Dick Allen

Somewhat surprising Lou Canellis on DRose sitting out on Monday. I totally agree. “I’ll never question a player who says he’s hurt, but sore! Everyone at the end of a seven-game road trip has general soreness. Rose’s teammates needed him last night. No Butler, no Noah, no Mirotic and desperate for a win. Sore, smarting or sick—this team needed it’s hottest player. They’re free-falling right out of the playoff picture. The Bulls had no shot without Rose, and they knew it. They were defeated at the tip, giving up 38 first-quarter points to a below-five-hundred team. “Defense is about effort, not talent. So quit making excuses for Rose. He should have been out there.”

QUOTE (Tannerfan @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 03:05 PM) Why does Law not like Fulmer? I'm guessing there is too much effort in his motion, and he's not very big. He probably thinks he will breakdown.

If I was a player, I would never be too optimistic about a contract agreement with Baltimore. There is always the physical which seems harder to pass than the bar exam.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 09:52 AM) Apparently my post wasn't very well written. My entire point was that if they could sign Fowler for that deal it would have been done. The point being, as time goes on and suitors fall by the boards, his demands will go down. He turned down $15.8 million 1 year contract. I'm pretty sure he would sign that today. You are right, if they could sign him to that today, they would. It doesn't mean they won't be able to at some point.

If there was nothing Gar/Pax could do about the plight of the Bulls, then maybe there was someone out there who could. Maybe it was just GM talk when they mentioned the "championship roster", but people still give Wanne crap for his all the pieces are in place comments. Pax has had a long run, apparently didn't like the GM role too much, so they kicked him upstairs. Gar, I have no idea who he impressed. It is time for a change. It would be interesting to see someone who isn't as connected to these players take on the situation. The love GarPax apparently has for this roster isn't going to do Bulls fans any favors. Change will definitely start happening this offseason. It would be nice to have a fresh approach.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 10:39 AM) The Bulls offensive efficiency metrics were much stronger than people give credit for under Thibs. I'm also a long believer that to stay healthy you need to play and put in the work. I honestly don't think, outside of Pop, there is an active coach better than him. Others might be on the same page, but I don't think anyone, other than Pop, is better than him. Part of winning a title is luck and a championship roster, and the year we had that roster, Rose went down in the playoffs. Heck, even the year before Rose went down, we might have had that roster, but Rose tweaked his ankle in the Miami series and we blew some late leads. That time was awfully close. If Thibs coached the Cavs (current) or Heat teams with Lebron, are you saying he doesn't win a title? Are you saying if he was the coach of the Warriors, he doesn't win a title? Coaching can only do so much, but ultimately, to win a title, you need to be on paper, the most talented or extremely close to the most talented team in the league. A coach can put a lot of other makeup on and help, but you need players to win the whole thing. Yeah, the Thibs will never win a title is crazy to say. If he has the talent, he will win a title. If Phil or Pop had the Bulls roster the past several years, they wouldn't win a title either.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 10:26 AM) Yep. That was an awful move. Ron was widely viewed as one of the top assistants in the league and has done nothing but excel elsewhere. Another Gar signature move. If this team stayed healthy, or if this teamed played well enough, I could easily say, Gar you were right, the blame here was on Thibs. That was not the case at all. I don't know how anyone at this point can say they had no problem with the Bulls firing Thibs, but would find it wrong firing Gar and/or Pax. Does Jimmy Butler develop into the player he is without Thibs? You have to figure if he developed into the player under Hoiberg, Gar would be singing his praises, not leaking stuff to the press how most of the players didn't like playing for Thibs. The hack job they did on Thibs out the door, and the way the team has not done any better this year, should be a huge embarrassment to the organization.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 09:50 AM) Like in the other thread, what should the Bulls have done? Not hope that McDermott and Mirotic panned out? Should they have scrapped those plans after one season? Or the injuries to Noah and Dunleavy? Was that really foreseeable? Or now Butler? I mean come on guys, this is 99% on injuries. The roster was never good enough to compete with GSW or SA or maybe even Cleveland. But given the circumstances, the roster was probably the best they could do with Rose still on the roster commanding 25 mil a year. One thing they could have done was not bring back the entire roster except Portis for Nazr and proclaim it a championship roster. You are saying the roster is flawed. GarPax didn't see it that way, and were willing to pay $9 million to show everyone the thing holding back the Bulls was their coach. To me, that's fireable. It isn't a championship roster if everyone is healthy, and to expect this particular group of players to be healthy is beyond crazy as well. Gar called it a championship roster. He should be held accountable to his words.

