spiderman

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 20, 2009 -> 11:45 AM) Agreed. He can do everything that Nix could do accept better and add value as a mentor. Nix does have much more power though, but the defensive ability of Omar at multiple positions would be tremendous. Do you believe that the backup IF's are set then - Vizquel as the primary backup SS/3B and Nix at 2B/3B?

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Nov 20, 2009 -> 11:42 AM) Kenny obviously disagrees with you. He's been making excuses for Alexei for the past few months and has now signed him a mentor. Given that Vizquel is still a damn good defender, will not make much and this team is in need of an injection of defense there isn't much to get upset about here. My only issue with this move is that I'm guessing that Vizquel would make around $1 million (whatever the minimum is for a veteran like Vizquel)....The Whtie Sox say that they are cash-strapped. I know it's not much, but I'd rather be patient with the money, and see what develops in the market place.

Does this indicate in any way that the White Sox are looking to move Nix now? I'm hearing some of that speculation, and all this means to me is that Nix won't be a backup SS since he did struggle at that position last year filling in for Ramirez.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 08:23 PM) I don't mean to bring up a subject everyone already beat to death last season, but I'll be honest, I wish we still had Brandon Allen. Lets just assume that the Adrian Gonzalez rumor will never happen... we could've simply traded Konerko this offseason for a grab-bag of 2 or 3 relievers and then start the 2010 season with Brandon Allen at 1st base. It just seems like Brandon Allen would've served us well as a lefty first baseman if we cannot get Adrian Gonzalez, and that Konerko could've gotten us better relievers than Tony Pena, not to mention more than one reliever that could've pretty much plugged up our bullpen. The White Sox can still trade Paul Konerko (assuming he would accept a trade elsewhere) and then open the season with Mark Kotsay and/or some other cheap option. My point is, trading or keeping Paul Konerko doesn't hinge on Brandon Allen being here.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 03:56 PM) Kenny's quote makes me wonder what he thinks our record will be if the season started tomorrow. Do we magically become a division champ and WS contender just because of Peavy, Teahen and Hudson being added and Dye, Thome off the team? If we have no glaring holes in the GM's mind, I would think he'd get rid of Ozzie if we play slightly below .500 ball again as next season plods along. The way Jerry and KW talk, we've got all the talent we need. So we better be way better than a .500 team or it's somebody's fault. I prefer to say they've overrated our talent, including bullpen and lineup's ability to produce runs. But they are paid to judge talent and they think it's great, so let's see it in the W-L column, Kenny and Oz. I do agree with Williams that the Sox don't have any positions, outside of LF/DH where we don't really have a proven player at. Now, Kenny may be expecting more out of the guys that most fans are, but I don't think it's unfair to expect at least avarage production from C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, CF, RF/LF (depending on where Quentin is), and better than average production at a few spots. I also believe, if the Sox do nothing else, they are still the divisional favorites entering next season based on their starting rotation, but I agree with you that the lineup's ability to consistently produce runs is my biggest concern.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 03:34 PM) This is no secret. . still a nice read. Most of the moves KW will make this winter will be via trade. The last time the Sox went on a free agency signing frenzy was the offseason before the 05 campaign when they signed Iguchi, El-duque, AJ, Hermanson, and JD. KW had more flexibility when he traded away Carlos Lee's contract. If KW trades Konerko or Jenks- he will have alittle more flexibility to the fill some of the holes via free agency. Agreed that a trade is the avenue to make the most significant move. That's why I think Jenks will be moved. I think they will sign a free agent or two, but Kenny won't overpay.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 02:58 PM) There's reason for some hope. If Quentin is healthy for a good chunk of the year, that's a monster bat that we just didn't have last year. Rios is another prime candidate to be a big time upgrade. We get Beckham the full year, and hopefully avoid the sophomore slump. Alexei needs to avoid the 2 months of forgetting how to hit a breaking ball, but he could also be better. Teahen has a lot of upside, but if nothing else even if all he does is put up what he did last year, we get more offense out of him than we did from Getz/Fields. Yeah, not all of these are likely to happen. AJ probably will be down from last season, and who knows if PK can stay healthy and consistent this year. We absolutely need to fill the RF and DH slots with someone competent. If we can do that and figure out who leads off, then this team could be in better shape offensively than we think. I agree that we could see internal improvements just from full and/or healthy seasons from Carlos Quentin and Gordon Beckham. I really hope that Rios can hit for his career numbers. That's really a key. He looks like a guy whose game should come easy to him, but the results weren't there. Still, even with guarded optimism that a guy like Quentin or Rios can get their numbers up, I'd feel much better (obviously) having one guy that we can trust in the middle of that lineup.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 02:38 PM) Trading for Peavy and picking up Rios and then not goign for it all this year...that strikes me as a poor plan. This rotation...you get into the playoffs and you could have 4 straight guys pitch CG Shutouts. We've got the fancy rotation, let's ride it before people get hurt or before they hit FA. I understand your point, but I also look at the club and don't see any glaring holes outside of a lead-off hitter. I'd love to upgrade at several positions, but the guys we have (for example, Paul Konerko) are competent enough that it's not easy to make wholesale changes. I do really hope they find a way to add another big bat to the middle of that lineup though because I do think that lineup needs to get better as opposed to staying about the same as last year.

