scenario

Yesterday it was reported Nick Masset would start today. Now it appears that it's Floyd. I'm guessing that Masset gets the start tomorrow instead.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 08:59 PM) It would be absolute insanity to play Swisher in CF over Anderson. Totally nuts. If Anderson is playing you put him in CF. I agree with you. That's what I would do. But all the way back to SoxFest, we've been hearing how KW/Ozzie did not want to be moving Swisher around in the outfield. And so let's assume BA plays center... When Quentin plays, what happens? Brian comes out and Swisher moves from left to center? Just trying to figure out how Anderson and Quentin are both going to get playing time... and how it affects where we play Swisher.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 08:35 PM) So that leaves the team now with decisions on... the last bullpen spot (Masset, Wassermann, Carrasco)... backup C (Hall, Lucy, Phillips)... 2B (Uribe, Ramirez, Ozuna) and the last two bench spots (Uribe, Ramirez, Ozuna, Quentin, Anderson). Phillips was assigned to minor league camp today.

So, with Owens out... who's going to play CF? Swisher or Anderson? It makes the most sense to put Swisher in left and Anderson in CF, but not sure that's how Ozzie will play it. I could see him playing Swisher in CF, and alternating Anderson/Quentin in left. Otherwise he's going to be alternating Swisher between left and center depending on whether Anderson or Quentin is playing. I'm thinking he'll want to keep Swisher in one spot rather than move him around in the outfield.

Masset gets the start on Wednesday... With Wasserman following him. No pressure for those guys.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 07:06 PM) Well based on your reasoning we can have the tub of goo that is the starter at 2nd to join him in AAA. He has been regressing over the last few years, and pretty much is the player that you think Fields is. Fields however is a rookie, and not making 4 million dollars. You think the goo at 2nd is a talented guy, and Fields needs more seasoning. I remember when Uribe needed a hot September to barely nip Brian Anderson in 06 for worst batting average. I'm not a big Uribe fan, but there is one big difference that you're not taking into account... Uribe was 4th in MLB last year in defensive win shares. That's 4th among all players at all positions. Meanwhile, Fields would be the worst defensive starter on our team - at a critical position. I think a little more defensive seasoning in AAA for Fields is probably a good thing for him and for the Sox.

Thornton will likely be the long guy. He pitches well against right-handers and actually does better when he goes 1 inning + than he does in shorter outings.

THT Win Shares - player stats

I'm trying to rationalize what we're hearing now based on a series of posts/conversations that took place on the board back in November. For example: "LHP Aaron Poreda: Poreda complained of a hurting shoulder & elbow and the player development guys said he had complained much of the year (this is why he missed a good portion of time mid-season). Poreda is a disaster with his arm swing and is an injury waiting to happen. He possesses some power stuff, but he has no feel for a breaking ball. He can't spin a curveball or a slider. At this point, he projects much more of a pen-guy than a starter, but even that is in question because of his inability to throw a breaking ball to keep Left-Handed hitters honest. The West-Coast coordinator & regional scouts both lost their jobs for this draft pick recently. Should say something about his future ability." BureauEmployee171 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=61743 http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?sh...1743&st=150 I'm not trying to be critical of anyone. I'm just trying to understand how people could be fired for drafting the player who is considered the top prospect in our organization... and who management is talking about fast-tracking to the majors. What am I missing?

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...0,7375919.story Ramirez can call himself a White Sox Guillen says Cuban has made the team By Mark Gonzales Tribune reporter March 20, 2008, 11:19 PM CDT PHOENIX -- Juan Uribe remained on the White Sox roster Thursday, but Alexei Ramirez's status appears more secure. "Is he on the roster? Yes," manager Ozzie Guillen said of Ramirez, 26, who has impressed the Sox in his first major-league camp since leaving Cuba. "The thing is: How many games can he play? We're going to sit down and see how many at-bats he can get. Whether it's at second base, not second base, everything is about playing time.

QUOTE(Kenny Hates Prospects @ Mar 20, 2008 -> 11:59 AM) Cesar Izturis was out there and I'm sure there were other options as well. It's not like any of those names you mentioned would be our starting SS. Regarding the second part, lets say that happens and we start the season around the horn as Fields-Ramirez-Richar-Konerko with an OF of Quentin-Anderson-Dye and Owens as the 4th OF. Then, instead of trading for Swisher, we put together a deal for Blanton and go into the season with Buehrle-Vazquez-Garland-Blanton-Contreras/Danks. Same bullpen, but with a bench of Hall, Owens, Bourgeois, Ozuna. That's a much better team IMO. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. But no sane person would have made those recommendations last fall.

