Dick Allen

The thing is, the schedule in the NBA is a bit flexible. Because of arena concerns teams often have their choice of a couple days when to schedule the game. Teams probably want to play a home game vs. SA the night after the Spurs just played.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 01:16 PM) I can see the Sox going after Rasmus, Morales as a fall back option if they cannot find something somewhere else but Young and Bonafacio I just don't see. Young is a guy the White Sox have pursued at least a little bit I think last year. I think that plays into the prediction. But it really doesn't make much sense unless there are some trades.

LaRussa hated Rasmus. The Sox could have had Rasmus when they trade EJax but didn't want him when he was cheaper and more highly thought of as a prospect. I have a hard time believing JR signs off on Rasmus, especially for 3 years. This guy has a lot of issues.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 01:08 PM) Only way I'm signing martinez if it's non guaranteed 4 year deal. 2 yr with 3rd year option or 3 yr with 4th option. Plus if they are going to sign him then the sox better make sure they are competing here on out. He has the seems to get better with age like konerko did but still has to have some point where he can't do it anymore. If he's signed her for a 4 yr deal and he craps out after year one when we better be competing then you have dunn all over again. He's pretty much a pure dh only at this point. He would look good in the lineup but to many things to go wrong and be a dead contract on the team. Would rather see someone younger and a rotation dh I am obviously hoping they sign him, and agree with everything you posted.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 12:49 PM) He has the Sox going big on quantity and small on dollars, scooping up outfielders Rasmus (3/$36), Bonifacio (2/$12), and Chris Young (1/$5) while signing Kendrys Morales (1/$9). I have no violently negative reactions to any of those names at those prices, including Rasmus. No arms, but he limited his guesses to 55 top guys and a lot of the available relief pitchers weren't on that list. Bonifacio is a name that I haven't seen brought up around here much. Not sure how much of a fit he is. He's a good utility guy to have around as he can pretty much play every position and he would be especially useful as Eaton injury insurance, but a two-year deal seems unlikely to come from the Sox. I also can't see both Bonifacio and Young; I feel like the Sox would rely on someone internally rather than bringing in a second guy who doesn't move the needle much. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2015-free-agent-predictions/ I don't like Rasmus, but if Martinez is unattainable, Morales makes sense to me.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 12:53 PM) I dunno, I'd say that trying as hard as possible and having it screw up the following 3 seasons (see: our last set of "all-in" moves) is actually worse than not trying at all since that one screwed up half a decade of baseball. How did it screw it up? What would have been better? The Sox went "all in" when they brought back Paulie and AJ. AJ got about $8 million for 2 years and had a great 2012. Paulie was on fire in 2011, and was great for half of 2012, and I believe they found his replacement. For a guy who accuses others of making things up, you sure do make a lot of things up.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 12:45 PM) And as I just pointed out in excruciating detail, While his average season would look fine in the middle of the white sox's order, the end result of Scott Downs 2.0 in the bullpen and Bassitt, Noesi, and Danks making up 3/5 of the rotation would leave that bat extremely likely to be wasted. Except for 1 season, basically every White Sox performance since any of us has been alive has been "wasted". The one thing worse than trying to win and failing, is not trying at all.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 12:38 PM) Which, again, has now happened exactly 2 times in his career, continuing to enforce my point that the desire for him remains based on a ridiculous performance last year that the team signing him is unlikely to get. BS. His average season would look very nice in the middle of the White Sox line up, and may make some pitchers pitch to Abreu. His 162 game averger year is very similar to Carlos Beltran., who as a free agent, was 1 year older than Victor, and received $45 million for 3 years.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 12:35 PM) Nobody strikes out as little as Martinez does, so yeah, you're right on that. Just because guys don't strike out doesn't automatically make them good hitters though. However, as long as we can take out the phrase "strike out very seldom" (because a 15-20% strikeout rate is the average for a MLB hitter at this point), and while this list will change in the next 12 months, there are plenty of players who qualify as "extraordinary, professional, big run producing hitters." http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/09/2016...ree-agents.html To show how much the game has changed, Martinez is the only qualified hitter who walked more than he fanned.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 12:30 PM) With a .371 babip during that 2nd half. His career number is .316, and it was .313 on the whole 2013 season. You'd have looked at Victor Martinez and said he's a decent DH, he'll contribute, he gets a lot of hits, but he's not a guy worth breaking the bank for. Then he more than doubled his HR total, pushing up his batting average and everything else with it in 2014 and that remains literally the only reason he's on this list. 162 game average for his 12 year career: 21 HR 103 RBI .306 AVG. .373 OBP .475 SLG. If he had an average year for him, he would have received a real good contract.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 12:21 PM) Here's the crazy thing...you'd have said the exact same thing last offseason about this offseason's Free Agent class - that there's not going to be any big time run producing hitters available, and that statement would have included Victor Martinez. At this point last season, Victor Martinez didn't look like a guy who would be a big time, run producing, high demand free agent. I disagree. He has been a really good hitter for a very long time. He made himself some money, and probably lessened the fears of his aging, and any lingering effects of his knee surgery, but he has been a really good hitter. He hit .361 the second half of 2013.