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 02:04 PM) you forgot carrasco, he will be on the team and deservedly so. Thanks for the correction, I knew I was missing somebody.

They don't have any huge holes that need to be plugged, but they could certainly get better. The lineup was very inconsistent, and it's a bit unsettling if they come back with the same lineup as last year (obviously, no Dye or Thome, but with a full season of Beckham and now Teahan). I do think they will make another move for a left handed bat, but we'll probably have to be patient because Williams is right in that there will probably be a few guys available at a bargain. I suspect they will add a bullpen arm as well, but, again, they aren't going to get into a bidding war for a reliever that could just as easily be bad as good. I think, barring any trades (which I think will blow this out of the water)....Jenks is the closer, Thornton as the 8th inning guy....Linebrink is here because of his contract, and that leaves probably 4 spots. Randy Williams may make it as a left handed specialist, Daniel Hudson should make it, and Carlos Torres has a chance to make it. That leaves 1 to 2 spots open. Not a great bullpen by any standard, and it may not be very good, but I'm sure Williams expects a lot of quality starts next season, which should leave for a fresher bullpen having to throw less innings. In the end, I still believe they are going to move Jenks for younger talent (or the possibility of a guy he's been targetting on a major league team that isn't making much money), I suspect they will resign Podsednik and then wait awhile to see who their options are for another hitter.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Nov 12, 2009 -> 10:57 PM) Why would you trade Jenks for "prospects"? Closers are hard to replace. Period. What may be even more difficult is replacing the quality of setup work provided by Thornton. If you re-read my post, you will see that I do not want to trade Bobby Jenks for the reason you stated. However, I don't think Kenny Williams is content with the current team, and is limited by the team's payroll to make any other moves. So, if Williams wants to make other moves, which requires freeing up payroll, he'll have to free up money, and the White Sox would probably do so by movig Jenks. I mention prospects, and mean guys who may be able to make the team this season because the goal in moving Jenks would be to free up salary. Of course, they could move Jenks for another guy making similar money, if that was a person that Williams was targeting in completing his off-season planning.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Nov 12, 2009 -> 06:35 AM) KW's comments are nice and all, but calling Ramirez a "young player" as an excuse for his lack of focus is stretching it about as much as he was streching it when he said Marquez was Garland and Lillibridge would steal 40 bases in 2009. He's 28 years old. At least. According to Laurence Holmes of the Score, the reason a typical White Sox fan prefers Beckham at SS over A.Ramirez is because you don't like the "spanish speaking guy."

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Nov 9, 2009 -> 12:45 AM) Should be a glut of relievers on the free agent market and $7-7.5 mil for Jenks through arbitration is steep so non-tendering him is a possibility. So everybody what's coming ? They are going to offer arbitration to Jenks, but my assumption is to spend money on a free agent (or taking on salary in a trade) would require them to free up salary, so I do think the White Sox trade Jenks for a few prospects or if there's a fit on a team that needs a closer in return for a Williams target. Personally, I want Jenks back and am fine if the rest of the off-season is spent quietly. He's not an elite clower, but he's pretty good, and I don't want to gamble on Matt Thornton next season. Given that our starting rotation should be a strength of the team, part of me believes that Williams doesn't want to overspend on the bullpen, given that he's expecting 6-7 innings on most days. I'd hate to see the Sox starters do their job, and then find out that we don't have a closer we can trust. I much rather prefer using Thornton in the 8th and Jenks to finsh games.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 11, 2009 -> 01:54 PM) Being a guy that had first hand exposure to many of the prospects that could be included in this deal, Clayton Richard, and the other Ex-Sox there, could be excellent sources of information about the minor league system here. I'm guessing that the Padres aren't sharing their trade ideas with him though.

QUOTE (GO CHI SOX! @ Nov 10, 2009 -> 09:43 PM) I got this from another board: On the way home today, Harry from ESPN 1000 claimed he had an inside source that stated Clayton Richard called Daniel Hudson today to inform him that he was a key piece in a trade the Padres & Sox were working on, so that the Sox would get Adrian Gonzalez. And I'm pissed that the Bulls got raped on that call. What makes you think that the Padres are telling Clayton Richard what their plans are, not to mention that Harry from ESPN 1000 isn't exactly the most credible source.

Any update as to whether this trade is going to happen (or not)?

