Dick Allen

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Nov 14, 2012 -> 12:16 PM) Whats to say Miami doesn't plan on spending more massive amounts of money this offseason?? I'd hate for Hamilton to go there but whats to say he doesn't? I could see ARod going home and playing there too. You're a FA and you can go there and get dealt in a year. No big name will want to go there, and ARod isn't going to want to go there to lose. The waved the white flag because their profits will be reduced. That team is a joke.

The Cubs trade guys they aren't going to re-sign and are at the end of their contracts. There is nothing like Jose Reyes on their roster. It was obvious this was a one and done thing from the get go. They paid Reyes and Buerhle $16 million combined and then dumped them. The problem is not necessarily a rebuild, its the promise, you build us a stadium, we won't have to rip the team down to nothing again. It was all a lie. They will have a hard time attracting free agents in the future even if they are the highest bidder. MLB should advise Loria to sell.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Nov 13, 2012 -> 09:55 PM) Maybe it's the other way around. The management was probably thinking "we got a new stadium, a new manager and spend alot of money on a team and no one showed up, so screw all of them" I don't think the management believes anyone will ever show up. Play poorly, draw even fewer fans and move in a few years. They drew over 2 million for a last place team, and Loria, who was making money hand over fist before taxpayers bought him a new stadium, made even more. Now I would guess, they will be lucky to draw half of that, and I really doubt they can move for a very long time. They have to have a long term lease. He is probably going to sell which is better for everyone. He only paid Buehrle $6 million, Reyes $10 million. This was probably the thought all along.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Nov 13, 2012 -> 07:22 PM) This trade is an embarassement for baseball. I agree.

Every team in baseball will want Stanton and the Marlins, when they trade him,probably next year when he can get arb money, will want prospects. Hope for some big years from the higher thought of,minor leaguers next season,

QUOTE (Elgin Slim @ Nov 13, 2012 -> 06:22 PM) Selig should veto this trade. You can't allow this all of the time. I have a feeling that the Red Sox-Dodgers trade is going to set a new, bad precedent. I totally agree.

I don't know how the fanbase can ever trust the ownership in Miami ever again.

Apparently the problem in Miami previously wasn't the stadium.

QUOTE (kevo880 @ Nov 13, 2012 -> 05:17 PM) Not really Sox news, but Mark Buehrle related. Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal Buerhle headed to #BlueJays along with Josh Johnson, sources tell me and @jonmorosi What a crappy organization some more rumors Reyes is going to Toronto too. Making Ozzie stay would have been a bigger f*** you to him.

QUOTE (Special K @ Nov 13, 2012 -> 12:39 PM) There are no other realistic options at 3b besides resigning Youkilis who is expensive. Viciedo is extremely young and can learn the position of which he already has some experience. I'd rather see him move to 3rd and find a left fielder. OFs are much easier to find. I don't want to march some mediocre to most likely below mediocre bat with an average glove out there so everyone you can be comfortable in saying that we have a "true" 3rd baseman. The Sox moved him off 3rd for a reason. Moving him back reeks of desperation. Usually moves of desperation fail. I hope this is not really being considered.

I don't buy the Pagan stuff the thread starter has a rep for making stuff up, but I do wonder if De Aza's preference to play LF has rubbed the White Sox the wrong way.

I would rather the Sox sign Melky Cabrera. Cheaper, might still have steroids in his system. $10 million a year or more for Angel Pagan is not wise, and I doubt there is any truth to this rumor.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Nov 12, 2012 -> 11:50 PM) Anyway, what would be the opinion if the Sox were to trade Gavin Floyd + Matt Thornton + Jared Mitchell + cash to the Dbacks for 3B Chris Johnson (they are openly trying to upgrade 3B) and SP Trevor Bauer (has fallen out of favor in ARI, trying to trade him as well). Sox get an upgrade over Morel (albeit, not a very big one) and a high ceiling young SP who is 21, and is a big time strikeout pitcher (with some control issues). And if you don't like the trade for either Sox or Dbacks, then what about Chris Johnson in general? Not a real big splash, but an okay offensive player who is at the very least an upgrade over Morel. He is not on your list.

