Lillian

One strike out in 33 plate appearances is the most encouraging and reassuring statistic to come out of this year's Spring Training. If that doesn't give you hope, then I don't know what would. I'm expecting a bid for Comeback Player of the Year.

I'd be shocked if he hasn't lost almost twice the 30 lbs. suggested in this thread. He's a huge guy, and was considerably overweight. 50 - 60 pounds is not that much for a guy his size. That photo reveals a svelt physique, more than 30 pounds leaner than the obese Adam Dunn of 2011.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Feb 22, 2012 -> 08:30 AM) LOL...you aren't one for the drama. You view 2012 simply as a developmental season. Some people think we have a shot to win. I'm looking to balance the two, at least at the beginning of the season. I think Fukudome can be extremely valuable to us in the #2 spot against RHP. I want to get his bat into lineup as much as possible against RHP in April. That means Rios and Viciedo will need to sit sometimes and I'm fine with that. Viciedo had a sub .500 OPS against RHP last year. I'd rather pick matchups where he can succeed initially and gradually give him more playing time througout the season. I'm not so sure having him struggle terribly is necessarily better for his development. Some guys that struggle early on develop bad habits and get away from what made them successful in the first place. I agree with your assessment of Fukudome, as I posted in another thread. His ability to get on base would be a tremendous boost to this Sox squad, which has not been very good at that task. Your suggestion of his hitting in the #2 hole echoes my sentiments exactly. However, I don't want to see him take at bats away from Viciedo. The Sox will need the youngster's slugging and run production potential in the heart of the order. Taking playing time away from Rios makes much more sense to me. Let Fukudome platoon with Rios. I can't believe that his OBP wouldn't be significantly better than Rios' versus RHP.

To return to the subject of this thread; The more I think about this signing, the more I like it. The Sox have really had a tough time getting on base. Fukudome is a very high on base percentage hitter, especially against RHP. Again, I understand that Rios has a huge contract, but Fukudome's OBP stats are so superior to his that it's hard to justify playing Rios over Fukudome against right handers. I'd love to see Rios relegated to the bench, as a defensive replacement for Viciedo. If the Sox can go into late innings with a lead, and have Fukudome, de Aza and Rios in the outfield, they will catch the ball. That's a pretty good defensive outfield. I remember when Gary Matthews Jr. had a big contract, and was nevertheless used as a defensive replacement. Who cares? The only justification for playing Rios based on his salary, is the hope that his increased visibility enhances the chances of moving him. Of course, if you've given up on the idea that the Sox can even be competitive, then it's all a mute point. However, with the pitching depth of this squad, they could be a lot better than people think. If they catch the ball, and get a little better production out of last year's underachievers, Beckham, and Dunn, they could score enough runs to win a lot of games behind good pitching and defense. Having Fukudome and de Aza getting on base for the heart of the order could significantly improve run production. Dunn is still the key. He must produce, or they're in big trouble. Having to depend upon improvement from half of the lineup is not a good idea. Beckham, Rios, Dunn and Morel are all big question marks. I'd rather see the Sox have a few more pieces upon which they could rely. At least Fukudome represents a little better consistency.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 16, 2012 -> 08:08 AM) Do you honestly think this is a function of him somehow being better when he's in the middle of the order, versus him being put in the middle of the order during times when he's hitting well versus moved elsewhere during times when he isn't? Good point, and well taken. Nevertheless, he is a good OBP hitter.

Look at these split stats for his career numbers, when batting 3RD or 5TH: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/...=Career&t=b He has a career .390 OBP when batting 3RD or 5TH, over 550 plate appearances. That's a more interesting split stat than his numbers versus RHP/LHP. Given Rios' ineptitude vs. RHP, I'd like to see Fukudome get the nod over Rios against right handers. A middle of the order consisting of Fukudome, Konerko, Dunn and Viciedo gives you a couple of high OBP hitters and a nice sequence of lefty, righty, lefty righty. Beckham could bat second, if he figures it out, and de Aza leads off. That would give you a lefty, righty combo at the top of the order as well. The Sox have really suffered the consequences of poor OBP and Fukudome could help a lot in that regard, especially batting 3RD. The fact that he has primarily been used as a lead off hitter, might explain why he has never been much of an RBI producer. He had 61 RBI's in 460 at bats batting 3RD and 5TH compared to 47 RBI's in 711 at bats, as a leadoff hitter. He has been a pretty good hitter with runners in scoring position, especially versus RHP. I understand that Rios is the one with the big salary, but I hope they give his playing time to Fukudome, if Rios falters badly again.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Feb 6, 2012 -> 09:24 AM) If we're counting on Johnson and McPherson providing our left-handed hitting depth we are in serious trouble. You may indeed be correct. However, who else do they have, and who else is available?

