Dick Allen

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 02:40 PM) I have to admit they blew that call hard.

QUOTE (bmags @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 10:29 AM) I will say I'm just somewhat disappointed in that it seemed like this would be beginning of a new team strategy for using our position players. For first time since forever, the possibility that our DH could be switched among 11/12 position players could have happened rather than just having two 1B. In all likelihood finding a LH non 1b for this would have been extremely expensive. But, just feeling a bit of "more of this then, eh?" Read Hahn quotes. Abreu needs a lot of DH time. A first baseman was needed. I am sure they are still in the market for an OF.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 22, 2014 -> 09:49 AM) Yeah, I find myself having a lesser opinion of companies that just refuse to tell me anything. I would think no one would have a problem with the first 3 . It takes a minute to write an email, and you can copy and paste the same message to all the candidates. I have never understood why some companies leave people hanging. My wife is on a hiring committee. Her company had some blind ad in the Tribune many years ago, and she brought home the mail. People sent their resumes and cover letters, and she was rifling through them like one would when they dropped something in the trash. She was looking for one specific thing on their resume. I was part amused watching her do this, and part sickened, thinking how much time some spent applying for this job, having someone not read your letter and spend about 2 seconds on your resume. I would never expect a resonse from a blind ad.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Nov 19, 2014 -> 09:23 PM) I declined the counter. I need to not have the stress in my life. That was the smart thing to do. The rule of thumb is to always decline the counter. You will be perceived as disloyal, and ready to flee at any moment. Many counters are just to get you to stay until they find your replacement. If you have a staff, probably lock them in, and screw you over. Many years ago, I accepted a counter offer. When I received my next check, it was a little light. I went to the dope that gave me the offer, and he told me the amount of my check was correct as far as he was concerned. IIRC, 70% of people who accept counter offers, at least those wiling to share, are no longer employed by that company within 1 year, and it is over 90% in 2 years.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 12:23 AM) This article suggests he can be drafted. I find it hard to understand how he's not protected, given some of the mediocrities (and worse) on the 40 man. L Garcia defines credulity if Rondon isn't protected. (and I realize that Ventura apparently liked L Garcia despite his complete inability to hit). http://www.southsidesox.com/minors/2014/8/...league-baseball I believe Myles Jaye is eligible as well. some people were high on him a year ago, although he didn't seem to progress much. Leury and Rondon both were in High A as 20 year olds and put up prett similar offensive numbers. If you don't like Leury, you most likely won't like Rondon. I don't know exactly when he signed, but I find it hard to believe a team would be willing to stash him away on their major league roster for a year just to see if he may develop. There haven't been many rule 5 guys who became better than average since they changed the rules.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 02:38 AM) Hey guess who had the same OBP as our beloved leadoff hitter. Yep Adam LaRoche. Hey guess who was 7th in MLB in GWRBI . Yep Adam LaRoche with 17. I think he was top 7 in the NL in HR, RBI and BB.

Over the past 2 seasons, Lester has a 10.4 WAR, Q has a 9.0 WAR. Over the next 6 seasons, Q is owed at most, around $40 million, Lester will get about $100 million or more more than that. Q has 2 buyout years at $1 million if something goes wrong. Lester will be quaranteed all his money. Q is 5 years younger. I always thought Alexei was underappreciated, but the thought that anyone here would be willing to trade this guy, when he gives you the performance of a star, and allows the White Sox to spend big money elsewhere because he gets paid so little, makes me believe he is perhaps the most under appreciated White Sox ever. I have seen it posted here he is a decent #2 maybe a three on a championship team. He was 9th in baseball in pitching WAR, and got paid like a reclimation project. There really is no realistic way the White Sox would trade him. I am sure they would take Mike Trout, but that isn't happening.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Nov 22, 2014 -> 06:45 PM) Has LaRoche made any comments about signing yet? I am sure he won't until the Sox open a roster spot and make it official.

Maybe Erik Johnson looks like he was supposed to look this year, in 2015.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Nov 22, 2014 -> 07:39 AM) Please stop with this suggestion. Rondon would be so bad offensively that it would negate any value his defense would provide. On top of that, you'd be stunting his development significantly. Just an all-around horrible idea when you consider short-term and long-term goals. Exactly. If you think Leury Garcia can't hit, Rondon in the major leagues now, would make Leury look like Tony Gwynn.

