Dick Allen

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 10, 2014 -> 02:35 PM) It's not just the pick, it's the slot money. And if you aren't selecting anyone there, it is pretty much a wash. They have 2 first rounders this year as well.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 10, 2014 -> 03:04 PM) Show it to me then, DA. Guess who else was awesome in stretches? Brent Lillibridge. Anyone can have a good week. We've got all kinds of results to analyze for Viciedo because he's had tons of playing time. Show me the promise in those results. He murdered LHP in 2012 and couldn't hit RHP. He improved vs. RHP last year and slipped a bit vs. LHP. It's cherry-picking, but cherry picking is fine when you are looking for anything, but if you take his 2013 vs. RHP and his 2012 vs. LHP, you are talking about a guy hitting close to .300 with a .332 OBP and an .820 OPS. Plus he can hit the ball 500 feet, and is still very young. There is a lot more there than some of the crap you wanted the White Sox to acquire. I think today is his birthday. You should at least be nice to him on his birthday.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 10, 2014 -> 02:56 PM) Second half splits are not good predictors of future breakouts: http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/relevance...ond-half-stats/ http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/baseball...k2k10secondhalf Tools mean jack if the player refuses to gain skills to accompany them. It makes sense to give the player the benefit of the doubt until he shows you otherwise. Unfortunately for Viciedo... well over the past three seasons, more than 1000 plate appearances, Viciedo's strike recognition has somehow DIMINISHED. This is an extremely, extremely discouraging trend. His Achilles Heel is O-Swing: 2011 = 36.4%, 2012 = 39.9%, 2013 = 42.5%. League average hovers around 31%. As for minor league numbers, the fact that he managed an .853 OPS in AAA one year is nice, I guess, and would be encouraging if that's all we had to go on, but I can't think of any reason at all not to trust the 1200+ PAs he's had at the major league level instead. Can you? If it's easy to come up with evidence that Viciedo can be successful, please feel free to do so. I haven't seen anything so far. The evidence is there. He has had stretches where he has been very effective. It's a matter of making it happen more consistently. To say there is NOTHING that says he can be successful is total hyperbole.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 10, 2014 -> 02:28 PM) I mean I guess it's true that even replacement level players are still REALLY good at baseball, compared to the average human being. But he's been a replacement level player, so by MLB standards, he currently sucks. Maybe he'll get better, but I haven't seen anyone come up with any evidence to suggest that it's likely. So you choose to ignore his second half and his tools, some minor league numbers, yet create threads about players who suck in the minor leagues who have been DFA'd that the Sox should consider acquiring. IMO, it's easier to come up with evidence Viciedo can be successful than a couple of the names you suggested they should pick up.

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 10, 2014 -> 12:09 PM) Zach Stewart to Atlanta for cash. Raise your hand if you forgot Stewart was still with the Sox organization. Hi. I have always wondered how much cash is actually exchanged in these types of deals. I am sure the league makes them give up something, but I bet it isn't even 5 figures.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 10, 2014 -> 08:50 AM) I'm not sure we can say they're "Considering" it, but there appears to have been fairly respectable, non-bruce-levine names that have liked the White Sox and Mariners and put the 2 names Viciedo and Saunders together. The Sox know Viciedo better than anyone at this point and given his lack of development, I consider it plausible that they might reach a point of personal frustration with him in a way other teams wouldn't. When I start seeing proposals involving him that otherwise make no sense, as you say...that starts making me think that a personal issue could very well be the problem. This is one I could easily be mistaken on, because the only way to really gauge how a team feels about a guy personally is to read between the lines; looking at performance, playing time, trade rumors, competition on the roster, etc. If nothing happens and he goes out and gets 600 PA's this year, then they're still showing confidence in him. If they make a move like this, or they give him 350 PA's and platoon him with a lefty OF who is older and getting close to FA...those kind of things argue to me that they have a real problem with the guy. If they have "a real problem with the guy" he wouldn't be wearing a White Sox uniform right now. I'm sure they hoped he would be more advanced at this point, but the potential is still there. I don't think organizations have as many problems with players as fans do. There hasn't been one White Sox since I have been on this board, that didn't get slammed eventually. If teams ran out of patience as quickly as fans, all teams would have ridiculously high payrolls, paying tons of players not to play for them.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 10, 2014 -> 08:27 AM) It's the only obvious reason why the team would even consider this kind of deal. This one you can't help but read between the lines about. And where is the confirmation they are considering this type of deal? It really makes zero sense from a White Sox perspective, unless it is going to be some bigger deal. Is Saunders better than De Aza? If you think it is stupid to have Viciedo and De Aza on the same roster, wouldn't it be even dumber to have De Aza and Saunders on the same roster? The White Sox have made a pretty big investment in Viciedo. I find it hard to believe they would trade him for another OF they really don't need.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Mar 10, 2014 -> 08:11 AM) I would want that competitive balance B pick. I would consider moving Viciedo for Saunders, a good young pitching prospect (Gohara), and their competitive balance pick. Viciedo could go there and end up thriving but maybe the Sox don't see him as part of their future. Interesting. Has there been anything saying the Sox don't want him? It seems to me everything I have read is the opposite.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 9, 2014 -> 03:06 PM) And in May when they bow out in 5 games again this little cute win today won't mean anything. Berstein said something the other day that made sense. Chicago probably has the dumbest fanbase in the NBA that shouldn't be dumb. We know what a champion looks like. We saw it 6 times. Forget about the Heat. Look at OKC. Look at what the Rockets have put together in like 28 seconds. That's what a champion looks like. This try-hard, adorable, cute thing the Bulls got goin' on is fine in the regular season. It was just as cute last year. But I'm about titles. I don't care about being cute and adorable. And it's sad that being cute and adorable is enough for a lot of Bulls fans. You are about titles. How many does OKC have? Hasn't it been longer than the Bulls for Houston? That is what champions look like?

