balfanman

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 7, 2010 -> 05:58 AM) I would guess the probability is at least 30-60% that DLee has a better season than Konerko in 2010...right? It's also like you wish he would have faded like Thome in 2009 so the decision wouldn't be so murky...because I don't think anybody would be willing to bet their 401K he would ever have another season in 2011-12-13 approaching the overall numbers and consistency he displayed this past season. Ya know, I've heard this opinion from several Sox fans that Konerko is not likely to repeat his 2010 season, and I'm not saying it is wrong, but you can say that about several pro athletes who have a fantastic year. In this case though I'm not quite so sure that he can't at least come close. A few weeks back Greg Walker was being interviewed someplace, I forget where, but he was saying how Paul Konerko just "clicked in" somewhere towards the end of the 2009 season and has been going strong ever since. Walker mentioned that this "getting it" happens for great hitters at a point in their careers, some earlier, some later. For whatever reason Greg Walker thinks that Paulie has now "got it" and there is no looking back. Now wether this means that he no longer doubts himself, or gets mad at himself for a bad at bat or not I don't know. But Walker thinks that Konerko now "has it". Now if Quentin could "get it".

QUOTE (mcgrad70 @ Dec 4, 2010 -> 02:17 PM) Sign Konerko and then entice Crawford to come join this potent line-up and play 81 games in a hitter's paradise.Dunn on the field at cell looked like he wanted the season to start now. Except that U. S. Cellular is not a hitters paradise, it's a home run hitters paradise. Average hitters really have more of a disadvantage there.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Dec 4, 2010 -> 11:20 AM) Don't mind Donkey in the 3 hole at all, but I don't want AJP batting as high as 7th...ever...again. Dude needs to hit 8th or 9th only, unless he proves he can actually still hit something. With Dunn & Konerko hitting some where in the middle of the order wouldn't you want a good fastball hitter, like say Ramirez, hitting in front of them? Whoever hits in front of those really has no excuse not to have a monster year.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 2, 2010 -> 09:56 AM) Here's my question in reply...how are you defining "a little risky"? Are you defining it in the sense that they're all a little risky to put up an ERA around 6 and only give the team 20 starts next year? Or are you defining it as "well, they might only put up ERA's in the low-mid 4's and be say, an average 2nd starter"? If you're going to tell me that they're a little risky in the sense that they might completely collapse...well you're right, but there's not a single pitcher in baseball you couldn't say the same thing about. You could spend $175 million on Cliff Lee and still think "well, he could get hurt and revert to his nearly non-tendered form". But that's a gamble I'd take. There's probably a reasonable chance that all 3 of them somewhat struggle, put up ERA's somewhere between 3.50 and 4.25, and give you 175-200 innings, maybe with a nagging injury or two that costs a few starts here or there. But that isn't bad! That's pretty darn good! And if any of them take a step up above that, then that's close to a dominant season. I know this isn't specific, but all of the above. The starting staff next year could be lights out all season long, or in a worst case scenario, they all could be very inconsistant and maybe even one or two gone for the year with injuries. I don't pretent to know how they're going to perform but my guess is somewhere in the middle, hopefully a little closer to the "lights out" end of the range. My point is not to discuss how they are going to perform, because no one knows. My point is that someone stated that we could just trade Edwin Jackson because "we don't need him". I guess there is a slight possibility of that being true, but I would think that it's much more likely that we will need all of the quality starting pitching that we can get.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 2, 2010 -> 09:43 AM) I'd say they're probably higher than last year. Last year we had Garcia and Hudson as options 5 and 6. This year we have Jackson and Sale. Even I will grudgingly admit that Jackson should perform better than Garcia, and at worst, Sale is at the same level as Hudson (and is potentially quite a bit above him). Peavy was worrisome coming into last season since he spent so much of 2009 hurt anyway. Danks, Floyd, and Buehrle...well, frankly each of them has significant room for improvement from last year, and there might not be that much risk on the downside for any of them. That's just it though. Other than maybe Danks, they are all a little risky, there is no where near a sure thing in the bunch. I can't see trading a starter simply based on the fact that we don't need him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 2, 2010 -> 09:27 AM) Clearly. If we go into next season with Linebrink and Pena as anything other than the 6th and 7th guys in the bullpen, we're going to be finding a way to trade for a reliever at the deadline.That said...Jenks was still part of the problem last season. A huge part. I think that is being quite optimistic. If Pena and especially Linebrink are counted on to handle late and close innings I don't believe that we will be looking to add relievers at the deadline. I think that it's much more likely that we will be selling off parts by mid June.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Dec 2, 2010 -> 04:21 AM) Why would it be very bad? There's no reason to believe he's suddenly going to suck and hit like Pena who many seem to love so much? The guy is a professional hitter who is actually improving his approach. We can afford him if we dump Edwin Jackson on somebody. Just do that, White Sox. Don't need Edwin. And Paulie is VERY VERY POPULAR with our fanbase. Not good business to let paulie walk; just isn't good business. Hold on there pardner'. Are you saying that a team that is trying to contend can do so by subtracting a quality starting pitcher? We supposedly had a top notch starting staff going into last season and they performed average at best. This year with Peavy coming off of surgery, no Garcia, an inconsistant Buehrle, an oft injured or inconsistant Floyd, and a rookie who has pitched very little profession ball; I would not be advocating that we can get along without out any quality pitcher that we have. Sure If all thing work out positively on our starting staff we are fine, but what are the odds of everyone coming back strong and having a good year?

