WCSox

QUOTE(Haarold @ Feb 26, 2008 -> 02:05 PM) This organization had no problem trying to put him in LF last year. How hard would it be to start working him in at first. And who said anything about putting Crede at first? I'm still not convinced that Fields can't be an every-day LF. If Carlos f'n Lee could do it without becoming a massive defensive liability, I don't see why Fields couldn't. And I imagine that a guy who has the arm strength to play 3B could probably play RF as well. Dye to DH after Thome's contract gets bought out this winter?

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Feb 26, 2008 -> 09:47 AM) I would advise All not to overlook the fact that this team has been playing without anything resembling heart or effort since late 2006. Not everyone but plenty of players. And jogging to first has been a problem since 2004, as DA notes. Talent is a problem with this team, but so are the mental and emotional aspects of the game. QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 26, 2008 -> 10:47 AM) I think the failures of the bullpen took the wind out of the sails of the team, which in turn prolonged the lack of hitting. That being said, if somebody like Paulie would have spoken up things might have been much different. The Sox clearly lost their mojo in the second half of '06 and looked like they were sleepwalking for most of last season. That said, players tend to feel a bit more motivated when they can score runs, their bullpen doesn't get consistently shelled, and when they aren't mired in fourth place. It's difficult to motivate an employee to work his/her ass off at ANY job when they don't feel like they're in a position to succeed.

LOL at Omar Minaya. What has he done, besides work for an ownership group that allows him to spend as much as he wants?

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 06:30 PM) I'm going to update these galleries throughout the Spring: Gallery of Smaller Pics (44) Gallery of Large Pics (1) Thanks for posting those. Man, I'm getting psyched already!

QUOTE(JoeCoolMan24 @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 11:13 AM) Please tell me this isn't to a major league deal..... I would be shocked if it were.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 10:33 AM) There's something to be said for a #3 starter and Garland was above average in that role. Not a lot, but he was solid as a #3. Yeah, he was. But I'm sure that he would've wanted a raise from the $10 million or so that he's making this year. I would've loved to have him for '08, but not past that. I imagine that he's going to be a 4.20-4.50 ERA guy from here on out and he'll be 30 next year. Somebody else can over-pay for him as he enters the downside of his career.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 10:00 AM) Of course...the other problem with that statement is that our pen is now pretty darn full. In fact, we have more pitchers out there than we have spots for. Jenks, Thornton, MMac, Dotel, Linebrink, Logan...Wasserman, and Masset. And for the icing on the cake...Masset is also out of options, and lord knows we're not going to want him walking for nothing either. So Wasserman is probably the odd man out as the righty with minor league options left, so I think he'll start the season in the minors. But if you want to stick Floyd out there...either you do so and wind up with only 1 lefty because you send Logan down as he's the only other guy with options remaining, or you cut Masset. In other words, thanks to the Dotel signing, the bullpen isn't an option for these guys either until rosters expand/someone hits the DL. I see what you're saying, but it's not like "Wild Thing" MacDougal couldn't be cut (I imagine that he might end up being the mop-up guy), or even dealt if somebody wanted him. Agreed that the roster is crowded and not terribly flexible right now, but there's always a way if you look hard enough. Plus, if the Sox were to give Colon a Prior-like major-league deal - even if it is just for a Spring Training audition - the risk/cost would be negligible. Since '08 isn't supposed to be a "The Kids Can Play" rebuilding year, I'd rather see what Colon looks like in ST (if possible) than just pencil Floyd or Masset into the #5 spot. As much as I like Floyd's stuff/potential and the way that he finished last season, I'm still not sold on the guy being a major-league pitcher.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 09:58 AM) Would you be saying that if he were still a White Sox? No, and I've been critical of Garland's inconsistency here in the past. I wasn't a fan of the trade for Cabrera because it put a gaping hole in the rotation in a year that we're supposedly still going for it. But I don't think that Garland is anything more than a #3 and I wasn't in favor of Kenny giving him another extension.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 08:41 AM) Garland was anything but a sure thing a few years back. Or do people forget Judy. Garland still is anything but a sure thing. He's still getting hammered when he doesn't have pinpoint command of his sinker and two-seamer.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 09:35 AM) Also, while it's fairly likely that Danks will look better than last year, that also isn't saying much, because at the end of last year, he looked absolutely pitiful. Well, to be fair, Danks looked pretty good over the first three months and I'd attribute much of his struggled later on to his arm not being conditioned to handle a major-league season. Agreed. If Kenny can move Uribe, giving Colon $4 million would be a wash. And even if he can't, it's still not a heck of a lot of money. QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 09:37 AM) Yes, Gavin Floyd is out of options. And unless some team comes walking up to the Sox with some crazy deal for Floyd, as much time as they've invested in him, as much as they've tried to build him up, they're not dumping him. Even if Floyd is out of options, he could always be sent to the 'pen for mop-up duty if he isn't ready for the #5 spot. And if Colon sucks in ST, he can either be cut or put on the DL with some sort of fake injury. If he hasn't found his velocity by the end of April, they can cut him.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 09:04 AM) If we give him a major league deal, we're guaranteeing that Danks will wind up in the minor leagues because we'd have to buy Colon's contract out right away to put him down in AAA for anything other than a short rehab stint. So, let's imagine this, fairly likely circumstance. Danks comes out and has an excellent spring. Works on his cutter, has success, looks better than next year. We pay Colon $4 million. Colon comes out throwing 85 and can't get anyone out. Oh, and Floyd and Contreras do fine also. If you give Bartolo a major league deal, then essentially the Sox have no choice but to put him on the major league roster right away and hope that he can work through his problems, otherwise the money was a waste. So Colon comes out and for April, and May, and part of June, goes like 1-12. Eventually we finally cut him, but we've basically destroyed our season and lost a year of arbitration eligibility for Danks in the process. Is this guaranteed? No. Colon could come out and still throw 95+ (although I think someone would have signed him if he had that left in him). But if you can't send him to the minor leagues, if you give him a major league deal with guaranteed money, you're guaranteeing him a rotation spot whether or not he earns it. It'd be just like Erstad/Anderson all over again. Danks could go the entire spring without giving up a hit or a walk and the Sox still would have to send him to the minors. I see your point, but I don't see why that means that Danks would automatically be sent down. If Mark, Javy, Jose, and Bartolo can't be sent down, that still leaves the #5 spot open for Danks. Or is Floyd or somebody that I'm not aware of out of options? And of course, the Sox could always put Colon on the DL with an ambiguous, fake "arm injury" at the beginning of the season if he really sucks in ST. That would give him extra time to build up arm strength. If he still can't hit the upper 80's on the radar gun by May, he gets cut. I don't think that Bartolo accepts a minor-league deal and I don't think that anybody guarantees him $4 million. What would seem more likely is $1-2 million guaranteed with a ton of incentives. He would then essentially audition for a spot in the rotation in ST. That's not a tremendous gamble for a guy who's only 2 1/2 years removed from a Cy Young.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 04:04 PM) Why is that exactly? Because Joe will be able to hit off pitchers who will spend most of their time in AA and AAA? People are over estimating the value of ST. Even if Joe has a great two weeks to start of March, who is to say his back will hold up in July? Crede will have value in June if he hits reasonably well in April and May and doesn't suffer any physical setbacks. Until then, his value will be pretty limited.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 03:37 PM) Considering guys like Prior got $1 million guaranteed, I would probably think Bartolo is looking at that, with a lot of incentives, some easy to reach so if he pitches like a $2 million or $ 3 million or $15 million pitcher, he will get paid like one. Maybe a team option for 2009 or maybe Colon says no to that and the guarantee goes down a little. Agreed. Something tells me that he's going to laugh at a minor-league deal. What Prior got seems about right.