QUOTE (TheFutureIsNear @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 09:25 AM) Aumont is garbage. He throws hard with movement but he has absolutely no clue where the pitch will end up. He's not a factor in anything unless there is a miracle turnaround at age 27/28. In all likelihood he will be garbage, but signing these guys, especially relievers, if you aren't counting on them, is pretty good business. You change something up and it works, he's a steal. These guys only usually have to get 1 to 3 outs an outing. The smallest tweak can make a huge difference.

Phil Rogers said this signing was competition for LaRoche in spring training. If it is, they aren't setting the bar very high.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 09:11 AM) They also have Phillipe Aumont who was pretty solid out of the pen for Philly as well who is on the outside looking in. If you consider his performance solid out of the pen, Johnson should be considered a Cy Young candidate at the very least.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 08:49 AM) I'll say it again: to anyone still referencing the existence of a hard "three-year contention window" that we're currently in -- that quotation was taken entirely out of context. Williams' was referring to the idea of a rolling three-year outlook, specifically that ideas need to fit into that process. Exactly. If you ever go to BA's top prospects, and they do a projected team line up in 5 years, the line ups are never close to reality. s*** happens. If you are trying to lock your team into some 5 year window, you are going to be scrambling. Even 3, they will be changing on the fly.

QUOTE (Saufley @ Feb 10, 2016 -> 08:02 AM) If the Sox sign someone for two years then that is the end of their three year window, that they gave themselves. If they don't make the playoffs with the 2016 & 2017 teams then maybe that would be the time to reconsider the future and how to rebuild. If some are shaky about Fowler now, they should be more shaky after 2 more seasons. So what if all these contracts expire in 2 years. Depending on the situation, they should either have a lot of money to play with or a great excuse to step back a season and rebuild, and have a lot to spend on the right now huge free agent class. If the Sox signed Fowler to a Howie Kendrick contract, they win.

I thought the Sox were down on Johnson, but after Soxfest, I really don't think so. The guy is sort of robotic now with his new routine. I am not so concerned with bad peripherals considering it was September so the season was extended for him a bit. If the Sox were that down on him, as silly as this sounds, I really doubt he would have been a main guest at a Soxfest seminar. This sets up competition. The Sox needed another starter. Johnson has nothing to prove in AAA . If he can't crack the rotation now, he either has to go to the bullpen, or be traded. If he is throwing well in spring training, another team is going to have a need, and his paycheck is attractive to others.

QUOTE (2005thxfrthmmrs @ Feb 9, 2016 -> 06:21 PM) We know you're critical of Garpax, but this team is still the second most talent roster in the East when healthy. The have have been inconsistent, they have underperformed, and all the injuries did not help. The problem is none of the guys getting hurt are anything new. They have all been missing games the last few years. Even Butler. It was a nice theory all the injuries were on Thibs, but this is and has been and injury prone roster, how the people getting paid to make the roster haven't been able to see that is beyond puzzling. Rose missing a game with overall soreness with Butler out and the team reeling shows what an anti leader he is. Oh, he will be good to go on Wednesday bi put can't play at all on Monday when the team needs him. They need to do what they can do to see he is on another team as soon as possible.

QUOTE (Tony @ Feb 9, 2016 -> 03:16 PM) Sox also signed Travis Ishikawa. The ticket office must be busy.

