WCSox

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Aug 19, 2007 -> 04:14 PM) Problem I have is, even with several FA additions (perhaps a trade), is it enough to win the American League Central? Or the Wild Card? I just don't believe we're capable of defeating Detroit, Minnesota, and Cleveland next season without a collection of career years from the pitching staff and lineup. IMO, the entire key to the division is Liriano. If he returns even at 75%, there's yet another team with an advantage over ours. Minnesota may lose Hunter and replace with him some soft hitting guy with a girly name, but a pitching staff headed by Santana/Garza/Liriano is better than anything we can throw out. Given how far the Tigers and Twins have fallen since last season, I don't necessarily think that the Central is going to be insurmountable next year. The Sox absolutely have their work cut out for them, but I'd be very surprised if the '08 Central looks anything like the '06 Central.

QUOTE(29andPoplar @ Aug 19, 2007 -> 03:11 PM) They want to contend and they have more payroll room than most of this board realizes. I hope that the second part of that statement is true, as they're looking at $115 million or more to be competitive next year.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Aug 19, 2007 -> 10:52 AM) If the price is right, I would love to get Figgins. +1, with emphasis on the first point of that statement.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Aug 19, 2007 -> 02:48 PM) Based on the holes this team has and the way many of next year's starters are playing right now, I will say there is no chance in hell this team contends. That's the spirit!

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Aug 19, 2007 -> 12:35 PM) Plus he's a Cyclone. Boooo!

Bobby's going to have to get some work soon. Wouldn't be surprised if it were later this afternoon.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Aug 19, 2007 -> 07:58 AM) At this point if you are going to suck, at least get a superstar out of it. The last time we sucked like this we picked up Ventura, McDowell and Big Frank. That seemed to work out for us. Those were top ten picks. It took several years of us sucking to get those picks.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 18, 2007 -> 02:19 PM) There's no guarantee that anyone remains healthy. Not everyone is coming off of major back surgery. :oldrolleyes He cost something like $4.95 million this year, and I've never heard of a player's salary going DOWN via the arbitration process. The Sox already have a third baseman and their only other ML-ready young position players (besides Richar) are outfielders. With over $45 million tied up in the starting rotation and another $30 million or so tied up in the middle of the lineup, they're going to need to put some of those young, cheap guys out there. Kenny isn't going to be able to sign Rowand, trade for Tejada, and make another trade for Rafael Betancourt or Scott Shields in the offseason. If I had it my way, Joe would be the Sox's starting 3B and Fields would be the starting LF next year. But given that there are so many freaking holes to fill on this squad (and not to mention the raises that Mark and JD will be getting), it's difficult to justify paying an extra $5 million for a second third-baseman. If I'm KW, I address LF, SS, and the 'pen before I worry about having money left over for Joe.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Aug 18, 2007 -> 02:09 PM) ... and Chicago does have a sizable Japanese population (no I am not a census taker). They do? Certainly not in comparison to Seattle, San Fran, LA, etc.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Aug 18, 2007 -> 01:36 PM) If he passes his physical and is healthy, there is no way you'd get anyone near as good as Crede at 5M. Passing a physical is no guarantee that Joe's back will stay healthy over the wear and tear of a 162-game season. The Sox could get away with one FA to replace Pods and have Owens/Sweeney in CF next year (or a FA in CF with Sweeney in LF). It isn't the best-case scenario, but it may be worth it if KW doesn't want to give Rowand 4/40 or whatever he'll be commanding. Having veteran talent at every position doesn't necessarily translate into production at the plate (Tad, Uribe, Pods, Erstad, etc.) and KW shouldn't just go out and over-pay for two veteran FA outfielders if the market this off-season is below average. I'd rather he stand pat than pay a veteran salary to Pods, Part II. Paying Joe $5 million to sit on the DL for half of the season, moving Fields back to 3B, and having to trade for another outfielder at the deadline costs a lot as well. I'd love to see Joe back for one more year, but sentimentality shouldn't overshadow the fact that Joe will be a huge question mark next year and that the Sox need to spend money elsewhere (SS, bullpen, and C after next year). My hope is that ownership gives KW the financial freedom to bring Joe back AND address those other needs. We'll see what happens.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Aug 18, 2007 -> 01:26 PM) The LF is already on this team...Josh Fields. Now that may only be for a year, but if Crede is healthy it would be stupid to non-tender him. Given that he would cost about $5 million next year and that nobody knows how his back will hold up, I don't think that it would be stupid at all.

I like this move. It gives JD the raise that he wants, but only commits the Sox to two years (I'm surprised that JD didn't demand a guaranteed third year).

