Dick Allen

QUOTE (Jose Paniagua @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 11:18 AM) Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 18s19 seconds ago Rollins, per source, rejected 2 teams that offered super-utility jobs and guaranteed deals for more $. Wanted chance to win SS job with CWS. That's good news. Let the battle begin.

He has actually put up a better fWAR than Alexei the last 2 seasons.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 11:06 AM) Any chance he actually plays at AAA or does he just get released if he doesn't make the team? I would think no chance. Maybe he is a back up instead of Sanchez.

Low risk, low reward, but at least some reward possible. He was awful last season.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 10:54 AM) No reason to show up early if you have no one pushing you for playing time. Joe Maddon hates when guys show up early.

The Lakers have a few really nice talents. I think the real reason they only have 11 wins is because this year is all about Kobe chucking them up. Russell, Randle and Clarkson isn't a bad start.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 08:18 AM) Why would it be helpful to lower your negotiating position with another team or free agent until you have to....? I guess the better question is why is the Daily Herald seemingly making a bigger deal out of it than the Trib or Sun-Times? Hahn's comments were made yesterday. The contract was already negotiated. Read the article again. It says he still has fluid, but it also says he feels great. If they can manage it, he should be fine. It's not necessarily a big deal.

I still think he will be a platoon OF/DH or an ex-White Sox. Hahn will bring in someone.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 06:33 AM) Okay, he had surgery two years ago, fluid drained last year and needs it again...that's probably not the most positive indicator from a physical standpoint. There is nothing that says he needs it drained again. Andre Dawson probably leads the world in having knees drained, had fluid on his knees almost his entire career, and is in the HOF. While it would be better there wasn't excess fluid in his knee, we have no idea the cause, we have some idea of the severity. He is participating in spring training. As someone who does get fluid from time to time and had my knee drained once, it could be a big deal, it might be nothing. He worked with a physical therapist this offseason strengthening the area. Perhaps they overdid it. But we don't know. Draining the knee isn't the only way to get fluid out of there. And it hurts a lot. Hahn said he hoped the injuries were behind him. If this was a big issue right now, he probably would have mentioned it.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 21, 2016 -> 08:41 PM) I think recurring fluid problems related to cartilage (and we have zero idea if 90 cubic centimeters of fluid drained two years ago is particularly significant or not) that are ongoing for two years now aren't completely minor because of 1) his size, 2) the fact that he's seen a decrease in velocity of roughly 1.5 MPH from his prime years with the Reds, although we'd have to look month by month last year at the fangraphs charts, as there were indications of velocity coming back a bit more the 2nd half, 3) the fact that his injury treatments/prognosis and readiness to pitch have caused issues in the past with at least one training staff. The fluid was drained last year.

Nah said today that hopefully Latos' injuries are behind him, so this fluid must not be much of a concern at the moment.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Feb 21, 2016 -> 12:05 PM) Adam LaRoche in camp this morning, leaving Brett Lawrie, Avisail Garcia, Melky Cabrera on-yet-to-arrive list. First full squad is Tuesday. https://twitter.com/CST_soxvan/status/701452898169786368 One would think avi wouldo be here already with his job possibly on the line They all say spring training is too long. Showing up on time is fine.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Feb 21, 2016 -> 12:11 PM) So I really haven't seen much else said about the fluid on the knee from other writers. Only place it's come up is daily Herald. Not sure how much I can buy into this I am sure it is true. Whether it is a huge issue, who knows.

QUOTE (2005thxfrthmmrs @ Feb 20, 2016 -> 07:44 AM) Even with their loss last night, Warriors only have to go to 25-4 to break the Bulls' record. Fairly doable if they could stay healthy. 25 out of 29 is still a 70 win pace. Obviously they could do it, but it won't be easy. It will be interesting to see if they are right on the record, how important it is for them to break it in the end. Or do they just make it a priority to be in the best shape possible for the playoffs. It could be that they are so good, like those Bulls teams, where it doesn't matter if your guys are rested for the playoffs. Is anyone going to beat them 4 times? Not as long as their top guys are playing.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 06:31 PM) GarPax means both. According to Cowley they both were doing it, Here is the story. Said it started in training camp which makes it more unbelievable to me. http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/7/71/13...ent-one-apology If it were true and even if it was only Gar only saying this, what would it say about Paxson if Joe Cowley knew this was going on and he did not, and what would it say about Paxson that he still employed Gar? I would love if they both were out the door, but I will give them the benefit of doubt on this one. Sabotaging a coach and a season like that seems pretty unlikely to me.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 06:26 PM) Could you trade Erik Johnson for Manaea and Aaron Brooks today? At worst, as a prospect, Manaea is in that same 75-100 range as Montas...although a lot of scouts are more bullish on his long-term starting potential. Already, that's a higher cost than Adams. Maybe, but they wouldn't be trading for them. They would be trading for a 2 month rental. 2 years ago, Johnson was a prospect in the 60s.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 06:23 PM) P Forman or Paxson? I doubt both of them said to ignore Thibs. GarPax isn't a person. Edit: Sorry, I didn't mean to say that to you. The previous post doesn't specify Forman or Paxson. GarPax means both. According to Cowley they both were doing it, Here is the story. Said it started in training camp which makes it more unbelievable to me. http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/7/71/13...ent-one-apology

