Dick Allen

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.

QUOTE (buhbuhburrrrlz @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 08:23 AM) Griffey should be unanimous. Tho there's always someone who has to make a statement. Of course he should, and if he is the first, it's a joke it took that long for someone not to have been unanimous previously. As to the other stuff, enough of trying to make believe the HOF is filled with players that always played the game above board. There is no doubt in my mind every player techinically "cheated" one way or another at some point, at least in a way if you did it on a golf course you would be considered a rotten person. It's always been a game that didn't count against you what you got away with until steroids. Then, anytime anyone did anything spectacular, they must be cheating.

The White Sox usually like to add a team option to contracts with guys like this. If they are offering pitching at USCF and that potential team option probably is enough to get him to take something else.

QUOTE (Knuckles @ Jan 4, 2016 -> 06:45 PM) @NickyMitch93 I was told #WhiteSox are one of the teams with an offer out to Fister... No word on the favorite mulling over offers from many teams He probably asked his mom to tell him the Sox were offering a contract to Fister.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jan 4, 2016 -> 01:31 PM) I'm not saying I would have given Happ the deal, personally, but the alternative explanation (that the Jays eagerly paid 3/36 because that's what they think 180 innings of 4.60 ERA is worth) is one that I don't buy for a minute. Teams gave three year deals for mid-4 ERAs in the steroid era sometimes, but not in today's environment. Their budget made them spend decent money for a lemon. I do agree, unless Danks throws up a decent ERA this year, he isn't getting a Happ like deal next year, but I still think Toronto paid more than a little too much hoping that Happ suddenly became good.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jan 4, 2016 -> 01:17 PM) Look at Happ's 2015 season. THAT is why he got a three year deal. The Danksian previous seasons are why it was only 3/36. Like I said, if Danks pulls out a 3.50-ish ERA this year, he'll sign a decent little contract, too. But he hasn't done anything remotely close to that since his injury. Happ has, exactly once, but he did it and it was this past season. That's the difference. In his 20 AL starts, he pretty much was about as bad as John Danks in 2015.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 4, 2016 -> 10:36 AM) I guess that's the human factor. They literally came out and said iowa putting on a close game vs expectations made the room adamant about not dropping them in the rankings. It will take them a few years to get it right. If the Michigan Punter didnt drop that ball or OSU doesnt turtle in that weather and we may have OSU vs Bama for the title which would have been a goldmine. Eventually these frustrations will make it go to 8 teams. While the Michigan was pure luck, Michigan State was right where they should have been. They got screwed at Nebraska.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 4, 2016 -> 09:41 AM) I always ask this one. Where is your evidence that Barry Bonds's first use of steroids was in 1998? Isn't that just as anecdotal as everything else? Barry Bonds was clearly an athletic freak in the 1980s and 1990s, but there are plenty of steroids that don't make you explode into the muscle-bound freak he became. There's a supposed quote from him while having dinner with Ken Griffey Jr. in 1998 where he says he's going to "start using some hard-core stuff", why is "well he's clearly experienced with softer-core stuff" not an entirely plausible conclusion? It's not like steroids weren't available to guys in high school and college in the 1980s and it's not like every steroid slows you down and takes away athletic ability in exchange for strength. If I put out a book saying he was juicing in the mid 80s, doesn't that have exactly as much credibility as saying he was HOF worthy before he was juicing? Put the book out, see what happens. I have a title for you. Everything Sucks, by Balta. It would be a real thriller. I'm guessing you would need a legal fund. There are a ton of suspicions. Why wouldn't Carlton Fisk be questioned? Frankly, there really is no "proof" anyone didn't juice.

QUOTE (2005thxfrthmmrs @ Jan 4, 2016 -> 09:15 AM) Who knows, maybe Danks has finally learned to pitch more effectively without his pre-surgery stuff now that he's 4 years removed from surgery, and he somehow puts up a strong contract year performance. Then there would be a few Danks apologists on this board who wishes the Sox bring him back for 2017 and beyond I appreciate John Danks more than most, but there is virtually no chance he is on the 2017 roster. While, yes, his rank as a qualified pitcher has left a lot to be desired, if you look at teams' 5th starter position, they use a lot of non qualified guys. I doubt many teams get much more out of their #5 starter than the White Sox. But even if he is better than he is been, he would become a 5 and 10 guy in 2017, giving him full trade protection. The White Sox save that for guys like Buehrle and Konerko and Fisk, not Johnny Danks. He's a goner unless he wants to pitch for total reclamation project money on a 1 year deal.

