southsider2k5

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 11:25 AM) Hoke on todays teleconference call was just ridiculous. Literally just sidesteps actual answers. At his age and size, I would have been entertained to see that.

[drags goalposts halfway across town] How about now?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 11:07 AM) No. It is. He clearly is not effective using the same numbers you use to tell us others suck. And he is hitting arbitration. Again it is a false equivalency. We got Guerra on a waiver claim. We didn't sign him as a free agent, and we didn't send a Top 100 prospect to get him. Guerra also isn't closing, and because of that is going to be a lower salary than Reed. Picking unrelated details from unrelated conversations and trying to equate them to something else that was never said in the way it is being presented isn't relevant. The situations are very different for all of the reasons which you will henceforth ignore.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 11:01 AM) Rienzo Taylor Thompson Raul Fernandez are also DFA candidates. Taylor Thompson makes sense to go, especially because you know this team is going to bring in other relievers. No idea what the team thinks of Raul Fernandez. I will say his numbers got a whole lot better with the White Sox, though his walk totals were ridiculous. He also can throw 99, so that might buy him some time.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 10:43 AM) Reed was effective too, through the lense of a decent setup guy. The irony is that Guerra was released by his former team, and we got him off of waivers, while Reed garnered a Top 100 prospect. If there is to be a false equivalency drawn between them, it blows up at that point.

I doubt Saladino or Smith get protected, as the odds of them being taken in the Rule 5 are miniscule at best. Saladino probably wouldn't have been selected anyway, but he also just had Tommy John Surgery done.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 07:35 AM) Hossa's already has a minor injury? Big surprise. So I think the Hawks still have to trade someone to get under the cap, according to Cap Geek they are $2.2 million over. I'm thinking it's most likely Leddy, Oduya, or Roszival, they all make over $2 million and will be free agents after this year. (Only Leddy will be restricted) The buzz last week is that the Hawks would trade Leddy, but the team had to take Versteeg too.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 09:02 AM) This post feels like a boyfriend trying to rekindle a relationship with an ex after she's moved on and been with a different guy (and absolutely trashed that relationship too). Deep down greg, you know it's over. Remember what you two had together, think of the good moments fondly, remember why she left, and move on. You're a better person without her. [puts on Boyz2Men] It's so hard, to say good-bye, to 2005...

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 07:46 AM) Yeah, good for him. This is still an absurdly cheap contract. Don't care about the increase at all. He more than deserves it. And if that bump is what it took to get the deal done (why else would it be there, right?) all of the better.

I am guessing Ventura took Sale aside and said that he had no problem with Chris throwing at Martinez in the situation, but the show afterwards was what needed to go. Also a note for the remaining Guillen crowd, note they took care of it behind closed doors. There was no show in the dugout. There was no show for the media. This is how you handle a situation. And a note for the Ventura doesn't show emotion crowd, here you go... again. Ventura isn't afraid to take on the top player on a team, whether it was Frank Thomas while they were playing together, or Chris Sale as a manager.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 10:40 PM) I wish more people would post their grades, then mine wouldn't be so scrutinized. I never thought this thread would turn into this. You make a compelling statement/sentence, but I grade them based on the factors I've listed in my many posts: acquisitions, record of the team. I just am stupified that people think he's way better than a C, which is an average grade. Believe me, if the Sox ever contend again til the final week of the season I WILL give Mr. Hahn credit. I posted mine, which you "scrutinized". So tell me, who has done better, and why.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 10:07 PM) With all due respect, these are White Sox grades. I'm not being a smart aleck but what does other GMs have to do with my grade for Hahn? Plus, Sierra is just another guy and I know some people on this board this Guerra is great, but again, I am not one of them. I 'm not trying to be difficult. I am giving Hahn great credit for Abreu and Eaton and I guess, Noesi, but I don't see any reason to give him better than a C (or in that range) considering his team lost 89 games and blew chunks again. Yes there were way more exciting moments than 2013, but 89 losses and no real reason to think the team can do any better than that. I have no idea what GM had a better year, if any. I may be a pessimistic fan, but I happen to think 89 losses blows. I'm hoping this is part of the process and he adds great pieces to get us to be able to go .500 next year. How is an 89 loss team worthy of an A? Are we giving participation trophy grades? MLB is a man's game. An A is pretty generous. Um, how do you grade anyone, except against his peers?

https://twitter.com/timdierkes/status/516714980499292161 timdierkes ‏@timdierkes This year's Super Two cutoff is looking like 2.133. Not official yet. 2.133 means Marwin Gonzalez and Javy Guerra are last ones in, and Jose Quintana's salaries escalate.

