlander under a BIT of suspicion, you just have to sincerely hope (and cautiously believe) that Trout's 100% legit. Of course, Latin American players have ALWAYS been under suspicion, too, almost automatically. So, in the end, Trout has the advantage of course, due to his track record and ability to play CF (not quite as well as Bourjos, but CLOSE). Yasiel belong at a corner, and he's back there again today with Ethier in CF. And he's been quite a bit more patient at the plate, as of late, accepting walks. .440 OBP now includes 20 walks, which is an upgrade over his first month or so in the big leagues. Where are these rumors? I haven't seen or heard any of them. Is this what goes on in the twittersphere these days, random people suggesting that guys who seem to age naturally must have been using because they performed well?

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 04:25 PM) I don't give a rats behind about what he did in his 2nd full year in Charlotte. He hasn't done diddly squat to prove himself as some elite prospect. See my other post. Lets not make it out that we are writing off a top prospect in 22 games (plus...where did I write him off after 22 games). If it took 2 seasons to evaluate a young player, we could all have jobs in the bigs but the reality is good organizations have to make decisions much sooner than that. You can't just give all these guys an unlimited number of bats to put up or shut up. You have to make calls based upon a combination of past production, current production, and of course their tools. s***, I'm probably one of the most patient people out there when it comes to prospects...but I sure as s*** aren't just going to hand guys at bats just because they had one good year in AAA. That doesn't give them a free pass to play like s*** for 2 years in the majors. By the end of this year, the White Sox will know a lot more about Josh Phegley and if he's producing like he is now and not making progress, I'll have seen all I need to (and I'd expect most scouts with half a brain would as well) to know that he doesn't project to be an everyday starting catcher. And I'll say again...if he was only going to get to the end of his first 1/2 season in the big leagues to prove himself, since he spent so long in the minors dealing with a serious medical issue, then it was crazy to call him up. He'd have had a ton more value coming off an 1.100 OPS season in AAA at age 25 in the offseason than after a couple months of struggles in the big leagues if the team was going to ditch him for McCann. That's the exact opposite of maximizing the value of guys you have, that's destroying the value of one of them.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 04:18 PM) What makes you think Viciedo is going to struggle mightily next year? This year.

QUOTE (BPK @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 03:20 PM) And less maturity. Escobar was a year older when he made the roster out of ST, at least that's a little bit.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 04:07 PM) Phegley has some time but he was never the type of prospect you would pencil into the catcher spot for 2 years. He was never even a top 5 prospect in our system (our system). I haven't given up on him but he certainly isn't showing a lot to like about his long-term potential. It would be easier to live with his poor approach if he was a legit defensive catcher but while he isn't a terrible defender he certainly isn't a strong defender so if he can't hit, he brings very little value. If you have the opportunity to sign one of the premiere catchers in the game, I say go for it. It allows you to give Viciedo and some other guys more time to develop because you can get well above average production out of the catchers position. There are still 2 months left of the season though and Phegley will get every opportunity to develop and grow and give the organization a sense of whether he can be an every day starting catcher. See, this is exactly what I mean about a lack of patience. Phegley showed at Charlotte this year that he has the talent to be a solid run producer, but we called him up after 3 months of solid hitting out of his entire minor league career. Declaring that he "isn't showing a lot to like about his long-term potential" is just wrong. If he was still down in Charlotte until July 31, people would have been begging for him to be up for another month. He's in a slump now in his 2nd month in the big leagues. Saying things like "he isn't showing a lot to like about his long term potential" is what I keep harping about, it's the exact opposite of what we should be doing. We shouldn't have even called him up if we're just going to toss him aside after 3 months; we'd have been better off letting him rake at Charlotte and then trading him in the offseason.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 03:58 PM) Like the Sox? Not sure if that anti semitic rant from a year or two ago would be a deal killer. We already have a big-money DH and he can't really back up the OF positions all that well. If we got someone to trade for Dunn, fine, i'd take him at the minimum as a fillin for this year.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 03:10 PM) Jeesh, give it up already. I think people are going to accept that there are different priorities now and be a little more patient. Hell, half the people won't even be watching anyway. How long are you willing to give Viciedo?

QUOTE (EvilJester99 @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 03:59 PM) Seems everyone wants McCann.. does that mean everyone has already given up on Phegley?? Of course Soxtalk has, Soxtalk declares guys failed after 2 weeks of slumping. What really matters of course is how the org feels about these guys. We already saw them give 2+ years of struggles to Beckham and still treat him as a starter and let him grow up. Phegley showed real promise this year in Charlotte, but him struggling when he got called up was completely expected. It's up to the guys in the organization to decide whether his struggles are normal or whether they really don't think he can cut it. Personally I'd be really surprised if they signed McCann. They might kick the tires on him in case the market isn't there, but someone else will offer him much better money than we should.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 03:49 PM) I think some of you are a bit ambitious thinking that McCann will be signable. Why wouldn't the Braves be very aggressive in signing him? Because they have Gattis in reserve? Maybe that's all it takes, but Braves are loaded with cash, I would guess, so I will expect them to do their best to keep McCann. They don't have anyone else in the high minors to replace him. Plus, he is a local boy and been with the org. since day 1. It would be great to get him, but my guess is that 2014 will feature Phegley and Flowers. I think the Braves would be nuts to keep McCann with Gattis around and the money they have invested in their OF.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 02:43 PM) Yeah few people saying Garcia just hit the longest bomb they've ever seen here. By that description, nothing would be close to that. The legend begins. That's only because Thome and Dunn hit lefty and there was no fundamentals deck in Thomas's era

