spiderman

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 8, 2015 -> 05:54 PM) BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE A PLAN!??!?! He has a made up 3 year plan which implies that they will be making moves this off-season to challenge KC. Most of last year's moves did not work out, but hopefully whatever they do is not a band-aid approach that hurts the team long-term.

QUOTE (coco1997 @ Nov 8, 2015 -> 11:31 PM) Write Sox ‏@WriteSox 2h2 hours ago The White Sox are gonna sign Byung-ho Park and move Jose Abreu to third. I assume that this is a bad rumor.

QUOTE (flavum @ Nov 2, 2015 -> 02:42 PM) Albers, Beckham, Samardzija, and Soto filed for free agency. 40-man is at 34. Free agents can start signing with new teams on Saturday. Albers and Soto should be brought back, but, as well as Albers pitched, it should be on their terms. While I don't love their bullpen, and it take a hit losing a dependable guy like him, they need to spend their available money wisely. If Flowers/Soto were the combo again, it's not exciting, but Flowers did get some credit for his framing skills and Soto hit the ball well. This position is going to be hard to fill so I'm resigned to what is currently in place.

QUOTE (rowand's rowdies @ Oct 27, 2015 -> 03:44 PM) I think it would be cool to hear everyone give their own "State of the Union" address about each position. Speak to your knowledge and give your thoughts on the current players, potential additions, bench & minor league depth, theory or anything really. What would you do in 2016? Who would you keep? Who would you trade? How much would you eat on a trade? Expected trade return? Cut candidates? Let's start with Starting Pitching. Quintana is the wildcard, but it's a highly safe assumption that Chris Sale, Carlos Rodon and John Danks will be in the rotation. Erik Johnson enters camp (or the off-season) as the favorite to fill out the rotation assuming no trades. Quintana could be seen as the quickest way to filling 2 holes on offense; he has been a #2-#3 type of quality starter now for about 3 seasons, and has a team friendly contract for another 3-4 seasons. This should result, if traded, in 2 high end prospects coming back, and we know the White Sox are looking for MLB ready type of talent. With holes at C, 3B, and potential area's of concern at SS, 2B,and DH (although it's fair to assume that La Roche, Sanchez and probably Ramirez enter next year as significant contributors). They shouldn't limit any trade return to specific positions outside of maybe 1B, so they could add 2 higher end prospects this way. They could also keep Quintana and move Johnson; obviously the return will pale in return, but they could get a usable player in return while ensuring the rotation (top end) stays a strength. In either case, move a starting pitcher is the best bet for young offensive talent, and it's hard to expect that the White Sox will be major players again in free agency to fill these holes.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Oct 24, 2015 -> 08:23 PM) So the Sox finally filled the hole in CF after almost a decade and chance that on a guy who couldn't figure out minor league pitching and somehow got it right in the majors. It wouldn't be the first time this organization overreacted. Whether Thompson can hit at the MLB Level is still a huge question mark; Most of the expectations I see are tempered; if he plays great defense and hits .230 with 15 HR, Sox fans seem to be accepting.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 23, 2015 -> 12:31 PM) Yeah, I stopped reading after that title, that's just silly JR. Lots of ridiculous, borderline insane comments made.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 26, 2015 -> 11:00 AM) For what SS's are out there, and as far as $10 million goes anymore, i don't see it as much of a question that Alexei will be our opening day SS next year. There was some talk for awhile of trying to sign him to a lesser deal and/or trying to fill that position from within. They are overpaying him, however, it's only a 1 year deal, and the expectation is that he'd be keeping the position warm for Tim Anderson.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 26, 2015 -> 11:08 AM) The other big SS on the trade market is Starlin Castro who put up numbers not too far away from what Alexei put up, but in that case you are married to him for an addition $30 million + and another three years after 2016. I'm not even sure he'd be considered a SS by other teams. At the deadline, he had little/no value because of that contract and his lack of offensive production; he did play well after he was moved to 2B, but I do expect the Cubs to attempt to move him again this off-season. I doubt the White Sox would be interested with that money locked in even if it provides some cost certainty and keeps one of the middle IF spots locked in for the next several seasons. He would be an offensive improvement at 2B for sure.

