Lillian

What if you take Dunn out of the equation? In that it is highly unlikely that anyone would take him, why not just focus upon players who could be acquired to fill the role of middle of the order hitter? Of course, you can guess that my preference would be for a left handed hitter. Ideally, it would be someone who would be a salary dump and thus not require sacrificing any important pieces from the Sox roster. So, is there a good left handed hitter who could be acquired by taking on a less than desirable contract? Ethier is one name that I floated here before. I think the Dodgers would consider giving him away in order to make room for Puig, and to get out of the remaining 5 years of his contract. At 31 Ethier might reasonably be expected to contribute for at least 4 of the remaining 5 years of that contract. Remember, the Sox don't have a single left handed impact bat, that is expected to be on the active roster in the next 3 or 4 years. Would the Dodgers consider paying a portion of that contract? He is really good vs. RHP. If the Sox acquired him, I would put him in LF, and let Viciedo DH. What would I do with Adam Dunn? Who cares? Anything that didn't include his taking the field. I just can't watch him anymore.

I think that Caulfield's argument makes sense, if I understand it correctly. I guess the point is that the only way the Sox can likely rid themselves of the Dunn contract is to trade him in exchange for some other team's bad contract. If that could realistically be accomplished, and the player offered some positive benefit to the team, it might be worth it. As it stands now, Dunn is not only incapable of making any positive contribution, but he is killing the offense. The only thing that I wonder is whether or not it might make even more sense to simply not play him. Why couldn't we just treat him as though he were an injured player, and go on without him? At least it would afford an opportunity for another player to get some playing time.

What kind of assurances have the Braves given Justin that his brother won't be traded? How might such a move effect Justin's performance? At least the Dunn contract will be off the books after next season. Taking on Upton's contract could be a problem until 2018.

The question I have been asking here for the last couple of years is; Who in the organization, or available from another team, could take Dunn's place as a left handed, middle of the order hitter? I suspect the answer is; "no one". If that is the case, this team might as well be dismantled at the nearest propitious time, because it isn't going anywhere with Adam Dunn hitting in the heart of the order. Unless, someone really believes that he could suddenly return to being the player he was in the NL. They might as well start rebuilding the team with 2015 or 2016 in mind. In the meantime, who are the potential candidates within the organization? Dan Black might have the best shot. He is a big guy, who draws walks, and hits for average. Why isn't he ranked in the top 20 prospects? I assume that it's his age. He has always been considered a good hitter, and seems to be getting better. My question is why not? Who cares how much the team has tied up in Dunn? The Sox might as well get a good look at someone who could be part of the future, which Dunn clearly is not.

Is there anyone here who questions whether Dunn is the biggest reason this team is faltering so badly? It's not just how terrible he is, but it's the lack of protection that he is providing for other hitters in the middle of the order, especially since he's the only serious left handed hitter on the roster. Last night, vs. RHP, he had the hat trick, and there were only 2 other strike outs registered by the Angels' staff, all night. Is there any possible solution to this much discussed problem? Might he realistically just hang up his spikes? He must feel just awful. I honestly can't remember another more disappointing player in Sox history. At least most of the old veterans that have been brought in, over the years, produced league average performance levels, or were old enough, or cheap enough to be forgiven.

Fortunately, his presence on this team is of very little importance. When Beckham returns he would have been relegated to the bench anyway. There is no way he should take Gillaspie's place at 3RD, except for the occasional LH starting pitcher. The Sox need Gillaspie's left handed bat in the lineup, and he's much better on defense than Keppinger. Keppinger's poor performance is the least of this team's problems, as is glaringly apparent to everyone.

QUOTE (winninguglyin83 @ May 10, 2013 -> 05:27 PM) Micah Johnson === baller. Starting to get excited about this guy. 10 stolen bases in the last 3 games!!!!! I read where he is employing an unusual technique. He walks toward second, and just keeps going. It gives him momentum. I can't seem to find the article, but it was interesting. At any rate, he is still experimenting, but it seems to be working. You think? Wow. Here is the article: http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=2...;vkey=news_milb

I've taken a lot of heat for belaboring the importance of acquiring at least one more potent middle of the order, left handed bat. As bad as this team is offensively, it's even worse against RHP. They are dead last in baseball. Getting two more right handed hitters; Beckham and Viciedo, off the DL may not offer that much help. And we still haven't faced the Tigers and their tough right handed starters. Look how well Gillaspie has done. Is it really a coincidence that he hits left handed. Of course, it's a vey small sample size, but he's hitting almost .200 points higher vs. RHP. Our division has very few left handed starters. We needed to have more left handed hitters in the lineup, but instead, let A. J. go. So, I'm still belaboring the point, and it's still valid. What a shame to waste the terrific pitching they've had. I blame Hahn and, or J. R.

