Dick Allen

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 23, 2014 -> 06:16 PM) Which is why you don't take massive gambles that have high risks of ruining your franchise for five years. Like paying 32+ year old, injury-prone free agents $15-25m per year because of their successful "track records." Yet in the Jose Abreu thread you said if he were a AAAA hitter, $10 million a year for 6 years, really wasn't a big hit.

Cleto has one of the most unusual career numbers lines you would ever see. In 15 innings he has fanned 26, but he has given up 7 homers and has an ERA over 10.00. Also has an ERA almost 5.00 in the minors.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Mar 23, 2014 -> 11:29 AM) I sense that there are a few regular posters here who are grieving over the release of Boggs, since they were very enthusiastic over his signing. He was terrible, but in the end it didn't cost much more than it costs to gas up JRs jet to see what he had and if the Sox could do anything about it. So I really doubt anyone is grieving except the Boggs family.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 22, 2014 -> 01:40 PM) http://puigdestroyer.bandcamp.com/album/puig-destroyer Actually, this just made me crack up. Track #6..."Stop F---ing Bunting" Quite possibly the worst song I've ever heard in my life. Just thinking about all the arguments about "small ball" and how many outs Guillen gave up bunting at USCF...even Ventura getting criticized for it when it wasn't even a Top 20 issue with everything that went haywire last year. Anyone who criticizes Ventura for bunting has no idea what they are talking about. The White Sox bunted the fewest times in baseball last year and the 3rd fewest for a team in a decade. Back to Puig, he showed up 26 lbs heavier this year and supposedly comes up hurt every time he swings and misses. As long as he is productive it will be OK, but I have a feeling Puig mania isn't going to be very long lasting.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 22, 2014 -> 11:01 AM) You can't call it a "core" when none of them have playing a pitch of major league baseball. 25 minutes after you name Abreu as part of the White Sox core.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 22, 2014 -> 10:41 AM) Let's say it's Kolek from Texas. The fact is that we have a lot more leverage to offer him less money than someone like Appel (the situation with the Pirates/Astros). A collegiate junior already has had more wear and tear on his arm, and there's a lot of risk for regression (see Chris Beck, for example). If you go to university/junior college, you're going to have to wait 2-3 more years for that big payday, rather than one. And high school pitchers who are dominant tend to be riskier and peak early (the ones throwing 100 MPH already)...so they're more likely to want to take the money when it's there than bear the risk of a significant injury over the next 2-3 collegiate/jc seasons. You can definitely make an argument that Kolek could be the best player (certainly pitcher) on the board but that he would cost us less to sign than Rodon, Beede, etc. Then, that money saved could be reallocated to the type of kids like Addison Reed, Trayce Thompson, Beck, Jacob May, Danish, etc., that will improve the team's minor league depth tremendously down the line... The 3rd pick of the draft is no place to try to find a bargain. Take the best player. That is what ultimately will make your team better. Not trying to save $250k to give a 3rd rounder. If they think the HS kid is the best player, fine, but the bonus amount shouldn't be the deciding factor or losing 99 games was worse than we thought. If ultimately the 3rd pick doesn't work out, that will be on Hahn, KW and the scouts. There are zero excuses.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 22, 2014 -> 09:33 AM) It will of course depend on how these young guys play this year, but I can tell you the ETA is a LOT closer than the models that the Cubs, Astros, Marlins, etc. have been employing. I mean look at the Cubs: they're on year three and we're arguably just as far along in year one. We have less ammo in the lower minors, but there's no reason to believe we won't continue to acquire it via the draft and international market this season and next. If the Sox and Cubs switched prospects, there is no doubt the Cubs current prospects would be more highly thought of here. I hope Hahn wasn't being serious about taking a lower bonus guy with the 3rd pick just to have additional money for lower picks. The one nice thing you get with being awful is the chance to perhaps draft a future star. If you aren't taking the best player on your board with the 3rd pick of the draft, it makes no sense to me.

