Dick Allen

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 10:09 PM) I am not melting down. Please don't put words in my mouth. It's just annoying how the Royals and Tigers upgraded and the Sox got absolutely no one. But that's how it always is so I'm not surprised. Frazier, Lowry, the catchers, and the season hasn't started yet.

3 years $70 million opt out after 1 year

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 09:47 PM) Sources: Both #Mets and #Nationals operating under assumption that other teams also are pursuing Cespedes. https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/690740739370782720 News of three-year talks between Cespedes and #Mets might have enticed other teams into mix at same term - if they weren’t involved already. https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/690740745410646017 But the Nats gave him 5 years.. Looks like Roc Nation had it's bluff called, and the Mets offer was a bit lighter than they hoped.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 09:34 PM) I never thought the White Sox would sign Cespedes...we were, nevertheless, somewhat led to believe that and nobody with the White Sox ever corrected that notion until the past couple of days of Avi fluffing. But obviously I am the only person considering all the options and backup plans and contingencies....Hahn would never do that, right? And nothing in the offseason is ever fluid or the product of changing circumstances...if they don't get Cespedes, clearly no other moves are possible. They will just jump off the roof when they realize their scheme wasn't successful to get a steal of a deal with him. it is a nice attempt to backtrack but people aren't stupid. Why is it whatever the White Sox are rumored to be doing, you insist they should be doing something else? If you want to use the everything is fluid, maybe you shouldn't say they are wrong because so far signing Cespedes has been a dumb idea, and then must. Desmond has been the better choice and then not even close. All in 4 days with no games played. The only real news was a team allegedly offered Cespedes 5 years.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 09:31 PM) 1) For the 500th time, that was for the Royals...because the situations of the two teams are exactly identical! 2) For the 500th time, Cespedes at no more than four years and no more than $100 million. 3) For the 500th time, Desmond and Fowler if they aren't costing draft picks. When it recently became quite obvious Cespedes was lost and they were looking seriously at Fowler, that's the only time it makes sense because you throw away one draft pick you might as well double down and throw away both...like last year. The first round pick is the important one. And it's not like they are investing all that money into signing a blowout Latin American class. You have actually said both the Royals and White Sox are in 2 year windows. And it wasn't just for the royals you mentioned the tidbit about Free agents. You even mentioned Pujols who has nothing to do to with the Royals.It wasn't obvious Cespedes was lost 4 days ago when you started that thread.In fact there was growing optimism the Sox were becoming the front runners.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 09:21 PM) Yeah, the NBA doesn't work that way. It's not like baseball, where you have an excess of pieces you can move across multiple levels. NBA teams have 12 guys. The Bulls have very little in terms of desirable pieces. In fact, I would argue the only tradeable piece the Bulls have is Gasol. The Bulls would arguably have to draft Hoiberg system players in concert with trading what they can. Right now they have nothing tradable. Please I know how the NBA works. The Bulls weren't throwing this season away. The only guy on last year's roster who isn't here this year is Nazr. They had a few opportunities to bring in different players. A good coach adjusts to his personnel. Not the other way around. Why can't they trade Gasol? They aren't winning a title this year and he is opting out anyway?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 09:18 PM) Which is yet another reason for the White Sox to strike now... The Phillies will be one of the teams pushing the envelope to be at least competitive in 2017. That fanbase won't be patient forever, although they did change GMs and managers so that buys them at least one year. Does anyone realize in one thread you started you said to never give free agents more than 3 years or overpay.In this thread you think the sox need to pay up to sign Cespedes, And in another thread you started, you said it would be smarter to sign Desmond and/or Jackson. Of course you started the never give more than 3 years when you thought the sox were going to get Gordon for 4 years.Started the Desmond/Jackson thread when you thought they would sign Cespedes, and now said sign Cespedes when you think there is no chance they sign him.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 08:35 PM) http://www.coachesclipboard.net/HoibergTra...DragScreen.html Basically, the personnel on this team isn't right. GarPax have committed to changing the team by hiring Hoiberg. OK I am calling bulls***. Don't tell me how competent Gar/Pax are when they hire Hoiberg and don't make one move to get the correct personnel for his system.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 08:08 PM) Therein lies the rub. Closest to a franchise-changing free agent available without trading Anderson/Fulmer or giving up draft pick compensation prior to October, 2017...is the caveat here. And franchise-changing player is exactly what he was last season. Close to MVP-caliber. Much lesser contract seasons have caused the White Sox to overbid on free agents in the past. You have stated you shouldn't sign a free agent for more than 3 years have you not? How many top free agents sign for 3 years or less? Until Adam Dunn, the white sox hadn't signed another team's free agent for more than $20 million, so overbiidding on free agents is really not something you can say the White sox have done.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 05:40 PM) Cy: I think your posts are well thought out and logical but I did notice this statement from you, "Now, continually making the wrong choices is a good way for management to lose their job, but sticking to sound process is not." In a 'normal' organization you'd be correct. I submit however the Sox are not 'normal' everyone is well awhere of JR's loyalty factor. I mean six losing seasons in the last nine years is the worst stretch of sustained bad baseball for the franchise sine 1968-1980. Throw in dropping attendance in nine of the past 10 years from the season before and TV ratings dead last and you'd think changes would have been made long before this. But they haven't been. The Sox won't even fire a manager who has the worst winning percentage in franchise history for any manager who lasted four full seasons. What can you do? Loyalty appears to mean more than accountability in the front office and certainly on the field or else Dunn and LaRoche would have been cut a long time ago too to cite two examples of players. Just my opinion. Mark New GM new Scouting director all new position players since 2013. New Latin America presence. Yeah nothing ever changes.

