Dick Allen

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 18, 2013 -> 09:38 AM) I've been all about McCann for a long time now, but I wouldn't be surprised if the JDA signing took a lot of the money away from the McCann fund. Let's not forget that this is a 99 loss team. Situations like the 2013 Red Sox are uncommon, and they had a much better core than we do. Spending needs to happen, but it needs to happen cautiously. I don't think Hahn wants to put his job on the line in year two. That said, I'd love to have McCann, I just think it's much less likely now. Abreu will make less than Peavy was supposed to make. Less than Rios was supposed to make, depending how they break it down, about as much as Floyd was paid for 2013. Konerko, Thornton, Crain all gone. An additional $25 million from the national TV contract. There is plenty more money to spend if they chose to spend it. The last 2 times the White Sox lost 90 + games in a season where they weren't undergoing a total rebuild, they made the playoffs in 2008, and won 90 games in 1977. With 5 teams now playoff bound, it's not outlandish to think they could contend for a spot with a couple of pick ups. I think the odds of 2013 repeating itself are pretty slim. Hahn knows he needs offense, he mentioned it as his #1 priority. He is going to pick up another big bat somewhere without a doubt.

QUOTE (staxx @ Oct 18, 2013 -> 08:06 AM) my exact thoughts.. i'm beyond ecstatic, but the bleacher report scouting thing that said he struggles to cover a 92 mph inside fastball... that doesn't exactly scream MLB hitter. When they had some old scouting reports out on the internet last summer, did you happen to read a few of the reports on Frank Thomas? One said it was doubtful he could hit .250. I wouldn't be too freaked out about certain reports. He obviously can hit at least a little bit or teams like Boston and Texas wouldn't be offering him at least $40 million. And again, I wouldn't be freaked out about a guy who might not hit perfect pitches. There aren't many guys that can do that. This is an exciting signing. Enjoy it. Maybe he won't live up to the hype, but at worst he should be serviceable. The other benefit is, supposedly this guy, just like Cespedes and Puig, is in a lot better shape now than he was when he was putting up these ridiculous numbers.

QUOTE (flavum @ Oct 18, 2013 -> 07:52 AM) You must not ever hear Konerko speak. There's zero chance he'll immediately coach/manage after he's done playing. Frank Thomas is a name, but I don't know if he can coach. And I doubt Kenny Williams wants to go there even if they buried the hatchet. Plus Hahn already said they're going to hire a guy with experience. Rudy Jaramillo maybe. Someone asked Hahn about Thome yesterday and Hahn reiterated the next hitting coach is going to be a guy who is experienced, and a guy whose philosophy will not just be prevelant at the major league level, but throughout the system.

QUOTE (103 mph screwball @ Oct 18, 2013 -> 12:41 AM) I saw he was a client. I googled him to see his stats from last year. I found a trade speculation article on him. Brandon Phillips trade speculation Maybe they want Beckham. MAYBE they will take Dunn back! Why would the Sox pay 10 million more a year to Phillips than Beckham? His OPS was ..009 higher.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Oct 18, 2013 -> 12:32 AM) Based off WBC and highlights I've seen online and on TV, he's going to crush any mistake pitch you make against him. Hanging breaking balls, high changeups, fastballs left belt high - those are toast. But can he hit a good fastball low and away? Can he turn on inside heat? And most importantly, can he lay off the junk out of the zone? There aren't many guys that crush really good pitches consistently, and none of them are available for 6 yeats, 68 million and no other compensation. If he is as good at hitting misyakes as scouts claim, he will be a very successful and popular player.

QUOTE (Baron @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 08:35 PM) Honestly what it sounds like is someone is trying to stir something up just for the heck of it Or it could be like what happened with Dye when he signed with the Sox. I think it was the Rangers then as well who made an offer higher than the Sox after he basically agreed to the Sox offer. He did the honorable thing and stuck to his word. Maybe this is similar.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 08:34 PM) Best update ever. Back to fun.

It was fun while it lasted.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFan05 @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 08:10 PM) Marlins beat writer says it's Texas. I always figured Texas, but that would really suck now. Texas seems more like a place for a Cuban. Warmer, they have had more success, and no state taxes.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFan05 @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 08:09 PM) Obviously he won't do exactly that, but my point is if he has a stellar year but strikes out 200+ times, I'd be worried. He is supposed to be a pretty clever hitter. I doubt he is a 200 k guy. There really aren't many of those guys.

