Dick Allen

QUOTE (Swingandalongonetoleft @ Feb 5, 2013 -> 01:38 PM) With the PED stuff going on in Southern Florida, it'll be interesting to see who retires in the next season or two. I really wonder if they can do anything about those guys anyway. The only "proof" is their names on the guy's notes. How does anyone know for sure that what was given in the notes was actually given and if the MLB players mentioned in the notes were actually the people given the juice. If anything, wouldn't someone use an assumed name when going to these types of places? Especially with as much to lose as an MLB player?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 5, 2013 -> 09:09 AM) One thing I'd keep in mind is how "Coops fixem" technique works. Generally, he seems like he has guys dial back on the fastball as a tradeoff for improved control, or at least dial back on the wildness/tendency to overthrow the fastball. That's what I think of when I think of Floyd, that's what I think of with Thornton, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland, Humber, etc. He also has had people do things like "Get rid of the cut fastball if that's causing you problems (Humber)". The guy who strikes me as a candidate to succeed doing those type of things is Brackman. He sounds like a guy who struggles with command but still has the fastball...so he has some room to dial it down into the low to mid 90's in exchange for some control. Cooper's biggest fix was Thornton and it had nothing to do with dialing back on his fastball. In fact, when it is down 1 or 2 MPH, people complain. In fact, I think people thinking dialing back on the fastball as something Cooper stresses is as much a fallacy as the Greg Walker lift and pull. He really stresses a consistant delivery.

QUOTE (Lamar Johnson 23 @ Feb 4, 2013 -> 09:50 AM) Grady Sizemore at 80% is better than DeWayne Wise at 100%, isn't he? Sizemore was playing hurt in 2009 and really slipped in performance. He was brutal in limited appearances in 2010 and 2011 and didn't play in 2012. To expect anything out of him is a dream. It might come true, but chances are his days of being a good player are ova. Sizemore hasn't been elite or healthy since Lance Broadway was considered a prospect.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 4, 2013 -> 08:11 AM) The remarkable thing though is how much that strategy would have backfired if they tried it. If the Ravens had taken a TO there before the 2 minute warning, and everything went the same way otherwise...they'd have handed S.F. the ball back with ~:35 on the clock, instead of :04. Could have literally cost them the game. Guess that's why you pay a coach good money. Glad I didn't have to make that call. It basically was a great move to call TO if SF were to score, not so great if they didn't score. If SF scored at the end and won the game, he would be getting hammered for not calling them.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 05:03 PM) The White Sox will not sign a top-of-the-rotation starter on the free agent market and unless they improve the farm system drastically it's difficult to see how they will trade for one. Right now, Danks is the realistic candidate to replace Peavy as the #2. Funny but the Sox have more homegrown pitchers on their roster now then they did when they won the WS, and they traded for Garcia, Garland, Contreras, without giving up much at all.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 04:18 PM) I'm not sold on either one as a starter yet. How many rotations have no question marks?what you expect roster wise is just not realistic, but I think most would take their chances with one of those 2 vs. paying what it would take to sign Lohse. And you want to rebuild but also place zero value on the draft pick you would lose.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 04:12 PM) Sale and ?? Projecting pitching staffs is a pretty tough thing to do. The Sox have been better than most at getting guys off the scrap heap and having them be effective for a year or two. There is no reason to think it can't continue.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 02:46 PM) No, I prefer a tear down. Since they aren't going that way and have the 28th farm system, they are going to have to spend their way out of this middle-of-the-pack mess they are in. The had several pitchers contribute last year when they were ranked even lower. Your farm system ranking means nothing. The Sox have been ranked #1 and last. In the end, they seemed to get about the same out of their system.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 02:21 PM) Look at the money free agent starters got this year. The price of mediocrity is way up there. So your suggestion for the "sustained success" you often mention is to spend big money, and get locked into several years on guys like Gavin Floyd and a 34 year old Kyle Lohse. The Sox were never huge players in big time free agents anyway, and their pitching staff has still had their share of big money guys. I don't know why free agency is the only way to acquire pitching, and most of the big time contracts handed out to free agent pitchers up until this point, have been huge mistakes. For every Maddux or Sabatthia, there are 5 Kevin Browns or Barry Zitos.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 02:17 PM) What reclamation project has left Duncan and sustained that kind of success? Duncan wasn't even the pitching coach last year anyway. And he is going to be 34. I read the Angels weren't interested because they thought he would get tattooed in the AL.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 02:14 PM) As they stand now, I think it's highly likely the Sox will need to add a starter for 2014. If they are proactive they can save money. I wouldn't describe any of your suggestions for mediocrity, saving money.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 02:07 PM) As an alternative to signing Lohse, maybe they should extend Floyd now. Something like 3y/$36M. Why?