QUOTE (TheFutureIsNear @ Oct 26, 2015 -> 10:38 AM) My plan would be a Sanchez/Saladino platoon at SS after declining Alexei for $10M. I think they would bring better D and similar offensive output for a fraction of the price. If we want another big bat in this lineup these are the kind of business decisions the franchise will have to make. There seems to be speculation that Ramirez's option may be picked up.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 26, 2015 -> 08:12 AM) Personally I hope the Sox sign Zobrist and Sanchez and Saladino split time at 3B. While I love Zobrist, I don't want to sign 34 year old hitters to 3 or 4 year deals. He already is declining, although he's still a good player. They need to find solutions to their problems without dipping into the free agent pool on older (and probably soon to be declining) hitters.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 24, 2015 -> 07:19 PM) Yep, your stats are way more alarming. I said put him on the bench until Micah is the latest Sox to officially flame out. Give Micah enough at bats to see if he's a bust. Although I do realize defense is important in baseball and Micah is considered lousy, right? We know Sanchez is an A-plus with the glove. At some point, though you need some hitting. Micah Johnson is the wildcard in this; can he stay healthy? does he have a position at the major league level? I have a hard time not finding regular at bats for him if he proves himself next spring; whether it's split time at 2B/DH. If he is an offensive difference maker with his speed, I hope they find a role for him.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Oct 24, 2015 -> 04:38 PM) I was very impressed by Carlos Sanchez last season. He played fantastic defense, and he hit .252 after the All-Star break after a .184 start. He's still only 23, and his hitting has always been decent in the minors, so I think he may improve. Even if he doesn't, I think his defense is good enough for him to be a starter. Other posters may not agree, though. So, where do you think Sanchez should be at the start of the 2016 season? His role for next season is probably at 2B, but he has to show he can hit at the MLB level. We saw some progress in the 2nd half of the season, but, he does appear to be a defensive first, light(er) hitting 2B on a team that has many holes.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Oct 22, 2015 -> 07:39 AM) Terry Boers has always had "guys" that tell him things. This was not spitballing. He made it seem like they wanted to trade Eaton. Now, he could absolutely be making s*** up but it wasn't speculation on his part. Boers always claims to have all this information; yet, it never comes out until after it's been broken. In other words, his "guys" don't exist. I think he just reads articles online and then speculates on them.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Oct 12, 2015 -> 09:14 PM) http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/10/offs...hite-sox-6.html Perhaps they can find a way to fill some of their holes with complementary/stop-gap types, but, if they are in Year 2 of this Year 3 (imaginary) plan, they need another Abreu in the middle of this lineup. I think the glaring holes at 3B, SS, 2B, DH and C may have hidden that the middle of this lineup is missing at least one bat; obviously Abreu will bat 3rd most days, but what bats 4th? Melky Cabrera is in the mix and he's a good hitter, but they need another 30 HR threat in the middle of that lineup. I'm assuming C and 2B will be filled internally and SS/DH are likely too be so they have to lean on existing players to improve for the most part, but they really need a difference maker and all the better at a need position.

