Dick Allen

QUOTE(spiderman @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:38 PM) Just responding to another post. I didn't mean anything by it, its just my motto.

QUOTE(spiderman @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:38 PM) I don't think he'll be near that level in Year 1 after that surgery, and if they trade Santana, that's clearly a youth movement preparing for the 2010 season in their new stadium. Makes sense. If they aren't going to win in 2008, and Santana isn't going to re-sign, they might as well get players that will be there for 5 or 6 years for him. It still boggles my mind Boston was hung up on not giving up Ellsbury in a trade for him. Santana, Beckett, Dice-k and Bucholz would be tough to beat.

QUOTE(frankie5angels @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:36 PM) They'll regret it next year. If this was an elite Japanese player, the yankees or the red sox would have been all over this guy. They were never metioned to even have the slightest interst in him. Because they are set in the OF, and are probably saving some room on the payroll for Santana.

QUOTE(spiderman @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:35 PM) I'd probably open it up from anywhere 3rd to 5th no matter what we do the rest of the off-season, battling with KC and Minny for these spots. I think we'll make some sort of acquistion in CF, have an open battle for LF with Quentin the likely winner, and move Crede for a prospect (hopefully Uribe too, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him open the season here).... I really don't see a serious starting pitching come here, maybe a non-roster invitee with some potential upside, but I really think that the Sox think that Floyd/Denks will be fine in the rotation (I don't). Who cares what place you come in if you don't make the playoffs?

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:32 PM) Twins still have Santana. With him, they're easily better than the Sox are right now. Hopefully they'll trade him and Nathan prior to the year. If Liriano comes back anywhere near where he was, the Twins can still be pretty good.

QUOTE(jenks45monster @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:28 PM) Fukudome to the Cubs really surprised me since, IMO, he is overpaid for someone who hasn't played 1 game in the MLB yet and since the Cubs really don't have to history with Japanese players for as long as I can remember. The Sox had signed Gooch and Shingo in recent years. Sweet Lou had Ichiro, Sasuki and the reliever Hasagawa I think in Seattle. I bet he's a good selling point.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:19 PM) How many has Fukudome had? How many did Ichiro have when he came over? Scouting is pretty good with these guys coming over. Kaz Matsui was pretty much a bust, but he's still getting some nice money. Ichiro was everything advertised, as was Hideki Matsui and Iguchi. I think Fukudome probably will play close to where he is projected.

QUOTE(frankie5angels @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:10 PM) Who do you and Fathom suggest they get to play center?? I am just curious. If KW would have signed Hunter to a 5/95 mil contract you guys would have b****ed about that. Saying he overpaid. If we would have given up the farm for Cabrera, I am sure you guys would have said we mortgaged the future for one guy. It's like KW can't win no matter what he does with you guys. I wouldn't mind having Rowand back. It will solidify centerfield for the next 5 years, and I believe last year was a breakout year for him, and he will continue to put up similar numbers. I would like them to rebuild. Trade Konerko, Dye, Buerhle, Contreras, Vazquez, Cabrera. Play for 3 years from now. It worked for Larry Himes in 1987. This was a horrible team last year. I can live with Owens in CF if they are rebuilding. If they are trying to win, they are kidding themselves if he's there everyday.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:14 PM) If they can get Rowand for, say, $54 over 4 years plus some sort of team option, I'd be pretty happy. When looking at it in context with the Hunter contract, I'd say that would be a steal. But that would still leave the team improved over 2007, but probably not improved enough. More is needed. There will be trades. 2 SS and 2 thirdbaseman. I just hope KW is bluffing about the pitching being fine as is. What did Levine say the Sox offered Rowand 4/55? That's a lot of cash for a guy who really has had only 2 better than average seasons.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:11 PM) 4 years I could maybe live with, but that 5th year option would have to be a team option, and not a player option. I imagine Rowand's probably after $55-$60M over 4 years right now. I wish I was better at baseball.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:03 PM) Rosenthal said Sox are still keying on Rowand, and might offer 4 years with an option. This reminds me of my head on car crash several years ago. A guy fell asleep at the wheel and nailed me hard. I saw it coming buy I had nowhere to go, it was like superslow motion and you knew what was going to happen.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 09:59 PM) the failure of guys like Sisco, Masset, and Aardsma really hurt the pitching depth of this organization. It will be interesting to see if KW still has any faith in any of them. I hope he keeps them all. He can't get anything for them, and if they come up big he can trade them next year, because chances are they will be awful again in 2009.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 10:00 PM) We're going to see the highlights of that Japanese homer and the homer at PetCo about a million times over the next few months. And the drunks in the RF bleachers will be shown bowing to him constantly next summer. I wish the Padres signed him.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 09:56 PM) Right now I'd call the Garcia trade an easy win for us. Gio's value has risen, and Floyd built up a little momentum in his last 6 starts, and can hopefully carry that onto 2008. The other big trade, B-Mac for Danks and Masset, well obviously the results didn't go our way in 2007 for that, but that deal wasn't made for the short - term, so it's on Danks to improve. I doubt Masset's here when we start in 2008 though. Its true, but KW could have traded Garcia for me and it would have been a win.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 09:43 PM) Let's go Brewers! They are trying to fix the bullpen. They really need to switch managers and they can be a sweet team.

