Dick Allen

MikeSolarte Mike Solarte Alejandro DeAza taken out of @KnightsBaseball game in top 1. Movement within @whitesox organization? 9 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 26, 2011 -> 01:24 PM) To be fair, Teahen did have two hits in 3 ABs versus Verlander last time out. I think Morel has a couple of hits against Verlander as well. As long as they don't hit the ball to Teahen, I'm OK with this because the Sox probably won't get a lot of hits and Teahen has a better chance of hitting one over the wall or just for extra bases.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 26, 2011 -> 12:02 PM) That statue is probably a better hitter than Adam Dunn right now... And probably more useful in CF than Alex Rios.

With Rios, Dunn and Konerko and Peavy on the books for a couple of years and AJ probably impossible to move with his $6 million coming next year, a full blown youth movement isn't happening. He may try to step back a bit and diminish expectations, but IMO the only reason why would be to buy himself some time. I think he's starting to feel the heat. If you've ever listened to his "as long as I sit in this chair" speeches, rebuilding isn't mentioned. Its reloading. I also agree, he isn't trading Viciedo unless its for something huge.

So if the Sox win 2 out of 3, KW is a buyer and if they lose 2 out of 3 he's a seller? If the Sox somehow manage to win the division would this have been the most unenjoyable division winning season in history?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 25, 2011 -> 07:59 AM) Adam Russell, Brandon Allen, Gio, Fields. That 2004 draft isn't looking like a terrible draft in hindsight, it meets the "3 serviceable big leaguer" goal I laid out previously, just got some guys in the upper rounds who took 5+ years to make it...and got traded away before they did. Russell just got waived. Brandon Allen strikes out almost as much as Dunn. Gio is terrific and Fields was so serviceable he went to Japan. You're not going to win if these are the guys you're building a team with. Making it to the majors is fine, although over the years MLB's rosters have been littered with players drafted by the White Sox, only most of them are pretty bad. If you want to build a team through your farm system, you need difference makers, not guys that make it but top out at mediocre.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 10:49 PM) This is the same manager who didn't call up Rasmus in 09 when rosters expanded even though he'd hit .330 over the previous couple months in the minors, calling out the kid in the media saying he wasn't ready. LaRussa can be a dick. Sounds familiar.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 08:37 PM) Rasmus has been "garbage" since the end of April yet his OPS since May 1st is 25 points higher than Beckham's season long OPS. That's what I posted on the topic a few weeks back, not much has changed since then. It's the 11% walk rate that Rasmus sports, that's one of the big reasons why his potential is so high, even in a s***ty season when he's fallen apart over the past 2 months (his May was decent, dammit) he's still sporting a good walk rate and his K rate is down from last season, these are good things. Meanwhile Beckham's fallen apart over the past 2 seasons and we've seen his BB rate plummit and his K rate increase. Beckham hasn't been very good this year and is also a 2B.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 08:30 PM) Now I can turn this back on you. You're so skeptical of Rasmus, yet you have this unequivocal faith in GB. I want them both. If you ask me who I think is a better, more skilled player, I'd say Rasmus without hesitation. But I want all the cost-controlled talent we can corral. You wanted to get rid of Beckham a month or two ago. You wanted to give up on a cost controlled young talent. Now a guy with the same sort of performance issues is available and he's the greatest thing since tall boys. As I said, I would probably make the deal if it were true if I had reasonable assurances Rasmus can get along with Ozzie, his head is in the right place and his father isn't going to interfere. Beckham doesn't have those issues. He's a classy guy. Chances are eventually Rasmus is going to be a problem. I could live with it if it were down the road and he produced.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 08:27 PM) Which is totally negated by his replacement level performance this year. And that's despite a recent hot streak. I was one that was encouraged by Gordon's second half last year. I didn't expect Cano or Pedroia. But he's right on par with guys like Maicer Izturis and Chris Getz. He's better than that and you know it. Has anything Rasmus accomplished been negated by his performance since May 1?