QUOTE (chw42 @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 09:09 PM) Rios has had some bad luck this year. BABIP since 2006 2006: .346 2007: .324 2008: .335 2009: .291 His career LD% is 20.2%. It's at 18.1% this year, it's cost him around 5-6 hits because of that. He'd be hitting around .275 if his LD% was at career norm. Add in some other factors and he's probably hitting .285 instead of .262. Also, moving to the Cell, where the FB/HR rate is 11% will be a 2.5% increase from Rios' career FB/HR rate of 8.6%. That alone should give Rios at least 5 home runs if he were to call the Cell his home. He also doesn't play against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays a combined 57 times anymore. That's three contenders with great pitching staffs. I easily see Rios hitting .300 for us with 25-28 home runs and a stellar glove in center field next year. What is LD% and what is considered a FB/HR ratio?

I am not in favor of picking up Rios becuase of his contract, but I am concerned about Jermaine Dye. I remember last season after Quentin was hurt, he went into a bit of a slump before a strong finish, but this year, he batted only .245 in July, and has gotten off to a very slow start (.174) in August. He looks like an old man running for a fly ball in RF as well. I'm not saying bench Dye, and maybe this is just a long slump that he will come out of soon enough.....As for talk of benching Podsednik, stop that talk. He's done a great job as our leadoff hitter, and Guillen isn't about to bench him, especially on an offense that continues to be inconsistent.....Quentin in LF has shown some signs at the plate....Obviously, as a whole, this is a very bad defensive OF, and Rios would improve that, but I don't think there's an obvious spot here unless they plan on shutting down Quentin, or playing matchups everyday. With Peavy on board, and now, possibly Rios, I would guess that this is our off-season, but would this move any talk of resigning Dye and Thome OR would one guy be signed for the DH spot for a season?

QUOTE (iamshack @ Aug 7, 2009 -> 06:33 PM) I thought I read the term "2 business days." So maybe not until next Tuesday afternoon? Actually, just read a report that said the Blue Jays would have until Tuesday to work out a trade, let him go or take off the waiver wire. Assuming he was claimed, why wouldn't the Blue Jays talk to the White Sox (or whatever team it is) about giving up a prospect, and, if talks are stalled, just let him go at that point. Toronto still wins from their perspective, getting out from under than big contract.

When will this mystery be resolved?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 31, 2009 -> 09:51 PM) This team clearly needs to make a move to fill either 1b or RF this offseason. There is no other option. It can be an FA acquisition or a trade or an extension of Dye or Thome. Any of them work, but 1 of them is guaranteed to happen. I think we extend Dye. I think they will work out a 1 year deal, for less money than they are making now, with one of those guys (Thome or Dye). I have a hard time seeing both of them return becuase the Sox have a team with so many possible guys (Quentin, Konerko, plus Thome/Dye) who could see AB's at DH next season. Because Dye can still play at least part-time in RF next season, I can almost see the DH spot being a rotating spot for him, Konerko and Quentin, and then they either break a rookie in or find a veteran spare part to mix in as well.

QUOTE (kwolf68 @ Jul 31, 2009 -> 10:07 AM) I cant wait until this day is over so we can quit talking about Halladay. Great pitcher, but the asking price is bizarre I don't want the Sox involved assuming they even had the prospects to get Halladay (which I don't think they do since the Jays are asking for can't miss elite pitching prospects). And the idea of including Danks or Floyd in a Halladay deal is just beyond stupid. Toronto is asking for a lot, undestandable position to take, but his value lowers significantly after the deadline today.

QUOTE (tommy @ Jul 30, 2009 -> 09:37 PM) I'm kind of asking out of left field but I was at work all day without any news source, and I got a twitter msg from Stone that said: "I wonder if kenny williams will hold a press conference to deny the floyd, richard, ramirez, and flowers for halliday." Was there an early rumor floating around? Sounds like Stone is just being sarcastic.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jul 30, 2009 -> 06:00 PM) At 3pm tomorrow, I offer Richard, Poreda, Fields, 1 or 2 lower level guys. If they say No, fine. So, you think the Blue Jays are just going to give him away at the deadline?

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 30, 2009 -> 08:44 PM) Name one team with a better front four than Halladay, Buehrle, Danks, Floyd. I don't care what the Sox record is, if you make the post-season you can contend for a title. I take it you want the club to sell or don't think the Sox have what it takes? Up until this mini skid the Sox have played pretty darn solid baseball the past 5-6 weeks. If the Sox traded for Halladay without giving up Floyd or Danks, their rotation would be at the top, if not at the top, of the AL. I don't want the Sox to sell or buy. Yes, with Halladay they are a much better team, but at what cost? Kenny has moved the team into a transitional mode, with several younger players (Beckham, Ramirez, Getz, Quentin, Denks, Floyd) part of a new core, and others hopefully on the way. As exciting as it would be to acquire Halladay, I don't think the Sox are guaranteed the division, given their upcoming schedule, poor defense and inconsistent offense. I'd be much more in favor of such a move if I thought the Sox were better than average right now.