Dick Allen

Oakland is paying Alvarez to basically rehab this year. I read he can throw off a mound in March, maybe games in May, but that never works out. Plus he's coming off shoulder surgery, you know, like John Danks. You do control him for 2017.

QUOTE (Big Hurtin @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 11:14 AM) This just puts them in a better position to compete with us. When KW said that after the Tigers traded for Cabrera, the White Sox won the division.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:57 AM) Not improving the 0 WAR LF and RF makes the Frazier trade absolute madness. This is where hero-worshiping comes in. Frazier's here, not because the Sox will win, but to have a home run hitter to watch. Might as well get full hero value and let him participate in home run derby this year, if that's the plan. They will sign another OF. It might not be Cespedes or Upton, but Hahn has pretty much confirmed another OF will be coming in.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:32 AM) I used to have season tickets for 20 years but the past few seasons it's be a hard sell to get my business partners to go in on Sox tickets. Customers don't get excited about the Sox anymore so they decided to go in on Cubs tickets. I don't have the time to go to all the home games although I would if I could. But if more fans bought any kind of season tickets it does help. It'll also help if they start fast and create a buzz early in the season to help fill the stadium. I had full season tickets for the longest time but my ticket partner and friend died in an accident a few years ago, so I didn't want to make that commitment anymore. I have a weekend plan and go with my wife the last several years. She doesn't get into it much but puts up with it for me. But they probably don't have the phone lines it would require to open the amount of season ticket accounts that would actually pay for Cespedes. Like they didn't last year when they added players. It's an ongoing process. Every account helps, but most of what is dropped isn't their most lucrative accounts. It's the people with the $200 per seat corner upper deck plans that are the first to jump ship.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:29 AM) Yep. A few of us were speculating last week that Gordon could have been using the Sox in negotiations with KC while the Sox were using Gordon in negotiations with Cespedes. We'll see if the second part of that speculation come to fruition. I don't think there was much using. You don't offer someone a team record contract as a ploy. I'm sure the Sox were very interested. The other thing that was rarely mentioned about the benefit of signing Gordon was not only would they have strengthened the White Sox, they would have weakened a division opponent significantly.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:28 AM) I will say this much if we somehow end of signing YO I will buy partial season tickets within hours of the signing. I know people say that all the time but that heart of the lineup will be something come summer on the south side. I will be as excited as just about any other signing the sox have made with the exception of when we actually landed Abreu. ?????????????? That ought to cover it.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:23 AM) Why does todays pick matter when the offseason isnt over? Because Royals. The guy who told us when it appeared Gordon was moving on, what a mistake it would be for them to bring him back, has the baby oil working right now.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:23 AM) Unfortunately with Boras as his agent, we'll be saying the same thing about Rodon as well before too long. We don't have to moan about that for 6 more seasons.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:12 AM) We are really good at finishing "this close" but just out of the running. 2nd place. Another White Sox niche. Loyalty is a two way street. One significant consequence of not developing enough position players and having to rent them on the free agent market. Haven't you told us the White Sox loyalty is a bad thing. Loyalty got Sale, Quintana, Eaton, agreeing to very team friendly extensions. This situation is very similar to when Konerko was a free agent after the 2005 season. What did he do?

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 08:56 AM) The Royals re-signing Gordon, prevents the Sox from making a huge mistake. Gordon is in the decline of his career and not worth a comp pick. MLB Network just said that Hosmer, Cain and Moustakas are all free agents in 2017. Their run could be ending. If it took them this long to bring him back, money is going to be a huge issue. A couple of those guys are rep'd by Boras, so they are going to be free agents. Gordon is a great player. I wish the Sox signed him. But if they had problems or doubts signing him after winning a WS, think what happens when all of these guys get a raise, and what if they don't make the playoffs and have that extra revenue? The break up could start at the trade deadline this season if they aren't contending.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 08:53 AM) It's still a huge bargain to them, considering Cabrera's deal with us. He's worth a lot more to that fanbase than he would playing for another team. You could have had me off this site for 4 years. On the other hand, you are out of a house.

