Balta1701

QUOTE (shipps @ Jan 11, 2017 -> 11:12 AM) Rum Bunter ‏@rumbunter 17m17 minutes ago Rum Bunter Retweeted USABEvents White sox fans this guy is going no where This was in response to Austin Meadows being on the cover of Baseball America. Then as I said, good luck in that division.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 11, 2017 -> 10:13 AM) That, that is very large. Huge.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 11, 2017 -> 10:14 AM) For what? The Sox are already asking for Meadows, and should get him as the headliner to any deal with Pittsburgh. If taking Bastardo back was key to getting the Pirates to open up Meadows I have no idea why we wouldn't do it. Meadows, Keller, Newman, Diaz (3 position players and a young pitcher that seems like a future top 5 prospect) + Bastardo for Quintana and Petricka (so that they get a cheap RH arm back for their bullpen). Taking Bastardo back balances Quintana's salary for them. I make sure pieces 3-4 are pieces I like - I would take Hayes or Tucker instead of Newman/Diaz if my scouts like them, basically those guys can't be throw-ins - and that's a deal I do right now.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jan 11, 2017 -> 09:45 AM) I like it. I'll let you figure out where to start. In more unsettling news, Donnie is asking if we're in Nazi Germany with how he's being treated. Look at this from the opposite perspective (and ignore the fact that what I'm going to say also is stateable about the presidential election, that's unavoidable because of what the FBI did). Hypothetically say that this material is fabricated, or at least the Buzzfeed content. Hypothetically say that even some of the material that CNN reported on, the 2 page summary given to the President Elect, is incorrect and false. That material was leaked to CNN within a week and they were able to basically confirm it is the material given to the President Elect. In that case, do you not have an intelligence organization that is intervening in politics to discredit the President Elect for reasons unknown and using material that the general public can't verify or see in order to do so (yeah, that part)? Yes it makes sense given that the only thing in the universe he hasn't insulted is anything Russian, but do you put it past America's intelligence agencies to smear a politician for their own reasons (quite obviously no)?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 11, 2017 -> 12:01 AM) If there is strong enough evidence of collusion between trump, his campaign and Russia, I can't see how pence wouldn't be implicated simply by association. How could you let a man that was elected on the same ticket stay in office? E: sure is a shame that trump never released his taxes and never will so people can't figure out the true extent of his corruption. I bet Russia has a solid idea of his finances, though. Mike Pence can be an idiot and a sycophant and a homophobe while he's at it, but unless we have evidence of him conspiring as a part of this, he would be fair to serve. Same phrases about Paul Ryan. You want to be terrified? In a couple weeks, the #4 in line will be Tillerson, who led a company that is about to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in Russia once they remove the sanctions.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 10:57 PM) So, is this the point where the unholy Trump/Democratic alliance forms? Because I have to imagine there are some Republican's out there who could possibly see it as advantageous to get rid of Trump in favor of Pence. I kid, but still scary to think about. No. I will take Mike Pence. F*** this. One of my Republican friends a while ago commented on this and said something about this being a sickness on democracy. I replied that when a patient is having a heart attack, you have to end the heart attack first and keep the patient alive. You deal with the clogging arteries once the patient is alive. Mike Pence is not, as far as I know, beholden to a foreign power. Fix the heart attack.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 11:24 PM) Why is he even involved? Seems like there might be some treason involved. Because he's the incoming President and the only people who could change that are a Republican Congress.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 09:58 PM) Yeah, unless they are clearing out the Pirates system, they shouldn't have to take on a bad contract. Bastardo for $6.5 million isn't a terribly big deal to the White Sox but it could be a terribly big deal to the Pirates. Hell, he gets off to a good start and he could be movable at the deadline.

QUOTE (Con te Giolito @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 10:02 PM) The Sox do not have a definitively better option than Micah Johnson at 2b or CF until July when Moncada is called up. That said I just dont think its worth the effort to bring him back into the fold, leave the past in the past. I thought we got past suggestions that Micah Johnson could play CF when we traded him. He still can't.

So...realized while heading home that since the CNN report that everyone seems to believe says that the intelligence agencies believe the Russian blackmailing allegations are credible...last week the intelligence chairs had to sit across the table from a man they believe is being blackmailed by Russians and who probably owes the Russians billions of dollars and tell him to his face that they believe he's being blackmailed by the Russians. Knowing that 2 weeks later he could probably jail them. I...do not envy that job.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 09:37 PM) It's the dossier the intelligence community has already presented to Trump, a man who spent years as the leader of the idiot birther brigade. Either way, this is another win for Russia, though. Not even in office yet, and Trump's legitimacy is deeply suspicious. Not necessarily. Per the CNN report, the Intelligence community presented Trump with a 2 page summary of documents that they believe are legitimate and derived from the investigation of someone from MI6 over a number of years. That summary was supposedly based on a number of different reports. This dump by Buzzfeed may or may not include some or all of those specific reports, and it may also potentially include fabricated ones - since we have no way currently to verify the chain of documents and per their statement they cannot verify that these are all the same documents that the intel report was based on, it would be entirely possible for some portion of this to have been invented by someone online and wound up added to their document dump.