https://mobile.twitter.com/jaysonst/status/...048579694850048

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Nov 12, 2012 -> 04:09 PM) I don't see how its that unrealistic at all. Yes I've said a few times that its not gonna happen but not because it can't. 2 execs already said it be "easier to trade Rios for cap relief" so thats not unrealistic Everyone already expects Floyd to be traded, presumably for a 3B. You can trade for one making around 5-7 mill and still be around the salary Hahn put out there. And a lot of people want Thornton traded so I'm not living out of reality right there either. Salary relief and getting back someone useful are 2 very different things. Not only do you want a serviceable catcher, you also want the answer at 3B. Then paying a guy $25 million a year who is one night away from being worthless. His own quote was he basically plays 4 out of 6 months missing the other 2 because of injury or slumps, but says because he still puts up big numbers, its "cool". Don't let his book blind your judgement. I would also suggest you stay away from Lance Armstrong's biography. I'm not saying Hamilton is anywhere near the phony Armstrong, Hamiliton may be a much better guy, might stay clean for the rest of his life, I hope he does, but he's not worth the risk. Just check out those photos of when he was at the bar messed up. If you think alcohol is not a problem for him, try again. Shirt off, licking whip cream off tits, dry humping women.

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Nov 12, 2012 -> 03:51 PM) Ya but theirs a huge difference between the 80 Mill on Verons contract compared to just 25 on Alexs deal. OK, the Sox will trade Floyd, Thornton and Rios, get a decent catcher and someone who can take over at 3b making virtually nothing,and spend the money they just saved signing Josh Hamilton. When do you want to get back to reality?

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Nov 12, 2012 -> 01:42 PM) I guess that depends on where he plays next year. He played half of his games in Petco Park, the biggest park of them all, and still hit 42% of his HR there. And within his division was the least homered in park in all of baseball the past 2 season, AT&T Park. If Headley were to go to the Sox, I think it would be quite reasonable to expect at least 25 HR, and 30+ wouldn't surprised anyone. I think you would be disappointed. He still hit almost half at home so it really wasn't'the negative it sometimes can be. Adrian Gonzalez didn't suddenly pop more homers after,leaving there, and that 31 total was way out there compared to the rest of his career. In 2011 he hit 4. If I were him, I'd cash in on his 2012 numbers and sign an extension. He could get burned, but there is a better chance he won"t. That is all I'm saying.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Nov 12, 2012 -> 01:46 PM) Dude, it's also a book. Just because it's on paper doesn't make it completely true. They can write as much as they want about how he's changed, but the fact is he's relapsed before and the odds are it's going to happen again. Who knows how bad the next relapse is going to be, it's a huge freakin' risk on money that would be best spent elsewhere. Exactly. When he slipped up in 2009 and was photographed shirtless and drunk in a bar with a bunch of women who were'r his wife, asking where he could get cocaine, he was quoted the next day he would never drink again because of what it led to. He has had drinks since. He is a great player but not a guy you want to throw all that money at. The other thing is the guy misses a lot of games. He misses only 14 this year, like that is something spectacular.Moving forward, you would have to figure he would miss 30-40 games a year the next 5 years, at the very least based on his history and his getting older.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 12, 2012 -> 01:03 PM) I would be less leery of a 28 year old finding his power stroke than a 35 year old. Either could be tainted, either could be valid. But Headley is in the prime of his career, AJ is winding down. I would not expect him to hit 31 homers next year. He probably w will be a lot closer to his previous high of 12. If somehow the Sox got him, expectations would be through the roof, odds are he couldn't live up to them.

For everyone that says AJPs power surge was a fluke, what about Headley's?