Robin is known to have a slow hook. Latos was irked by the quick hook with the Dodgers. It doesn't at least appear Hahn is thinking about trading Johnson. From the email the White Sox sent out: "Mat adds another quality veteran arm to our rotation and also increases our overall pitching depth, which always is essential to having a successful season," said Rick Hahn, White Sox senior vice president/general manager. "While we believe in the futures of several of our young starters, the chance to add a pitcher of Mat's caliber was too good of an opportunity for us to pass up. He has proven over his career that when healthy, he takes the baseball and logs quality innings."

If he works out, the signing is Hahn's genius. If he is terrible, it's KW's stupidity.

QUOTE (2005thxfrthmmrs @ Feb 9, 2016 -> 02:32 PM) Not that it's likely in this scenario, but have coaches who've been fired by a team end up being hired by the team again? Mike Brown. Flip Saunders. Doug Moe I think with the Nuggets. The Bulls almost hired Doug Collins when they hired Thibs. It happens, but Thibs isn't coming back. He can find a job way too easily, and the public shaming was ridiculous. I like JR, but that was classless and unnecessary, and IMO he got played by Gar Foreman.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 9, 2016 -> 01:33 PM) Right now they're 7th in the East. Blog I just read suggests this is 7+ games for Jimmy. Bulls are 1.5 games ahead of the Hornets, in the middle of a losing skid, now without their best player. I sure as heck would be trading Gasol for the best deal I could get in this situation, probably also trying to clear either dunleavy or Gibson out so that they can make a full max contract offer to anyone and everyone next offseason. What's the harm? Butler + Rose + Durant sounds like an adequate setup to me. They should be shopping Pau regardless. He's opting out, and they have no chance at a title. Dunleavy...good luck with that. Taj is due for an ankle injury any day now. The problem is how many teams have a legit shot to win, and how many of those teams not named San Antonio and Golden State,are perhaps a Dunleavy or Gibson away? I'd say about zero. Pau is a different story, plus it does you no good to hang onto him.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Feb 9, 2016 -> 01:59 PM) Yea this. He seems like he's a dick towards women but if that is an issue than f*** who you gonna sign? Just don't hit women. But cheating and sleeping around and leading girls on? Par for the course for pro athletes. Exactly. If you were going to field a team based on fidelity, you would have a hard time fielding a team. That stuff is between him and the ladies in his life. Like you said, if he hits them, that's a something different.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Feb 9, 2016 -> 01:53 PM) I'm just surprised Baltimore didn't take a chance on him or offer him more than $3 million, their rotation is projected for 2nd worst in baseball. His reputation seems to have cost him some potential suitors and cash money. Hopefully, the White Sox benefit. I am not a big fan of him, but for $3 million? If he sucks, he cost less than Scott Downs, and Emilio Bonifacio.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 9, 2016 -> 01:50 PM) There were rumors about his attitude as far back to his first few years in San Diego There are always rumors. Facts are, there are assholes on every team. Maybe, if he happens to be one, his struggles last year, and having to settle for $3 million, when a year ago, he probably thought he was worth at least $100 million more than that, humbles him a bit.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Feb 9, 2016 -> 01:46 PM) Everybody is calling him an asshole, but without searching on Google can somebody tell me the story to why? Or is this like the AJ is an asshole thing where you just get a reputation because you want to win? The only things I can see is he somehow burned his bridges out of Cincinnati and was pretty upset with how the Dodgers used him. I am sure Frazier was consulted about his perceived clubhouse issues, and they signed him, so it probably isn't nearly as bad as rumored.

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Feb 9, 2016 -> 01:38 PM) If so, I like this. When Latos' arm blows up or if Danks is ineffective Johnson could see plenty of starts this year. Johnson is wound pretty tight. I think he is going to be ready for spring training. If he earns a spot in the rotation but gets sent back to Charlotte, I think he could unravel. I was at Soxfest when he was talking about his routine. He sounded like he was in the military. If I were RH, if Johnson doesn't make the roster out of spring training through no fault of his own, I'm trading him. I think he may lose a screw if he's sent back to Charlotte if he deserved a spot on the major league team.