beautox

hearing we get Fraizer and Andre.

McMahon is on the same timeline as Michalczewski. The sox will be using Lawrie regardless of production as two years to evaluate Trey and hopefully there is something there. As others have said McMahon can always be moved off 3B if they need to make room for his bat.

QUOTE (TheFutureIsNear @ Dec 10, 2015 -> 09:29 PM) I apologize for being realistic about the situation. Any reasonable person can actually look at Trayce's numbers with an unbiased eye and realize his chances of being a stater aren't great. It's not my opinion, it's statistics. The Anderson comparison is unfair I admit, but I was speaking more in terms of hype than play on the field. I think Trayce will definitely find a home on our team and shouldn't be traded at all...I just think that his home is as a defensive replacement/spot starter. Going into the season with him as a starter and no replacement plan besides Avi/Shuck would be a big mistake in my opinion. Unless we aren't spending $ for a playoff push.... You can't cite the word statistics and then not apply the law of independent trials with regards to prospects. Trayce came into this organization at a time when they we're just changing their draft philosophy from low ceiling moderate floor players to the converse. In '09 he was a second round pick behind us taking Jared Mitchell and at that time around here and the rest of the internet both of those picks were lauded for changing the game up, in revisionist history the sox and 28 other teams should've drafted Trout but oh well. I've said it before, projection systems have a real hard time dealing with prospects and their breakouts and foreign born professionals. You can site TT's meidiocre minor league performance and thats fair but in doing so you also have to realize that sometimes players with said results come to the majors and some reason break out, and its more apparent in toolsy athletic types than any other. Randal Grichuk, Brandon Crawford & Jose Iglesias are three great recent examples. Also If you want a historical context to dream on with regards to Sanchez, imagine this player and the amount of s*** people and projection system would say about him. thats their age 22-25 seasons

Here are my thoughts 1.) Let the kids play - I want to see Trayce in CF and Sanchez at 2B both getting the lion's share of the ABs. The sox might have something in both of them but will need to play them everyday to find out. Trayce could very easily go the same route as Randal Grichuk and Brandon Crawford before him, where he has mediocre results in the minors but great tools and it all comes together at the major league level. Sanchez on the other hand could still spend another two years at AAA and would still be age appropriate and he is a switch hitter so power and their hitting tools usually develop last, his glove alone keeps him in the lineup and if he can be league average with his bat he could be something special. 2.) Acquire a corner outfielder that fits with the age and window, Ideally its Heyward as he will likely get an Opt out after 4 years and the market next offseason looks pretty bleak. If they sign Heyward and move Eaton to LF the defense could be elite, if they sign Upton and move Eaton to RF it could be slightly above average. 3.) Keep the pitching core together they were 3rd in the AL behind the Astros and Indians, a full year of Rodon and Johnson/Montas in addition to Sale and Q being in their primes could easily push them to the best in the AL and a dark horse for the wild card and possibly the central. 4.) Keep Fulmer, Montas, Anderson, Adams and Michalczewski. 5.) Re-sign Alexei or check in with the braves on Erick Aybar.

QUOTE (ozzfest @ Dec 9, 2015 -> 08:55 PM) I'll be pissed if Danny Valencia has a better year than Lawrie. We could have gotten Valencia for nothing last year. no, we couldn't have. Oakland was ahead of us on the wire.

for jb wendelken and zack erwin

QUOTE (shipps @ Dec 9, 2015 -> 09:24 AM) They really better not give up Trayce for Lawrie. That will be a regrettable decision one day. Avi sure, Engle sure selling high on the AFL hope it doesn't come back to bite us but Trayce?

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Dec 9, 2015 -> 05:31 AM) That's our reality though, which is mediocre/replacement level production at 3B is an upgrade. The problem though becomes our offense was so woeful that marginally improving positions like 3B and C with such players doesn't really improve our standing within a tough American League Central. We've said time and time again there needs to be another significant, 4+ WAR potential bat in the lineup aside from Eaton and Abreu. I'd be fine with Upton, but given the contract he'd command and our limited payroll it's not likely. Someone with value like Quintana should be shopped for a package on par with Atlanta received from Arizona The way the sox pitching staff is currently constructed with Montas or Johnson as our 5th starter you're looking at just a hair under 17WAR by Steamer for the whole staff. You're absolutely right in saying we need a 4+WAR outfielder either in LF or RF and since Hahn has given Trayce the green light to start in CF and Eaton is more than open to moving to wherever the team needs him to. The Sox need Heyward or Upton in terms of outfielders that fit our window in terms of age and ability. Heyward 26 LH amazing elite defender in RF could possibly play an above average CF - Steamer is projecting 4.7WAR Upton 28 RH slightly above average defense in LF per UZR last year - steamer is projecting 3WAR Here is how the lineup and bench is currently constructed provided they trade for Lawrie. I would like to see the the sox sign one of Heyward or Upton, preferably Heyward. Sign or trade for a 1WAR shortstop (Erick Aybar since the braves are selling off or resign Alexei) and pick up Steve Pearce and pick up another utility piece and the sox could be in the thick of it for the wild card and central. Last year here is how the AL playoff bracket breaks down for WAR.

