Dick Allen

QUOTE (Dunt @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 10:02 AM) +2. Sox second pick is currently sitting at #53 with a likely chance of moving up to 50 or higher. I'd much rather have a chance to go after top 50 talent in this draft than Granderson. Wes Whisler Craig Italiano Chad Huffman Kyle Lotzker Seth Lintz Brooks Pounders Todd Cunningham Dwight Smith Collin Wiles Andrew Knapp The last 10 #53 picks. The draft pick should not be a deterrent in signing Granderson.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 09:21 AM) I do think it's hilarious at one point we refused to bring back Jim Thome because we wanted a "rotating DH" and now we'll enter 2014 with two legitimate DHs on our roster. I'm not going to complain too much about bringing Paulie back, but I seriously hate when people say "it's the 25th man on the roster so who cares" to justify the move. I'm sorry, but even the last guy on the bench has a role to play and can impact the team's W/L regardless of what his WAR might be. Context comes in play here. For example, if Jordan Danks can get to one more ball than Viciedo can late in a game he can have a significant impact outcome of that particular game. The same can go for a pinch runner with elite speed or a backup with tons of defensive flexibility. These guys can have a big impact on close games and how teams do in those games can ultimately make or break a season. Bringing back Konerko limits what our bench will be capable of. Maybe it doesn't matter in this particular season, but if we're legitimately trying to win this move makes any sense IMO. Well, Konerko did put up a .900+ OPS last year vs. LHP, and he keeps Dunn from hitting against many LHP. It's not like he is totally worthless.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 09:18 AM) Wonderful Leury Garcia is your answer . Have fun looking up from the bottom again in 2014. Well, he is a guy whose spot might be taken by Konerko. You complain about Konerko coming back. You write off a young, fast, plus defensive player as well. Just shows, no matter what, you would have complained.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 09:14 AM) Fine see ya in the 10th year of the rebuild when we are the Royals and the Pirates. Look at the trickle down effect of not signing Thome for one year. It's been chronicled before. Signing PK is one less move the Sox could've made. How do I know the road not taken could make all the difference ? Paul Konerko is the 25th man. He isn't expected to be a key contributor. He has signed to occassionally DH, and maybe play 1B on occassion. It isn't remotely like passing on Thome. It is passing on a Tyler Greene-type.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 09:12 AM) If the Sox take Carlos Perez in the Rule 5 draft, like I believe they will, they can send Phegley to the minors. If they take a reliever, they can send Petricka or Webb down. I fail to see how this affects their rationale in the Rule 5. Besides, expecting much from the Rule 5 is dreaming.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 09:07 AM) The White Sox have been more than happy to screw around with "Key long-term players" in the past. Repeatedly. Viciedo's callups and position shifts are on that list. More so is the Chris Sale bullpen garbage. Not just sticking him there for 2011, but going so far as to try to push him back there in 2012 only a month into making him a starter. We tried to put the most important long-term piece for the organization in the bullpen forever because of a tired arm, he publicly said "No" and forced his way back into the rotation where he nearly pitched the team to the playoffs that season leading to the remarkable circumstance of a pitcher publicly disagreeing with statements by his manager about how he would be used...and I'm supposed to just trust that we'll treat this piece right because he's an important long term piece and it'd be completely insane to screw around with that important of a long-term piece...which we have a record of doing. You should send your resume to JR.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 09:03 AM) Oh for f***s sake if you want to bury your head in the sand go right ahead. Excuse me if I don't like getting bulls***ted by Sox management or wanting a better team as quickly as possible. They aren't BSing you. The first baseman in 2014 is a 26 year old Cuban who may be the most prolific hitter in that country's history. Angel Sanchez, Tyler Greene, Koske Fukudome...those are some of the 25th roster spots in the past. Paul Konerko is no worse than those players. Konerko isn't penciled in for 150 starts batting clean up.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 08:58 AM) The who is not the point and you know it . The point is we've been fed garbage about competting and getting younger ,more versatile , more speed , better D the future and now we're getting older, less versatile , slower, bad D and the past. I have no idea what the butterfly-effect could be on this team ,what one move that might have been made can effect other moves. This is complaining just to complain. It's the 25th roster spot. The who is all that matters. You want a young guy who misses an opportunity to actually develop into a decent player sitting on the bench instead? What good does that do?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 08:46 AM) I know, I know. It's the same reason I can say with confidence that the veteran will get his at bats instead of the rookie at 1b - that's standard managing. Didn't Abreu sign the biggest contract in team history? Didn't Paulie say himself he wasn't going to play a lot? There is no reason to think Abreu is going to ride any pine, except for occassional breaks in 2014. None.You are just way off base.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 08:48 AM) Well, given that he's had success in the past as a platoon player, if he were put in a 3b platoon perhaps his numbers next year could return to some semblance of his career numbers. That could either allow him to actually be traded at only a small loss or could help the white sox actually win games. Given that the White Sox are spending $9 million on him the next 2 years, it doesn't make much sense to me to pay him that money to go play golf. Again, with wins and losses, what is the difference, if, indeed, Konerko takes Keppinger's spot. You are going on and on about Jeff Keppinger now. Don't ruin your reputation on Jeff Keppinger.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 08:45 AM) All right fine, because I want an actual backup OF and I don't want to be forced to dump Keppinger's contract at what hopefully is its lowest possible value in order to carry a backup DH. Tell me how much better the Sox would be with Keppinger on the roster and Konerko playing golf in AZ?

