Dick Allen

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 8, 2013 -> 06:31 AM) Dick Allen to the rescue! Quick, someone is ripping Greg Walker in the general MLB thread! But seriously, not sure how one random quote changes anything. Most guys are going to follow clubhouse rules and not rip their former teammate to the press. For example, you're not going to hear Beckham crying to the beat reporters about how A.J. didn't want to let his girlfriend fly on the team plane. What happened in San Francisco should be very telling. Even more so should be what patc has told us all. He has insights into the clubhouse that the rest of us just speculate about and he's told us time and time again that A.J. is a s***ty teammate. I'll take his word over what any of us can find out through random google searches. Jason Schmidt on the Giants days Schmidt comes close to apologizing for the way the Giants treated Pierzynski. "His numbers were great with me, no doubt," he says. "He didn't get enough credit. It's just that when he came in here, we heard all this stuff about him … we just never gave him the opportunity to prove it wrong. I'll always feel bad about that." It would be different if there were some other quotes about what a bad guy he is, you would think there would be several. I am sure he is no angel, but neither is anyone. He has probably been an ass many times, but who hasn't? I will go with Dunn's quote, he is no more an asshole than anyone else. Don't believe what any of his current or ex teammates say. He is a s***ty teammate. If anything, the perception about AJ is he is a difficult guy. Even most of the people ripping concede he is a great teammate.

"A lot of people have this bad image of A.J. in general, it seems around the league, but the guy is one of the greatest guys when he needs to be," Beckham said. "It's something nobody sees. He can be a really great friend. He was there for me in tough situations off the field and was a big-time mentor. So, it's tough to see him go." What a s***ty teammate.

If you let the player choose if there is a tie, and at $20 million, every stud player will have a tie, nothing is going to change except the fee will be lower. If you go by reverse order, if a guy is coming out, the race could be on to be the worst in baseball in August and September. That could get ugly. I think they should break out the ping pong balls and have a lottery with all the teams tied participating.

Brett Gardner is 30+ right now and due to be a free agent after next season. I have read the Sox aren't supposed to trade for those types. See Headley, Chase.

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Dec 6, 2013 -> 05:46 PM) But Alexei will suffer a certain injury if he continues to play 156 games or more like he has the past four years?? That is the sum total of your argument for why signing Konerko is somehow the worst thing ever. It would be foolish to not waste a roster spot on a backup shortstop who will not play at all is your argument. A backup shortstop who doesn't play is more valuable than a platooner who'll perhaps start 40 or 50 games. As support for this you've offered no reasonable quantitative projections/estimates/analysis because there is none. The White Sox signing Konerko as their 25th man will be a low-cost marginal upgrade on their DH situation (if nothing further happens). The overreactions to this non-event are beyond silly. Exactly. I don't even know how anyone can conclude it downgrades a bench that featured Angel Sanchez, Blake Tekotte and Tyler Greene. White Sox pinch hitters hit .177 with 3 RBI in 2013. I also don't understand how anyone can conclude the White Sox won't have another guy who can play SS on the roster.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 6, 2013 -> 02:30 PM) Apparently the idea of players breaking down if they don't get adequate rest seems to have eluded you. Prince Fielder has missed 1 game in 5 years. Next time Alexei goes on the DL because he played too much, let us know. And when he does and the Sox pennant hopes are dashed, we can all go to USCF and protest Rick Hahn outside his office for bringing back Paulie because Alexei's back up didn't have a back up which caused Alexei to get hurt. I sure hope Robin lets Alexei take it easy during spring training.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 6, 2013 -> 01:57 PM) Unless Alexei Ramirez pulls a muscle and misses a whole lot of time because he doesn't have any reasonable backup and is getting older. Apparently they have changed the rules and you can no longer call up someone from the minor leagues if your players get hurt. Thanks for the clarification.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 6, 2013 -> 01:00 PM) Please take note...I was replying to a post suggesting Keppinger and Beckham could cover the backup SS spot. I was not suggesting this, I was responding to continued suggestions from others that it could happen. If the biggest problem the White Sox have is who the back up to the back up is because Paul Konerko took up a roster spot, the Sox will be a lot better than anyone could imagine in 2014.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 6, 2013 -> 12:52 PM) Again I keep pointing this out. Alexei Ramirez played every single game until they traded for Leury, and certainly looked for portions of the season like he could have used time off. He did not get that time off despite having those same guys on the roster. Beckham playing SS or Keppinger playing SS because Ramirez was seriously injured in the middle of a game is acceptable, but the teams actions have already said how much confidence they have in those guys starting more than 2 games per year. 0. Leury or another guy who can play SS as well as the OF will be on the team. The back up SS isn't going to be Beckham or Keppinger. I know you don't think so, but why don't we make a real wager on it? Put your money where all your ridiculous posts on this subject are. Who was going to play SS when a lot of people wanted Alexei dumped at the deadline?

The price for Sale should be ridiculous. If someone is willing to meet that ridiculous price, Sale should be traded. He's great, but he's not Michael Jordan. There is no point making anyone on the White Sox untouchable. Maybe in reality they would be considered untouchable, but Chris Sale should have a price in which he can be had.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 6, 2013 -> 11:34 AM) Again, I think this is another contract that does make Dunn a lot more reasonable for a trade target for teams. Dunn's market is extremely limited by the fact that he really is nothing more than a DH. You could put him at 1B, but I doubt an NL team at this point wants to even consider putting him there for 140-150 games. Maybe the Sox get lucky and he hits like he did in June, July and August for at least the first half. Then someone would probably take the rest of the contract or close to it, or he would be helping the team win games. I don't think a lot of people realize how productive he was in those months. April, May and September were a 2011 flashback.

