Dick Allen

It's Cowley so who knows how much is made up: http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/7/71/12...lf-preservation

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 12:04 PM) Umm...even with those numbers, would you be comfortable paying $36 million over 2 years to a 33 year old who's essentially a platoon player at this point? I'm desperate, but not that desperate. Considering major league pitching is 80% right handed, his being a "platoon player" is no big deal. The other stuff, you're right.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 11:52 AM) Since 2001, Cleveland has one ALCS trip and lost the play-in game once. That's it. Worse than the White Sox, they aren't winning at all, that's why the fans aren't coming back. They never won it all when they were selling out. The White Sox drew less the last time they made the playoffs than the season before when they lost 90 games. Tanking for a few years would require some pretty spectacular results. I don't know why people have a problem watching Chris Sale and Jose Abreu play baseball and hope the guys around them improve enough to win. It isn't like tanking guarantees you anything either. KC and Pittsburgh were horrible for a long time. The Cubs have sucked for years. The White Sox are getting high draft picks anyway. So what is the difference other than the prospects they would get for their better players. At this point, do you really think the prospects they get for Sale will be better for the White Sox than Chris Sale? Maybe when he is a year or 2 from leaving and there is no hope for competing. This is a fanbase that still holds trading Alvarez, Hernandez and Danny Darwin at the trade deadline 3 games out, against the organization.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 11:42 AM) They are already 26th in attendance without rebuilding. How much of a difference would it really make? It makes a difference. Look at Cleveland, they sold out every game how many years in a row? They have made the playoffs since, but still now draw less than the White Sox. Once they leave, it's harder to get them back. Winning doesn't always work.

It was sad to see him his last year with the Padres. He could barely walk. What is odd, is for all the times he has been HBP, and all the times he has been injured, I don't think one of those extended times hurt was because of a HBP. You would have to think for as often as he has gone down, one of those times would have broken a bone in a hand or something.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 10:44 AM) The Dodgers are pretty clearly prioritizing depth and have yet to indicate they care about their payroll levels at all. They've got surplus OF, IF, and SP. I don't think they're worried about Ethier's playing time, and I don't think they're too desperate to rid themselves of his contract. I'd be shocked if he weren't available, but I'm betting that it'll either cost us a decent prospect or to take the entirety of the contract off their hands. Otherwise, they'll just keep him and have a good platoon piece. Given that, Fowler is younger, less injury prone, and the cost of a comp-round pick is probably similar to what Ethier would draw anyway. I think they are starting to care about their payroll, or there really wouldn't be a reason to let Greinke walk.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 10:18 AM) Why does everyone keep trying to give them Laroche. They absolutely have no need or room for him. You might have been more likely with Danks before the Dodgers went on a bringing in a ton of pitching but probably not now. Most likely you are probably taking about a bullpen arm at this point for Ethier. It's for the cost, and it opens up a roster spot. Like it or not, the White Sox need Danks. It's another way to throw cash the White Sox way. The Dodgers could just waive LaRoche.

QUOTE (Finkelstein @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 10:03 AM) LaRoche and Putnam for Ethier and 2.5M (covers the 2018 buyout). If it were me, it would take at least $8 million more, and no Putnam.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 10:12 AM) Out of everything this is a super weird thing to blame Hoiberg for. Pau has been lost defensively his whole career. Pau thinks he's playing in an All Star game on the defensive end.

Kendall Gill blasted how they defend pick and rolls. He said if they defended it the way he thinks they should defend it, they would have 10 more wins.

Remember last year when it looked like Snell was breaking out? That was awesome.

QUOTE (bmags @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 09:54 AM) I will say the Bulls team last year had some really bad runs when Dunleavy was out of lineup, much stronger with him in it. He is one of the few players who plays within the flow of an offense. He always makes decisions quickly and keeps things moving. Love him as a player. He's a nice player, especially at his price level. I just don't think things are going to change much when he returns.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 09:45 AM) I haven't been impressed with Hoiberg, but I haven't really seen the Trestman level screw ups either. I think he's a guy that inherited a team with expectations and then immediately got hit with really tough injuries. Not having Dunleavy is a huge missing component to this team. People say he's old, but he's a very smart player, a very good shooter, and a guy that moves without the ball. One of the few on the roster that does that well and that's really what this team is missing. He's also lost Noah and Rose for some games. Moore and Hinrich here and there. And now Mirotic. That's not easy. This team is probably a lost cause, but getting the 3 position solidified with Dunleavy is going to help immensely IMO, assuming he's 100%. That's all that really matters at this point. Either they reach their peak at the end of the year heading into the playoffs, or they continue to play .500 ball and bow out early. No sense in getting all worked up over it before the All-Star break. Yeah, I don't think the Mayor is anywhere near Trestman level. Gar really set his "friend" up for failure. It is crazy Dunleavy is now suddenly Michael Jeffrey Dunleavy, savior, to many Bulls fans. He's 35 with a bad back. As for injuries, that is nothing new to this franchise. I mentioned it before, Thibs won games through a ton of injuries, and many wanted to blame the injuries on him. The fact is, the Bulls are loaded with injury prone players.