It's interesting the Sox are getting raves for their offseason and definitely better than the alternative, but keep in mind, Toronto won the offseason last year. These guys still have to play when it counts.

Keppinger expects to start the season on the DL.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Mar 21, 2014 -> 01:31 AM) To be fair, cell phone coverage is HORRENDOUS is a ballpark named after a cell phone company. It would probably be quicker to check twitter by walking to this new place and check it out versus looking on your phone. Which reminds me...instead of spending the money on this, can we just have money to put in to infrastructure for cell coverage? Considering said cell phone company does not offer service in Chicago anymore, it is not surprising. I was a US Cellular customer and my phone always worked like a champ at USCF, but there where problems with the phones of the people I was with from time to time.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Mar 20, 2014 -> 02:55 PM) Probably old since it's ready for opening day but the press release just came out and the first I heard of it. Anyone know what it's taking the place of? They had good beef sandwiches at that booth in 112 nut that's all I can think of. I find it poor location so close to the bullpen bar . It's where those video games were at.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 20, 2014 -> 02:24 PM) He didn't say they don't matter, he just said that focusing on them rather than his overall output is misguided. Strikeouts can be a factor to a low BA which is a factor to a low OBP, so as a diagnostic, they matter. I think Jake is just saying that, at the end of the day, if he would just get on base at a .330+ clip, we don't care if every out he made is a strikeout. Looking at the Ks can be missing the forest for the trees. If you're drilling down to find out what is bad about a guy, strikeouts are important. But if you're deciding whether or not a guy is bad, they aren't. You wouldn't say "he sucks because he strikes out too much," rather, "he sucks because he doesn't get on base enough," and strike outs may or may not be a factor in that. You can put it any way you want to put it, but if a guy has trouble making contact and doesn't get on base very much, pretty much like little league, he sucks. Exceptions are the big power hitters who get on base a lot. There have been several guys you can look away at the k-rate because of the other numbers they put up. But as of now, Tyler Flowers isn't one of these guys and he sucks as a major league hitter and his strikeouts are a problem.

QUOTE (Jake @ Mar 20, 2014 -> 11:57 AM) He played so badly, but focusing on strikeouts is misguided. Just focus on all of the hits he didn't get and walks he didn't take There are no players with BABIP at .000, so excessive strikeouts do matter. An out isn't always just an out, and if Flowers or any other player made more contact, their other offensive numbers should improve.

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Mar 20, 2014 -> 08:38 AM) But the caution is who they produced against. A GM will also look at spring stats versus level of competition. If a player is producing mostly against the opponent's AA/A pitchers then the stats are really inflated. Using spring stats to really determine anything but bottom of the roster spot is silly. Even if you are facing Chris Sale and ripping him now, it means zilch. When the games count the best pitchers are a lot different than they are in March.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 20, 2014 -> 08:40 AM) It's been pretty bad, from what I've seen. It really has, but it is hard to determine during spring training games when there is always of mix of regulars and not so regulars on the field. You would think it has to be better than last year. If it isn't, there are going to be a lot of posts wanting the White Sox to lose for draft picks.

Bottom line is this guy isn't a difference maker. Pass. The White Sox need to aim higher.

When Evan Turner got traded, the Philly GM really did drive him to the airport.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 19, 2014 -> 12:52 PM) Odds are he ends up as nothing, or close to it. If The Sox think they have a future starting catcher, they should do what they can to keep him. They have been looking for a starting catcher for years now. Even if poor Tyler has to play 120-130 games this year, big deal. In the grand scheme of things, you are evaluating Flowers as well. If he doesn't have the moxie to be an everyday catcher, it isn't a bad thing to learn that in a year where you have no expectations. It buys you another year to evaluate Nieto and Phegley. It also buys you another year to look for a guy outside of the organization if need be. If the Sox think they have a future starting catcher, they should work out a trade with Washington and put Nieto in AA giving him the best and fastest chance to become the starting catcher. It's not like he would cost their top 5 prospects.

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.