Dick Allen

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Mar 19, 2014 -> 12:38 PM) There really isn't a battle unless there's a trade. It looks like it will be Konerko, Nieto, De Aza, and Keppinger. Semien may make it if Beckham is unavailable. Garcia could make the team if Keppinger starts on the DL. Danks may make the team if De Aza is traded. These are the things that happen when a team's owner forces the GM to keep an aging veteran around as a mascot. All future World Series chances will be ruined because Paul Konerko is on the roster and guys like Semien and Garcia have to play in Charlotte instead of sitting on the bench in Chicago. Plus Jordan Danks might find a new organization. How awful.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 19, 2014 -> 12:30 PM) Keeping him in the organization is the plan. He may not be a starting catcher next year, but keeping him around is what is important. For the guy that lives off of one off exceptions, Johan Santana spent a year hiding in the Twins pen as a rarely used reliever and rarer starter. He spent time in the minors even 2 years after that before becoming an established pitcher at the major league level. If you think he is a future starter, you do what you need to do to keep him in the system. They changed the rule 5 rules since Santana was selected, and really there has been nobody worth a darn in these things for years. Putting Adrian Nieto on the roster, thus probably increasing the workload for Flowers, which probably makes him worse, and considering pitchers rely on their catchers for a lot, is a dumb idea if Nieto isn't a really good player. Santana was 21 when he came to the Twins. Nieto is 24. You can hide pitchers a lot better than catchers.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Mar 19, 2014 -> 12:31 PM) Rizzo's been a d*** before, so who knows? It's Adrian Nieto, either way, it most likely is no big deal.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 19, 2014 -> 12:21 PM) Keeping a potential starting catcher in the organization without having to pay the price to bring another one in here. But if he isn't ready to be a starting catcher now, how is playing once a week having your ass handed to you, going to make you a starting catcher candidate next year? You are hindering his development and cementing his status as a Giminez type of player. One you can sign any winter.

QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Mar 19, 2014 -> 12:15 PM) Who could possibly disagree? Tyler Flowers. End of conversation. Yes, but this is taking all the catchers into consideration. They are only 1 WAR or so from being in the middle of the pack however. Catching isn't so great league-wide.

I don't see the upside in hiding Nieto on the bench if he isn't ready to play at the top level.. So what if it means you get to keep him. Next year he would be a guy who has barely played above A ball with a wasted year at the major league level. Doesn't sound like a guy who you could say without sounding crazy is a breakout candidate. I still think the Sox work out some sort of deal for him, and put him in Birmingham where he belongs.

Isn't Jordan Danks out of options? If he is, I bet he gets traded.

According to fangraphs, the Sox have the worst catching situation in baseball. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2014-positi...nkings-catcher/

Why don't the posters who give s*** to Hawk about Yaz stories never give Stone s*** about his Orioles and Earl Weaver stories we get several times a game?

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 18, 2014 -> 08:14 AM) Ugh, gross. The excitement of baseball season gets ruined by the return of Hawk's voice. I love Hawk, and the only thing he does that really rubs me wrong is when he goes on and on about the umpires. On Opening Day and at the beginning of the year when no White Sox losses can be pinned on the men in blue, Hawk is awesome. My wife and I went to a friend's house a few years ago and he had the game on. We would say "should be" "rack em up" on a DP ball, "can of corn", and Hawk would say it. Our wives were amazed. They thought we should be doing PBP for a living. They were wondering how we knew what he would say. I just said it was a gift.

QUOTE (ChrisLikesBaseball @ Mar 18, 2014 -> 07:29 AM) They'll figure out how to make the field playable. That's their job, and they're very good at it. I've been going to opening day for many years now and only one has been postponed. They make it a priority. This does beg the question of why they didn't start the process sooner, or more continually over the winter.. It will be fine. The reason they didn't start this sooner is because they didn't have to. Might as well create some drama and then some high praise for Bossard getting the field ready. You know on Opening Day Hawk is a lock to say he thought there was zero chance the field would be ready, but it will be next to perfect and he will go on and on about Roger. We all know it is going to happen, so as an old college roommate used to say to women who were a little aprehensive concerning his advances, "let it happen".

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 03:04 PM) JJ Stankevitz ‏@JJStankevitz 37m Bossard says the permafrost on US Cellular Field is 30 inches. Needs to thaw it 6-10 inches before opening day. Chuck Garfien ‏@ChuckGarfien 51m Bossard says that if the White Sox had to play today, the field would be unplayable. He believes it will be ready for Opening Day. Roger Bossard says that they've removed 400 tons of snow at US Cellular Field. Doug Padilla ‏@ESPNChiSox 50m Groundskeeper Roger Bossard says back is to the wall. Not sure 2 weeks is enough to thaw field for Opening Day. Do they have something against heaters?