Wisconsin is the only team in the country that can shoot less than 30% score 48 points and still win by 10.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 03:06 PM) I just don't think it matters all that much...heck, Omogrosso in 2012 was probably better than Lindstrom last season. That's where you get into this argument about veteran guys like Lindstrom or Konerko taking time from other players in the organization. It's a Catch-22. Is there more value in his "veteran presence" or being able to trade him at the deadline...or giving more opportunities in that 7th inning role to a Daniel Webb? Is Leury Garcia going to get screwed over by the Konerko move...or is it better for him to be playing everyday at Charlotte with Semien? If there's any place on the roster that's BEGGING for veteran leadership, it's at catcher, where we have NOBODY that can even make a claim on the position in AA or AAA. I would rather spend $4-5 million there any day of the week than on a middle reliever. 2012 showed that could still succeed without a ton of veterans contributing in the bullpen, other than Jesse Crain. For all intents and purposes, Matt Thornton was already a shade of his former self by then and they still did just fine for the majority of the season with about 10 rookies filling roles down there. I think this improves Leury's chances of making the team as he plays both infield and outfield.

QUOTE (flavum @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 02:41 PM) It's a 24 man roster, with occasional walk-on appearances by PK. This is the team right now (roughly): De Aza, Ramirez, Garcia, Dunn, Abreu, Viciedo, Gillaspie, Flowers, Beckham Garcia, Keppinger, Phegley, Konerko Sale, Quintana, Santiago, Danks, Johnson Leesman, Veal, Webb, Petricka, Jones, Lindstrom, Reed 90 losses at least. Hope Konerko enjoys it. Yep. I hope Hahn doesn't even bother going to the Winter Meetings. His work is obviously done.

If Konerko didn't come back, I would put money on whoever the 25th man was, would either be deemed a wasted roster spot or a guy who should be playing everyday in Charlotte. No matter what, there would be complaints.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 01:03 PM) No, last year we could have waited on these guys to see if an improved deal would come along. We weren't forced to move the guys, at the worst they were dead losses. Frankly, it was starting to look like the market for Dunn could actually improve if we didn't show everyone our cards already. What evidence do you have that the market for Dunn was "improving" and is no longer there because of this signing? Think about it please. "Yeah we will take Dunn if you eat half his contract. Wait, you signed Konerko? Forget it." The White Sox were never going to get anything of substance for Adam Dunn, and it hasn't gone down farther because of this.

QUOTE (Tex @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 01:03 PM) OK. So you are in favor of rushing players into the lineup and keep them in while struggling. It seemed like you were saying the opposite. That you should not rush them into the lineup and play them when they struggle. He's saying giving this guy occassional breaks is stupid. If the Sox don't give Alexei occassional breaks, like this sets them up to do with Abreu, that's stupid. Everything is stupid. Don't stop him. He's on a roll.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 12:53 PM) And now we're in a position where any team we're negotiating with has the upper hand because they know the White Sox have foolishly created a logjam. The logjam is Dunn/Konerko/Abreu. The Sox aren't going to trade Abreu. The aren't going to trade Konerko, they probably would try to trade Dunn, but where exactly was the leverage BEFORE Konerko came back? Please, bring back some logic.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 12:54 PM) Also, remember that Leury Garcia can play CF. He's the ultimate super-sub. It would make a lot more sense to carry him than it would to carry Danks. Exactly. That creates a spot for Keppinger /Gillaspie.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 12:46 PM) But of course...the guy who really should be playing every day at 1b, Abreu, now has a RH hitting veteran backup in a position to make things very awkward if he's not in the lineup often enough. Instead of continuing to make things up, why don't you read Paulie's comments and Hahn's comments. There is nothing to suggest now or in the past, that Paulie will make anyone uncomfortable. Part of his job is to help Abreu get MORE comfortable.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 12:46 PM) Please tell me that this was a joke. It was sarcastic. Anyone complaining about how this shows the Sox don't want to win or all the other stuff, need to consider that the player whose spot Paulie is taking would eventually, if not immediatley, be considered a waste of a roster spot.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 12:10 PM) No, it's a win in 2015 and 2016 and maybe now move. Sammy Ayala, our only legit upside C in the system, is at least that far away, if he ever makes it at all. Next year's catching FA's are even less thrilling as a group. We must make a trade for C, and the current options all have many fleas. Apparently the Sox weren't the only team that thought that money for Salty wasn't such a good idea. The guy wound up in Miami. Keep that in mind. Miami. Loria.

Paulie is getting the Jason Giambi with the Indians role. It's already been defined. Check out his and Hahn's comments. What a wasted roster spot. The Sox could have picked up a guy like Jayson Nix or Tyler Greene and won a ton more games. Anyone who gives Greg crap about AJ and it's supposed lack of effect on being a good or bad team should be suspended for complaining about this move.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 12:34 PM) I'd say this is clearly false because it forces Alexei Ramirez to play every game for the first 5 months of the season since we can't carry a backup IF other than Keppinger. Hyperbole. It's December 4th. Leury Garcia and/or the guy the got from the Astros, Jake Elmore or another guy who can play SS will clearly be on the roster when Opening Day arrives.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 10:31 AM) Yup? Like, yup, gonna happen? Or, yup, hope it happens? I think if they have had the chance to trade Dunn at a price they were comfortable with, Konerko coming back or retiring really would have little bearing on whether or not to pull the trigger.