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 02:32 PM) I wonder if the Sox would be willing to eat a decent chunk of this contract to make something happen. Personally I wouldn't move Dunn unless I got some talent in return. A pure salary dump with him doesn't give us any value and without Dunn we'd have even more positions the club would need to fill. I'm totally open to moving him but if he cleared waivers I doubt anyone is going to give the Sox what it will take for it to be worthwhile for the Sox to move Dunn this year. I'd assume the Sox would happily eat some of the contract if they were getting something valuable in return, but no one is giving up anything valuable for him.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 02:31 PM) Ultimately that is going to be a major part in what drives Hahn's overall success. It will be his ability (and the organization's) ability to be able to decipher who has the ability and tools to ultimately succeed at the major league level and who doesn't. Its one thing to scout kids and get draft picks but the next big step is both the player development side and the major league scouting side where you ultimately determine whether a guy can / can't make it. Sox have been very successful from a pitching perspective and it seems like they may have figured out Gordon (which would be huge). In fact, as much as people complain about our current hitting coach he really did help Dunn, Rios, and Beckham. If Viciedo, Phegley, and Garcia can do what they're capable of next year, this could be a cooking offense. Personally though I'm expecting all 3 of them to strugglle mightily to the point where people here want them all released by June.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 01:51 PM) I am not about to hand over the reigns to the catcher spot for next year when a guy like McCann is out there. If at the end of the year Phegley has shown signs, then sure, I might consider it, but he isn't as good enough prospect to just hand the job over to for a year. If you want to waste next years staff then thats fine and maybe that is the plan but if we all think the pitching staff is as good as it has been this year then it would be a complete atrocity to not try and rebuild this offense and it will take 3 new starters to help do it and by adding those 3 positions you aren't taking at bats away from any meaningful prospect. The question the Sox brass is going to have to decide is whether or not they're going to commit to the young guys we have. I can't decide that for them. Phegley showed a ton of promise in Charlotte this year, with where they're at I'd hand the position to him even if McCann is out there, but you're 100% right that they shouldn't be willing to totally waste next year's staff.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 01:47 PM) Thought about that, but that is a mega-monsterous deal when the guy is healthy. Would not do it. I wouldn't take him as-is, but with the amount of money we've cleared...it's closer than it was 2 days ago.

QUOTE (flavum @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 10:51 AM) They moved up Adam Heisler, who is more of an organizational filler type. Which is exactly what they should be doing with Jacobs. He ought to be penciled in to be either AA or maybe start at AAA next year at the earliest if he earns it.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 12:28 AM) The stat nerds (I say it lovingly) will get on me for this I'm sure, but Jake Peavy has been eminently hittable in many many games, including tonight's. Mark Buehrle in his Sox prime was so so so much better than Jake Peavy! I'm not a Peavy hater. I loved his bulldogishness (the times he refuses to come out of games, et.all) but Jake is not a maestro. Than this Jake Peavy, yeah I'll go with you. Last year's Jake Peavy is a lot closer.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 10:56 AM) There is no way of knowing that. I think at the very least they'll be looking for bullpen help. If it was me I'd also have Morales at the top of my list. Otherwise most of my efforts would be on extending people.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 11:48 AM) Just saw that the Phillies DA's Delmon Young to make room for Casper Wells. Wonder if anyone will pick up Young... I've got to figure someone will grab him for the minimum. He fits on a big league roster, esp. if you're weak at DH.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 11:17 AM) Sounds like an ideal SS in the post steroid era to me. As long as he can get on base at a semi decent clip, the glove, arm and speed are valuable. I'll go Alcides Escobar and Jose Iglesias as plausible comps.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 9, 2013 -> 10:26 PM) Catcher, DH/1B, and OF would be my priorities from a position perspective. You have guys that you could potentially get that are good players that can be above league average at their position and you sign whichever of those guys potentially sit out on the market and are willing to take shorter term deals. Kendry Morales as a 2 to 3 yr deal isn't bad. Curtis Granderson isn't bad at 2-3 years and if you want to splurge you splurge on McCann. Add those three bats and the offense is significantly better and you aren't really hindering the growth of any of your good prospects/young players. Semien, Beckham, Garcia, Vicied all are playing. If you don't end up competing, those guys you signed didn't break the bank (except McCann) and can probably be moved to a contender. Now I just named a few guys above and I don't know who will sit out on FA and end up taking a shorter term deal but if I were the Sox I'd trade/sign 3 starting position players. The way I see this offense...they're in a position where if somehow, "Everyone did what they're supposed to do" next year, including 3-4 young guys, they would be sitting there on one gaping hole and that's 1b. The OF bench is pretty bad too with D2 as the guy there, so Granderson does make some sense, but if everyone did what they're supposed to do, including Phegley, Viciedo, and Garcia, they could have a legit offense again next year if they fill the gaping hole at 1b.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 12:56 PM) I'd love to see the Sox eat half of Dunn and Ramirez's contracts in order to get the payroll obligations down to ~$35M. With Hahn mentioning the possibility of taking on a bad contract for prospects it could open the door to an interesting winter. You know, if the Angels chipped in a bit I might consider Pujols...

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Aug 10, 2013 -> 01:22 PM) Dodgers will have to pay a good deal of money (half?) of that contract to have him taken off their hands. These are the kinds of players the Sox should be looking at. With guys like Garcia, Jacobs, De Aza, and Viciedo already in the Sox's system, a platoon only corner OF is worth far less than $8 million a year to this team. The Dodgers are vastly more likely to just play Ethier and spend the money to clear Crawford out of the way than they are to keep Crawford unless you're trading someone really useful for this platoon only expensive OF, which would be insane.

Have a day Andre.

How much has alexeis OPS increased today?