QUOTE (3GamesToLove @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 08:47 AM) Damn. That's not a bad price. About $18 million a year. At the very least, the White Sox made the Royals pay more than they were hoping. It would be disappointing if they don't get any of the 3, but reality says if they get a guy like Austin Jackson for a good price, they still improve. It doesn't make as big of a PR splash, but on the field, helps the team.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 08:40 AM) The Royals have reached agreement on a deal that will bring star left fielder Alex Gordon back to Kansas City, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports on Twitter. An official announcement could come later today, assuming Gordon passes his physical. Per MLBTR This Alex Gordon ballgame is Ovah Next.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 08:01 AM) I think if you saw him you would change your mind. Its nit to say that he positively didn't but he wouldn't have been high on the list of suspects. Yes but his numbers and when he put up those numbers defy aging. If we are all worried about the White Sox giving a soon to be 32 year old a 4 year contract, look at Edgar Martinez. He was about to hit 6 peak seasons. I don't think humans or training regimes have devolved since that time. It has to be something. Whether it's steroids or greenies or corking bats, there has to be something or why don't guys do that anymore? Edgar Martinez's aging is more similar to Bonds and Clemens than just about any player. So if guys get denied HOF entry based on rumors, look at facts. His performance defies nature and logic.

I wouldn't hold Edgar being a DH against him. It has been a position for over 40 years. And it isn't a position a lot of guys have been able to excel. Adam LaRoche isn't the first guy to struggle DHing. Voters need to deal with it. I do think, if you are going to hold guys out of the HOF on suspicion of PED use, however, he has to be on that list. You have to suspect based on the numbers.

Looking at the numbers why wouldn't anyone suspect Edgar Martinez of juicing? Had an over 1.000 OPS his age 32-37 seasons. Had a better year as a 40 year old than a 27 year old. Maybe his lack of being in the spotlight actually worked in his favor.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 09:43 AM) I was told from a source the White Sox would be agreeing to a contract with someone today. It's not a good source. It's not even really a source. I just want to be first. Looks like my fake source was wrong, but as you know, things are very fluid and change so the fake info may have been correct at the time.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 02:39 PM) Dan Wright didn't help much either. I went to Yankee Stadium on my birthday in 2002. Danny Wright beat the Rocket. Liefer took the Rocket halfway up the 3rd deck in RF. It was a blowout. I think the only run that scored for NY was a Soriano HR. Robin was playing 3B for the Yankees, I was sitting a few rows up from the field. The other thing I remember was Drew Henson whiffing. Wright was good that day.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 02:16 PM) The 2003 team was loaded everywhere, just couldn't get it done for whatever reason. Billy Koch. If they kept Foulke, I wonder what happens. Of course Cotts helped in 2005.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 02:20 PM) Wow. No reason why he couldnt go pro and get his degree in the offseason. Dangerous game hes playing there. Yes it is.

Desmond King coming back for his senior year at Iowa. His mom wants him to be the first graduate of the family. Now if Drew Ott can somehow get a medical redshirt, Iowa may be pissing off Cowherd again next season.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 01:44 PM) It says total GB % 47.6%. Where do you see 31% and 40.5% http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playe...&position=P Right next to the 47.6 is a 31.0 which is his career flyball rate, and the 40.5 is right above that with the 2015 total.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 01:29 PM) Not seeing where this figure is, I still see 31% for his career, and even this year where he only pitched 19 innings his FB% was 40.5%, nowhere close to 52.4%. You're not supposed to actually look at it.

Munoz at one time was a pretty exciting prospect. A lot of people wanted him called up straight from A ball.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 01:16 PM) Yep, IIRC, the slide began the following day. Those Manuel teams were some frustrating teams. So much talent, yet so little post-season performances. Mainly due to injuries (Maggs & Frank that one year) and awful starting pitching. They blamed the slide on him, but that was ridiculous. The guy was horrible, faced 5 batters and 4 scored. The "it gave the Twins confidence" is silly, just an excuse. Where was the White Sox confidence when they battered around Hector Noesi when he was in Texas? But to this day, Paniaqua is still blamed by many to be the cause of the slide, and Manuel at the time, was considered an idiot for using him in an 8-2 game. If you cannot use him then, why was he on the roster? It was a bad pitcher getting lit up, and freaking out, thus ending his career, if it wasn't over anyway.