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 17, 2007 -> 11:35 AM) 2.) Eckstein, David - SS - R I think that there's a good chance of this happening. Eckstein is the "grinder" type that Ozzie drools over.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 01:56 PM) With all the shortstop talk... am I the only one who thinks that priorities number 1 through 3 are the outfield positions? With shortstop being behind them? Uribe is painful, but he is a stellar defender and does bring some power to the table (as well as a relatively cheap option). I don't want to see him next year, but on a relative basis, the OF scares me a lot more right now. I wouldn't mind seeing Uribe here for one last year. As brutal as he typically is at the plate, his glove will be difficult to replace.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 01:45 PM) And Thome isn't? This team needs to add another big bat this offseason. I'm for that as well. But the notion that we're screwed if we don't sign A-Rod/Tejada and Abreu/Rowand is just kind of silly, IMO.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 01:32 PM) Without sounding too much like Flash/Pratt, ect... We're not the Twins. The Sox gush and gush over how the Twins play,( I have never seen an organization slurp another team like the Ozzie does with the Twins), but in reality, they are polar opposites. We were very much like the Twins in '05. I agree that having three of those young guys out there would be problematic but, as Rock pointed out, we're partially where we are right now because our lineup of prolific veterans hit like crap from April-June. I don't expect the same thing to happen next season, just as I don't expect our lineup to hit the crap out of the ball like they did from April-July of '06. You never know how things are going to shake out. The Tigers, who were supposedly going to rule the Central for the next four or five years, have regressed dramatically on the mound and some of their vets are beginning to show their age. The Twins will be losing Hunter AND Santana soon. And Shapiro is employing the same slugger-heavy approach that failed John Hart twice in the '90s. As long as the Sox have solid starting pitching, a solid bullpen, and solid hitters in the middle of their lineup, I like their chances to be competitive next year.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 01:32 PM) our offense doesnt entirely suck for the 1st half of the season and the pen is how it is right now and we are right in the hunt this year. ^^^^^^^

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 01:23 PM) Owens-CF Richar-2b Thome-DH Konerko-1b Dye-RF Crede-3B Pierzysnki-C Fields-LF Uribe-SS Is that what your looking at? That still doesn't work for me. I've seen the Twins win a few division titles with less.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 01:16 PM) If Owens and Richar are going to be in the starting lineup in 2008, and you want a chance to compete, you need All-Stars at SS-LF Not if you extend Dye and possibly bring Crede back for one more year.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 01:11 PM) Like it or not, Kenny is probably going to do the exact same thing he did last year with the bullpen, and that's go cheap. Jenks, MacDougal and Thorton are locks so long as they're *not* traded. That leaves Bukvich, Wassermann, Logan, Aardsma, Sisco, Masset, Floyd, Perez, Day and even guys like Broadway and Haeger to compete for four spots. Now, not all of these guys will be in the organization next season, but these guys are going to be competing for spots on the White Sox' 2008 team. That leaves AT MOST one spot for a free agent reliever. They'll also bring in some more Bukvich types, too, but that really doesn't count. After what happened this season, I think that he'd probably go after two veteran FA arms. That's not unprecedented for him. It's all going to be a matter of who's available and, of course, I'm sure that - unfortunately - at least one of those guys will be somebody he'll roll the dice on for cheap (a Cliff Politte or Rick White).

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 01:10 PM) Fathom is right. I think Richar will turn out to be a reliable 2b in this league, but he has shown in his limited time up with the big club that growth needs to take place. Sweeney was not impressive with the Sox in 07, has battled injuries this season, and has been very average at AAA. Counting on Ryan to be productive for the Sox next season is asking A lot, IMO. With Owens, I really beleive the projections of him being a career 4th OF are correct. Owens will be lucky to sport a .320 OBP next season, which completely negates his speed. Doesn't matter how fast you are if you can't get on base. I think you can get away with Richar at 2b for next season. If that is the route you are going to take, and you want to actaully try and compete next season, having Owens in the starting lineup, especially leading off, just isn't going to work. I think that you could get away with two of those three, provided that Jon isn't traded and the bullpen is solidified. But I agree that it'd be tough to win with Richar, Owens, AND Sweeney out there.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 01:08 PM) Yep, and that's an awful starting rotation that's projected. If you're trading Garland, you better get someone that can help the 2008 team and a monster prospect. This article is crap. If Kenny's going to make another run next year, he's not going to deal Garland unless someone makes him an offer he can't refuse.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 01:03 PM) Doesn't help to have three guys hitting less than two fifty, though. These aren't the fifties anymore. No, it doesn't. Then again, it makes even less sense to throw money at more bats when you need more arms in your bullpen.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 14, 2007 -> 12:06 PM) If KW is serious about contending next year, we can only have one of Richar, Sweeney, or Owens in the starting lineup. This article was so stupid, as that's just an awful team that is projected. You win with pitching, not having a lineup of All-Stars from top to bottom.

QUOTE(LVSoxFan @ Aug 13, 2007 -> 01:21 PM) I'm not saying we're doomed from now on, I'm saying I don't even know where to begin to fix this team. It sounds like you're talking about the Royals or something. The Sox still have a very talented core of players. The projected rotation of Mark, Jon, Javy, Danks, and Contreras is solid. Jenks has become a dominant closer. The middle of the lineup (Paulie, Thome, and an extended Dye) is solid. AJ is a decent veteran catcher. And it looks like Fields and Richar are both ready to be every-day starters. Bringing in two veteran setup men, picking up the option on Uribe's contract, extending Dye, platooning Sweeney with Owens in CF, and bringing in a halfway decent veteran LF would make them good enough to contend next year, IMO.