Dick Allen

He was playing in an Independent league into his 50s. He got into a brawl a few years ago. I wonder if he was ever able to conquer his addiction to the crack rock.

Micah Johnson hurt his hand taking out an avocado pit. Is out for a week. Trayce better be careful.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 12:02 PM) You know every year we get these articles about players being in the best shape of their life. When are we going to start getting articles of players are in the best hitting, pitching or defense spot in their lives lol. Avi could be in the best shape of his life but if he can't hit the ball or catch it then sure doesn't matter about the shape he's in That's coming. Everyone who struggled last year will look great. It will be night and day from last year. LaRoche is due for an article like this. Latos will be in ace form as well. I'm still wondering if anyone will tell us Jesse Crain has a chance of breaking with the team even though he isn't even there.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 11:18 AM) Avi needs to just take the Toronto approach and swing out of his ass on every pitch I agree. Open his stance and try to hit everything on the plate and in into the LF seats.

Avi lost a ton of weight last offseason. Was barely recognizable at Soxfest. Said he was eating fish. Obviously he gained some of it back, but it didn't help him too much. Maybe his knee will feel better lighter, but as everyone pointed out..........

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Feb 19, 2016 -> 07:53 AM) I clearly said that they didn't get anywhere near the value for the prospects they traded. But it could also be true (it has been in the past ) that their farm is a heck of a lot stronger than the Sox farm, which gives them the ability to trade their good prospects without hurting future). The Red Sox also woefully overpaid for relief pitcher. They didnt hurt their future. I long for the day when making such trade wouldn't hurt the Sox future If your team was so bad you had the #1 pick in the draft, and you trade that player 6 months later, you either drafted terribly or made a big mistake. To say a franchise is not hurting it's future by giving away a #1 overall pick is crazy, especially coming from you. Considering they just traded for a SS who can't hit or field, it makes it even more outrageous.

So did juicing lengthen careers or shorten them? If the juice caused Juan Gone to fall apart, why were there so many guys pushing 40 putting up .900 or so OPSs?

If anyone actually reads what Levine wrote, he said high k rate, and average defense. I think average is being pretty fair.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 02:46 PM) Really makes you wonder if they ever even had a plan honestly. I mean, KW sure made it sound like Hahn wasnt prepared earlier this offseason. I have no idea what this FO is doing anymore, and it's really tough to rationalize why I continue to give them so much of my time and energy. I wish the Bears were good so I didnt need to agonize over the Sox all winter. I think many took those KW comments out of context. He wasn't throwing Hahn under a bus, he was saying he was still gathering information. The reality is they didn't pay much of a price to upgrade at cather. Lawrie didn't cost much. Frazier cost some prospects, but considering the lack of 3B in MLB, it wasn't a really high price to pay. Latos at $3 million was nothing. Jones will be farther from surgery and around on day 1. They have paid a minimal price for their upgrades. I can understand why they didn't sing Gordon or Cespedes or Upton. Those guys went places where if the Sox matched those contracts, they were staying there. In Upton's case, Detroit probably would have gone as high as it had to go. Gordon wasn't leaving KC unless the Sox offer was significantly better, and Cespedes would probably have cost at least $30 million for the 2016 season. If Fowler gets 3/$45 million, I can accept them not signing him. But if it is 2/$25 million or something like that, I'm sorry, that is something you cannot pass up if you are going for it and don't want to waste Sale/Abreu etc. prime years.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 02:29 PM) If no other changes are made, it will be shocking to see how poorly the roster is constructed (bench wise). A bench of Navarro/Sanchez/Shuck/Sands (or Olt, etc) is pretty awful. Is it really much worse than the World Series bench with Timo, Ozuna, Widger, Harris, Blum for half a year? I think people put way too much stock in the bench.

I doubt the Bulls sign anyone. They would have to pay luxury tax.

Maybe we will be pleasantly surprised in the next few days. I know I am more than surprised it appears at this point, the 3 days with Todd Steverson in Miami has the Sox feeling good about Avi.