QUOTE(frankie5angels @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 09:38 PM) At least the Angels are in the AL. The Cubs are in the NL. I could care less who the Cubs sign and what they do next year in terms of winning the Division or the NL. Some people on here are overly obsessed with the Cubs and what they do. I don't know if you live in the Chicago area, but its really a pain in the ass when the Cubs have a good team. Its freaking everywhere.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 09:27 PM) Sadly, you know which route KW thinks would make the fans forgive him. And that would be paying Aaron Rowand more money than anyone would have ever imagined.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 09:25 PM) This organization is a disaster right now...that's all that needs to be said. KW needs to go. I've decided to take in Soxfest this year. It may be fun.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 09:22 PM) This move made a lot more sense for the Cubs than it did for the Sox. As long as the Cubs had to pay a substantial price for Fuku, I don't really mind. KW though is caught between a rock and a hard place. He promised a dynamic offense. He said he's going for it. Then people had to pay their season ticket money on that premise. He needs to rebuild starting now, but if he does, he will lose a lot of credibility with what's left of the bandwagoners, and some others as well.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 09:19 PM) Ha. When its 5/65, we dont exactly "lose" That's the way the market is going. The White Sox are eventually going to have to pay that kind of money or become Pittsburgh. They really need to back up the truck and get some young talent. Building through the draft is a great idea, but it will take a very long time. Instead of draft picks you have to pay millions to, trade for a couple who already have received their bonuses and have shown they can play.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 09:19 PM) Whatever he signed for, I bet it's more than makes sense for a guy who's never taken a Major League at bat. Paying him big money and expecting him to be good makes a lot more sense than the White Sox GM saying the pitching will not be a problem the way the staff is currently configured.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 11, 2007 -> 09:17 PM) No, not happy at all. Cubs get better, and Sox lose out on another target. The reason that I knew he was signing with the Cubs is that the Cubs hired a handful of Japanese workers in the last few weeks to help with the transition. The Fuku/Cubs thing has been a lock for quite a while. A reason KW and the White Sox were really laying low with their interest. They knew they probably wouldn't be able to hang with the Cubs for this guy. Does this mean KW now overpays for Rowand and claims he was the main target all along?

Jeff Abbott, there's a name from the past. That was a guy who when you look at his minor league numbers and check out his swing, you would have thought he would have had a much better career than what he was able to put together. He's an example of why you should take minor league numbers with a grain of salt.

We should all be thankful that Kenny Williams doesn't sell crack or any other hard drugs. Considering people are actually buying the pitching won't be a problem when 40% of the rotation is Gavin Floyd he of the career 8-10 record 6.30 ERA, and John Danks 6-13 record he of the 5.50 career ERA. Another part of the rotation is Jose Contreras, a guy I do like, but a guy coming off a year that was awful. The White Sox #5 pitcher in 2006 in now the #2 guy. I'm thinking if they buy KW saying the pitching won't be a problem, they would buy just about anything he sells.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Dec 10, 2007 -> 02:17 PM) So Fields get shipped back to AAA. Thats great. I'm surprised you're a Fields guy, considering 95% of the time he's trying to hit it on to the LF concourse.