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 08:19 PM) And other than his defense this year, which has been really good, what can one say positively about him since '09? Offensively, he had a great second half last year.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 08:17 PM) Yeah, the only ? on Rasmus is his attitude, which has been a problem with LaRussa. However, anyone saying that Edwin Jackson or Matt Thornton is too much to pay is nuts. There's no way that either of those two + a relief prospect land this kid. It wouldn't be a huge price, but...........Jackson is probably near the top of available starters at this time and Thornton has been an elite reliever for a lot of years, and teams are desperate for pitching. It might be a package someone is willing to go higher than a questionable Colby Rasmus for.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 08:16 PM) Rasmus is a gifted athlete that fits the profile of a potential elite CF. He was the #3 prospect in baseball two and a half years ago. If he did disappoint, so what? He's cheaper than a blackjacks stripper. Jackson is gone after this year and I don't think the franchise falls apart without Thornton. So is Gordon Beckham and you never have kind things to say about him. I doubt 3 years from now Rasmus is a CF, and do you really thing Ozzie is going to bench Rios to play Rasmus?

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 08:03 PM) Kalapse did something on Rasmus a fw weeks ago. Even in a down year, he's still grossly outperforming Beckham. And the fact that he plays CF cannot be underestimated. Rasmus put up huge numbers in April. Since then he's been total garbage and he can "play" CF. Carl Everett could "play" CF in 2003 and Rob Macowiak could "play" CF in 2006-7 and Ken Griffey Jr. could "play" CF in 2008. There is a difference in playing CF and actually being good at it. You're all gung ho now, if this trade happened, and it appears the rumors aren't true, I think you will be dissappointed. I think a lot of people would. I think if it were presented KW would have to do it as long as he felt Rasmus and his baggage wouldn't be a problem. Maybe they could keep it from being a problem for a while, but eventually.........................

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 07:54 PM) Yeah, I don't thionk people quite realize Rasmus' potential, and the fact that he is controlled for 3 1/2 more years or whatever it is. I also don't think some realize how bad Rasmus has been the last couple of months. People want to send Beckham down to AAA, they'd be saying the same thing about Rasmus. Also, I don't know where people get Rasmus is a good defensive CF. He is not. Potentially he's a great player, but a lot of things have to play out correctly for that to happen. He's supposed to have a meddeling father who works with his hitting on the field and I guess causes trouble on Cardinals' message boards. If the trade happened, Soxtalk probably would gain a new member.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 10:45 AM) Yep. I have asked this a few times, and I am guessing by the lack of responses that it never has been done on this level, but what the biggest contract a team has ate completely like this? Kei Igawa has to be up there, although technically not eaten. He is being paid $20 million over 5 years and his posting fee was $26 million. He is pitching in AAA and the Yankees have told him for a few years there is no way they will call him up, even tried to trade him back to Japan a couple of times and he refused, so for 16 pitiful outings, they shelled out $46 million. The current record for most money eaten by a team by releasing a contract is $33 million, which the Diamondbacks swallowed when they released pitcher Russ Ortiz in June of 2006.

QUOTE (Springfield SoxFan @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 03:12 PM) It is too much of a sign that Thornton did not pitch today? No. He pitched in 3 of the last 4.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 03:07 PM) But wouldn't you want to see what the market would bear for them individually? Rasmus has talent. I just wonder about the attitude. There's something there the Cardinals despise. I'm sure the White Sox aren't going to like it eventually either. If he puts it together, the deal is a steal. If not, you're out 2 months of Jackson and a few years of paying a 35 year old plus Matt Thornton a lot of money. I would make this trade as long as I was satisfied Rasmus isn't going to become a problem in a few weeks.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 03:06 PM) This actually makes me want to get Rasmus more. Really? His hitting has tailed off this season.

I thought this was especially interesting considering the current White Sox fan debate over coaching. From espn.com: Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has lost faith in Rasmus, in part for his tendency to use outside coaching help for his hitting.

Sweep.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 02:31 PM) Delmon Young has a .826 OPS last season and is still 25 years old. What is he doing this year and the other years? Rasmus had a nice OPS as a 23 year old. So what. Mark Teahen put up an .874 OPS as a 24 year old. If the Cardinals trade him, there's a bigger reason other than he doesn't like Tony LaRussa.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 24, 2011 -> 02:51 PM) seriously. Why call for a pinch hitter there? Teahen had as good a chance as anybody to get a bloop hit. No he didn't. He can't hit lefties and he should be pulled from the game for defensive purposes anyway.

John Hart before this season started compared Chris Sale to Randy Johnson. Obviously that is very optimistic, but Sale is very highly thought of.

Why not pinch hit here and let Morel play 3B in the ninth?