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 01:54 PM) Lohse at $12M per for 3-4 years doesn't tie up the payroll. If you want a similiar pitcher it's going to cost more in 2014 and beyond Disagree. Lohse is going to be 34 and has been horrible in the AL.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 01:47 PM) Peavy never made it to the free agent market. What's "big money" for Lohse? He turned down the one year $13.3 qualifying offer, which if they thought there was any chance he would accept, the Cardinals probably wouldn't have made. So he wants more than that.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 01:38 PM) I think that he hasn't signed already means he'll be a bargain. If the Sox aren't interested in Lohse at this point, I don't see them getting a free-agent SP on a multi-year deal anytime in the near future. They signed Peavy, a FA pitcher to a multi year contract a couple of months ago. Paying big money for Lohse is beyond stupid, and if you really think Boras is going to lower his price very much.......you really haven't paid much attention over the years. Lohse on the books making 8 figures is almost guaranteed to be regrettable, probably why teams that throw money around like it is nothing, and teams you have posted are so much better run than the Sox, are staying away.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 01:32 PM) It's unlikely that Danks, Quintana, and Santiago all perform better than Lohse. As far as losing the pick goes, it's a very week draft and signing Lohse means you can deal Floyd. Under that scenario, isn't it Lohse vs. Floyd not Lohse vs. the others?

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 3, 2013 -> 01:07 PM) The Sox aren't going to ever be at the top end of the free agent pitching market. Lohse is the best pitcher to have (likely) fallen into their price range in some time. It would be smart of them to take advantage of it. The Sox have paid a pretty penny for pitching the last 7 or 8 years. Lohse has an ERA near 5.00 in the AL and is repped by Boras so he won't be a bargain. Career year at 33 with an expiring contract is a huge red flag.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 2, 2013 -> 12:58 PM) It was going to take more than Olt to get Upton It's not been a great couple of offseasons for the Rangers, they've missed out on Greinke, Fielder, and Upton while losing Hamilton. Right now, I'd pick them behind the Angels and A's. They need to make a move with that vaunted farm system, IMO. So you think to win this year, it is imperative for the Rangers to acquire someone of Alex Rios' ilk, and on the other hand, for the White Sox to truly be going for it, trading Rios for Olt is precisely the move they should make. Doesn't seem too consistent. I would imagine if the Rangers are high on Olt, he actually might be the replacement in RF should they need one for 50 games. He played there a couple of times last season and has been working with one of their coaches on playing the OF.

QUOTE (SOXOBAMA @ Feb 1, 2013 -> 11:19 PM) Wow, I love the hate that I get here.. Thanks so much for spending much of the day talking about me... Go 49ers!!! We will destroy the Ravens this weekend.. Another lie.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 1, 2013 -> 03:30 PM) Kottaras was claimed at a higher priority than us. We could not have "had" him. Not off waivers. He was available via trade or sale. He is supposed to be brutal defensively. Hahn probably likes what he has as back ups anyway.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 1, 2013 -> 03:15 PM) The A's had no rights to him. Their 40 man roster is at 40 counting Jaso. In order to complete that trade, they had to remove all of their rights to Kottaras. Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must either:[1] return the player to the 40-man roster within 10 days from the date of designation, or make one of the following contractual moves: Place the player on waivers (which can only be done within the first 7 days of the 10-day period) Trade the player Release the player When the trade happened he was immediately DFA'd. Not placed on waivers. The waiver period is 2 business days. If they had no right to him and had to waive him immediately, he would have been claimed a week earlier.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 1, 2013 -> 03:05 PM) That's not how it works. If he's put on waivers, all 30 teams have the right to claim him. The highest priority team to claim him wins the claim. The fact that it was nearly 10 days means most likely that they awarded the claim win to the highest priority team at the end of the waiting period. He wasn't waived right away after he was DFA'd the day of the trade. They still could have traded him. If the Sox really wanted him, they could have had him, but would have had to give Oakland something they would want other than the waiver money. The waiver period is only a couple of days. They have a week to put him on waivers once he's DFA'd if he hasn't been released or traded or returned to the 40 man.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 1, 2013 -> 02:57 PM) More likely is the A's jumped at the Jaso deal and decided they weren't going to tell all 30 teams he was available before putting him on waivers. Otherwise, they'd have been holding up that 3-way deal, which could of course have endangered it. He was DFA'd which took him off the roster and gave Oakland 10 days to decide what to do with him. He was claimed 8 or 9 days after he was DFA'd, so he wasn't waived until about a week after the trade.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 1, 2013 -> 02:38 PM) The White Sox could not have had Kottaras. He was claimed on waivers by a team with a worse record than the White Sox who therefore had priority. It was fully impossible for the White Sox to get him. For all we know, they may have put a claim in on him. If they really wanted him, they might have been able to trade for him. I read defensively he was similar to the 45 year old Carlton Fisk. Normally, teams want a defensive guy as the back up. Maybe they just didn't want him. I do think back up catcher will be a bigger role than it's been for a while. Maybe one of these guys will surprise.

He's got to look on the bright side, the $12k he said he dropped on tickets was fake. Real Soxobama is worth more than fake Soxobama.