Dick Allen

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 08:20 AM) I guess the question is which iteration of the YES Network are the Cubs actually shooting for? The original YES was a parternship between the Yankees and Nets and was a premium subscription channel like HBO or Playboy. Since then, YES has really morphed into a regular regional sports network. If the Cubs shoot for the original version of YES, it will be a disaster. If they are going for a more modern version of YES, it could work, but they still need to either get the rights to Hawks games (I'm assuming that the Bulls are a non-starter for obvious reasons) or get an affiliation with FOX Sports that gets them access to college basketball and other programming to fill the winter. Rocky and JR are joined at the hip. Ricketts would have to be one of the greatest salesman of all time to get him to walk away from JR.From how he has handled this rehab, it doesn't look like he is. Of course that is 4 years from now, but the Blackhawks are probably always going to be tied in with the Bulls for obvious reasons, and even if JR is out of the picture, there is a decent chance many of the people who own White Sox shares own a piece of the Bulls, so unless the White Sox are sold, the Bulls and White Sox will always be tied together.

QUOTE (bear_brian @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 08:34 AM) Melky Cabrera resolves the issue of RH, but it appears doubtful we have the cash to get him. Aoki and prying away Daniel Nava from Boston is another solution. Aoki does hit lefties well, Nava could spell LaRoche or Aoki, plus he is a switch hitter. They have the cash to get him. Being good with paying him what he wants for as long as he wants it is probably a huge issue.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 08:22 AM) He says it unartfully but I think he has a point. If we bring in a LH hitting OF whose platoon splits are normal, we're setting ourselves up to be extremely vulnerable to LH pitching all year. LaRoche is terrible against lefties, Gillaspie is terrible against them, our main backup OF right now is a lefty, we don't seemingly have a reliable righty on the bench other than Sanchez, if Sanchez is on the bench that means Johnson, a lefty, is starting at 2b, and Eaton's a little worse (but not terrible) against lefties. Maybe you can live with a few of those guys in a lineup against ordinary lefties, Eaton's fine, maybe Johnson will be ok, but if you run out a lineup with Gillaspie, LaRoche, and a LH hitting right fielder against an average lefty pitcher, this lineup will look like swiss cheese. They won't pitch to Abreu and that'll be about the only real worry they'd have. Good thing the Sox didn't trade for Heyward. He is Adam Dunn bad vs. lefties.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 05:37 PM) Giants? Tigers? Yankees (with Tanaka and Sabathia already onboard, would be a bit of a shocker)? Orioles? Mariners (if they could trade Iwakuma)? Rangers? Padres (all-in crazy spending)? If you take them at their word, the Giants, Yankees and Tigers are out. No way Angelos signs off on a 7 or 8 year deal for a pitcher, especially at that price. I can't see Seattle adding that payroll. Theo said no more $100 million players. Rangers may make some sense. The Dodgers are always there, maybe the Nats but they have that greivance with Boras over Bryce Harper. Maybe the Angels. And a few of those may be a reach. If it drags out, teams fill out their rosters. Very few will have the $25-30 million available to add him. I think if he waits too lomg, Boras is mking an error, but for the most part, he has been a master at this. On MLB Network, Heyman, (who O'Dowd said should receive a 1099 from Boras) mentioned the Cardinals.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 05:35 PM) How? 1st half: 3.99 ERA/4.59 FIP 2nd half: 5.96 ERA/5.04 FIP He bounced back in September a little bit. Amd started throwimg a couple of MPH higher according to the guns.

Coop screamed uncle with Rienzo. He sucks. Jennings may suck. I will take the may suck over the does suck every time. If there is an adjustment that makes him real good, great. If not, all i remember about Rienzo appearances are lots of runners and a lot of shots of Coop pissed off in the dugout. It wasn't happening for Andre with the White Sox.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 04:46 PM) He was ranked one of IF not the worst starting pitcher in baseball last year. That is simply not true.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 04:07 PM) $20 million at least. If Lester gets that 7th year to vest, his contract is $170 million. I could see Scherzer getting $190 million, but the one problem is Boras is going to have to get some kind of bidding war going. If the Tigers are truly out, i think that may be a little difficult, lthough he usually pulls something out.

QUOTE (flavum @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 03:52 PM) http://blogs.seattletimes.com/mariners/201...assy-san-diego/ They should have just non-tendered him, but whatever. As long as he never wears a Sox uni again, whatever is ok. As much as the serious discussion may be overblown, there is probably as much BS coming from the other side. They obviously have some interest or at least some team does. If not what does the leak accomplish?