Aren't most of the Sox better position prospects middle infielders?

QUOTE (southside hitman @ Dec 6, 2013 -> 09:57 AM) 10 years 240 million. Wow. Seattle overpaying to make a splash I didn't think there would be a chance he left the Yankees. Seattle is a nice place, but it's been nice seeing Cano play in the spotlight. Now he will play the rest of his career mostly in obscurity unless the Mariners really turn it around. If the Mariners hated paying Chone Figgins, I can't imagine what they will be feeling when this contract gets to it's final 2 or 3 years. Ouch.

QUOTE (flavum @ Dec 6, 2013 -> 09:39 AM) Cano should just take the 7/175 from the Yankees. But whatever. Wherever he ends up, I hope it's in the next 3-4 days. That would make the trade market more clear going into next week. Heyman is saying it looks like Seattle is back in. I hope someday someone makes a documentary all about the actual negotiations of these contracts. It would be so interesting and probably entertaining watching the BS from both sides.

If money is the only thing that matters, and the Mariners are totally serious about pulling their offer permanently and dropping out, Jay Z screwed up, because he isn't getting that money anywhere else. I highly doubt any of it is true. I think Cano would play for less in NY. I think the Mariners would sign Cano today for exactly what they were willing to sign him to play yesterday. IMO, The Yankees got Cano's attention by signing Ellsbury. Now Cano and Jay Z are trying to get the Yankees attention.

If Cano was serious about playing in Seattle, depending on what actually occurred in the meeting, Jay Z may have done some damage. If it isn't gamesmanship on Seattle's part, there would have to be more than just requesting another year at around the same amount to end negotiations permanently. I find it hard to believe if the Mariners offered 9-$225 million, that if they called them today and said they would take it, the offer wouldn't still be there.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 03:18 PM) Guess I underestimated the market as well as teams that are desperate, big time. I'm surprised people would go that high (20's) for Granderson. Call me crazy but I would pay Ellsbury 20+ before Granderson. I don't think he meant per season.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 03:16 PM) I'm pretty sure they've more commonly wound up with a 13 man rotation over teh last few years than an 11 man rotation. There will be plenty of guys you and I and everyone else would hope they send to Charlotte at some point in 2014. They could get by with 11 pitchers for a few days if they had to. I don't think it would kill the pennant chase.

The $64 million is what he was asking for, not necessarily what he will get. Considering he turned down the qualifying offer of $14 million, that shouldn't be so shocking.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 03:12 PM) The Sox aren't going to buy out either Keppinger or Dunn. I'm sure they'd pick up money to move them. You essentially go into the season with full intentions of Alexei playing every single day. I don't think it's something he really minds. If he gets hurt, Beckham or Keppinger plays SS for the rest of that game; if it appears like it's going to be a thing that keeps him out, you option a pitcher or put him on the DL and call up a shortstop. That might seriously be the best way to handle it. Yes, there probably will be a Chicago/Charlotte shuttle. It happens every year. And in the case of emergency, the 12th pitcher could always be sacrificed for a few days depending on the situation.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 02:59 PM) Oh, I've got one more. Trading Keppinger basically makes Gillaspie a full time starter at 3b rather than a platoon player. Yeah Garcia could get some at bats there, but he's the primary backup everywhere else so Gillaspie is going to be facing most of the lefty pitchers we face. WHY ARE YOU ASSUMING THE WHITE SOX OFFSEASON IS OVER?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 02:44 PM) That's a great justification. I'll keep digging my way into this hole, but don't worry I have plenty of time to build some stairs. They haven't dug themselves a hole. And it's fine justification. If it were a problem, the Sox could have easily waited until they had acquired this motherload for Keppinger or Dunn before saying Paulie is coming back. And if your scenerio was even close to accurrate, and say the Sox released Keppinger, does that mean if they had kept Keppinger and not signed Paulie they would have been a good team, but will be awful because they did? Your argument is laughable, and you don't even want to consider the roster still has adjusting to be made.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 02:37 PM) But if he were to next year play like his career averages he could go right back to almost being worth what he's paid. Instead, either he or Dunn don't fit on this roster right now. Just a reminder, it's December 5th. The season doesn't start for 116 days.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 02:33 PM) And if we release Keppinger...then the cost of signing Paul Konerko this season is now over $10 million. Not really. You sort of had to pay Keppinger anyway.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 5, 2013 -> 02:28 PM) If I were considering taking on say, $7 million of Adam Dunn's remaining contract in the position of an opposing GM, yesterday I'd drop that to $5 million, no question. The White Sox just surrendered bargaining power. Their roster doesn't work right now and they're forced to make a move. It's a good thing they haven't signed a starting pitcher then. The same logic would mean Q or Santiago or even Sale's value should go down if the Sox have an extra starter. And even if it did cost the Sox an extra $2 million to dump one because of this, which is a longshot at best, so what? I would also guess if someone was will to take $7 million of Dunn's deal, he wouldn't be on the roster anymore.