I don't know if anyone else is like this, but in general, I tuned out of this baseball season months ago. I really don't have much of a care who wins, as long as a couple of I teams I can't stand don't win. As far as I am concerned, it is now hockey season, soon to be followed by high school basketball season.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 06:22 PM) First of all I hope what you said about the defense and bullpen is correct. I was thinking 3B would remain a black hole and LF with Dayan and even RF with Avi and 1B with Abreu. I sensed some lingering problems there that can't be fixed. And if Lexi is traded depending on the replacement, wow, the defense I thought could be so bad it'll make our heads spin. I also hope you are right that the bullpen can be fixed with minimal problems. I obviously disagree. Hope you are right. Well, in answer to your question, the team did improve by 10, but 99 to 89 does not thrill me. It is progress, though. I think my angry bullpen posts show that indeed I blamed Hahn heavily for that disaster. The Reed trade ... Now the problem here is everybody is on me for the grade of C which is not like I gave him a D. I just find it hard to give a guy a B who made the Davidson deal (no matter how it looked at the time) and the Paulino deal and concocted a team with this bad of a defense. I truly feel my last two sentences make a grade of C a legitimate one (to go with ALL Hahn's great successes). I guess I am not completely against improving it to a B (as I am willing to compromise unlike Congress) but it sort of pains me to do so. If the Paulino deal is a big deal, then the Noesi waiver deal cancels that out, because that is who replaced him, FOR FREE, in the rotation. You also have to give credit for the waiver deals to bring Guerra and Sierra in. That is three people on the 25 man roster brought in for nothing, on top of two of the best contracts in baseball. Again, who else did better? Instead of talking, I want you to actually show me a GM who had a better year. Prove it.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 03:56 PM) Puig, Sale, Goldschmidt, Jose Fernandez and I'd even throw McCucthen in the conversation despite a pretty high AAV. My point exactly. Three of the best contracts in baseball are on the White Sox. Two of them were signed in the last year. This is SO important to a franchise, when you contrast it with someone like Detroit who has entered contract hell, and have starting giving away guys like Doug Fister for garbage to make room for their other bad deals.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 03:40 PM) They are awesome. Let me ask you about his failures and the fact the team sucks and figures to blow again next year w/out major upgrades? Why is C a bad grade and an inaccurate grade. How is signing to long term franchise anchors average, which is what a C means. Again, who else did that this off season? The Tigers paid $292 million for Miguel Cabrera. The White Sox have Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, AND Jose Abreu signed for less... COMBINED. If it is such an average thing to have done as a GM, who else has done it?

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 03:31 PM) Drunk Wite hanging out with drunk KO needs to happen. There might be only one football to go around, but luckily there are plenty of bottles of Jack for everyone.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 03:29 PM) I see what you are saying and I said I might have moved him up to a B by just those two amazing moves, but I stand by my C right now. I won't downplay the greatness of Q and Abreu and Eaton. I don't want to say it's Hahn's fault but the Sox are a rotten 89 loss team with no real improvement on the horizon (barring a fantastic Hahn-led offseason). What's wrong with the grade of C? You keep your job with a C. Again, I want you to find me better contracts in MLB than what Abreu and Q have. If you can do that, then you have earned the right to give a lower grade.

Evan Drellich ‏@EvanDrellich 3m Source: AJ Hinch close to becoming new Astros manager

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 03:15 PM) I'm sorry but I think almost everybody in baseball would tell you RBIs mean something. I mean, my gosh, RBI is a worthless stat now? I firmly disagree on that. Do me a favor and go to Soxfest this year and bring a tape recorder and ask 10 or so Sox there about RBIs and post the audio. Please. First of all, C isn't that bad a grade. I truly think he deserves a C. I don't frankly think the things you listed are THAT impressive. We agree on Q's contract. Nice that he got Rodon signed, but cmon. The draft is the draft. I do agree it's the GM's hyde so I agree he probably made a nice pick on Rodon. Again, most people on this board would have drafted the same guy. I can't say I would cause I could give a bleep about the draft and don't follow it. Nieto? OK. Paulino is the negative. What a stiff. And Keppinger. My gosh. He got something for Beckham, DeAza and Dunn? Big deal. Cmon that's in my C grade line of thinking. Anybody could have 'finally' moved those guys for something. At least I think so. TheLatin America scouting? Agreed. Nice job. Abreu? Fantastic. Eaton too. I disagree with some of you on the young bullpen guys. I think they are pretty expendable, all of em except 'maybe' Petricka and maybe Putnam. I'm obviously not a huge Putnam guy. Petricka looks OK. Hopefully he'll develop. All in all, I truly believe my Hahn grade of C is good. I do not think the team will be any better next year, barring some great moves by Hahn. The bullpen? Ugh. The defense?? Very very very bad. I wish him the best. For this year? A nice grade of C I think is applicable. Big picture, Rick Hahn got a franchise player for the next six years, without giving up any other player or draft pick, and only $68 million. That alone, is worth the A. For perspectives sake, a MUCH older and beat up Miguel Cabrera just signed an extension for over 4 times the amount of promised money ($292 million). Add to that Jose Quintana's contract, which on the open market we are talking about somewhere around a $150 to $200 million pitcher, to a deal that is guaranteed for only $26.5 million for the next five years. Quintana could get more than that PER YEAR on the open market, potentially. His two option years are worth $22 million, total. Those two deals are like getting the 2 for $20 at Applebee's in Lawrence Kansas for $3. If you think those two deals alone don't make an A, I want you find me another player who signed a contract like the two we are looking at from Abreu and Quintana, and tell me how that GM did better.

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 7m Source: #Rays’ Dave Martinez out of running for #Astros’ job. HOU search appears to be narrowing. Three other jobs open.

In the back of my mind, I wonder if this is supposed to be a message to the rest of MLB that we don't need to trade a starting pitcher this winter, or that we don't need to overpay for a reliever... or both.

This would be awesome The Professor ‏@TargetField101 9m Report: Ozzie Guillen 'Very Interested' in Twins Job (via http://ble.ac/teamstream ) not sure how I'd feel yet. http://bleacherreport.com/tb/df3zj?utm_cam...rce=twitter.com …

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 01:40 PM) I thought I heard something that the facility would be fully operational until mid-October. eesh! It is going to be a while. It needs all new equipment and wiring from the sounds of it.