This week, things should start picking up again. The only thing is Wednesday, usually the Sox big announcement day is probably a no no this week with the HOF announcement. Probably very little negotiating going on since right before Christmas. If teams sign a big name, they want to make a big deal out of it. Signing someone during the holiday season probably ruins any chance at a big press conference and cuts down the publicity of the deal, nevermind all the agents, players and front office people have families, and most have obligations during this time. I'd be surprised if we went another week without one of these guys signing.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 3, 2016 -> 07:49 AM) Can't imagine how pissed you would've been if OSU lost. Bosa will be nice and rested for Week 1 NFL next year. Avoided any big injuries. B1G was tainted this year because OSU was clearly the best team with a huge drop off and MSU got in the playoffs on the strength of at least 2 fluke wins before being exposed. Crazy how one dropped punt snap had a ripple effect that may have ruined the entire playoffs. Or OSU could have just won the home game vs. MSU and their back up QB. I always thought OSU was the best team in the country. But they let a lot of mediocre opponents stay with them for a while this year. They finally kicked it into gear after they lost. If they played like that against MSU, they probably win the national championship again. But they didn't. They only have themselves to blame.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 3, 2016 -> 06:33 AM) Wish we had those refs for the fiesta bowl. Bosa would have never been flagged or tossed. He buried the crown of his helmet in the QBs sternum. It was the correct call. As it was, the hit wasn't all that violent, and 100 things happen every game that would seem to warrant an ejection more than that, but how ever many times you want to moan about it, according to the rules, it was the correct call.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jan 2, 2016 -> 12:45 PM) haaaaaaaa The best part is Iowa fans taking offense when many refer to Iowa State as Moo U. Al Roker did call them Iowa State at the Rose parade, and they played like Iowa State during the game. I am sure the goal was to get Iowa fans to boo. Were people other than the usual people who are offended by anything really offended? BTW, cow tipping is like snipe hunting, a fake sport. You cannot tip cows. As an Iowa alum, I would think fans were far more offended by the score than by a band of college kids doing what college kids do. Of course if you are there you will boo, but I doubt there was total outrage which some of the reports seem to want to convey.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Jan 2, 2016 -> 12:50 PM) Neither does Cespedes or Gordon for that matter Yeah, he has actually played RF 57 more games in the major leagues than Cespedes and Gordon combined.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 2, 2016 -> 12:25 PM) Yes, because the cocaine did not improve his performance, it hindered it. If nothing else he admitted to not sliding properly and getting tagged out on stolen bases because he didn't want to break the vial of coke in his pocket. Isn't cocaine consumption against the law? Tim Raines is supposedly about as nice of a guy as there is. If he was an ass, the coke would always be mentioned. I personally think his problem with getting in has been he played a long time as a good player.. I think his peak in Montreal gets watered down by it. Besides Rickey Henderson, you could make an argument he was the second most disruptive offensive player in baseball for 8 or 9 years. Truly awesome. He was a good player for the White Sox, but not anything like he was during his prime years. His performance IMO has earned him a plaque. The PED thing comfuses me. If both pitchers and hitters were juicing, whose performance is enhanced more? Bonds vs. Clemens clean vs. juiced. I wonder what the difference would be, Ii have read where 70% was an estimate for how many players used PEDs. I would guess some were on a program like Bonds, and guys like Pablo Ozuna probably took supplements that contained something they shouldn't consume, and it didn't help them all that much. The zits on the back though is pretty damning. In the locker room at my health club the other day I saw a muscle bound guy with a back loaded with zits. I assumed he was using steroids.

He still is on MLBN, so I would imagine he will still be tweeting.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Jan 2, 2016 -> 11:42 AM) I wouldn't be surprised either, but it's not like he has a history of willing to go over the tax limit. The problem with going over is once you go over the penalty gets more severe each year you are over, and as long as he has Cabrera and Verlander on the books, trying to remain competitive and getting under signing another big contract might be tough. Maybe the limits change the next CBA. But there was talk about budget starting to be an issue in Detroit for about a year now. He may not really mind spending , but I don't know if his heirs feel the same.