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Nov 26, 2010 -> 04:07 PM) If you trade Floyd and not Danks, with Sale, yeah that is four lefties. I used to really hate that idea but I think it's all about quality. There are teams out there (*cough* Rays *cough*) that could stand there flailing away at LHP for months at a time as long as the players you're running out there are quality, and those would be four very high quality lefties. I do agree that qaulity is much better than quanity. I've always hated the righty/lefty matchups just for the sake of a righty/lefty matchup. If the leftys are all quality that's fine too. We really don't play Tampa all that often though.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Nov 26, 2010 -> 03:48 PM) I like Fowler but if we're going to trade one of Floyd/Danks we should look at a deal with Texas with Holland as a centerpiece (I love that kid) plus Moreland who looks like he may be another solid player, overachiever type, and then another piece or two depending on what it is (i.e. prospect, spare part, etc). I think Holland's ceiling is very high and I think he could be available in the right deal should the Rangers miss out on Lee. I'm also a Borbon fan, but I wouldn't want him as a centerpiece. If a Danks/Floyd + prospect for Holland, Moreland, and Borbon deal could be done I might just do it, considering Borbon would replace Pierre (and be a better player IMO over the long haul) which could allow us to dump that contract if anyone wanted him, plus we'd fill the rotation hole immediately with an already MLB-ready lefty with a high ceiling, and Moreland at worst would be competition or a platoon partner to Viciedo at 1B. Then we'd have more cash to throw around, say at Dunn for DH and (yeah I know I'm dreaming) Werth! for RF. If Peavy isn't ready to go and you put Sale in the rotation too, that gives you 4 lefties in the rotation. Not so bad against Minnesota, but I'm not so sure that I want that against everyone else.

QUOTE (Special K @ Nov 23, 2010 -> 12:34 PM) He's already came out and said that he is willing to accept a diminished role as a fielder. If he wants to play 1B for 30 games out of the season, let him do it, it's not going to kill our defense that much. If he accepts that role, do you not agree he is the best available bat the Sox could ask for. Besides Thome of course. Possibly. although I think that Martinez could provide that as well. Maybe not 40 home runs, but an equally solid hitter that plays catcher and 1st base. It would really depend on what the final dollar numbers / terms would be. I do know that while he's no defensive stud, Martinez is a much better defender than Dunn is. I haven't seen that much of Dunn in the field, but every time I have it has been down right comical.