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Mar 9, 2014 -> 04:06 PM) Get off the beer cans and find yourself a therapist. If you after watching a game of basketball in which your team won can turn into a moment you want to cut yourself, something's wrong with your outlook in life. Funny, I never stated I wanted to cut myself.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 9, 2014 -> 03:57 PM) I just said the other day the Bulls could take the Pacers. They can beat any team in the east outside of one when it matters. And I, for one, am getting tired of that fact and don't care about these nothing regular season wins. Then I get accused of not being a basketball fan. When the Heat were hoisting their trophy last year was anybody thinking about the 27-game winning streak being snapped? I will LMAO if the Heat lose in 7 in the finals and miss home court by one meaningless win. I think LeBron is the best in the game right now,but it is days like today where it is quite obvious he is no Jordan. Way too passive. Michael played every game like he had to win to save his life. For the people paying big money to watch him play, I am sure it was quite appreciated. I am sure there is someone out there that shelled out $500 or more to take their kid to see LeBron today, and they get an indifferent performance.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 9, 2014 -> 03:40 PM) And here come the homer reinforcements. For the Heat? They don't mean anything other than whether game 1 of the conference finals/finals is home or away. They can go into any building and win. They've proven that and then some. For games that mean absolutely nothing, you sure do pay a lot of attention, and always point out how every team is better than the Bulls in these meaningless games. Everyone here knows the Bulls are short on talent, but they still win games like this. One difference between LeBron and MJ, MJ wouldn't let that happen. These players and teams are so great when the win, and when they are bad and lose, you just say it doesn't mean anything.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 9, 2014 -> 03:24 PM) The Bulls can beat the Heat in the regular season. I get it! They've proven that and then some for three years now. They snapped the 27-game winning streak. They've won without Rose, Noah and Deng one time I think. Great. Is that enough for you? I get sick of seeing s*** like "f*** yeah, f*** off heat, we can't win a series, but f*** yeah we won today." It makes me want to cut myself. Wasn't only about a week ago you were praising the Heat for hitting the switch and starting to turn it on? Now they lost 3 in a row, and the losses don't matter. Or maybe they do and that is the real reason you want to cut yourself.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 9, 2014 -> 02:54 PM) I believe the story was the Mariners offered Ackley for Viciedo, Hahn countered with Franklin for Viciedo, and then talks stopped. I would rather have Ackley than Franklin.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Mar 9, 2014 -> 02:17 PM) Reading some of the rumor reports and what might be Mariner expendables is not very exciting. You trade to improve your team and not just to move someone IMO. Viciedo and/or De Aza are certainly on the block, but they have somewhat of a decent track record so trading one of them for some failed Mariner's prospect makes no sense at all If they were just looking to dump one or both, someone would have been gone already.Power is at a premium in today's game. Giving up on Viciedo without getting anything of significance back would be something the Sox aren't going to do.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 7, 2014 -> 01:42 PM) Serious Q in reply...why should we expect the defense and baserunning to be "cleaned up"? In many cases we have either the same guys in those positions who were bad last year, or potential downgrades (Rios down to Garcia, Davidson supposed to be pretty rough at 3b, Eaton was below average in CF last year although maybe injury and short time to blame). They're younger and that could very well raise the risk of silly mistakes even higher. But you didn't blame players for the mistakes last year. You blamed spring training. I earlier linked an article on how the Sox were working on focus and fundamentals this spring, so using your own formula, everything should be fine in that department. There will he mistakes all year, but especially the first week of spring training games. These are all still basically practices. No one plays 9 innings or usually gets more than 3 AB. To expect someone to be perfect from the get go in practice, isn't realistic. Anyone taking a few months off from whatever they do, usually are a little rusty right when they get back.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 8, 2014 -> 06:28 PM) It's not about homers or Chris Sale. It's about playing the game right. They haven't done that as a franchise since August 15, 2012. Nobody's expecting Paulino to have a 0.00 ERA, Abreu to hit 13 homers (like Betemit) or Davidson to hit 449. But to see a continuation of the same exact things we saw last year...it was enough to draw a CSNChicago article from Dan Hayes. Brennaman mentioned it during the Reds' broadcast, how many 11 a.m. workouts and practice sessions Ventura called when the team was on the road, to no avail. He said he'd never seen a worse team in terms of fundamentals and baseball IQ, and that the 99 losses weren't nearly as bad as what the reality was all season long. Balta has been harping on it as well. You can say it's just spring all you want, but the tone and tenor are set from the very first day of spring. Hanging on every pitch during the first week of spring training games is ridiculous. If Ventura is green lighting everyone, which I doubt, wouldn't it make sense to see in spring training, WHEN THE GAMES DO NOT COUNT, who can and cannot be given that option? Plus young players make plenty of mistakes. The good thing is when these mistakes are made, there is plenty of time to work on them now. You can be assured if Alexei and Beckham failed to cover the base, they were coering bases for more than a little while the next morning. People want young players playing. A couple of places where the fundamentals were worse than at USCF last year were Birmingham and Charlotte. Young players screw up, especially the first couple of weeks of spring training when it has been months since they have played in a game.