Ethier's age and his 2014 performance still make him a huge risk. I don't think any team is going to do the Dodgers any favors and give them a sure fire player in return, no matter how much money is eaten. They are up against a wall. A ton of OF, a guy close to 5/10 which means if they want to get rid of him then, it will cost more. They always want something to waive a no trade, and his age. The guy could be perfect for 2 years, he could be awful. If I was Hahn, I wouldn't do it unless they took LaRoche back, and no other decent players, and maybe a little stipend for 2017. Let them do what they have to with LaRoche.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 09:29 AM) Blame Jimmy for that. Didn't Gar/Pax leak that the players didn't want Thibs back, including Jimmy? Now it's Jimmy's fault if they aren't running the system they deemed to be the best fit? That is a big indictment of Hoiberg and the people who hired him and made sure to make the old coach look as bad as possible out the door.

The White Sox aren't going to trade for Ethier unless there is a lot of cash in one form or another coming back their way, and the player cost would have to be extremely low as well.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 09:18 AM) Whatever happened to the "we are going to add younger, more cost controlled players to the roster" plan? How does an Andre Ethier square up with that vision? Not too much differently than Cespedes, and you seemed to have a big problem with the Sox not offering Cespedes whatever it took, which would have been not younger and not cost controlled.

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 08:31 AM) An outfielder coming off knee surgery is a gamble. Better off seeing how he does in ST. There is some indication Tampa added outfield depth because Jennings may struggle to regain his previous ability. But if he can be had for a B prospect, might be worth a shot. There's the rub. You really have to see how healthy he is. Jennings with a bum wheel is pretty much worthless. I know he is really good defensively, but if I were the GM, the Sox need offense, I would rather have a guy who gets his WAR with his bat in the small OF rather than his glove. Not a horrific fielder, but at USCF, you can get by with average to a little below average defenders. When the White Sox won, you can hype Pods all you want, he was average. JD in RF was average at best, but they made all the plays they were supposed to make. I rather have a guy like that who hits, than a right around .700 OPS guy who is terrific with the glove.

For those who think Hoiberg's system doesn't fit the Bulls roster, the guy that hired him didn't agree: "Obviously we've known Fred for a long, long time and felt very highly of Fred," Forman said. "We have great respect for who he is as a person, and we have great respect for the job that he has done. He's a talented, in-demand coach that has attracted significant interest throughout the league and was on top of our list as we began this process ... as we [visited with him] it became very apparent to us that he was the fit that we had talked about. A fit with our players, a fit with our team, and he was the right guy to maximize the potential of this basketball team." If this is maximizing the potential, the potential isn't good enough, and GarPax needs to be broken up.

QUOTE (3GamesToLove @ Feb 1, 2016 -> 10:59 AM) So, did he leave FOX or what? Unclear from that tweet. He is still with Fox.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 1, 2016 -> 09:12 AM) http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/splits/_/id/.../skip-schumaker For once, I can agree with you about something. To extrapolate 6/22 into anything meaningful is ridiculous on the part of that writer. Over the last three years, 622 OPS against lefties and 639 against righties. Because of his positional versatility, he still would be a better solution for the White Sox than just sitting Sanchez on the bench to rot away, and he's got a ton of playoff experience as well. Obviously depends on the price tag, which won't be high. My preference continues to be Hernandez or Guerrero though from LA...with Desmond Jennings, Jackson and Fowler one of 3 possible outfield moves. Hasn't put up a 0.0 WAR since 2012. Hasn't put up a 1.0 WAR since 2009. No help. He actually has been worse than Avi.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 1, 2016 -> 08:51 AM) http://m.mlb.com/news/article/163294364?pa...12572-869959683 Skip Schumaker would be a nice veteran pick-up depending on price... 2B: Skip Schumaker Age: 35 2015 numbers: .242 batting average in 131 games Note: Valuable utility guy (he also played every outfield spot), with an .816 OPS vs. left-handed pitching in 2015. Potential landing spots: D-backs, Royals Fowler attached to White Sox, Cubs and Angels. Nothing about the Sox with either Desmond or Austin Jackson. Career .545 OPS vs. LHP with 1 home run.

QUOTE (glangon @ Feb 1, 2016 -> 05:24 AM) We used 9 over the course of the season. We used Sale, Danks, Q, Rodon, Shark, Noesi, EJ, Montas and Beck. Admittedly Montas and EJ were used as September call ups and Noesi was released because he was garbage. The 2005 White Sox used 6 which was the fewest any team had used in many years. Just a spot start here or even a minor injury there adds up.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Jan 30, 2016 -> 08:47 PM) That's what we need. Frank Thomas to help with the business side of baseball. Sure. Take advantage of the advanced degrees. Sox don't need him to teach players how to hit. Nope. Business side of baseball. He'll take charge in those board meetings. That is just a fancy title. He is going to be helping sell tickets, I would imagine a phone call from Frank Thomas would be pretty effective getting a White Sox fan to break out the credit card.

The 2 other things that stood out to me today were Buddy Bell saying the Latin players don't play games anymore. They just train for showcases so when they get signed, they basically have to be taught just about everything. That a quick fix from Latin America are few and far between. And E.Johnson seems to have developed a routine in which he has great confidence. Whether that actually works, we will have to see, but if he thinks it does, there is at least a chance. And a bonus, Wimpy and Kitty are two of the coolest guys around.