I'm saying Avisail and Matt Davidson.

QUOTE (shipps @ Dec 4, 2015 -> 05:10 PM) If they can sign Gordon and then swing a trade for a Shelby Miller I thinks thats one hell of an off season for them. thats where my head is at on all this, they can get pretty aggressive and move bryant to a corner and move schwarber and soler if they wanted and put Baez at 3b. While getting a stop gap in CF and waiting on Almora.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 4, 2015 -> 02:34 AM) an interesting name there. for him to be there, he will need to be lights out unhittable. there is many things that according to some prospects profiles him as being very similar to Carson Fulmer down to the same unusual pitching effort .... same height, same school, same pitching speed with JS being maybe a little faster. another player to keep an eye on. now for that hitting rep the sox have and slowly going away.. i still believe a lot of it has to do with the philosophy of what the scouts of the sox are looking at. if they continue on the path of, lets say Hawkins and before, they are gambling and have been loosing. if they do not draft the right person, no matter what or how good of instructors you have, if it is not in the book stars that that player will not be a mlb player, he will not. this idea of rushing players thru the system was embraced by the sox, when i have a guess, but that is not important now. i do now like the idea of rushing players thru the org.... esp on key players. i would like it to be slowed down a little and to be looked at on a case by case basses. i still believe that everything really starts with drafting the right players after identifying them. As others have said if Ray is available he will be the pick but if not, which i don't think he will since he has the highest floor of all the college bats, Jordan Sheffield fits the sox very well. Short(er) stature, amazing stuff, bullpen to rotation transition, unique pitching motion and Vandy. Similar profile to Fulmer and possibly as quick of a path to the majors. Sox have shown they're capable of consistently identify and developing top level arms, Sheffield with all this perceived questions fits them perfectly.

I would prefer Hwang 28 years old solves a pain point for the near future as Trey Michalczewski continues to develop and fits well with the rest of this core (Sale, Q, Abreu & Eaton). We should be finding out shortly as the announcement should come today who won the bidding.

I wouldn't mind Jordan Sheffield at 10, fits the sox MO especially if Ray is going to be scooped up before hand. Sox are slowing showing they might be capable of developing major league bats with Semien, Micah, Trayce and Sanchez but the jury is still out and Anderson as great of a prospect he is still has a some road ahead of him before he makes it to Chicago.

QUOTE (BamaDoc @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 05:26 PM) Derek Dietrich marlins. 25 years old LH .256/.346/.456/.802 Hoping to come up with the right package for him and Ozuna. They want pitching. Dietrich is a butcher in the field; worse than Micah.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 03:39 PM) Pre-Winter Meetings mock lineup: -Trade Nate Jones and a low level arm for Yunel Escobar -Trade Tyler Danish & Avi Garcia for Martin Prado -Sign Shawn Kelley to a 2 yr, $5 MM deal CF Eaton - 2.2 WAR 3B Prado - 2.0 WAR 1B Abreu - 3.4 WAR DH LaRoche - -0.1 WAR LF Cabrera - 1.1 WAR RF Thompson - 0.7 WAR C Navarro - 1.1 WAR SS Escobar - 1.3 WAR 2B Sanchez - 0.3 WAR BE Avila - 1.8 WAR BE Saladino - 0.6 WAR BE Shuck - -0.1 WAR BE M. Johnson - 0.7 WAR SP Sale - 5.9 WAR SP Quintana - 3.6 WAR SP Rodon - 2.7 WAR SP Johnson - 0.5 WAR SP Danks - 0.8 WAR CL Robertson - 1.1 WAR SU Kelley - 0.1 WAR SU Montas - 0.7 WAR RP Duke - 0.5 WAR RP Putnam - 0.4 WAR RP Jennings - 0.2 WAR RP Kahnle - 0.1 WAR Total WAR would be 31.6. Playoff teams have right around 40 WAR as a team. Not a bad plan, I would like to see Prado and Hwang in that order and I can't imagine it'll cost too much for Prado. I know we're a long shot but the sox can afford Jason Heyward. Sox payroll last year was nearly 119M. Even with the dead money of Bonifacio and Alexei's buy out in addition to LaRoche 16M in total [who i think you could move in a bad contract swap; like Papelbon or move for 8-9M on his contract] if you added in Heyward at 20M a year the payroll increase is only about 3M for this year (still needing to fill 3B & SS) and then it drops back down to 104 going into '17. Looking at the next two free agent classes when it comes to hitters and leaving out Harper, if there were ever a free agent to spend money on its Heyward.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 07:39 AM) We have a nice offensive platoon situation going now. I understand Flowers "pitch framing" ranking is one of the best but I still think his numbers are inflated simply by catching Chris Sale. He was never able to stop the running game. Thank you! even Dave Cameron has said on several occasions that pitching framing and the added value to it is flawed because you can't accurately assign value to the catcher or the pitcher for making said pitch. Personally its refreshing to me to have a new catching core and i think it affords them the ability to go with a pretty hard platoon, health and herm willing the catching core should be able to provide above average offense and average defense. Navarro vs LHP .270/.336/.439 - wRC+ 110 Avila vs RHP .251/.358/.423 - wRC+ 116 thats for their respective careers.