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 06:10 PM) The key difference is they had the minor league depth to go all-in and trade their equivalents of Anderson, Fulmer and Adams for Zobrist and Cueto. Is that the type of move that we (can or) should expect at the trade deadline this year when the Sox are bunched in the wild card pack with 7-8 other teams and no clear direction to go in again? Unless Sale gets hurt, they won't need an ace. A guy like Zobrist went for a price like Erik Johnson. If Fulmer or another guy step up, and Latos provides anything, they can get by without trading Adams., or Anderson or Fulmer.

Is there any truth to Cowley's claim that GarPax told the players last year it was OK to tune out Thins because he wasn't long for the job? If there is, and I know, it's Cowley, there is no reason they should have a job in the NBA. It is so outrageous, I can't believe it could be true.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 04:43 PM) Bull did nothing at the deadline. Gar is finished. Gar wants to bring Pau and Joakim back. He really loves this roster.

QUOTE (kevo880 @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 04:23 PM) I usually agree with the general consensus on this board, but apparently I'm in the minority that I'm overall happy with the off season. Would I like and upgrade at RF and/or SS? Of course that would be nice, but we have upgraded pretty massively at 2B, 3B, and C. Not to mention signing Latos for next to nothing and adding more depth to the bullpen. How much more can you realistically expect to happen in 1 off season? I personally love that Hahn is being smart and not giving in to the player demands. There are so many FA's still out there that I'm sure would like to be playing this season and earning a contract. There is no reason to give in to their demands and pay them what they want. I'm fine with running Saladino out there for 1 season. We have Anderson waiting in the wings and we will have him hopefully at SS for league minimum for years. When it comes to RF, I think it'd be dumb to give Fowler a 4 year deal or close to a $50 million dollar contract, while giving up the 28th overall pick in the draft at the same time. When it comes down to it, I'm not an Avi supporter, but I understand giving him 1 more season to see if he can put it together like the Sox thought he could when they acquired him. I think the way to build a winner is to find the bargains in FA and build from within. I do see that plan in place at the moment. Before anyone says it, I realize we have traded many prospects in our top 25 from last season, but let's be honest, who are we really going to miss? Montas maybe if he ever stays healthy. Other than that I'd be surprised if they amount to much in the majors. I think we all get a little more worked up than we should, this team should be better and if the bullpen and rotation hold, should contend. Take the 2015 Royals. They were contending with one of the worst rotations in baseball, Rios in Rf, and Infante at 2nd most of the season. They upgraded for sure, and probably wouldn't have won without the upgrade, but there were some bums in that line up a good part of the season. I just think we see obvious available chances to make the team better, and so far they seem to have passed on all. It is easy to frustrate.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 03:24 PM) Saladino should be fine as a starter, but on a contending team he should probably be your worst starting player. The path to him being better than Avi and LaRoche seems much clearer right now. I think LaRoche will bounce back a bit. Avi is a problem, but if he plays every day, at some point, his numbers will look great, like they did in May last year.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 03:14 PM) As of right now--the offseason has been a failure in my opinion. Todd Frazier was a good addition, but there are still a gaping holes out in RF, SS and DH. We all know Saladino is not an every day starting SS on a contending team. We all know Avi is bad and the only thing going for him is his age. We all know the La Roche signing was a bust and the DH spot in the lineup is a huge concern. If one of these guys can be average--that's a positive, but the chances for all three being positive WAR contributors to this team (that is supposed to contend) is a bit of a stretch. I can accept playing Saladino every day at SS until Tim Anderson is ready to go. However, the fact that they did not address that RF spot is beyond me?!? If Saladino fields his position well, he sure can be a starting SS on a contending team. He is also a great baserunner. Steamer projects an 80 wRC+, when the Sox won the WS, Uribe put up an 84. Back in the Sox heyday in the early 90s Ozzie was averaging about a 75. If he is anywhere near as good of defensive SS as he showed at 3B, he isn't going to have to hit much to be valuable.

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 01:47 PM) If Sanchez is not starting at 2B, and I doubt he does, he should be playing every day in Charlotte. He really isn't ideal as utility unless he can play SS as a backup. He has been working out at SS. I think they will keep him although he doesn't bring great speed to the bench. But the defense may get better when Frazier or Lawrie get some time off.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 01:44 PM) Levine was on the radio this morning strongly emphasizing that they need to get a lefty bat and would trade lower-level prospects to get one. Yes, that seems to be the company line. Stone was going on and on about a lefty bat a month ago. He seemed disappointed Chris Davis was no longer available. I think they just need an upgrade.