The Bulls and Michael Jordan knew they had a responsibility when he was playing for him to take the court if at all physically possible. People paid big money to specifically see him play. He played heavy minutes in exhibition games. I don't think any individual Spurs are anywhere near that status. I am sure people bought tickets to specifically see the Spurs, but I don't think it's as big of a dissappoint when Tim Duncan sits as paying to se LeBron and seeing him in street clothes at the end of the bench. It isn't like this is the first time this has happened.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 07:59 AM) Anyone remember when VMart signed with Detroit ? I was reading that back then the Sox offered him more money than the Tigers along the lines of 3/$48M but he chose the Tigers for more years less AAV and that Adam Dunn was actually our fall back signing. Hasn't Hahn hinted that the Sox could be going after someone we have pursued in the past ? The one thing I remember was the rumor was Dunn was signing with Detroit.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 7, 2014 -> 08:03 AM) If the NBA doesn't want him sitting guys in their late 30s for prime time games, they don't have to make those the 2nd night of B2B's. While I think you do "owe" the paying customers something, you really can't argue with this post.

QUOTE (LDF @ Nov 6, 2014 -> 05:15 PM) with all the new info that was mention yesterday about how a catcher gets rated. thanks to all for sharing. The different framing numbers show different results for many catchers. Flowers is awful in one and #11 in the other. One thing is constant, Salty is the worst in baseball in both.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Nov 6, 2014 -> 05:17 PM) The Angels signed owe Hamilton 89 mill/3 years. They'd have to take back at least 60 of that. They'd be better off keeping him and hope for a rebound. He always looked like a lazy ballplayer to me, even when he was good. If the took back Danks and ate all that money, which has been proposed, they save nothing. It doesn't make any sense from any side.

