Dick Allen

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 02:58 PM) I'm trying to think if I was Spencer Adams if I would take the payday, spend 3 great years of my life in buses across the minor leagues, or if I would go to college with the potential of getting a 5 million payday by waiting. Tough call. You can always go back to college. If in 3 or 4 years it doesn't work out, he won't be creepy old for the ladies and he should have some of that signing bonus left. And if he is going to be a guy who would be a top 3 or 4 pick in 3 years, he should then develop nicely in the minor leagues and be a lot further along on his way to a really big pay day.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 02:25 PM) Jose Abreu is my response. Specifically, for the first couple weeks of the season, Abreu's footwork at 1b was on the verge of getting his ankle broken every time he received a throw. IIRC it led to an error/run scoring in Colorado or something like that. Jose Abreu is 26 and has been playing 1b longer than Garcia has played by several years, but in all that time, no one had ever coached him how to correctly plant his feet while taking throws at 1b. After that error, suddenly the next couple days he was doing it correctly. He got coaching and suddenly improved. That's a great example of a raw player who has played baseball all his life and still makes simple mistakes. And how is a coach going to help Avi get a better jump, or judge balls off the bat? Footwork at 1B and what Avi struggles with in the OF are quite different.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 02:24 PM) Avi has the tools to be a plus outfielder but his instincts are atrocious. He'll never be more than average at best. This is how I feel. I don't know of any coach who can really improve what Avi lacks. He does have tools which can make him average, but like you said, his instincts are so bad, average is about what we can reasonably hope for.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 02:17 PM) Avi has good speed but should also be regarded as extremely raw/inexperienced on defense. He has the tools to be a plus defender but he needs a lot of experience and coaching before he ever pulls that off. That is one big reason why him losing this entire season is such a downer. Why should he be considered raw/inexperienced on defense? He's been playing baseball all his life. There are plenty of players who have played even fewer games than he has who fared far better defensively.

With the numbers crunch on big league rosters now, considering how many pitcher/hitters there are in HS and college, I'm kind of surprised there really isn't anyone doing both at least in the minors. I think there is time to get your work in doing both, and there are defintiely guys that have the talent to do it.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 01:00 PM) So not only do they go under slut but they get a guy who has handled Rodon's balls, my god what a pick. Hahn is KILLING IT. Hahn's killing it is paling in comparison to your killing it. You're on a roll. Keep up the fine work.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 12:45 PM) Fry sounds like a lefty specialist prospect with the upside of a setup man. Will ditch the curve, develop the slider, focus on the change in the Sox system. Hopefully he will sign well under slut. I like the pick in that it looks like a useful player, but I'd have rather punted the ball 4th down instead of 3rd. Oh well, Sox understand the demands of their top 2 more than any of us do, and if they feel they will need the $$$ then good move, do whatever you have to do to get Rodon & Adams signed. Most of these college and HS guys will go under slut any chance they get. I know I did at that age.

Just to keep things in perspective, since 2001, prior to today, 4 of the White Sox 14 3rd round picks made it to the major leagues, and they have a combined WAR of 1.2. 1.1 of that is Addison Reed. So really, we are looking at lottery tickets from here on out.

I don't know how a 2nd round pick that hasn't pitched above HS can possibly be on a top 10 list at this time. That is either crazy, or the Sox current prospects are even worse than we thought.

He is Cuban. The Sox had to take him.

I just blew goo

This is about as perfect as i could have hoped. Rodon please Mr. Hahn.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 06:13 PM) Aiken would have given Davidson a real go in the hair department. He'd probably fan him 4 times too.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 05:31 PM) If they truly believe Rodon is a future ace, then I'm fine with them risking most of their draft on him. I read a review of the Cubs draft a few years ago with Baez, and they missed on almost all of their picks after him. If he ends up a perennial all-star, then I would say they had a good draft. When the Sox selected McDowell, Ventura and Thomas the rest of those drafts were basically nothing.if the Sox draft Rodon and he turns into a star, they had a great draft.

Word is Kolek is up to 270 lbs.

I still wonder what Buddy holds over everyone to remain employed in baseball. When he managed, with every organization he managed, the team was better the year before and the year after he managed them than they were when he managed them. And his comments about some of the stiffs currently in the White Sox system lead me to believe he must be a volunteer they just don't have the heart to tell him to go take a walk.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 02:38 PM) Good, let them do something silly and Rodon falls to us. I think if it were up to Loria, Rodon would be their pick.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 02:27 PM) Can someone get me the EXACT percentage of Aiken to the Cubs please? 0% would be exact unless he dies before the draft, which keeps it at 0%.

QUOTE (Ozzie Ball @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 02:30 PM) Kiley McDaniel ‏@kileymcd 19s The Carlos Rodon bonus demand hammer has dropped. I'm told its $6 million plus. Aiken heavy favorite to go 1-1 now. The 1-1 slot value is over $7.9 million.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 02:23 PM) Let's just pick Sale again Have him work on throwing right handed.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 02:11 PM) Ridiculous post. Yeah I don't understand it. Most players picked in the first round turn out far from stars, and some of the guys picked later, turn into them. This isn't the NBA or NFL.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 01:23 PM) Idk. I can see it: Astros take Rodon, who the Marlins wanted. Marlins then take Jackson, who is 2nd on their board. Then all it takes is either of the rumors that Sox love Kolek OR Nola to be true. But the odds of all that happening have to be less than 1 in 5.

Appel could have gone #1 in 2012, but refused to sign. The Pirates drafted him, he didn't sign and wound up going #1 in 2013 and signed for significantly under slot. He did make about $350k extra in what was alledgedly offered to him to be #1 in 2012 vs. 2013, but that seems like a best case scenerio and a steep price to pay for even the extra year it probably costs him before he gets to arbitration.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 01:00 PM) Is this still not understood? They will spend the money even if they don't get the BPA. That would be the point. I think he means on the BPA instead of spending less on the top pick so you can spend more on later picks. I'm with him 100% on that.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 11:57 AM) Baseball Hall ‏@BaseballHall 12m No player selected with the overall No. 1 pick since the start of the #MLBDraft in 1965 has earned #HOF election. Not for long.