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 8, 2014 -> 05:22 PM) Unless he puts up another 5.00 era type season, then they paid $14 million to lose a pick and slot space. They have 2 first round picks and a veteran roster in need of another starter. Maybe he has a bad season, and they are out the 50th pick. Maybe he has a good season, helps them win and turns that 50th pick into one in the 30s next year. I am still trying to figure out when these picks are sure things. IMO, there is a far better chance Santana helps the Blue Jays win than that pick, and Rogers Communications probably won't have to file for bankruptcy because of this contract.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 8, 2014 -> 05:51 PM) I was listening to one of the Dodgers' games last weekend and Tommy Lasorda was adamant about spring training being crucial in setting the tone for the regular season. It's popular these days to say there's no correlation (or the Royals would have won 2-3 World Series titles), but for a franchise trying to turn things around and teach players the right way to play the game, it's probably a lot more important than for a veteran club. It shouldn't feel like last season never ended and it's just one long continuation with a different cast of characters (Eaton/Davidson/Abreu/Garcias, etc.) And why would Tommy say the first couple of weeks of spring training or the entire thing is not important? It is the time to iron out the kinks. Guys aren't going to be in midseason form. If there are going to be mistakes, now is a good time for them to happen. Chris Sale got lit up the other day. Should we all panic? Pinning too much on performance both good and bad, is a mistake. There was a stretch a few years ago that for about 4 or 5 years straight, the player that led the majors in spring homers failed to hit 10 in the regular season.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 8, 2014 -> 04:50 PM) Not exactly jumping for joy in Toronto over the signing. http://www.thestar.com/sports/bluejays/201...ana_report.html By the way, he fired his agent last week (the one originally projecting a $100 million contract). Santana is representing himself. The other team in it is Baltimore, with Santana supposedly waiting until a 5 p.m. deadline for another team to swoop in and take him away from Rogers Centre. But Santana is not without his own question marks. Though he has pitched more than 200 innings five times in his career, his medicals reportedly suggest potential for an elbow injury. He threw more sliders last season — a pitch that is believed to strain the elbow if overused — than any other pitcher in the majors. He is also a fly-ball pitcher, which could be dangerous inside the homer-happy Rogers Centre, which averaged the most home runs per game of any American League ballpark. Santana has also been inconsistent throughout his career. Though he enjoyed a bounce-back season with the Royals last year, in 2012, he was among the worst pitchers in the majors, posting the fifth-highest ERA at 5.16 and giving up the most home runs (nearly two for every nine innings pitched). He didn't fire his agent.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 8, 2014 -> 09:11 AM) They give up a draft pick for that contract? Stupid, stupid. Do they give up a first or 2nd rounder? If he has a good year, the give him a qualifying offer, and they get a pick after the original first round. If they are giving up a second rounder, if he performs, they get his services for a season and basically trade a second round pick for a comp pick. Next year the FA pitching market is going to be a lot thinner when many of the pitchers on the board ink extensions. If he pitches well, this will be a win/win for Santana and Toronto.

Keep in mind Keppinger was hitting about .450 the first few weeks of spring training last year.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Mar 6, 2014 -> 09:44 AM) Like others have implied, hope its De Aza that gets traded. I would need a pretty good haul for Viciedo or use him as something bigger. Trading De Aza for peanuts makes zero sense as well. I don't think he will get thrown out on the bases 11 times and picked off 6 times again, and defensively, he has to be better than he was, because he has been. I have never seen an OF have a tougher time picking up a base hit cleanly at any level including Little League than De Aza last season. Offensively, he's a pretty good player. Dumping him for next to nothing is beyond selling low. When he has his head together, he is a good player.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 4, 2014 -> 12:27 PM) If teams haven't targeted kickers already, 42 yard extra points wouldn't suddenly put kickers at risk. If your kicker is hurt, then you go for two from the 2-yard line, big deal. In fact, I think if this rule were enacted, some coaches might forgoe PATs and go for two most of the time. Maybe, but the thing is, teams have very few goal line or 2 yard line plays. Going for 2 becomes advantage defense pretty quickly. I am not in favor of any rule making kickers more significant. Just make it automatic unless you want to go for 2.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Mar 4, 2014 -> 12:12 PM) I don't know how that possibly correlates. If you have to make a 42 yard FG as an extra point, kickers are going to be targets.