southsider2k5

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Nov 5, 2014 -> 09:38 AM) That is nuts to me. Would you trade Spencer Adams right now for 1 year of Victor Martinez? They would have to give up a 2nd round pick for 1 year of a guy. Just doesn't make any sense to me. When you factor in the payroll hit of an extra $40 million over the life of the contract?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 5, 2014 -> 09:25 AM) Would that only be if the White Sox actually went to arbitration with him? Because they wouldn't do that, like every other team they'd sign a contract somewhere before the hearing. When was the last time the Sox when to an actual arbitration hearing?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Nov 5, 2014 -> 08:25 AM) Yeah, spread it around. $4.25 million for Keppinger, $3 million for Belisario, $2 million for Paulino, $4 million for Downs, how did that work out? All the proverbial low risk, high reward BS that so many like better than actually watching a team win games.You are going to need a lot more than 5 or 10 Andersons to make it through the season. You do not "win bets", let alone win bets everytime loading your roster with players that cannot play even half a season. The same winter they did that, they dropped a record contract on some dude named Abreu as well.

If we are really talking about Martinez, I would rather give me a big overpay for one year (say $20 million+) versus giving him a 4 year deal.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Nov 5, 2014 -> 08:49 AM) So what happens if we can't trade him? It's not far-fetched to think he would be difficult to move, given the trade deadline we just witnessed. So either we move him for some organization's literal garbage, or we're stuck with him wasting a roster spot again. In my opinion, the 1% chance that the Sox turn Viciedo into the next Matt Thornton is not worth the 30% chance that they're forced to keep employing him. $4/5 million isn't going to kill the team. At absolute worst, if you waived the guy, someone would claim him for just his salary.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 5, 2014 -> 09:13 AM) It would be hilarious if the Cubs bought the rooftops and then decided "naaaah dont think we are gonna put up that big signage that blocks the rooftops now" That would be one of the most Cub-like things ever, of course after they doubled ticket prices.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 10:29 PM) David Kaplan is on twitter saying there's a rumor that Cubs are interested in Nick Swisher lololololololol Swisher and the bleacher bums are a match made in meatball fan heaven.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 07:48 PM) Didn't someone just do the math on this? I thought if we non-tender Beli and trade Viciedo, we're sitting on about $52M in payroll commitments. There is absolutely no reason we can't afford a payroll around $100M next year, which means we'd have a good $45M to work with. I agree on Lester though. He'll be too rich for our blood due to contract length. I came to about $62.5 million as I included Viciedo, and factored in that we have to fill a roster, which means 13 more players at $500k each, at a minimum. I am guessing we have a payroll around $90 to $95 million. I know it isn't fan popular, but I don't see the Sox being 10 to 15 million dollars higher than last year.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 07:15 PM) Jon Lester is going to get $40M+ a year? I think he is going to get $25 million, and by my math and guesstimates, we are looking at spending somewhere around 30 to 35 million this year. I'd call that the vast majority. I see no realistic scenario that puts us back over $100 million this winter.

QUOTE (Bigsoxhurt35 @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 05:40 PM) Yes it does. It adds a veteran bat to the lineup and protection for Abreu. $100 million on Lester is dumb. We have Sale and Q. Rodon on the way also. $100 million is probably pretty light. I am guessing when all is said and done we are talking about $150 at least.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 04:02 PM) I think Abreu will be a fine mentor. Maybe LaRoche will be, too. And we know the fanbase will get excited when we win, not before (at least in any measurable sense), so I think think we should be focused on that overall. Also, wasn't Victor caught up in the middle of the Avi vs. Prince Fielder debacle? Maybe he was a mediator, but it's a definite possibility that Victor does NOT like Avi, especially considering it seems like Avi was pretty clearly in the wrong. Or at least, either no one was in the wrong or Avi was in the wrong. Jose seems to be a pretty vocal guy and he seems to want to recruit for the team. I could see him being a leader, especially out of the Cuban Ex-pats.