Guardian article The FISA court rejects something like 0.01% of surveillance applications, so that's a really interesting detail as well.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 08:59 PM) I'd take him for sure. Assuming Frazier is traded, Lawrie can shift to 3B and the Sox can give Johnson a half season tryout or whatever until Moncada is ready. Give me Johnson over Sanchez or Leury anyday of the week. Give me Saladino over Johnson and, as backups, give me Leury and Sanchez over Johnson since they can both play more than 1 position. The only way Johnson would make sense is if you've moved both Frazier and Lawrie, leaving 2 gaps open for tryouts.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 06:22 PM) There have been kompromat rumors floating around, but that report seems more concrete than anything else I've seen. Trump spent time in Russia and has lots of business dealings there. I mean, if those allegations are true, his campaign was colluding with foreign agents and Russia has very serious information on Trump they can use to blackmail him. That's pretty serious. I'm not sure if this will get enough focus in the shower of details, but this nugget from the CNN article seems important.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 07:38 PM) The memo BuzzFeed posted is legit, and it's what intelligence sources presented to Trump's team recently. What's unverified are the specific claims of the British and other intelligence sources, at least unclassified/publicly. e: how? how does this election/Presidency get even more absurd? But emails.

QUOTE (Tony @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 07:37 PM) Yeah, there is no way that happens, right? Well I'd have said that before this, He's scheduled and canceled a half dozen press conferences since the election and held 0, but it's at exactly the same time as his nominees will have 5 committee hearings so doing the press conference ends news coverage of those.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 05:17 PM) If there was an opening at second (there could be with a Lawrie or Frazier trade) I could see it. Maybe bring him back and see if he could become backup 2B/OF? With his lack of positional versatility due to arm injuries, basically he'd be a backup 2b only, and if Frazier or Lawrie were moved you still have Sanchez filling the backup role and he (and Leury) are more flexible at handling multiple positions. He could work only in the case that you trade both Frazier and Lawrie and prefer him to Sanchez/anyone else on the scrap heap.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 05:16 PM) Trade them $10k, a bucket of balls and log of chew. That should do it. Honestly though, see no reason to not give Micah back in the fold. I can see a very good reason why Micah Johnson is not a good fit for the White Sox. Micah Johnson's best position is 2b, he had arm problems that made an OF spot a pretty poor plan for him and ditto anything on the far side of the field. Our 2b in AAA is...filled.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 05:03 PM) Goes on the long list of "prospects traded away that never mounted too much." Edit: also one less 2B option for them. Do the Dodgers really have the same (if not, then similar) roster they did when they got knocked out of the NLCS? Do you count the fact that they had more people on the disabled list during the year than they could fit on their roster at the same time?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 03:18 PM) Kennedy says that Trump asked him to run a commission on vaccines. This will kill a bunch of Americans. QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 03:19 PM) Who loves Polio? "But I wasn't ~*inspired*~ to vote!" QUOTE (KagakuOtoko @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 03:22 PM) Maybe their goal is to reduce the population? /green QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 03:25 PM) Vaccine truthers are some of the worst. QUOTE (KagakuOtoko @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 03:26 PM) Just use some cocoa butter and hot sauce and you'll be good as new. Kennedy also said he lobbied Trump for increasing exemptions from vaccines as part of his commission on safety and scientific integrity, so at least we know it'll be fair and balanced. I have a friend with a delightful 4 year old girl named Norah. She can't be vaccinated for reasons I never asked about but the girl winds up in the hospital with a severe cold or pneumonia once a year due to these issues. She is alive because she hasn't been exposed to anything worse. Her mom keeps moving as they publish vaccination rates on preschools and elementary schools in her area.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 02:46 PM) Donald Trump met with anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy today to discuss vaccines. Kennedy says that Trump asked him to run a commission on vaccines. This will kill a bunch of Americans.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 02:51 PM) If he ends up staying with the Sox when the season starts, he will at least have the league's attention (as well as other team's fans) as he will be our ace and due to all the trade talk between multiple teams. He's likely the White Sox's lone all star representative already.

Donald Trump met with anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy today to discuss vaccines.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 01:42 PM) That's a fine deadline. Tell them final offers or don't talk to us until you make the offer we want. No negotiating. It's at least generally believable, although you do think that if one of their pitchers got hurt in ST and they came back with the same deal offered that we'd have accepted now, we might push back a little more because of the crappy timing but something could still be do-able. That's the time of year when you'd believe that the price you'd pay for the pitcher is higher - call it a "convenience fee".

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 12:50 PM) Houston, it's time to s*** or get off the pot. Edit: I'd seriously give teams a deadline for their best offer. Once the deadline is reached and the Sox do not like the offers, shut down trade talks and plan on him being here for at least a couple months before re-opening trade talks in the summer. Unless during that time, a team offers you exactly what you want. QUOTE (Buehrlesque @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 12:54 PM) I'm starting to feel this way myself. But I'm also getting the impression the Astros, Pirates and Yankees simply don't value Quintana high enough to part with what needs to be parted with. If it truly requires "desperation," to get a good offer here, the show might be over until July. Luckily Rick Hahn is patient enough to wait it out. Giving teams a deadline that they don't believe is a real deadline because you're frustrated doesn't get you anywhere. The Pirates and Astros basically know that if they came to the White Sox with a good offer in Mid-February the White Sox would accept it. Setting a deadline would not change that. The White Sox would be able to find scrap heap pitching to fill in that open rotation slot no matter what deadline they set. The only realistic deadline is the start of spring training, because they might actually buy "We're done talking until June" once you get to ST and the WBC starts.