With the deals to Buck, Huff, Benoit, and apparently Victor Martinez; it seems that G. M.'s are spending crazy money this offseason.

QUOTE (Special K @ Nov 23, 2010 -> 12:25 PM) No Dunn does not. But he is also one of the best power hitters in baseball, mashing much better than Martinez. So if you're going to spend $ on a lefthanded stick that doesn't play defense, why not spend it on the guy who hits 40 bombs a year. Because Dunn is very insistant that he can play defense and refuses to DH.

I would rather the Sox just resign Konerko & A.J. for that kind of money.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Nov 23, 2010 -> 11:58 AM) ??? And Dunn does? I would bet that Victor Martinez plays a better 1st base then Dunn does too!

QUOTE (Buehrlesque @ Nov 22, 2010 -> 11:49 AM) McCarthy was cut by the Rangers last month and has dealt with a bunch of injuries over the last few years, but he could benefit from a move to a part time starter/part time reliever. At the same time Tony Pena, despite the high price the Sox paid to acquire him, isn't really anything special What is this "high price" that was paid for Tony Pena? Brandon Allen has proven nothing at the major league level and most likely never will be anything near an all star. Tony Pena, while not reaching all star level either, has at least been a very serviceable major league reliever. At this point the Sox have the better end of that trade and I would bet that 5 years from now we will still be considered the winner of that trade.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Nov 22, 2010 -> 06:37 PM) Haha see, our farm is improving. All hail B Bell This is someone that Coop probably saw in spring training and has an idea how to fix him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 22, 2010 -> 02:12 PM) However, Pierre is getting paid $5 million+ by the Sox this year, whereas De Aza is not. THat's how that comes up. I agree that DeAza is the better overall player, but how much they make is really irrelavant if they can't stay on the field.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Nov 22, 2010 -> 01:57 PM) Here I would respectfully disagree with you. De Aza is a much better outfielder than Pierre. He has equal speed, a better glove, and a much stronger arm. He gets good reads and jumps, and takes good routes to the ball. He is a true center fielder, unlike Pierre, whom I'm sure neither of us would want to see anywhere but Left. But Juan Pierre is extremely durable while DeAza has not proven that he can stay off the disabled list for any period of time. All else equal, this makes Pierre much more valuable.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Nov 22, 2010 -> 07:27 AM) He's led the lead in PB 4 of the past 5 years. Could this be explained by the fact that he is a little mentally challenged? Again; I don't want to start any incorrect information, I just want to find out why pitchers don't like to throw to him. Could it be that Olivo is not only a little slow to put down fingers, but will occaisionally call a pitch and forget what he called, resulting in a passed ball?