It appears to me that Dunn is now standing further away from the plate. The homer he hit last night was on the outside, high corner of the plate, and he just took it the other way. That is exactly what I've been hoping he would do. If he stays in that spot in the box, inside pitches will miss the strike zone. If he's patient, he'll get his walks, and then when they throw it over the plate, he can reach out, arms extended, and elevate the ball to the left field seats, or take the base hits they're giving him on the vacant left side of the infield. I love it.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 25, 2013 -> 01:06 PM) There is also literally no reason why Los Angeles would trade Ethier at this point. I'm sorry. I'm confused. Caulfield says that Ethier's contract is horrible, and you say that the Dodgers would not trade him. Which is it?

So, I guess we're just screwed.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 25, 2013 -> 11:24 AM) How does getting stuck with Andre Ethier through 2017 help things? Trading a bad contract that expires in 2014 for another similar contract is one thing...but Ethier is going to be getting older and older, it's the kind of contract you would debate taking over (like Rios) if he was available as a waiver claim essentially for "free", but trading for an 820 OPS (average over the last three years) NL hitter who will be entering the downside of his career is a recipe for disaster. Ethier is owed roughly twice as much as what we owe Dunn. It's kind of the definition of insanity to make that trade...if Ethier's upside was a 900-1000 OPS, and he was a young hitter who could be a breakout superstar, then that's one thing. But this is the same recipe acquiring good but not great expensive/aging veterans that got the Kansas City Royals into so much trouble the past 20 years. Trying to "band aid" their way back into competition because their minor league system wasn't producing in certain areas. I think that a lot of people under value Ethier. He is a really good hitter versus RHP. His stats are always diminished by his inability to hit lefties. That wouldn't be much of a problem in our division, as there aren't many good lefties in it. He just turned 31 and probably has 3 or 4 good years left. The contract may look pretty bad in that last year, but he sure would solve the problem of a left handed bat. The Sox are almost certainly going to have to look outside the organization, as there isn't a single potentially impact, left handed bat in the entire system. Therefore, it's not just a temporary problem. Maybe the Dodgers would include a little salary relief, in exchange for bolstering their crippled starting staff.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 25, 2013 -> 09:39 AM) Good lord Lillian. I am just going to be blunt, WE KNOW THAT WE NEED A GOOD MIDDLE OF THE ORDER BAT YOU DONT HAVE TO REITERATE IT IN EVERY POST THAT YOU MENTION DUNN. If one fell from the sky and landed in a White Sox uniform, we would all be happy. But I am not holding my breath. Thanks for the clarification. I know that it sounds like a "broken record", but that doesn't make it any less important. My point is that Dunn has not been the answer, since his arrival. I don't care what he hits, and where he is placed in the lineup. He is not going to be the middle of the order left handed bat that is missing. It has bothered me for a long time now that this organization has done nothing to address this problem. Sure Hahn talked about acquiring a left handed, middle of the order bat, all during the off season, but he didn't do it. All I was trying to point out in that post was that another fall out from this deficiency was likely to be teams pitching around Rios, as he is the only dangerous bat currently in this lineup, save Konerko. Sorry, if belaboring the point, annoyed you. We're probably all a little frustrated watching this horrible offense, especially when they are getting such good pitching.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 25, 2013 -> 08:19 AM) Finding a middle of the order bat is similar to finding an ace because there aren't many of them around and to acquire them, you generally have to give up a lot. Are the Sox really at a place where acquiring a big time bat is logical? Personally, I think waiting until about Memorial Day to see if this team is going to contend takes priority over getting a big, middle of the order bat. If this team is 10 games under .500, then trading for a middle of the order bat is a really bad allocation of resources. Of course, you're right, and I admit that it won't be easy. However, even if Dunn starts to hit, I don't think it's realistic to expect him to improve upon last year. Waiting for that to happen isn't a viable option, because even if it materializes, it's not a solution. Even last year's Dunn would not represent a good enough bat to hit clean up, not with all of the strike outs, and the .200 average. The Sox may have an extra starter to trade if, and when Danks comes back. If he can return to form, they would have 4 viable candidates for left handed starters; Sale, Danks, Quintana and Santiago. It's hard to imagine that some team wouldn't be interested in acquiring a left handed starter in exchange for a decent left handed hitter. Wouldn't the Dodgers be interested in acquiring someone like Danks to fill the void created by some of their injured starters? He could be a nice piece for their regular rotation, even after the injured arms return. They have Puig waiting to take a roster spot, and might be willing to swap Ethier's contract for Danks. He has always hit RHP really well. I'd take that deal, would you? It's just seems like such a waste to have such a good pitching staff, and not be able to field a better offense.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 25, 2013 -> 07:50 AM) We know. It is on order. What are you trying to say? Do you disagree? Is that supposed to be funny? Sorry, I don't understand the point of your post.