At least they did something.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 02:03 PM) If you are Rick Hahn, are you willing to go to Jerry Reinsdorf and the Board of Directors and tell them that Dexter Fowler is the guy you need to put you over the top? Considering some of his other choices, I think that would be easy, and an easy sale. If JR didn't want to pay, OK. Of course, JR was sold a bill of goods with Avi. The biggest problem I have with the wait until they play a couple of months and see how Avi fares, , if Avi sucked, you may have cost yourself precious games. If you sign Fowler and Avi suddenly shows he can play, there will be plenty of opportunities to play him unless LaRoche snaps back, and Melky returns to his steroid day performance. And if all of them came up big, who cares? They were willing to stick their necks way out for Cespedes and Gordon, if the reports are anywhere near accurate. For Fowler or Jackson or someone similar, the neck doesn't have to go out as far. At least theoretically.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 01:50 PM) I have said all winter that I don't think it is fear. I think it is a limitation of resources. They have spent all winter trying to get someone, but haven't been able to. That tells me there is more to the story than fear. I am the first to say there is more money in a budget to sign a guy like Cespedes or Gordon, than a guy like Fowler. And I will give you they don't have unlimited resourses. But if they can't afford Dexter Fowler or some of these other lesser guys, there is something wrong somewhere. It's the time to stick your neck out. It's not sticking your neck out so far you put the franchise in danger. Not making the move may actually cost you more in the long run than making it.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 01:45 PM) "We're fine with what we have." Part... I don't even know It's a championship roster. Just wait until next year when they all come back and are all healthy the entire year. General Soreness may play 82 games.

If the Sac pick is top 10 protected, if trading them Snell could make it top 9 protected, send him away.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 01:24 PM) Yes we are a couple of pieces short. So is the entire AL Central. I don't think we are the leading candidate here, but we sure aren't out of it. The team has been improved a lot during the off-season, and it might be enough. Here is the thing though, even if we can't win it this year, the next off-season is probably going to be one of the best sellers markets in the history of baseball. All you have to do is look at the free agent market and know that teams that are willing to trade assets aren't going to be competing against quality free agents. They are going to be going against the worst free agent market in modern history. In a scenario where the Sox don't make it, AND decide to sell, they can decide to sell short term assets, such as Frazier and Lawrie, or they can go full out rebuild and trade from the starting pitcher stash. If they were to do it, they should be able to control the selling market more than most times. All the more reason to buy one of these guys next season. If they are so afraid they may have to sell off next year, these contracts aren't going to do any damage to them. As Stacey says, if your scared, buy a dog. You want to win, need an OF, and some reasonably priced OFs are available, if you don't jump on them and your guy fails, you failed. Then it's time to bring in someone with other ideas. This half assed going for it hasn't worked. Yes, they are improved from last year, but why stop now? It's like scoring 5 runs in the first, and giving up all of your other ABs. If they are going to go for it, go for it. It doesn't require a superstar or $100 million for a huge upgrade.

According to Hoopsrumors, the Kings are high on Tony Snell. They are high alright.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 01:12 PM) Napier for Brooks might be the trade, Bulls would save some Luxury Tax money apparently... Brooks would have to approve because he would lose his Bird rights.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 11:46 AM) Bulls in discussions for Shabazz Napier Maybe that will entice LeBron to ask for a trade.

QUOTE (ozzfest @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 09:58 AM) Rumor out there that the Bulls are discussing Jahlil Okafor with 76ers. I have no idea who the Bulls could trade other than Butler to net Okafor. If I would say there is a zero percent chance of the Bulls getting Okafor, would it be considered too optimistic?

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 09:33 AM) @SAMAMICK: On Pau Gasol-to-Sac possibility that the Yahoo crew reported, I'm getting skepticism from Bulls side that a deal will materialize today. @SAMAMICK: Worth noting: DeMarcus Cousins has always cited Pau as a big man whose game he admires perhaps above all others, so that'd be a fun pairing. People can b**** at ozzfest all they want, but if the Bulls don't move a piece or 2,particularly Pau who could get you something, it is a GarPax fail. I can't blame them for not trading Snell. Someone would actually have to want him.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Feb 17, 2016 -> 06:46 PM) the assets are the opportunity cost. You're spending money and a roster spot and basically giving up on what could be an asset in the future -- Avi -- and for what? You're giving up flexibility that could be used on a much better upgrade later on. You guys that are pining for Jackson -- have you watched him play since he left Detroit? He's on the wrong side of 30 and put up a whopping 1.7 bWAR last year. Steamer projects him for 1.1 fWAR. He's no great shakes and you're asking him to play RF mostly, where he's played a total of 22 games in his career. The upgrade to go get is Fowler. That is a clear upgrade. Jackson is not worth the opportunity cost. he is on the same side of 30 as Avi.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Feb 17, 2016 -> 06:41 PM) The only assets Jackson would cost is money. Jackson defense alone is a big upgrade over Avi. Yes, and Jackson has averaged a 3 WAR the last 6 years. A low of 0.9 in 2014, but had a 2.3 in a down year in 2015. Of course, we have no idea about cost, but if he is cheap, another no brainer.