QUOTE (Rooftop Shots @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 05:34 PM) Didn't he say the same thing last year? And then after all of the off season acquisitions were done, he changed his mind. So what if JR gets the (you know what's) and decides to eat LaRoche's contract, and acquire some REAL big time help and thunder. You don't think that Hawk will get the ITCH back in him, along with the issues of all of this years disgust being behind us.............and he starts to BELIEVE in our product again? I would assume that this would be part of the contract, and they will come to an agreement early this off-season. Last season, it was the off-season moves that convinced Hawk to come back for a full season; I think, this time around, the organization would want this finalized early on so they find his road replacement.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 12:03 PM) I think this signals the return of Steve Stone as well. I can't imagine an entire new broadcast team at home, and then someone new to Hawk joining him on the road. I think it expands Stone's ability to work well with a PBP guy who will leverage his knowledge a little bit more, while providing continuity for Hawk on the road with a partner he's familiar with. This could be a great move IF they do exactly what you suggested; I think there's at least a 50% chance they have some ex-Sox player in the booth who can't speak though.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 11:50 AM) The Swirsk won't be the replacement. He does the Bulls which can go into June. I hope he isn't; wasn't a big fan although I really hope they don't replace Hawk some ex-player who can't speak.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 01:06 PM) What's his deal? I heard him at the end of his show saturday (literally last two minutes) sounded like he was signing off for good. Thanking his parents for all the support, saying the show had a good run the last 10 years etc etc. He's definitely leaving something, but since I caught so little wasn't sure if it was 670 to the new station, the sox, or both. Sox are moving to WLS 890 - doesn't sound like he's in the moving plans. I'm not sure if he turned down an opportunity, wasn't asked, and/or was looking for something different, but he's now a weekend host, occasionally a weekday update guy. Sounds like a step in the wrong direction if that's what his future holds.

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 01:58 PM) I really like Pods when he was in the booth. All in all I hope we see some one a little younger that understands stats beyond batting average and RBI's Wasn't Pods the one who sounded like he was announcing the game from a golf course? All hushed up. Man, I probably heard something differently that you; not a fan of him, and generally speaking, hope they bring in a true play by play guy.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 11:43 AM) Bruce Levine ‏@MLBBruceLevine 6m6 minutes ago Chicago, IL Breaking news Hawk Harrelson to cut back to 81 broadcasts in 2016 . 78 road -home opening day and two Cub home games . ( industry sources ) Realistically, it's probably going to be more like 65 road games; I think he's had medical issues the last few years, and just being a year old, would have to think the travel would be an issue in itself. I hope they have something in the contract about him wanting to do more games at some point if the White Sox are good next season. Will they allow for that or hold him to his contract?

Anything that can increase competition, I'm in favor of. Even if he doesn't win a starting job, assuming he can pick up where he leaves off this season, he can be part of a rotation that keeps guys fresh and puts the best possible match-ups on the field each day. You have to assume that Thompson (if for no other reason than his defense) and Eaton are going to be counted on to play most days in the OF. Melky Cabrera is needed in the lineup; he's one of the few hitters they have even though he didn't live up to expectations. So, they have 3 guys who will probably get the majority of the playing time already and La Roche in the mix at DH. Garcia is the wildcard in all this OF/DH mix. He can earn his way back into the lineup, as can La Roche, but if there's a way to maximize the lineup, they need to be thinking of what can score the most runs while not sacrificing defense given how much of an issue that has (and continues) to be.

He has to win a job, but he's the favorite to coming in. How did Eaton rank defensively this season?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 4, 2015 -> 08:30 PM) Although, from a marketing persoective, Puig would at least stabilize the expected 20-25% dropoff in renewals after this season. You bring back the entire roster pretty much as is, along with Ventura, amd it could get as ugly as 30% lost. Are they expecting 20-25% of their season ticket holders to not renew after this season? I hadn't heard that until now, but wow. They'd better be careful with whatever they decide upon. They have the makings of a good rotation with Sale, Quintana, Rodon, Danks and Johnson. Do they risk making this a question by moving Quintana? As well as Johnson looked, it was essentially one month. Rodon finished strong and he should continue to improve, but he's also a young pitcher still. Point is, they can enter next season feeling very good with the top of the rotation and with a clear strength. I also do want them to make the QO offer to Shark. I don't think he'll accept it. Point here, along with the rest of the off-season that is upcoming is that they have to continue rebuilding their minor leagues, not trading away what talent they do have for quick fixes on the MLB roster. Guys like Montas, Johnson, Anderson, Adams, etc. (nearly all pitching) should be a commodity, not as tokens to cash in on for short-term MLB help. I also don't want the White Sox to be signing players to multi-year deals. That is, generally speaking, a failed (and extremely risky) strategy. If there are value free agents that can assist at 3B or SS, I think that is the play. Offensively, Tryce Thompson and Carlos Sanchez, two good defensive players, need to win jobs next spring, and are the likely starters in CF and 2B. Over the course of a season, that should improve the defense. I want Michah Johnson to earn his way onto the roster next season as a 2B (moving Sanchez to SS if that is a position he can handle) and part-time DH. Guys like La Roche need to earn at bats as well. I've grown wary of short-term patching to the roster. That's how we got here. I'm in favor of taking a step back this off-season, and emphasizing development from within as the primary means of improvement.