By my math, Jon Lester would cost the vast majority of our ability to spend this winter, so no.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 03:33 PM) I wonder if Jake or anyone else knows of any studies that have looked into the effects of political spending/advertising at local-level races. What was the timing of your school board election? If it fell on a Presidential year or even a mid-term congressional year (like today), I could see how just having your name plastered everywhere could pick up some votes from people who are there to vote for President/Senate/Governor but don't know anything about the races down-ticket. On the other hand, if it's like a lot of municipal elections in Illinois and it's on an off-year and off-season (e.g. April 2013 for our mayoral elections, February 2015 for Chicago's), it'd be more about getting a small but dedicated electorate to turn out in your favor, and I'm not sure how much flyers and yard signs would really matter there. 4 years ago, right now. It the only non-partisan race on our ballot.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 12:24 PM) I don't really disagree with him. There's the annoying "Indiana is the Mecca of college basketball morality" feeling in what he's saying, but I took it as, stop giving these moronic kid excuses. If you're excited to play for Indiana basketball, you don't go partying the night before the first public scrimmage. I think that's pretty reasonable. I'd rather see that then to see idiotic fan bases making pathetic excuses for stupid behavior.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 02:49 PM) At the local small/mid-sized town level, there's really not that much. My FIL is an elected official, and I think the extent of his fundraising is helping run the annual fundraiser event and calling friends and family to see if they want dinner/dance tickets. Lots of door-knocking and canvasing come election time, but no real "media coverage" to speak of or anything like that. The biggest campaign cost is getting a few thousand door placards and some yard signs printed, and the yard signs can be reused ("John Smith for Mayor" is good in 2013 and 2017). The second time I ran it was four people running for one seat, and on the civil city side it was 8 people running for three seats. The person who won my race spent more than the other 11 people in the school board race combined and got the highest vote total out of anyone. A week before the election she didn't know what the Strategic Plan which was put together by nearly 500 volunteers in our community only 3 years before, and dictates the direction of the school system. I was pretty proud of taking second and at least beating the incumbent under the circumstances, though i would rather have seen that person win again, versus the idiot who did win.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 02:34 PM) Trayce. Taylor. Gotcha, I was wondering why he was just waived, but wrong guy. Trayce isn't exactly burning up anyone's prospect lists anymore.

QUOTE (Jake @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 02:39 PM) This is why we have to offer a decent salary to elected officials. This gig has to compare favorably with "regular" jobs or there's no way "regular" people can consider doing it. As for me, beyond not wanting to derail my career aspirations, I don't know that I'd ever be up to asking all kinds of people for money, over and over. It is the biggest reason I never ran for anything more than school board a couple of times.

Dave Kaplan getting twitter spanked by Rick Morrissey over being a Cub shill.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 12:50 PM) GET A F***ING FLU SHOT DERRICK http://www.ign.com/videos/2011/12/01/orego...ed-of-dysentery

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 01:16 PM) Matt Swartz's highly celebrated arbitration projector was released on MLBTR: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/proj...s-for-2015.html Here's the Sox section: White Sox (6) Ronald Belisario (4.151) – $3.9MM Tyler Flowers (3.148) – $2.1MM Dayan Viciedo (3.123) – $4.4MM Hector Noesi (3.006) – $1.9MM Nate Jones (3.000) – $600K Javy Guerra (2.133) – $1.3MM This should be a pretty reliable frame of reference for discussion until the actual figures come in. That comes pretty close to my guestimates for the Sox.

Eh, nice arm, but he was going to be so far down the depth chart this year, I have no problem with that.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 12:49 PM) I just can't see any situation where 3/$48 gets it done. The Mariners will beat that. The Royals should at least match it. Orioles would match it assuming Cruz doesn't accept the QO. Astros are under pressure to raise the payroll. Only takes one. I wouldn't be upset if the Sox got him for 3/48. It won't be a pretty deal at the end, but that isn't bad for the next year, and probably two. It is when we start talking about 4 years that I get really against it.

QUOTE (Middle Buffalo @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 12:37 PM) I didn't say it wouldn't be covered. If the Sox made this move, it would have been reported, that's it. Waddle & Silvy devoted the first two hours of Fridays show (while they were at the UC for Bulls/Cavs) to Joe Maddon coverage. Monday started with the press conference and Joe Maddon ball washing for a good portion of the remaining show. It may turn out to be a great move. It's a move they had to make. If the Sox did it, it would be a blip in media coverage. Sox fans need to get over the inferiority complex. There are WAY more Cub fans out there. Those Cub fans buy WAY more tickets and merchandise than Sox fans do. Of course the Cubs get more coverage. It is the same reason that teams like Boston and NYY get talked about ad naseum. They have assloads more fans than we do. It isn't about the team, it is about the money to be made off of the team. They may well have talked about the Cubs for two hours, and that is solely because Cub fans are calling and listening to every second they can absorb about Maddon right now. Even if they talked Sox right now, no one would listen when compared to how many Cub fans would listen to more stuff about them.

QUOTE (bmags @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 11:27 AM) Dumb question, I admit: When people are talking about signing jose fernandez, who are they referring to? A supposed Cuban exile, though no one is positive he has left the island.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Nov 4, 2014 -> 11:13 AM) I hope they do. You and me both.