southsider2k5

He seriously just overran that ball by what, 10 feet? And instead of an out, it turns into a base hit.

Damn it Davidson.

Lopez just 95.

Great play by Hicks.

Just like every game thread when we are winning.

Of course Ricky is some kind of line up making genius.

Avi taking Engel notes.

CCneedsabathia. #thegoodolddays

To me the most important thing a SS does is field. They set the defensive tone on the infield much like the centerfielder does in the OF. Anderson has had a great last couple of months at SS after getting off to a slow start. He is also giving us a great baserunning addition as well, ranking 6th of all SS's. His RC+ is 91 as of today, so while below average, it is still not awful. That even ranks 16th amongst all SS's which again, is right smack in the middle. As of today if you are looking at the whole package, he is quite literally the definition of a middle of the pack SS, with the time to become a top 10 guy pretty easily.

In the same way that Mets are "too full" for Alonso, the Sox are "too full" for Jimenez.

I don't get why OBP is the only way to evaluate a SS.

Agreed. He hasn't even hit AAA yet, has only made 10 starts in AA, and only pitched 124 innings this year besides.

Again, what incentives do the teams have to give up a hard floor? What are the players giving up here to make it worth while to the bottom teams in the leagues increase their payrolls significantly in some cases?

Personally I would love to see MLB take a page from NBA and NHL and do away with the international signings scene all together and have everyone either be a full free agent (after meeting a set of qualifying standards like they do today) or subject to the draft. No more special status for kids who aren't from the US which entitles them to negotiate with any team, instead of being like the American kids who get to talk to the team that drafted them. Just one world wide draft, and just like the NBA and NHL, players put their names into the draft upon high school graduation or upon turning 18 by a specific date. International free agents happen when a player meets the free agency standards of his international leagues standards.

They have a pretty tough set of cap rules right now. Most of the top teams have gone running for their lives to avoid the new luxury tax. Past that the owners have gotten drug testing and penalties which are way tougher, they got much tougher and tight draft and international signings rules. Do you see the ownership group giving up their players a year earlier in places like Tampa, Pittsburgh, etc and the like for a cap on teams that isn't going to affect 90% of baseball anyway? I don't.

If Eloy isn't recalled, the Sox won't be alone...

I keep seeing this said, but what do the players have that the owners want, and the players are willing to give up that will come close to covering this valuation?

Football is also much different because the contracts aren't fully guaranteed.

Actually money has been an issue up north, mostly related to the debt payments surrounding the financing of the team with the Rickett's purchase. That is why they took on new minority share owners in the last few years.

I have said it in other places, but a 1/5 type of deal with Shields would not shock me in the least.

I don't believe the Sox see anything of value there. They completely left Guerrero exposed for the Rule 5, and he didn't really do much to prove them wrong. Stephens has done nothing at AAA to convince me he is ready for MLB in April. Spencer Adams might have a great era, but past that? 4 K's per 9 IP would get murders in MLB. His pure stuff doesn't do anything for me. Send them all back to Charlotte and let them see if they can change minds.

Parker has played 82 games in the last two years, including 31 last year after his 2nd major surgery. Levine has played 71 games in the last two years, including 24 last year after his major surgery. Even Markkanen only played 68 games last year. It is still a team that is pretty thin in the backcourt. I am still having a hard time squinting and seeing them as a playoff team. They need a year where every stays healthy AND the kids make pretty decent progress for it to happen. The odds of that are?

This draft was very college heavy up front, which is what was said about it going into it. Things might change down the line, but the highest rated talent was coming out of college this past year. But that also didn't stop them from grabbing some HS kids later on.

The #1 reason players switch teams is more money. Everything else is a distant #2. It can happen for reasons other than #1, but #1 is always money.