If Dunn gets hurt, or starts out the season anywhere nearly as awful as last season, Johnson could provide a legitmate LH hitter. I understand that the Sox will probably play Dunn, no matter how poorly he performs, but you never know. This entire organization has no left handed hitting depth, anywhere near Major League ready. Johnson could help improve that, along with McPherson.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 25, 2012 -> 10:56 AM) 4 years $56 million Of course, but weren't there other pretty good offers?

The one puzzling point is that Buerhle followed Guillen to Miami. You would think that he wouldn't want to play for him. And then there was that moment caught on video at the end of the season. Remember during a late season interview with Guillen, when Buerhle was caught just off the interview camera, mubbling "shut up" in the dugout? I wonder why Mark didn't choose to go somewhere else.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Jan 18, 2012 -> 10:40 AM) I'd suggest that you look at their split stats and then rethink your position. I love de Aza, and you may remember I was a very vocal advocate of bringing him up way before the Sox finally gave him a chance. However, Lillibridge also earned playing time. They both deserve a shot, but they are both much better against hurlers from the opposite side. Here are their split stats: Lillibridge vs. LHP .287 .346 .585 .931 with 9 homers in 90 AB's de Aza versus LHP .263 .333 .368 .702 Lillibridge vs. RHP .228 .333 .424 .757 de Aza versus RHP .338 .409 .541 .951 all 4 of his homers came off RHP Platooned, those split stats would give you the following: vs. LHP .287 .346 .585 .931 vs. RHP .338 .409 .541 .951 Works for me. How about you?

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 18, 2012 -> 09:35 AM) There's nothing obvious about platooning De Aza and Lillibridge. De Aza flat-out earned the right to play every day this coming season. As long as he performs, I hope the plan is he starts 150+ games in the lead off spot. I'd suggest that you look at their split stats and then rethink your position. I love de Aza, and you may remember I was a very vocal advocate of bringing him up way before the Sox finally gave him a chance. However, Lillibridge also earned playing time. They both deserve a shot, but they are both much better against hurlers from the opposite side.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2012 -> 08:34 AM) Why do we need a potent one? The Sox need a LH bat that is sufficiently potent to force a manager to make a bullpen switch in the late innings. Can you imagine any manager going to the pen to bring in a lefty to face de Aza, A. J. or Dunn?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2012 -> 08:13 AM) If the projected lineup holds and everything is working, we really don't need a LH bat, because we have De Aza, Dunn, and AJ in the normal, everyday lineup. We could use a LH backup somewhere. Do any of the minor league backup IF's fit that billing? That's my point. There isn't a potentially potent left handed bat in the entire organization, that is even close to being Major League ready.

Here is our projected starting lineup versus RHP for 2012, with last years stats: 2012 Stats (AVG, OBP, SLG) CF de Aza .338 .409 .541 C A. J. P. .283 .319 .393 1B Konerko .303 .389 .535 DH A. Dunn .187 .310 .336 LF Viciedo RF A. Rios .204 .250 .328 SS Ramirez .269 .324 .407 2B Beckham .242 .307 .356 3B B. Morel .246 .290 .349 The most glaring deficiency is the lack of left handed power bats. It's the same problem that has plagued this team since the departure of Thome. Dunn is the only potential LH power hitter, and we all know how much in doubt his prospects are. A trio of left handed hitters consisting of A. J., de Aza and Dunn does not constitute much of a threat to RH pitching, and that's what a team faces most of the time. The lack of left handed average and on base percentage hitters is almost as serious as the absence of power. I can't believe that K.W. intends to go into the season with that lineup. So, who is out there, and whom would he replace, even if only as a platoon player versus RHP? Wilson Betemit is one name that comes to mind, as a platoon with Morel. He is a very good hitter from the left side, but the defense would suffer too much to make that move compelling.

The obvious solution is to platoon de Aza and Lillibridge. Their split numbers are both very lopsided. Lillibridge was a monster versus LHP, and de Aza has always hit RHP really well. They both have the speed to bat at the top of the order, and their OBP's are good enough when facing pitching from the opposite side, especially de Aza's.