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 01:42 PM) Dee Gordon doesn't get on base though. .324 .OBP last year. It seems low, but it is above average, and when he gets on base, things happen that don't happen with most. I do think the Dodgers don't think a .324 OBP is sustainable for him.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 01:21 PM) Putnam is closer to our number 1 setup guy then a last bullpen spot. Putnam was having shoulder issues last year, and didn't pitch for the last couple weeks with no explanation. Considering he came out of nowhere, I really wouldn't count on him in 2015.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 01:28 PM) Actually they often are for such a small thing. They broke up a loud party and found a small amount of weed in a dresser. That kind of thing gets pushed aside, or just a municipal citation, all the time in. Especially in college environments like that. Not saying that didn't play a factor, it might have. Just saying it is commonplace for things like that to get thrown out. The judge cited probable cause issues - why does a loud party justify searching dresser drawers? It likely doesn't, thus it was thrown out. Didn't the cops say they smelled weed? I wonder if the judge is a season ticketholder. Whatever it was, I don't think his status as a player hurt him. You would think this should at least scare him enough so that the neighbors won't have to complain about the noise anymore.

Coop couldn't stand Rienzo's pitching. He probably would have told Hahn he could fix me if it meant he didn't have to work with Andre anymore.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 11:39 AM) And all charges have been dropped While I don't think having weed at your house is a very big deal, and loud music constantly is being an ass , not a criminal, I doubt if it was some Ag student busted, or a walk on, that the charges would be dropped.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 12:24 PM) I'd really rather not trade him for a reliever at this point. Hahn was saying they aren't going to be bringing in any "$20 million a year" guys this year, so if Viciedo is traded, unless they have something else lined-up, it seems to me Ichiro is next since Nightengale said they have already been talking. I'm sure they know what it would take to sign him. One thing you do need at USCF is power. If you have Ichiro in LF, Eaton in CF, Gillaspie at 3B and Micah at 2B, IMO, Hahn is going to have to find someone to hit some HR who can at least split time with Ichiro and be able to play LF when Eaton is sitting down. I know he had a really good year, but I would be really happy if the Sox did something at 3B other than Gillaspie. It is too bad Hahn couldn't have made the Samardzija trade bigger and picked up Donaldson.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 12:20 PM) I have never heard this name before. JJ Cooper ‏@jjcoop36 4m4 minutes ago Royals picking up White Sox Rule 5 pick Jandel Gustave in a trade. Likely for cash. If he sticks could be hardest thrower in their pen. He got the color of the Sox wrong.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 11:41 AM) Hopefully Jennings. Exactly, but what I am getting at is this, say Jennings doesn't improve vs. LH hitters, and he is warming up in the bullpen, and a righty is on the mound with a LH hitter coming next who really doesn't hit LH pitchers much at all, say Jayson Heyward. Is the manager a fool to bring him in knowing he is not as effective vs. LH hitters, or is it a good move because that is more than offset by the hitter's righty vs. lefty splits? Obviously, it would be ideal to have a lefty who is good vs. LH hitters available, but many times it doesn't work that way.

So a LH pitcher that fares better against RH hitters vs. a LH hitter who can't hit lefties. Who wins? It was pretty obvious Rienzo was on the way out.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 09:54 AM) Wow, I don't where my head is. I keep forgetting about guys. Verlander Price Sanchez Greene Reds Pitcher? Yeah thats pretty good. Their bullpen on the other hand............

QUOTE (shysocks @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 09:25 AM) Seems like he was pretty good in NY. You're gonna have to give me a little more than that. He was awful in NY. The Yankees made him the QO offer because he sucked.

Dowd was saying the Dodgers wanted to get under the luxury tax because they were about to start paying dollar for dollar. How does that work? If they send all the money for Haren and Gordon to Miami, does that count towards their total or not?

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 09:19 AM) No way Tigers take on Scherzer at this point if they are acquiring a Reds pitcher. I would just take the draft pick. Between Miggy and Verlander, I really wonder if the Tigers can take on another 6 or 7 year deal, whether it is Scherzer or Price or if they do get a Reds stud. Eventually, they will have to scale back. Maybe this is just one final shot before going a little cheaper.

I read something yesterday that even though all these guys are in the same place, most trade discussion is still occurring through email and text.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 09:13 AM) Morosi tweeted that Tigers are going to acquire a pitcher from the Reds. Sounds like Mat Latos. My question, who the hell are they going to give up? That should put them in better position to compete with the White Sox.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Dec 10, 2014 -> 09:14 PM) No thanks to Ichiro. He actually wouldn't be a bad 4th OF. He is still good defensively, can run, and could come off the bench and still get a hit. But if you are playing him 140 games, i don't think that works anymore.