I don't understand this Desmond as a Zobrist type player. Why would he be competent at all these other positions without playing them, and if he can't get paid the money he is looking for as a SS, wouldn't playing another position just make his bat less valuable?

There are a lot of total assholes in the HOF. Bonds was IMO a HOF worthy player before it became obvious he was juicing. I am sure there are guys in that have juiced, and have cheated many different ways. With the PED guys I was always no to getting in, but on a couple they seem to have been declared guilty with the evidence being stats and/or body. Harold Baines had some big years in his late 30s. Was he juicing? Tim Raines used cocaine when he played, even the documentary said he occasional kept a vial in his uniform pocket. Is he more innocent than a Bagwell or Piazza? It looks like Piazza has a shot this year, but by numbers alone, he should have been first ballot. No failed test, just a report about zits on his back.

Of course you have to ask yourself do you really want to commit to a player for 5 years if they themselves seem to be doubting what their performance will be in 3 years,

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 2, 2016 -> 10:05 AM) The problem with scenario is that you end up with a scottie pippen situation where he got good money early but whines about "being disrespected" with being paid like a backup at the end of the deal. Its a no win for the team. Pipped whined but he performed. The thing was, even if they wanted to, at least at that time it was against the rules of the NBA to renegotiate contracts. And they did him a solid with a sign and trade to Houston. It is funny, for all the whining Pippen did, and the demanding to be traded, now he is part of the organization again. And he came back for peanuts at the end of his career to play for a non contender. The Pippen/Bulls relationship is pretty bizarre. I

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Jan 2, 2016 -> 09:58 AM) Not saying it won't still be loaded and much better than the 2016 and 2017 FA classes, but I think everyone is overrating how good the 2018 FA class will be. A few years ago Austin Jackson was a 4-5 WAR player, Asdrubal Cabrera and David Freese were All-Stars, and Latos and Fister were 4 WAR pitchers, and now their value has significantly diminished compared to then. A similar drop-off will happen to several of these guys, whether by simple regression in performance or injury or both. Guys who would have been free agents this year like McCutchen, Bumgarner, Stanton, Posey, Gonzalez and Gardner signed extensions in that window. And you know at least 1 or 2 guys will completely fall off the map like Matt Kemp did compared to 2011-2012. I agree with you. In the end, it still will probably be pretty good, but it won't be as good as it looks now, and these guys won't be competing with the Harpers anyway.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 2, 2016 -> 09:35 AM) That's what Bob was saying. He would not expect any of the three to say sign a 5 year deal with an opt out after three. He said the reason these guys may decide to sign a short term deal is because they can renter the market either next year or in two years and capitalize on a weak FA class , that is if they believe in themselves enough to sign short termZ The thing with an opt out is you don't have to opt out. I don't know why they would be opposed to signing for 5 years with an opt out after 3 even if they are scared of the big free agent class. If it doesn't look like you will get paid, you still have 2 years left on the contract. Besides, if they are afraid of the guys in 2018, they must not be too confident their performance would make a team want to pay them.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Jan 2, 2016 -> 09:37 AM) Nightengale says: $20 to $22 Million per year is the range he forsees for these guys. Short term deal should pay more, as the player is not requiring the longer term guarantee. Sox "3 yr. deal" offer looks very firm. 1 or 2 years is more attractive to players, as the 3RD year will see a strong F.A. market again. His opinion on New contracts with opt outs: He thinks that it totally favors the players, not the teams. Team stuck if guy performs poorly, and if he does well, he leaves. Also gives players a chance to see how he likes playing for that particular organization and in that city. IMO, he doesn't get it. He never mentioned the front office's motivation, nor did he discuss how such deals can keep a player motivated. He provided less insight and worthwhile analysis than we fans are offering, on this forum. The opt out has always been good for players. He isn't wrong. But for a team willing to reallocate resources and let the player opting out walk, it would have worked out splendidly for several teams.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 2, 2016 -> 09:27 AM) Nightengale saying three years maybe a must in order for the sox to get one of the three. I tend to doubt it unless their markets have become really depressed. I am quite sure the White Sox understand if teams are throwing 4 and 5 year offers at these guys and they are only willing to go to 3, they would be wasting their time and move on. It is all part of negotiation. Each side is looking for their best deal. I am sure every team would like to commit no more than 3 years to any of these guys. at the end, you have to be the high bidder. It isn't the end right now, no point throwing out your best offer.