Just saw this and thought there might be a relationship to the Uribe move. Is there some sort of deal with the Dodgers in the works that requires us to clear a roster spot, maybe? Dodgers' Garciaparra has broken bone in hand, may miss opening day March 19th, 2008. PHOENIX -- Nomar Garciaparra has a broken bone in his right hand, and the Los Angeles Dodgers' third baseman might not be ready for opening day. Garciaparra had an MRI on Wednesday in Los Angeles that revealed a microfracture. The Dodgers do not consider the injury to be as serious as a complete fracture of a bone, and expect to know more once the 34-year-old is examined Thursday by the team's medical staff in Arizona. A two-time AL batting champion, Garciaparra was hit by a pitch March 7 and has had pain in his hand ever since, making it difficult to swing a bat. He's had two X-rays and two MRIs, neither of which showed any structural damage in the area where he was struck. "We'll see where Nomar's at in another week or so, and in the meantime, we'll continue to see if we can figure out (a replacement) from within or outside," general manager Ned Colletti said Wednesday. Garciaparra took batting practice Tuesday, and had been throwing without any problems. Tony Abreu and Blake DeWitt are thought to be the leading candidates to start at third on opening day if Garciaparra is not ready, although the 22-year-old DeWitt has never played above Double-A. "Blake DeWitt's got a hell of an opportunity to hang out with the big boys," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said Wednesday. Asked whether DeWitt is ready to play in the majors, Torre replied: "Some people are saying yes, some people are saying maybe. Nobody says for sure that he's not ready." It's also possible the Dodgers might trade for a third baseman. Garciaparra and prospect Andy LaRoche were expected to compete for the third base job when spring training began, but LaRoche tore a ligament in his right thumb the same day Garciaparra was hit in the hand. LaRoche is expected to be sidelined at least until the middle of May.

Could it be that the team just put him on waivers to gauge other teams interest? And that we all got excited over nothing because in 3 days the Sox will revoke the waivers and he'll still be on the roster?

I wouldn't be surprised to see Ozuna at second on opening day. He's 12 for 30 (.400) lifetime against CC with 4 doubles.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Mar 19, 2008 -> 03:39 PM) Bourgeois comes in to pinch run for Fields. Really? Is he hurt? Or on his way out of town?

I'll believe it when I see the press release.

QUOTE(Vance Law @ Mar 18, 2008 -> 06:08 PM) Re: second base. Platoon. That's my wish, and I doubt it will happen. Richar/Uribe with Ramirez at AAA. Trade Uribe at some point and bring up Sex Ram. I'd platoon Richar/Ozuna with Ramirez in AAA (getting lots of ABs and learning how to hit offspeed pitches)... and Uribe in Baltimore (or somewhere... anywhere... other than Chicago).

Poreda had another very nice outing in the 'B' game on Saturday "Aaron Poreda, the team's top pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, continued to impress with three scoreless innings in relief. The big left-hander yielded two hits and fanned five, including Todd Helton looking." Also... Carlos Quentin got two hits.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Mar 14, 2008 -> 11:37 AM) I wish that is the case. But if it has hooves and runs by the barn, think horse, not zebra. LOL. Yeah, it may just be that they're realigning the rotation. But after watching the Sox work out Danks in a B game on an off-day, when every other regular had the day off... and having him get lit up... I guess I had my Oliver Stone glasses on.

IMO... I don't think this is about Buehrle... it's about Danks. I think they're concerned about something they see and they want to get another look at Masset starting.

Buehrle scratched from Saturday's start By Mark Gonzales - 10:58 a.m. TUCSON, Ariz. - White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle has been scratched from Saturday's start against the Cubs, but the team insists that Buehrle is healthy. Buehrle, whose 1,577 2/3 innings since 2001 is the second-highest of any major league pitcher, will be replaced by Nick Masset. The team had discussed skipping one of Buehrle's three remaining spring starts as recently as last week to preserve his arm over the course of the regular season. Buehrle missed his first start because of what was described as normal spring training stiffness but hurled six scoreless innings in two outings before getting tagged for six hits in four innings against Seattle last Monday. Buehrle is tentatively targeted to start the regular season as the Sox's No. 2 starter. http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune....le-scratch.html

I just re-read the article and I think it may just be speculation. (1) Manager Ozzie Guillen said Wednesday Javier Vazquez would be the starter on Opening Day against Cleveland instead of Mark Buehrle, and Gavin Floyd would flop to the third spot in the rotation with John Danks if the season started Thursday. (2) The proposed realignment, which could be solidified as soon as Saturday, would mean left-hander Buehrle would slide to the second spot. (3) Vazquez took the potential Opening Day assignment in stride. "If they tell me Opening Day, that's a great honor. If they tell me the second game, that's great. Fifth game, that's great too. I just want to pitch." Possible that Gonzalez is getting ahead of himself to try and be first with a story? He did seem to go out of his way to put in qualifiers: proposed realignment... potential Opening Day assignment... if the season started Thursday... could be solidified by Saturday... etc. We'll see.

From Trib tonight... Floyd moves to 3rd, Danks 5th

QUOTE(flavum @ Mar 12, 2008 -> 03:05 PM) Pitchers (18): Buehrle, Carrasco, Contreras, Danks, Dotel, Egbert, Floyd, Jenks, Linebrink, Logan, MacDougal, Masset, Ohka, Russell, Sisco, Thornton, Vazquez, Wassermann Catchers (5): Armstrong, Hall, Lucy, Phillips, Pierzynski Infielders (10): Cabrera, Crede, Eldred, Fields, Konerko, Ozuna, Ramirez, Richar, Uribe, Thome (DH) Outfielders (6): Anderson, Bourgeois, Dye, Owens, Quentin, Swisher Happy, Pappy? Thank you.

The Trib article says 39 players left in camp. Anyone got a list?