From whitesox.com...

QUOTE(StrangeSox @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 08:43 AM) It's still on whitesox.com.... So this means that either the conflicting report may be inaccurate or the webmaster is asleep at the wheel.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 08:22 AM) too bad. i liked it. +1 It would've been very low-risk, with the potential to pay high dividends. Amazing how bad information can get spread all the way up to whitesox.com.

QUOTE(The Ginger Kid @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 03:34 PM) I totally agree, don't get me wrong. But who would bring more value at this time? I think it's Fields. Danks might have the most value of anybody on the roster right now. But trading him would be even more dumb than trading Fields.

QUOTE(The Ginger Kid @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 02:22 PM) trade Fields, keep Crede. No freaking way. If Joe is healthy and hitting well and the Sox are competitive at the deadline, you hold onto him, hope to get to the playoffs, lose him to FA, and take the draft picks. Otherwise, you deal Joe to the highest bidder by the end of July.

QUOTE(SnB @ Feb 6, 2008 -> 07:10 AM) as much as everyone doesn't like him.........he is white sox baseball to me. I can't imagine watching a game and not having hawk talk about catfish hunter. +1 QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Feb 6, 2008 -> 07:47 AM) I would like to know how many people liked Hawk when he was with Wimpy vs Hawk when he is with DJ. To me, Hawk and Wimpy was the glory years for Hawk. he always seemed to have a good time with Wimpy(of course until the end) and he was never as argumentative(at least that I noticed). Now he just seems to get crotchity(sp?) and wants to tell DJ how right he is about everything. I dunno, maybe it is the age gap between the two that throws off the dynamic. +1 Hawk and Wimpy had excellent chemistry. Hawk and DJ do not.

QUOTE(buckweaver @ Feb 7, 2008 -> 12:30 PM) Maybe if there were a few more Josh Fieldes in MLB the sport wouldn't have as much news happening on Capitol Hill as on the hot stove. Maybe we should be glad to have someone on the team we care about who is willing to stand up to the unsavory element sand not merely willing to allow dismiss them as "rich boys being rich boys." And I'm not talking about religion...I'm talking about what's right and what's wrong. +1 I'm not sure what Fields didn't like in the clubhouse (outside of Ozzie's French), but we could certainly use more pro athletes in general who go about their business the right way.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 23, 2008 -> 01:03 PM) By next winter, actually about May, Paulie will have trade veto rights. Next winter might be too late. Forgot about that. Good point. That doesn't make him untradeable, but it certianly limits what KW could get for him.

Outside of the Garland deal, I really like what I've seen from the Buehrle extension through the Dotel signing. I don't know what Uribe and Crede will net, but I expect them to be moved by the deadline. Hopefully they'll be competitive this year and KW will wait until next winter to deal Paulie.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 10:49 PM) I've very much against giving away MacDougal. +1 MacDougal's disasterous 2007 season was a career-worst. He was very solid in '05 and '06 and deserves another year. Plus, you can never have too many veteran arms in the 'pen. Having MacDougal throw middle relief with Thornton, Linebrink and Dotel as setup men, and Jenks makes for a pretty strong 'pen. Despite dealing Jon, I really like what Kenny's done over the past six months. I think that the Sox have a legitimate shot this year.

QUOTE(103 mph screwball @ Jan 14, 2008 -> 06:12 AM) Dye needs to be moved to left Dye still has a strong enough arm to play RF and I'd like to see somebody with more speed/range play LF. If you're going to move Dye, 1B would be the place for him, IMO.

Even if the Sox continue to suck this season, the Tigers are no lock for the Central title. Same goes for the Tribe. It's a lot more wide open than some people seem to think.