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 02:10 PM) I like that bat. We've had a bad defender behind the plate for years, why not try him? Do the Red Sox need an OF? NO THEY HAVE GRADY SIZEMORE So they will need one in a week?

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 12:56 PM) But I bet I can get a jersey dirt cheap right now Really cheap. Especially last year's model since he changed numbers.

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 12:44 PM) Dunn's WAR depends on what position he plays. He won't be a negative WAR for all teams, particularly not a team that will use him more situationally than the Sox have. He's got a skill left intact, specifically pretty massive power, and that will provide positive value in many situations, lineups and parks. I don't know why you can't just admit that those of us who believe Dunn has a modicum of value are holding a reasonable position. Instead, you end up like the guy on the street corner raving about how everyone else is doomed because of their ignorance. Keep waving your cardboard sign, man. You'll convince the passersby one of these days! The fact is anyone who says Dunn has some value or is holding out hope he can build some, is basing it on how much money he is owed. If he were making $4-5 million, I doubt many would be arguing any post saying release him, and it is highly unlikely the White Sox get anything of value for him at the deadline even if he is productive. Look what Rios brought back. I think we all agree Adam Dunn sucks.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 12:31 PM) Would you pay 15 million for him to play for the Sox or another team. There is your choice. Dont forget this is the White Sox and not a large payroll big market team. The fact is they are going to have to pay him anyway. If he can't help you win, there is no reason to have him on the roster. I wouldn't get rid of him yet. But if he isn't doing anything in the middle of May or the beginning of June, it's not like he will bring you back anything. It would probably be best for all involved to let him go. Unlike TUC, I would definitely see where he is at this season, first. I am not expecting much,, but stranger things have happened than Adam Dunn being somewhat productive, and he is a good guy so it's not like he is poisoning the clubhouse. It will be interesting to see how this develops. If he sucks, I doubt he lasts the entire season with the White Sox, even if they have to eat the maximum.

Didn't the Dodgers release Andruw Jones owing him a lot more money than the Sox owe Dunn? It isn't going to happen, and I don't think it should, at least now. Maybe if he is struggling on June 1st, you pull the plug, but releasing him and eating that sum of cash isn't unprecedented.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 11:23 AM) He is going to say "Easy. Release him." because that's easy and teams are often so willing to simply just give away $15 million. On the other hand, paying him $15 million to play like he's played is giving $15 million away anyway. I don't agree with releasing him, but I doubt he suddenly becomes the hitter the Sox thought they were getting this season. 2 out of the 3 seasons he's been with the team, he has been a negative WAR. If you think he's going to do that again and you have to pay him anyway, paying $15 million for a zero WAR is better than paying $15 million for one less than that.

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 11:07 AM) Repeating...starting once a week and coming in during blowouts. If that's not your definition of burying him on the bench, fine. Less than 120 PAs if they can get away with it. And the extra workload makes Flowers or Phegley even worse than usual. The White Sox don't have a catcher on their roster which makes your definition of burying the back up catcher on the bench viable. If they were to carry 3 catchers, sure, but they cannot, and really, how good is Nieto in reality? If a team was willing to lose him for $50k, you have to figure he isn't exactly well thought of. And spending a year rotting on the bench doesn't help his future. Chances are the Sox will be playing him in AA after they make some sort of deal with Washington or just send him back. Either way, Nieto is most likely a guy most of us will forget even existed in the next year or 2.

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 11:00 AM) Unless they make a trade, I'm rooting for Nieto to make it. If he's starting once a week and coming in during blowouts, they can kind of bury him on the bench without losing him. He looks like he can hit. You can't bury a back up catcher on the bench if you are only carrying 2, unless your #1 guy is AJ or someone of his ilk.

QUOTE (Jake @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 10:28 AM) There are some serious concerns about Phegley's defense that ought to be addressed on an everyday basis in Charlotte #1 catching the ball. It's amazing someone has the occupation of catcher, yet cannot catch the ball consistently.

QUOTE (Knuckles @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 08:16 AM) Still love what Hahn is doing, many of the posters would run either one out of town only to bring in equaly inadequate replacement. Hahn said you don't get many second chances and both are getting them this year. They either take it and go with it or become Jake at State Farm.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 08:02 AM) I'd actually be just fine with a .956 OPS out of him I made an error, something many White Sox are quite familar with. .231/.286/.385 His OPS is .670 on the spring. From Hahn's comments during his conference call last week, the leash isn't going to be very long for Flowers or Phegley. If they fail again, and no long term solution can be reasonably targeted and acquired, they will go to short term stopgaps.

The White Sox should be willing to trade anyone to any team, but the key is the return. Unless the White Sox would be getting something back that they think makes them a better team, trading Alexei to Detroit or Miami or Houston or TB makes no sense.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 17, 2014 -> 06:55 AM) It really isn't much of a surprise. Hopefully Tyler carries over his decent spring into the regular season. .231/.286/.670 I hope he carries over something better than that.