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Nov 12, 2012 -> 12:54 PM) Yup, and he takes them more often than a regular player. Back around when his book was made (a few years back into his playing career) he was still getting them weekly or bi weekly. That tells me he's been clean for 6 years. I also don't consider his yearly bender where he goes out and drinks a relapse or that big a deal if it doesn't lead to hardcore drug use. Are MLB players not supposed to drink during the year? Generally recovering alcoholics aren't supposed to be drinking at all.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 12, 2012 -> 08:46 AM) I think people might be overstating what kind of money he's going to get. Everyone in baseball knows the risks with a guy like this, not to mention his body is effectively a lot older than 32. I'd be surprised if he got more than 3 or 4 years, and I'd bet on 3 over 4. The money might be pretty big, but I'm thinking more like $15M per. Someone always overpays.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Nov 11, 2012 -> 09:33 AM) I haven't looked, but perhaps the Rangers already have too much money committed to other long term contracts. If they are willing to pay him for 3 years, I doubt they have much committed beyond that, but perhaps they are projecting what their younger guys will be making in 4 or 5 years, although it's rare a young core stays together that long. Hamilton has missed a lot of games in his career even while posting huge numbers. You would have to think that probably won't change and could get worse as he ages. If he didn't have the issues he has had, on the field he is exactly what the White Sox need. The problem is, it is something that can just as easily blow up in their face, and not many want to take the responsibility if that happened. I think some owner will decide his team needs Hamilton and will open the checkbook. The Sox don't operate like that.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Nov 11, 2012 -> 09:14 AM) Most “big market” teams have a high priced star offensive player. The Sox will almost certainly have to find one after Konerko, Rios and Dunn are gone. Hamilton, signed to a long term deal, could be that guy. Hamilton will be 32 this season. He should have 5 good years left, at least. If you add the possibility of him DH’ing perhaps he has 7 or 8 years. $25 million per year for the next 5 years is reasonable. He should still be worth close to half of that in years 7 and 8. $150 million for 7 years should be acceptable, if he would take it. However, the question is; whether or not there would be room on the payroll for such an addition. The long term commitment is the biggest concern. In that regard, the Sox are in the enviable position of having almost no money committed past 2014. The only two players under contract for 2015 are Ramirez and Danks: Alexei Ramirez 13:$7M, 14:$9.5M, 15:$10M, 16:$10M club option ($1M buyout) John Danks 13:$14.25M, 14:$14.25M, 15:$14.25M, 16:$14.25M If you look at the 3 year "board", and try to imagine whom management is anticipating might be on the roster, you could project something like this for 2015 and or 2016, with Hamilton added: CF K. Walker (Tekotte, J. Mitchell) 2B C. Sanchez DH J. Hamilton RF C. Hawkins 1B K. Barnum C T. Flowers LF T. Thompson 3B ? SS Ramirez SP Danks Sales Quintana Castro Bullpen Santiago Reed Jones Veal There is potentially a lot of young talent that could fill out the roster, at a low cost. That might actually give the Sox a little room to contemplate signing Hamilton. Why not go for it now, and see what happens after Dunn, Rios, Konerko, Peavy and some of the other guys are gone after 2014. Until then, that lineup would sure look good with Hamilton's left handed bat. The thing that would scare me is the team that really knows him best, and throws money around like it's nothing, is only willing to go 3 years.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Nov 9, 2012 -> 07:02 PM) Thornton's just not consistently reliable enough for his money. When you thought who's reliable in the 2nd half, it was pretty limited to Jones and Veal. Veal was perfect for almost the entire season (I think Fielder finally dinged him) at the lowest possible salary. Of course, we all know what happened with Cotts/Politte. Or Dotel and Linebrink (overpaying), on the other side. You have to worry about Reed coming in as the closer, there's no doubt. Jones was erratic but showed potential and has the stuff. Reed's stuff was a bit lacking, for whatever reason. Fathom pointed this out pretty consistently throughout the 2nd half of the season, although there seemed to be more of a sense that Ventura was mismanaging the pen as much as they were failing...a little bit of both probably. I know that I highlighted the blown saves statistic quite frequently. If there's any team in the majors that we should be trying to emulate, it's the TB Rays, not the Orioles. They (the Orioles) were the "comeback kids," but those bullpen numbers and runs scored/runs against numbers won't hold up year to year. They had incredible numbers in one run games, extra innings, etc. Or just look at the Tigers' bullpen from 2012 vs. Valverde's dominance the prior year. He's gone from 49/49 to the least popular pitcher on the entire roster, maybe the least popular player overall. Not easy to do in just one season. You also highlighted how much Nate Jones sucked in 2012 quite frequently. As for Thornton, if a guy who appears in 74 games, has a 3.46 ERA, and has an over 3 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio is the biggest problem with your bullpen, there is nothing to fix.