I'd hang on to Anderson. Finally, a toolsy guy who seems to be improving in every area.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 01:03 PM) That's why they're saying he's flexible in moving to the OF. If he can also play other infield positions and LF, his market may be stronger. Yes, but playing those positions vs. him playing SS , decreases his value. And what if he is Hanley Ramirez in the OF?

If the Sox signed Desmond, I would imagine Saladino or Sanchez would become part of the bait to lure an OF.

Desmond was similar to Alexei last year in which he was horrid both offensively and defensively the first half, but was pretty darn good the second. His k rate is starting to resemble Adam Dunn's. It was always high, but has been on the rise in recent years. But he does hit the ball in the seats which the White Sox need. When are they good when they don't hit home runs?

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 12:38 PM) From 2012-2015, Desmond was far and away the best SS in baseball in terms of fWAR despite a horrid 2015. I think his total WAR for those years is about equal to Cespedes. Of course he has been trending down before last season.

Dan O'Dowd really loves Desmond. He thought he would be the biggest value free agent signed this winter.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 12:24 PM) Historically terrible is a bit of a stretch. I put no stock into the article you linked. Every player is different. Just because most have failed that had a similar number of ABs as Avi means nothing. It took an arbitrary number of ABs and an arbitrary age and tried to show a correlation. What it did not do is show guys who were so poor in the minors that they didn't become MLB regulars until later on. Many of these type of guys have had success. Namely one of the biggest stars in the game right now in Jose Bautista. He did not even become a 1 fWAR player until his age 28 season. Or a guy like Scott Podsednik who didn't become a regular until his age 27 season and then went on to have a handful of productive years and became a sort of cult hero around here. Avi also was looking like he was on the right track until his injury in 2014. In his Sox career until the injury he had a .298/.332/.450 slash with rate stats of 21 HRs, 12 2Bs, 6 3Bs and 69 RBI per 162 games with an acceptable 22% K rate. I think all of us would take that out of Avi in a heartbeat this year. His 4% BB rate left something to be desired but other than that he was on the right track as a 22 year old. Did the injury hamper his development? Maybe. Does he still have time to turn it around? Absolutely. I am not ready to give up on him yet as he has the tools. Avi has talent and still is very young. That said, if they just expect experience to solve his problems, that isn't going to work either. He needs some drastic change.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 12:18 PM) I understand he wasn't good with the Sox towards the end as he let personal vendettas affect his reporting. But this will be the last time I repeat this: He's been very accurate on his Bulls reporting. How's his accuracy been with his Bulls reporting?

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 11:57 AM) So do they add Desmond on a 1 year deal at SS or go longer term & try to stick him out in the OF? If you are going to sign him for a year, why not just have brought Alexei back for $4 million? I did like the idea of bringing him in earlier this year, but I also thought he could probably play 3B. That is covered. Hopefully, Tim Anderson shows us SS is covered in 2017. I just don't know why you give up a pick and pay more money for Desmond when you had a guy who you could have brought back for peanuts.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 10:53 AM) Avisail Garcia, Don Cooper, Hawk, Ed Farmer, Ron Kittle, Harold Baines comprise phone sales team for #whitesox season tix customers Thurs. https://twitter.com/CST_soxvan/status/690577060436271104 I'm sure alot of fans want to hear avi calling them asking them to get season tickets lol What would a call from Harold be like? Total silence on the other end I would imagine. Did they have Coop calling fans telling them the Sox don't need them?

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 10:00 AM) He lists Avi as our second best trade chip after Quintana. Seriously. Seth Gruen is on Kaplan's show all the time. He's a huge Cubs fan who fawns over every Cub player. Considering he worked for the Sun Times, it should have been embarrassing, but you have to love doom and gloom articles when rosters aren't even set.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 09:33 AM) Ummmm....that was the strategy for what the Royals should be doing, and how it lined up with KW's old approach back when he was a darned good GM a decade ago. The White Sox don't have two consecutive World Series appearances to live off that community goodwill for the next 5-7 years. The Royals are the ones acting like they're more desperate to win now than the Sox. In the end, that Kennedy contractbwas at least an overpay of $20 million. LMAO. You are so full of it. It was copying KW only being smarter. So now if the White Sox do it, they are dumb. I will admit, your ridiculousness has started to become entertaining.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 09:27 AM) I respectfully disagree. I think he is worth that contract, given the current market conditions. He brings power, defense and speed to this team, which the last time I looked, we were running short on. And at age 30, where a five year contract would end before he turns 35, I think we could expect the kind of production throughout the term of the contract to justify it. That's just my opinion. Why is NO team apparently offering him that contract? Do you know something no one else knows?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 09:22 AM) It's one thing to implement that strategy. Fine. But be realistic about its likelihood of actual success. About time to start moving on to other options...and hopefully they don't keep trying shorter versions of that Cespedes contract or they're going to be stuck with Garcia starting in rf again. Yet here is what you posted in your Royals manifesto when you thought they weren't bringing Gordon back: 3) Stay away from long-term contracts (anything more than 3 years) or overspending...even on your own players (see Alex Gordon or Pujols/StL). I know...............sigh.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 09:12 AM) Yankees might have to be satisfied with Hector Santiago instead of Heaney... Hector Santiago in Yankee Stadium would be a boon to bleacher creatures souvenir collections.