QUOTE (Lillian @ Nov 20, 2010 -> 01:40 PM) What I mean is that, as a lead off hitter, playing CF, de Aza would not have to be a big run producer. If he could get on base at anywhere near the rate at which he did vs RHP in AAA, and be a stolen base threat, that would be acceptable. Even if he could come within 50 points of his .420 OBP, and post a .370 OBP vs RHP, wouldn't you be thrilled? The Sox could always use Pierre vs. LHP, if de Aza struggled too badly in that role. Last year, Juan actually hit southpaws better than right handed pitchers. De Aza is a better fielder than Pierre, although I must admit that Juan surprised many of us last season, with some pretty decent defense. However, de Aza has a much better arm, and is a better outfielder, who has always been known for his defense. He's a true center fielder. More importantly, he has extra base pop, which Juan does not possess. I'm sure that you know Pierre had just 18 doubles in 734 PA's. Don't you agree that is just unbelievably awful for a guy with speed? Add 3 triples and 1 homer, for a grand total of 22 xtra base hits in 734 PA's. I don't know how you felt last season, but anytime he came up with men on base, I had no expectations of anything good happening. With capable hitters like Beckham and Alexei at the bottom of the order, the Sox should have a more productive guy leading off, one who can drive them in, or at least advance them. Pierre is very one dimensional. He can run. But remember, he's getting old, and at 34, could well slow down more than he has already. I would love to have DeAza as a starting player in the Sox lineup next season and he definitely has major league tools. You have; however, missed one very important point. DeAza can't stay healthy! You can't count on someone who makes Carlos Quentin look like a poster boy for health to be a main contributor for a team that has championship aspirations.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Nov 19, 2010 -> 02:08 AM) The most concerning lefty bat issue for me ATM is the lack of Thome's name being mentioned. I swear to God I'm going to break something if I have to listen to all that versatility drivel all offseason again. Look, Matsui and Damon are not versatile. They don't belong in the field. They're DHs. If you want cheap lefty power go with Thome. He's a great clubhouse guy and you can platoon him without him crying to the media. He's not a Borass guy either. But I'm still really afraid that the Sox would rather give Damon $5M after a down year and let him suck ass in the outfield here and there than pay Thome half that to tear it up in a platoon without hurting us on D. It seems like we always do the dumbest things. I do believe that if we bring Thome back, Konerko would probably come back as well, maybe even for a slight discount.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Nov 19, 2010 -> 09:03 AM) I've only been to Wrigley 4 or 5 times, including for the Winter Classic. I can say, however, that the park is a dump. It has a ton of history, and the location is great, but I agree that a new modren park could be built there and it would be fine. I'm not a Cubs fan, so I'm not going to pretend to know how they would react. But imagine a ballpark like PNC Park on that site. A beautiful, fan-friendly park would win over most baseball fans. You'd still have the neighborhood and you'd have a nice ballpark in which to watch a game. Yes, the ballpark has a "ton of history"; but most of it is soooooo bad. Why would any sane person, who cares about good baseball, not want to completely obliterate that dump and change the atmosphere of the team.

QUOTE (Pale Sox @ Nov 19, 2010 -> 12:53 AM) I seem to remember Bill James pegging him as one of the worst defensive catchers in baseball in last year's handbook. Don't quote me though. From what I've seen of him, he's got hard/slow hands (passed balls, dropped balls), and he takes a long time putting his fingers down. Pitchers seem to have a hard time getting into a good rhythm with him on the mound. Then again, I haven't seen a ton of him. But when I have seen him play I watch him a little closer because I'm always curious why Sox pitchers supposedly didn't like him behind the plate. Guys like Mark Buerhle probably dislike working with Olivo then because Olivo is so slow calling a game. Mark, and other pitchers prefer working at a fast pace and were probably ticked when Olivo took so long to put down fingers. I have no idea whether Olivo is just relaxed and prefers a slower tempo, or if he might be a little mentally challenged and is a little slow in the thinking department. It would explain why a Sox pitcher complained about working with Olivo when he was here though, They might not of disliked him personally, just his work tempo. It could also be a languaga barrier. Maybe Olivo was upset when he left the Sox because he had a spanish speaking manager that he could relate to. Does anyone know if Olivo speaks or understands english very well? At any rate, if Olivo comes back to the Sox I would bet that Castro becomes Marks personal catcher, as well as any other pitcher who prefers to work quickly.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Nov 18, 2010 -> 09:42 AM) This I believe. I bet it's not easy playing in NY either. I bet it's an entirely different animal. AND they were the defending world champs. That's gotta be added pressure. Also let's not forget where Granderson is from. Coming home for some home cooking and playing in front of family and friends might be just what the doctor ordered.I just don't wanna lose E. Jackson to get him. Maybe the Yanks will take Gavin Floyd instead? Sometimes playing in front of your friends and family can be pressure packed as well.

Hey Pale Sox; I think that it is pretty cool to get just a little inside information, but I realize that you just can't go talking about everything. My question is what brought you to a White Sox board? Is this your team now and can I ask why you chose the good Sox?