Dick Allen

Blast from the past, Wimpy. He wasn't any good until his mid 30s. Probably being such a good guy was the only reason he was able to stick around befor he became a really good hitter for 3 or 4 seasons. He also changed his swing.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 07:14 PM) That's probably the best example out there. I honestly can't think of a second player that comes close. Just shows how rare it is for a player to suddenly break-out in their 4th year. Offensively, Moustakis was pretty bad for a while. It is a longshot but changing the swing and approach is key. That is what happened with Bautista, and Nelson Cruz was a guy everyone passed on with the rule 5, changed his swing, now he is a force. If they are rebuilding and not experimenting when trying to win, it is not the most horrible thing bringing him back, although I personally would have non tendered him.. It most likely will be more of the same. Long bouts of cluelessness, with some weeks of looking like a star sprinkled in.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 07:01 PM) I'm all for the age argument if he had shown some progress but he simply hasn't. Look at the stats I provided, he was just as bad last year as he's ever been. 1,500 plate appearances are typically enough time to judge a player who has not improved in the slightest. And I don't buy this 2nd half argument. Below are his plate appearances and OPS by month last year. Apr: 79 / .691 May: 82 / .720 Jun: 87 / .578 Jul: 55 / .585 Aug: 50 / 1.020 Sep: 100 / .656 Outside of a flukey 50 plate appearances in August, he was bad in every other month including July & September. At this point the physical tools don't matter anymore, every piece of objective data suggests he is the same old horrible baseball player he's always been, exit velocity be damned. I'd love you to provide a single example of a player who was a sub-.700 career OPS hitter across three full seasons while providing negative defensive or base-running value that was given a fourth season and suddenly figured it out. Jose Bautista. But it is pretty rare.

They are putting the band back together.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 05:46 PM) This is starting to feel like we're buyers and not sellers. Lawrie wouldn't get you much on the trade market. You aren't paying him a ton. Rebuilding teams get guys like this, hope he has a big year and flip him at the deadline.

He took a $625,000 cut.

I thought for sure he was gone. $3.5 million isn't bad.

QUOTE (Ro Da Don @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 03:10 PM) That's a continuing of the 2016 issues with players clashing with the FO. That needs to end...that's cancerous activity in any clubhouse. Frankly, I'd rather the Sox have a roster full of guys who could play who thought KW was an asshole, vs. guys who couldn't play and thought it was sure damn nice KW gave them a contract.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 02:05 PM) Lol right? I don't get why people think he's going to lash out. Completely different scenario to the whole LaRoche fiasco. And the LaRoche thing people have to remember Eaton is the player rep. He has to have his ass. He said some silly things about Drake, but he probably really liked the kid and felt bad he was caught in the middle of it all.

Why do so many think Eaton would cause problems? My God, he's been fine and been on bad teams his entire career. Oh my God, a player who actually wants to win. How dare he. .

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 12:29 PM) You're talking a 1 for 1 deal(and Brian Skinner I guess) in the Brand for Chandler trade, nobody here is trying to trade Adam Eaton for one prospect. No but the point is the same. The guy has 5 years of control. He is signed at a bargain. He is an effective player. His skills, hitting, getting on base, fielding, are skills this organization has had a tough time developing for years. He will be 32 when his contract runs out. He isn't old. Trading him for prospects has a pretty good chance to blow up it their face. There is nothing wrong with the White Sox having a good player here and there. Even the highest thought of prospects bust/.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 12:13 PM) Zero chance of that happening. Probably not. But it should. 5 years $38 million for a guy who even if you don't think will put up a 6.0 WAR ever again, has averaged 4.3 WAR his first 3 years in the American League. Jerry Krause's press conference when he traded Elton Brand for Tyson Chandler always comes to mind when people are so giddy to get rid of players for really no reason other than making a change. Krause said Chandler had the potential to be a 20 point 10 rebound guy. Great. Elton Brand was a 20 point 10 rebound guy. Chandler never averaged 10 points or 10 rebounds for the Bulls. He has had a decent career, but the trade didn't make the Bulls better. Why trade Eaton unless something has to really go wrong for you not to be better because of it? That sort of guarantee is rarely available in baseball.