Unless Dunn, or someone else gets hot, opponents will start pitching around Rios. This team better find a productive, middle of the order, bat soon. I have no solution, but I think that is a very serious problem.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 21, 2013 -> 11:29 AM) Have you actually seen how far away he stands from the plate? He's so far back it looks like he's outside the batters box. I don't recall seeing him far from the plate. If it's true that he's standing pretty far from the plate, could it be that he has already started trying to make the adjustment I described, or has he always stood off the plate? I'll pay close attention to that today. Thanks

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 21, 2013 -> 10:45 AM) very seriously, none of us including you know what Dunn is thinking at the plate, and none of us including you can make a definitive statement like " That would most certainly help his miserable pitch recognition, at this point." and presume to be right. So that is probably why none of us baseball geniuses have responded to it. It doesn't matter what he's thinking. The point is whatever he's thinking, and whatever he's doing, isn't working. My question is; Would it be advantageous for him to back away from the plate, in order to both neutralize the inside pitch, and increase the potential for hitting strikes to the left side? I'm still waiting for someone with a high baseball acumen to comment.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 21, 2013 -> 03:58 AM) I thought Conor Jackson retired? Hey, if he'd consider coming out of retirement, I'd take him over Dunn, as well. I don't even care if he is right handed. And while you're at it, see if you can locate Dan Johnson, and give him a call too. Geeez!!!! Put anyone in there but that "strike out machine". For you old timers, I'd even take an Eddie Gaedel clone, at this point. Or maybe Minnie Minoso would like a crack at playing in his 6TH decade. And no, this is not in teal. I've just had enough of Adam Dunn. Actually, I really feel sorry for him. It must be awful to be going through this again. If 2011 hadn't happened, he could just rationalize that it was nothing more than a slump, but you have to wonder what he's thinking now. Very seriously though, none of you baseball geniuses have yet to comment on my suggestion that Dunn try moving away from the plate. That would force pitchers to stop throwing inside to him, as those pitches would clearly be called balls. It would allow Dunn to start hitting the strikes away, to the giant hole on the left side of the field. It would reduce his home run production but it might eventually cause the opposition to stop using the shift. The other advantage is that Dunn would have more time to see the pitch, while waiting for it to get deep enough to take to left. That would most certainly help his miserable pitch recognition, at this point.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Apr 20, 2013 -> 09:25 PM) Player gets injured. Sign Lillian's pet. Two players injured.... Sign him twice. Seriously, If Viviedo pulled his oblique, I'd be surprised if we'll see that violent swing again this season. Those things take a long time to heal, especially for a guy who swings as hard as he does. Regarding my new "pet" player; I don't know how good "Lillian's pet" will be after the long, injury forced, hiatus from baseball, but I'd settle for a shadow of the old phenom, if it meant replacing Dunn in the middle of the order. I can't believe that, unlike Dunn, Lillian's pet wouldn't figure out a way to get on base and make contact. He's still only 30, and if he has been practicing and in good physical shape, you bet I'd take him. Look, the biggest reasons I'm hoping they sign him is that he won't be looking for a long term contract, as he'll want to reestablish his value, he's a left handed hitter, we need help, and he's going to be available. How good he'll be is a gamble I'd take, over betting on Dunn to figure out how to put the bat on the ball.

QUOTE (lord chas @ Apr 19, 2013 -> 09:47 PM) Heard on my commute home today on Waddle/Silvy that Dunn has hit .181 or worse in 8 different months while with the White Sox That is all sorts of bad Pretty hard to call that a "slump".

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Apr 19, 2013 -> 08:39 AM) No catch all so ....Stiff Dickey pulled, but happy ending for Blue Jays against White Sox Edmonton Sun 19:42 Thu, 18 Apr 2013 Happy ending too

Ok. I give up. I'll just accept your assertions that Grady Sizemore is not a viable option, and that he won't be a factor for any team in 2013. Please suggest someone to take Viciedo's place, if he is out for any extended length of time. While you're at it, it might be a good idea to find a left handed hitter, instead of yet another one who hits right handed. Moreover, it would really be great to find someone who could bat in the middle of the order.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 19, 2013 -> 07:13 AM) Sizemore will be ready to play in June and then ready to go back on the DL in June That's very clever, but is it really fair? Sizemore had over 700 plate appearances in each of his first 4 years with Cleveland. In fact, he had a 382 consecutive games played streak during that time. Isn't possible that he just had a freaky spate of injuries? First he pulled a groin muscle, then he had surgery on his lower abdomen to repair a hernia that was related to the groin injury. The elbow and knee injuries were to the bones I believe. He did play with reckless abandon, and perhaps that accounted for some of the injuries. In any case, if you believe that he is not capable of staying healthy, then I understand why you wouldn't consider him as a viable solution to this team's lack of a left handed, middle of the order, hitter.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 19, 2013 -> 07:02 AM) I'd expect he'll have a DL trip yes, but if he's already downplaying it enough to tell Gonzo that he doesn't want to go on the DL, it seems unlikely to be severe enough for him to be gone for 6 months. Sorry to disappoint. Perhaps you misunderstood. I wouldn't be glad to see Viciedo go on the DL, for and extended period of time. However, if he did, waiting to sign Sizemore would be my preferred option, providing of course that he were healthy, and ready in June. What would you recommend the Sox do, if Viciedo does indeed miss most of the season?