Supposedly this guy has gotten himself in better condition. One scout who was sort of middle of the road about him said he could be an MVP candidate if he got himself in better shape. IIRC, Puig was a bit puffy at one time as well as Cespedes.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 07:38 PM) I'm ecstatic. Best possible fit in FA. Hopefully this works out. The stars were definitely aligned for the Sox on this one. An obvious perfect fit. A ton of money available, and most of the really big spenders already with his spot filled.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 07:39 PM) A gamble they had to take. I hope he can hit a fastball. Wait, you said they would be better off paying $30 million for an average prospect.

Hahn had a season ticket holder phone call today, and he said free agent news won't happen for a couple of weeks. It seemed weird when he said it, almost like he was saying we will have something to announce, but it will be in a couple of weeks. They might have agreed on terms or are close, but I am sure they are going to want a physical so it may be a little bit before an announcement even if everything is agreed upon.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 01:18 PM) The Andrew Friedman regime absolutely has not spent big money in free agency. Draft, sign for a few years into free agency, trade before deal is concluded, repeat. It will be interesting when Longoria's deal gets close to being up. Eventually, that isn't going to work anymore and if they can't, at that point, throw some money at their problems, they are going to be bad again for a long time.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 01:10 PM) Nope, watched every moment. Gave up on the 2012 White Sox right around then (you might remember I took a complete posting Hiatus for a couple months right there as well, in no small part because I knew otherwise being at this website during that period would make it worse"). Didn't the Sox blow a lead of about 15 or 16 games at one point in 2005? How could people not realize they were collapsing like they could in 2012?

Hahn did say in his phone chat not to expect much news on free agents for several weeks. It appears Abreu's signing isn't imminent. At least with the Sox. They will talk to Paulie in November, and he is currently interviewing hitting coaches. Wants an organizational philosophy like they have with pitching. He said the biggest need is offense.Went from 4th to last in runs scored. Did seem to pin at least a portion of that on Manto, and did say they would make some personnel changes. Someone asked about 3rd, he said a Keppinger/Gillespie platoon could work and mentioned Semien as a 3rd baseman. So really, pretty much what everyone already knew.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 01:08 PM) To be fair, by that point it was pretty obvious the White Sox were collapsing. I stopped watching completely right around the end of August because I could see what was about to happen and didn't want to watch it. BS. You probably did the same thing in 2005, since they were collapsing then as well. I love the argument Sox fans make, they "knew the team would collapse" that is why they didn't support them all year. Like Sox fans are far more intelligent than other fanbases. Explain to me why, if these fans are so smart and know what is going to happen ahead of time, more Sox fans watched them in person in 2007 than in 2012?

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 11:52 AM) There are a bunch of teams that need a quality IB. Maybe the cost is scaring away most teams but it seems odd only 3 teams are very interested and 2 of the 3 are desperate. I hope the Sox have done their homework. The teams that spend money, the Yankees, Dodgers, Angels, Phillies, Tigers, and Cubs, really don't have a spot for him, or have other more pressing needs. Plus, it's not like this is bargain basement shopping. All you can do is trust your scouts. To worry that so and so isn't bidding shouldn't come into play.

Send a pile of money, Sale, and whoever else it takes to LA for Puig. Problems solved.

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Oct 17, 2013 -> 07:30 AM) It seems like interest in him is pretty limited. Good for White Sox but I also wonder why the big spenders are not involved. Except for Boston, all the other teams that spend big money annually, really have no spot for him, or at least have other more important priorities.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 16, 2013 -> 01:10 PM) You realize we have two Cuban players on the White Sox...their weaknesses are pretty much the same, yes? Other than a healthy Miguel Cabrera or Victor Martinez, how many Latin players have what you would consider a great approach at the plate? And what are your recommendations for improving their performance/s? If you can change both of them, as well as DeAza, maybe you should be on the White Sox coaching staff, right? We are talking about a 22 year old rookie, are we not? Who has never played in the MLB playoffs before? If I remember correctly, many superstars like Bonds and Frank Thomas and A-Rod have struggled mightily in the playoffs (in their entire 20's) and were WAY under anything Puig has accomplished already. Frank's first playoff series he had an OPS almost 1.100, and an OBP around .600.

QUOTE (fathom @ Oct 16, 2013 -> 07:50 PM) We've seen this Peavy before against the Tigers in a big game True. 3 walks in an inning is unacceptable, although they should have been out of it with 1 scoring, and on the other hand, they are lucky they got the call at second.

AJP with a pretty good Peavy impression on Fox.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Oct 16, 2013 -> 02:32 PM) I think that's fair, but closers are more likely to have short shelf lives as opposed to developing so I don't think his age is as big a plus as it would be for a player at another position. What are you basing it on?