Dick Allen

The one thing I always get from a Soxfest minor league seminar is everyone raving about Marco Paddy. I think it depends on his and his team's evaluation. As the article pointed out, these, for the most part, are 15 or 16 year olds. Buddy Bell said something interesting that I didn't know. Most of these guys are training for showcases, not playing in games, so not only are they children, they aren't actually used to playing much baseball. They are training in a combine environment. They have to be taught which base to throw to, how to round bases, etc. I don't think I would go over with the real young guys. The guys I would go over with are the more advanced guys . I don't think I would give a 16 year old $20 million and the league $20 million for signing him even if 3 or 4 years down the line it may look prudent.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 08:25 PM) He claims to have an actual quote. Doesn't mean it's true. You really think he would make up a quote? What would be his motivation? He doesn't have a horse in the race. I really don't think he cares where Desmond signs. Plus, the quote sort of shoots down a poker game. That ship has sailed followed by a contract offer would make no sense. Perhaps they talked to him earlier this week and perhaps today, and realized they weren't going to come to terms, where then both stories were correct.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 08:17 PM) When was the last time Nightengale broke any sort of news? He has an actual quote form a White Sox official.

Well somebody with "sources" got played. I don't think it is Nightengale. If he is using a White Sox official as a quote, I doubt he is making that up. Certainly doesn't seem like they are preparing a big run, and really that was the first clue it was probably BS. That isn't how they do business. I wonder who Hayes' source was,

QUOTE (oldsox @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 06:05 PM) Anybody know which side originally wanted the QO system? MLBPA or ownership? Or was it just a product of negotiation? There is zero chance it was a players association idea.

QUOTE (bmags @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 05:28 PM) Do they really though? All of Hahn's recent moves we've known pretty well in advance they had interest. Samardjiza days in advance. Frazier interest for months. Lawrie was telegraphed like a glove. Latos was only "surprise" Peavy to Boston, etc etc Those were after the fact. It wasn't seriously thinking about making a big run type of stuff. Melky and Robertson were surprises. P

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 05:14 PM) Herman reporting that the Sox are "Seriously considered making a big run at Ian Desmond". Said he thinks he's a great fit & talks like it will be more than 1 year. The White Sox don't operate this way. Hahn even said they like to keep the competition in the dark. I think this is a plant to try to get Fowler to move. Or a plant by Desmond camp to try to drum up business.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 03:16 PM) my bad, that's the last time I rely on MLBtradrumors, they had a blurb on him saying Boris was his agent. Unless he changed recently it's "Sports One Athlete Solutions". One thing you were correct about was Heyman when he is mentioning Boras' clients. Boras uses and abuses him.

Can't field, can't hit, can't go to the minors, and if he does figure it out, becomes a free agent. That's attractive.

None of these numbers matter until Royals Review posts theirs.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 12:58 PM) I love Jo, but he's not a complete player, and it absolutely kills this team. It's 4 on 5 with him out there, even when healthy. They need to look elsewhere. Same with Pau. The rumors about resigning him for 20 million is absurd. Find the next superstar to pair with Butler. Hope Portis develops into a Taj-like contributor. Hope McDermott can hit open shots. Hope Mirotic plays with a brain. And then draft well. For the Bulls to be a championship team in the next 4 or 5 years, they are either going to have to miss the playoffs and get unbelievably lucky in the lottery, or sign a free agent star. You would think signing the free agent star would be easier, but I don't know. I just think you decrease your odds of signing a star when Gar walks into the room, considering with the cap, the money is all the same.

Bottom line is Gar got exactly what he wanted, and it blew up in his face. He needs to go. Someone else needs to clean his mess.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 12:35 PM) Well Mirotic has regressed this year and McDermott is still a net negative every time he steps on to the court so the coaching change seems to have done them both a lot of good. Butler and Noah developed into stars under Thibs. They might have developed into stars if Hoiberg coached the last 5 years, we obviously will never know. Mirotic's regressing though, and he was one guy they assumed would blossom away from Thibs, is depressing. Would the rent a point guard have worked under any other coach?