Josh Hamilton is 2 years younger than Victor Martinez using a calendar and who knows what in reality. Why would anyone want his contract on the books for 4 years, no matter what the cost? He lost 30 pounds as soon as he signed with the Angels and has sucked ever since. Why would he get better?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 6, 2014 -> 02:49 PM) I totally disagree with this. This roster is 2 good relievers away from still being 5 games under .500 in my eyes. Are you expecting a rainout that isn't made up? And if they are 4 games under .500. that is 2 wins from .500, so pretty much the same thing.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Nov 6, 2014 -> 02:40 PM) Very interesting article. Thanks for posting it. I've always contended that there are a lot of base hits, in pitches out of the strike zone, providing a hitter is willing to hit the ball where it's pitched. A great "bad ball" hitter is a tremendous asset to an offense. It presents a significant challenge even to a pitcher with great command. wjp may be able to hit his spot, but the hitter can still make good contact. What a great technique for young hitters to try to emulate. Maybe Victor would be able to help some of our young hitters, especially Garcia. That's another intangible that argues for signing him. I have always thought it depended how the player was wired. When he was in his prime, Frank Thomas used to take meatballs a couple inches off the plate. Many people thought, and probably correctly, he should expand his zone a bit in certain situations. The problem is, what if it led him to swing at other pitches, farther out of the zone? If it isn't broke don't fix it, is what the White Sox did, and how could anyone argue? But back to Victor, he hits pitches out of the zone at an incredible clip. His bat isn't slowing as he is ripping 95+ heat better than anyone. The fangraphs said, the contact rate should be declining in his 30's, but his has been rising. He's already an outlier. I think he is really good at least 2 more seasons myself, probably 3, and has to be as good of a bet as any to be hitting as a 39 year old, although if I were offering him a contract, that 4th year wouldn't be guaranteed unless some things were accomplished in the first 3.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 6, 2014 -> 02:27 PM) This is where I rarely disagree with Dick Allen. This roster is not a .500 roster. Far from that. Not yet. But by the time spring training starts, I bet most people will think it is a team that probably should be .500. Just getting to average with the bullpen should be encouraging.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Nov 6, 2014 -> 01:54 PM) That list is very uninspiring. I would prefer a 37 year old VMart, in his second year of the contract, to any of those guys. I agree. Whether they can get it done is another question. Here is an article the saber guys might like: http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2014/11/5/71...defying-outlier

QUOTE (scs787 @ Nov 6, 2014 -> 01:21 PM) Aren't Avi and Vmart friends...That's something There could be many reasons he might want to play for the White Sox. Chicago is consistently voted favorite city by MLB players. When they are trying to woo these guys , they give a hint of what they are trying to do to improve the team. Maybe he hates Chicago. Maybe he hates White Sox players. But for anyone to say he has no reason to play for them unless they offer him significantly more money than any other team without knowing him, is just hyperbole. Hahn and KW and JR have to sell these guys on winning. Of course, normallly, the highest bid wins anyway. I don't think the bid for Abreu was significantly higher than the bids from other teams. Yet, here he is.

The last time Crawford made it through a season healthy was 2010. Pass.

QUOTE (Dam8610 @ Nov 6, 2014 -> 10:25 AM) I disagree. I think that because this team is at least a full season away from contention no matter what they do, they might as well stock up the farm system as much as possible this year while also building toward a contender. Yes, it means losing a higher pick next year in all likelihood, however, when you're shifting toward contention, building the farm becomes less of a concern, though it should still exist as a concern. Since we do not know the 2015 roster, how can you say this team is at least one season away? The White Sox don't make the playoffs very often, but a couple of times when they did, they were just about as bad as they were in 2014 the previous season. The 1999 team won 75 games. The 2007 team won 72 games. In 1976, I know, baseball was a lot different, the team was awful and lost 97 games. The 1977 Southside Hitmen won 90. That can get you in the playoffs these days. In 1989 they won 69 games and won 94 in 1990, and it wasn't all because Frank Thomas. He came up in August. As did young Alex. Robin Ventura wasn't exactly ripping the cover off the ball either. They need to acquire a hitter or 2 and a few pitchers, maybe get someone who can catch the ball, and need some guys to develop, but it has been done before. The way it is now, you have a .500 roster, but can win one extra game a month, you are right there.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Nov 6, 2014 -> 09:57 AM) Trade Beck and Trayce Thompson. Take on all salary. Make him primary DH/4th outfielder. Sign a left/right fielder capable of playing center for when Eaton gets hurt. Eaton CF Ramirez SS Abreu 1B CarGo DH Garcia LF/RF Rasmus? RF/LF Gillaspie 3B Flowers C Second baseman I would imagine Hahn would do that right now. The Rockies wouldn't. If he has another injury-filled year and puts up bad numbers, IMO, then it is possible to sell it to their fanbase that dumping him for some salary relief makes a lot of sense. It's one thing if you are trading him for some really projectable prospects. It's a baseball move. Trading him for Beck and Thompson is just a financial move. Dumping one of your most popular players to save money will cost you some money.