here is what he said with regards to Anderson in the comments here is the primer for his system KATOH.

Solid move hes got upside, 96mph fastball, 87mph change up with depth, if he can put it together we're looking at a very good setup man.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Nov 8, 2015 -> 10:07 PM) Down to 8.. This is fun lol I would think if we weren't at least in the race somebody would have said something. It seems odd though Looking at the remaining teams mlb trade rumors have listed i find it hard to believe its not between the Sox or Twins. Phillies - In a complete rebuild and Park is 29, it doesn't match up with their efforts at all, and no DH. Brewers - Similar situation to the phillies and have Lind, again no DH. Reds - Votto and should be looking to rebuild and trade off assets soon. Pirates - Makes sense on some levels and more inclined due to the success of Jung-Ho but they have a great looking switch hitting prospect at AAA named Josh Bell who could start the year at first for them. Cubs - Rizzo. White Sox - Makes a lot of sense, could rotate with Abreu at DH, remove LaRoche from the equation entirely keep the draft pick from the QO and still afford the club alot of roster and payroll flexibility going forward, peak matches up with the rest of the core. Twins - Mauer isn't going anywhere, they have no reason to move Plouffe even with the emergence of Sano, and Sano can DH and rotate around the diamond, in addition to Sano still needing work on his defense. I can see them bidding if they plan on moving Plouffe and putting Sano at 3B but that doesn't seem very twins like to make a move just for the sake of making a move. Astros - at first base alone they have a glut of talent that they need to give playing time to sort out(Carter & J. Singleton) in addition to a great looking prospect in AJ Reed and solid DH options in whoever they decide not to go with at 1B and Evan Gattis. In addition to that Jed Lowrie could move across the diamond or strictly to DH with Moran coming on strong. Its not out of the question that by June both Reed and Moran are the Astros every day corner infielders.

With the rays snapping up Miller, I would love for Hahn to check in with Texas regarding Jurickson Profar. He appears to be a great buy low candidate here are his stats in the AFL .238/.314/.452 - .766 with 6BB and 7K in nearly 50AB the important thing here is health, which he appears to be. Hes been shuttling between SS and 2B with Surprise. Profar will only be 23 at the start of the year and is blocked at every infield position with texas (Beltre/Gallo 3B, Andrus SS, Odor 2B and Hanser Alberto for utility). Steamer projects him for nearly 2WAR next year. Texas is looking to bolster their rotation after letting Gallardo and Lewis go.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Nov 6, 2015 -> 05:11 PM) For me he's a bridge to Trey at third. I like Trey a lot but I don't think it would be wise to pencil him in anywhere till after he debuts at AA.

QUOTE (daggins @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 07:52 PM) Well, Brad Miller is off the table. Rays got him for Karns. Let the Hot Stove officially begin! well s***. Apparently Millers value was that of a 28 year old right handed 5th starter, with some years of control left.

Glad to see this. Not against him coming back for 1 year with an option at a greatly reduced rate but i would prefer if the front office got a bit more creative. Go get Brad Miller.

Pass you can get similar if not better production for a fraction of the price with AJ and Soto without giving out a contract to an oft injured 30 year old catcher.

i like it