Games missed last season, 50 wins. Pau 4 Butler 17 Noah 15 Dunleavy 19 Gibson 20 Hinrich 16 Rose 31 McDermott 46 Snell 10 If they tuned out Thibs, they haven't tuned in anyone this year. If it was time for Thibs, it's time for the Mayor and his boy Gar. Gar really needs to go. He forced out Ron Adams, now with a ring at GS. Wouldn't let Thibs hire the strength guy from Houston, now with SA. I read when Thibs was hired, it was a JR pick. Pax wanted Collins, Gar wanted Mike Brown or Lawrence Frank. It wasn't time to change the coach. It was time to change the players. The team isn't good enough. There isn't a coach in the world that would make this team healthy and championship caliber.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 11:56 AM) Yep. That was a great article. Just finished reading it. I thought the line the minute they fired Thibs made one of the most coachable teams one of the most uncoachable was genius.

Google Bulls will continue free fall, and get behind the paywall for Haughs column today. Sometimes I think he's a dufus, but I think he nailed it today.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 09:23 AM) I know Fowler would bring OBP and a LHB that the Sox are looking for but I'm starting to lean heavily towards going after Jackson instead. Both players have their pros and cons but Jackson hit RHP better last year and is tremendously better in CF. I really think Jackson's defense would balance out any short comings he may have in comparison to Fowler. Signing Jackson puts him in CF, Eaton RF and Avi could platoon LF with Melky. When there's a LHP on the mound, let Avi play LF and give Melky's legs a break at DH. With a RHP, LaRoche is at DH and Melky plays LF. Robin can use LaRoche against good RHP and Avi against average RHP so they can still see if Avi improves or not, which the Sox seem hell bent on doing any way. I liked Jackson all along until I found out Boras was his agent. I'm guessing if you get him for a discount it will be well into spring training. Boras probably figures he can get the $8 million 1 year contract at any time so he will wait and maybe there is an injury or someone's OF situation takes a turn for the worse and they need Austin Jackson. For some reason the Sox seem hellbent on a guy who hits RHP. So who knows what is going to happen, but I think if Jackson's demands at the moment were reasonable, he would be on a roster.

QUOTE (knightni @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 08:19 AM) No. He napalmed the bridge. I think Ozzie Jr. blasted Hahn last summer for no apparent reason, and blasted the White Sox for not making a huge deal out of Ozzie making some HOF. Ozzie isn't coming back. They aren't putting up with the Guillen boys and the twitter.

Ozzie is disengaged. One of the things that got him fired in Miami was Cora was doing all of the work. Ozzie was busy with twitter and whatever else. He would spend the majority of game days holed up in his office doing nothing. I was watching a bit of the Caribbean Series the other day and Ozzie was the color man. He harldy ever said anything, and every time they went to the booth, Ozzie was scrambling to take off his glasses and put his phone down. Like Ditka, he bought his hype, and is now mailing it in. I thought maybe he could be a coach again, but I have re-considered. He is still the post WS champion Ozzie.

5 losses in a row at home for this championship roster.

Taj is hurt. Shocking.

I wonder what ARod is doing in town.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 07:00 PM) I think the best way to change the system would be changing two things. 1) Average the top 100 salaries instead of 125. Making it slightly higher will make teams think a little longer before just offer the QO. 2) A team only loses a pick if they sign them for an AAV of more than the qualifying offer. Teams can still gain a pick in the comp round. That wouldn't be bad. I would like all non playoff 1st rounders protected.

QUOTE (Jake @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 06:28 PM) These players are proof that something has to change with the QO system, because they truly aren't worth a lost 1st round draft pick when you also have to pay them money on top of it. Where it really makes no sense is it costs bad teams that aren't bad enough to have their pick protected, wind up paying a higher price to sign a player than a playoff team. Why should signing a guy cost Baltimore pick 14 and KC pick 25 or so?

I just randomly looked at the 2010 draft. A great one for the White Sox BTW. Sale, Petricka, Reed. All drafts are obviously different but I picked 6 years because that gave time for development. From picks 20 on down, there were 4 or 5 players you would definitely regret giving up the pick for Dexter Fowler if you knew the Sox were targeting them. But that is a pretty small percentage of players for help a few years from now when you need an immediate upgrade. They still would have 2 of the top 50 picks. If the reason they don't sign him is the draft pick, I really have no idea why they would even talk to him in the first place. It makes no sense. I got the impression from Hahn, that draft pick wasn't going to hinder the team from immediate improvement. If Fowler signs for peanuts and the Sox don't upgrade, that is a total fail IMO. I still think they upgrade. If it isn't Fowler, maybe they sign Desmond. It also seems like they have some relievers they can deal. Some pitching is going to go to another team before opening day.