Everyone should have to earn their playing time, which will be a challenge for several of our players. That said, Lillibridge is almost as good versus LHP as Dunn is bad. Based upon last season, I think you have to give Dunn's at bats against LHP to Brent. I would like to see Viciedo at DH and Lillibridge in the outfield vs. LHP, at least until Dunn proves that he can at least hit RHP. Unfortunately, Dunn has to hit vs. RHP, no matter how badly he performs, due to his contract, and our lack of LH hitting.

y QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 13, 2012 -> 10:39 PM) The only places I have heard of him are Soxtalk & the occasional Twitter reference. I follow baseball like crazy and I don't hear about him that often. How will the average fan get that excited about signing him? After Brooks Boyer & Company are finished feeding us all the hype about "El Talento" and "La Potencia," Sox fans will certainly know about it. Or, perhaps they'll concoct some whole marketing campaign built around "The Cuban Connection". You know, "The Tank, The Cuban Missile & El Talento." It should all be good for some early ticket sales, until they're 10 games out of first at the All Star Break, and Rios, Dunn, Beckham and Peavy are underachieving again. I hope they test this guy very thoroughly for PEDs. I don't like the looks of his nipples in this photo: http://es-es.facebook.com/yoeniscespedesfa...e=1&theater

Perhaps we should evaluate these Cuban players differently. I start with the assumption that there are likely some really talented players there. The level of competition as a whole is not on a par with the Big Leagues, however you have some Major League quality players who are there because they have no other option. Oh sure, they can escape, but it is risky. Here, a good player advances to the Major Leagues. In Cuba, they remain in the country and compete against each other, with players of all level of skill and talent. The good ones will dominate, but they are still good. No one puts up the kind of stats that Cespedes has, without being extremely talented. He may face a lot of good pitching, mixed in with some not good pitching, but he has produced at a rate that sets him apart from the rest of the players. It would be interesting to have stats on how well he hit against the better pitchers. I wonder if scouts have any of that kind of information.

Has no one yet commented on the likelihood of K. W. and Ozzie engaging in "one-upmanship" here on the Cespedes sweepstakes? With the bad blood between those two, I can only imagine what is going on behind the scenes, if both Miami and the Sox are after "El Talento"

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jan 7, 2012 -> 04:12 AM) Kendrys Morales hasn't played in a ML baseball game since May of '10 and is on the brink of retiring. Really sad. A fluke injury occurring during a simple celebration after a walk-off GS is about to curtail what looked like a very promising career. This article from yesterday suggests that he will be back: http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_...-trade-possible

Dunn should be tradable to a N. L. team. He only had one bad season, and it was as DH in a new league. There is likely some N. L. team that wouldn't mind sticking him back at first base. If the Sox could pay a modest portion of that contract, I think he's movable. Then I would go after Kendry Morales. The Angels have no place for him with Pujols and Trumbo, and the injury makes him questionable. It would be a low risk acquisition as he is not owed any big money. He is a monster versus RHP and a good defensive first baseman, it they want to spell Konerko occasionally. Of course, he would have to pass a physical, but I'd love him as the left handed bat in our lineup. He's not a bad hitter from the left side, as well. Then there is the Cuban connection. He could be one more reason for Cespedes, or any other Cuban defector, to consider coming to the South Side.

You guys know how I feel about the need for at least one left handed bat with a presence in the lineup. Soriano doesn’t qualify. Dunn needs to produce, and if he could be moved, the Sox would need to replace him with another left handed bat. I just don’t see how you build a potent offense with all right handed hitting, unless they’re all really good hitters, and ours aren’t.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 6, 2012 -> 07:36 AM) •“We really liked him when we saw him at that workout [in November],” said Beinfest to Mike Bernardino of The Sun Sentinel, referring to Yoenis Cespedes. “It’s something we’re continuing to monitor, and we’ll kind of leave it there. But we were very impressed. Obviously, as a Cuban we think it would be an interesting fit in this market and on this ballclub. It’s something we continue to monitor and stay up on.” •Bernardino says teams will submit a sealed bid for Cespedes to his agent Adam Katz through MLB, then have an opportunity to increase their offers. It's unclear if this is an official process, or just how Katz will attempt to find a suitor for the outfielder. For which team does Beinfest work?

QUOTE (South Side Fireworks Man @ Jan 3, 2012 -> 12:57 PM) I agree. Same goes for Dunn. So why not platoon Rios and Dunn until either or both earn more playing time with their performance? Against RHP, Viciedo starts in RF and Dunn at DH. Against LHP, Rios starts in RF and Viciedo moves to DH. You do this to start the season and keep it that way until either Dunn or Rios (or both) show that they have indeed bounced back or until De Aza or Viciedo or Cespedes/Lillibridge/etc. show they are not deserving of starting. My sentiments exactly. I've been complaining about the lack of accountability for a long time. What difference does it make how much you're paying a player, if he can't and won't perform as well as another? Play the guy who has earned the playing time, not the guy who is getting the most money. The way it seems now, you play whomever is making the big money. That not only hurts the team, but it acts as a disinsentive to the young players. Another way to look at it is; if you were going to have both Rios and de Aza on your roster, the money is the same whichever player you play. You might as well play the guy who is producing. That might light a fire under the underachieving player, and give all the young players in your organization more motivation to perform well, with expectations of being promoted. How can you tell a player who busted his behind, as de Aza did, that he has to sit so that an underachieving, overpaid guy like Rios can be on the field. That can't be good for any organization.