QUOTE (iWin4Ron @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 12:04 PM) It's pretty simple with Eaton. He's a great player to have on any team with excellent tools. However, he is getting older and he is likely at a very high selling point right now. So it becomes: a) Get a haul for Eaton, similar in trade status to Chris Sale (although slightly lower) and immediately accept this offer. b) Teams undervalue him and you hold and hope to move him at the deadline or next year. Good player, but not at the right time on the 'Sox. Need to rebuild and he can net you a lot of great pieces and lottery tickets. Why would he be lower value than Sale? He is signed for 2 more years and the money is the same. This is ridiculous value. Fangraphs pegged his 2016 season as being worth $10 million more than he will be paid the next 5 seasons.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 11:51 AM) At least 2-3 years away if ever, and they still underpay and understaff. Thats why someone like Miles or Fleck arent coming The first sign of success, at least Fleck would bolt West Lafayette anyways. Miles is getting older, so he might have hung around.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 11:20 AM) I tend to agree with you. Eaton is a hard guy to move unless you get an absolute haul. He should be a key piece of the long-term efforts to rebuild and while I am a proponent of moving prospects, moving a guy as good as Eaton, who should have his peak years ahead of them and is around that long, just doesn't make much sense unless you get totally blown away. That said, if you move Eaton, at least you are moving him at a time when his value should be high (coming off of a career year). I think offensively he will be better. Advanced metric-wise, he will have a hard time replicating his 2016 season, but if anything, that shows a flaw in the system. If he doesn't get assists because no one will run on him, that should be worth some WAR. It's like All Pro corners who go from 8 INTs to 1 or 2. They don't throw the ball their way. Doesn't mean they weren't as valuable. n

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 09:42 AM) Looking from the outside in, the fact that they are talking about moving Adam Eaton to me is a clue that there might be some smoke to all of the clubhouse stuff. Not according to Merkin. Besides, Hahn said all of their players are available. They must all be assholes.

If all what people have in their imagination is true, bad clubhouse, won't age well, at his peak...why wouldn't other teams know this, and if they did, why would they offer the motherload of packages for him? I'll hang up and listen for my answer. I actually think he will age well. I think he will hit more homers. He doesn't attempt many steals so he won't get beat up on the basepaths, and he's so little, he has a small strike zone and knows it pretty well. I think being little if you get generate some power, is an advantage aging. The swing isn't as long, etc.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 09:20 AM) Those midmarket teams had a deep farm system behind their adam eatons. We have a single promising draft class 3 years away. Isn't trading Sale etc. supposed to change that? I understand people would love to read how Keith Law raves about the White Sox minor leaguers, but it doesn't always translate to huge runs. Giving up good players with a lot of control for prospects is playing with fire.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 09:14 AM) I don't really want to move Adam Eaton, but in the back of my head, I don't know if his level of maturity would make him the kind of guy you want around during a rebuild. Dude was one of the big antagonists during the Adam LaRoche mess last year. It isn't hard to squint your eyes and see an Adam Eaton meltdown if Chris Sale is dealt. Part of it was he was the player rep. According to Merkin, he is a great clubhouse guy. I know, what else is Merkin going to say, but he could say nothing. Eaton's supposed reputation as trouble is pretty much BS. The D-Backs had a bad clubhouse and unnamed players ripped everyone they traded from being too loud to being to quiet.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 09:09 AM) Or his value is at an all time high and might net you more than a few good prospects back. I'm fine with keeping Adam but if you get blown away by someone then go ahead and move him. But you are pretty much hoping the prospects turn out as good as he has been. Considering his production and contract, I don't understand taking on the risk. If some of the mid level market teams traded their Adam Eatons before they made their runs, they would never had made their runs. It would have to be a no doubt blown away offer, or it makes no sense.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 2, 2016 -> 09:03 AM) I could go either way here, but with the way he plays I would be more surprised that this wasn't his career year. But I don't think it's obvious and it would be a joy to watch him 5 more years, he could just as easily be a juan pierre type that finds himself with a long career as a speedy leadoff type. His offensive numbers the last 2 years were pretty consistent. He is what he is, and that is really good. He has a lot of control. He is not Juan Pierre at all. He draws walks and can throw, and hits home runs.

It's cutting off your nose to spite your face. Besides, he has 5 years of control. Those guys are not available. We have a thread. For the longest time, we all knew the White Sox needed a leadoff hitter, with a high on base, who could run. The Sox get that, and he comes with GG quality defense. Sign him to a team friendly extension, has 5 years of control....quick, get rid of him. It will work out perfectly.

Not necessarily news, but it could effect when the White Sox start doing things, the first installment on season ticket accounts is due Monday. So they might not start a purge until Tuesday.

I just can't see a team giving Avi his arb figure. If you absolutely must bring him back, is there any restriction on resigning him to a lower figureafter non tendering?

QUOTE (Baron @ Dec 1, 2016 -> 09:04 PM) That's pushing it Yeah those comments ripping him were good. Not top 15 maybe 17 and 21. What's the difference? If it were an exact science, it would be significant.