QUOTE (Lemon_44 @ Nov 22, 2014 -> 07:18 AM) Rumors are just that. Was that prior to giving Stanton 3 billion dollars? Plus that's just one team so it's not like there was a huge demand for him, if they wanted to sign him, I would have let them. To me, LaRoche is the final piece on a contending team, a guy that can come off the bench in a pinch a hopefully be productive. I don't think he's a guy you count on as a main weapon. At least not on a good team at his age. He batted clean up on a team that won 96 games in 2014. The Nationals wouldn't have let him go, but Zimmerman, because of his injuries, can't play third anymore and is moving to first. The White Sox had to get someone who legitimately could hit 4th. IMO, Abreu is goimg to see a spike in free passes next year. If they couldn't get a legit cleanup hitter, it would only have been higher. I know, walks are good, but limiting Abreu's opportunities to do damage is not.

I am no fan of Keith Law, but that twitter comversation does make you understand how it was possible Schilling doesn't have a dime left of the $114 million he was paid to play baseball.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Nov 21, 2014 -> 07:59 PM) He's not a plus defender in 2015. At best he'd be run neutral at 1B. Yay. Right.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Nov 21, 2014 -> 07:52 PM) Eh, I literally have no idea who is available in a trade and who isn't. I'm not a huge fan of addressing weaknesses like this via FA for a team that's baseline is closer to 75 wins than 85. As I said, if this is a move towards bumping the payroll the full 40 million or so -- fine. If not, well, it's even more puzzling. He did mash RHP last year. I just don't like 1 skill players in general though. If he doesn't hit, he's worthless. He also is a plus defender and won a GG a couple of years ago.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Nov 21, 2014 -> 07:22 PM) Reds aren't looking to add payroll. It would be really interesting to have a team gamble and have an entire rotation going to become free agents after the season. Performance tends to peak.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 21, 2014 -> 07:11 PM) Agree and I still think they are planning on making a "splash" move as well. This is a very nice signing though. Decent AAV but for 2 years, limited risk and he should be a productive player who helps make us a much better team. Also fills a good need. I like this more then going 3 / 30 on Butler. Much better than Butler. Abreu is going to have to Dh when his dogs start barking. I don't think we would want to see Butler play a lot of 1B. LaRoche won a GG.

QUOTE (Alexeihyeess @ Nov 21, 2014 -> 07:10 PM) Not great either. If Avi flops it's worse than last year. I wasn't a big Avi fan, but he won me over getting back last year. He obviously wants to be great. I think he will be fine.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Nov 21, 2014 -> 07:02 PM) Would you trade q for Bryce Harper? I would. That is one gamble I would make.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 21, 2014 -> 07:01 PM) Which means no big signing even if that number is real because they still have multiple holes to fill. You never know. Kaplan was suggesting Alexei and Danks to LA for a prospect. There would be another $25 million to play with.

You look at his numbers and Adam LaRoche has been a much better hitter than I ever thiught. A plus fielder as well.

I wonder who leaves the 40

This is nice. Does this mean the Q + prospects for Jay Bruce is off?

Montero probably can't hit anymore, but White Sox catchers can't hit, so if he calls a good game, his reputation as a great pitch framer could come in really handy. He is expensive.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Nov 21, 2014 -> 12:39 PM) The only way to truly rid the sport of it is to do baseline blood testing when they begin professional ball. This way they will know when they are taking something. They will not know what but they will know the chemistry has changed. Currently, they can test for all known PEDs with the urine and blood tests. However, there are always new PEDs being produced. It's mostly linked to track and field athletes as it's a bigger market but they will trickle down to NFL and MLB. It is still hard for me to understand how power is vanishing in baseball without anyone talking about the ball. They were talking about the ball when it was considered the "steroid era", I remember Hawk calling it a Titleist. But even without steroids, say there were none, players are bigger and a lot stronger these days. Pitchers throw harder than ever on average, yet the power numbers are falling off a cliff.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 21, 2014 -> 11:56 AM) B&B have to take those calls in order to establish their total dominance over the people who hear these radio waves. Lets all forget that they consistently make fun of an old man who doesnt really pick up on the joke That's BS, they never make fun of Boers.