It's a good bet that he'd back, and don't expect him to be fired, but this article just repeated all of the speculation about why he'd be back.

It's possible that the White Sox could bring back almost their entire pitching staff. - I would offer the QO offer to Shark. I don't expect him to accept it, but I'm willing to gamble, on a 1 year deal, for that draft pick. The White Sox need young talent, and they can't afford to potentially get a high draft pick. Given that his market is still strong, I would be pretty shocked if he accepted the QO offer. Even if he did, it's a 1 year deal. - Re-sign Matt Albers, but it would have to be a 1 year deal. He has done a great job this season, but there is a lot of arms, including Nate Jones returning. Albers was the best of the group after he came back, but I don't want to give middle relievers multi-year deals. Duke and Robertson already have deals, I think they need to be flexible here. - If the first two items below happen, the pitching staff would largely return next season. The starting rotation would likely include Erik Johnson as the 5th starter. Carlos Rodon showed high end potential so the team has to feel pretty strongly about him, which could open the door to a Quintana trade if they believe that Rodon and Sale can anchor the rotation. The pitching staff has to be the strength of this team next season, and I would expect a quiet(er) off-season since that shouldn't change much unless they decide to really shake things up with a Quintana trade. If not, I think they have to get internal improvement offensively. 1) Melky Cabrera needs to have a strong rebound season. He can't wait until June or July to start hitting. 2) Tryce Thompson, playing most days, can improve the team defensively and has shown he can hit. He still is a question mark in that he hasn't done it over a full season, but I think he needs he enters spring training as a starter. 3) Can Carlos Sanchez hit consistently in the majors? He's showing signs and plays good defense. Up the middle, with Thompson (potentially) and Sanchez, the White Sox are better than they have been in a few years out there. 4) Being open to alternative options. M.Johnson can hit (or it seems as if he can hit). If he can and doesn't have a position, here's a DH for you. Give the White Sox a speed option to create offense. They don't have enough of that (sorry Eaton). - Offensively, I do not support signing Ben Zobrist or any other higher end free agents. I would resign Soto for starters, but I realize that the catcher spot will not be a strength and this is a continuation of the Tyler Flowers era. - I would decline the option on A.Ramirez, but would explore re-signing him to a 1 year deal. I don't believe they have another SS (Tim Anderson, not being ready) who can step in next season. If Ramirez leaves, I would then go Saladino as the fall back option, knowing that they are probably worse at SS next season. I don't believe he is more than a fringe MLB player. - If T.Thompson is the best defensive player they have, and his best position is CF, that's where he enters spring training. He still has to earn a job though. If he does do that in spring training, he's the starting CF and Adam Eaton slides over to a corner spot. - Micah Johnson enters spring training with a chance to make the team and play 4-5 days a week as DH. Adam La Roche could change these plans, but he's got to earn his way back into playing time as a DH. He'll clearly play 2-3 times a week at DH, and maybe 1 time a week a 1B so he'll be out there occasionally. - 3B: No options exist outside of Saladino, and I wouldn't overspend in free agency. If there's a stop-gap option who can provide decent production, that's about as much as I can see them doing.