Dick Allen

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 04:45 PM) Why would any team reject a $10 Mill option, only to make a 15M QO? I know it's hard to believe it now, but Sox life will go on without Alexei. The org. will find a way to endure. Not only that, but pay $1 million for that ability.

It won't be Samardzija, but I predict this year will be the first someone accepts the QO.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 01:47 PM) Do you think they'll give Beckham a Qualifying Offer? I doubt it, but Geo Soto should probably get one. If he accepted it would be the steal of the century.

A lot of White Sox announcements are due. The assistant hitting coach seems to be filled but not yet official. The bench coach, is Steve Stone returning? Who is the PBP guy for home games?

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 12:20 PM) It was a scenario (like I explained if you actually took the time to read the original post) where Alexei made it clear he wanted a multiyear deal and wouldn't negotiate a one year deal at a reduced cost and they talked about it when discussing a new deal for next season before declining the option. Being far apart, they decide to offer a QO knowing he wants more than 1 yr/15.8 mill (maybe he thinks he can get 2-3 years 18-30 mill on the open market? Fa market isn't exactly good for infielders). I'm not saying this is what happened and in all likeliness didn't, but it was an angle I felt like tossing out there. Again, the White Sox held all the cards. If a team wanted to give Alexei more than the QO and relinquish a draft pick, the White Sox certainly wouldn't have spent $1 million buying him out. They simply would have exercised the option and traded him, saving $1 million and adding talent to the organization. If you don't want to pay a guy $10 million and are willing to pay $1 million to get out of it, you don't go risking almost $16 million to hopefully obtain another draft pick.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 12:02 PM) I don't know about deferred money. Are we still paying Konerko? Buyouts happened in '15 not '16. As far as Turner and the other spots I made it pretty clear I was saying X amount of players costed Y amount of money. I know it wasn't perfect but more of where we are at with the most likely candidates on the roster. I think Paulie gets $1 million a year for 5 or 6 more years.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 12:09 PM) This was all under the assumption that they knew he'd decline it due to wanting more guaranteed money (not more annually than the QO but still more than he could make accepting a QO, sucking, and then finding no work next season). I know it won't happen either but it was just a topic I felt like bringing to the table. I'm actually one of the few in here that believes he will re-sign with us on a year (with option possibly) deal. If you think he will re-sign for a year, why wouldn't you think he wouldn't take the $15.8 million QO? Plus the million, that would be almost $17 million for 1 year.

Wife and son being criminally investigated. If it turns out they were involved, I think all of the outrage, and more that would surely come would be more than justified. People gave money, their time, other donations....it's one thing to screw over some Explorers program that nets you less than $100k, but to keep taking advantage? Some innocent family will someday need the support this family received, and there will be some skeptical people. There was a cop or ex-cop who was busted early in the investigation. He called in and made a threat, and also mentioned it was a suicide.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 11:54 AM) Bulls tend to play well against better teams. Rose also tends to show up when he goes against top line players. That said, I think Rose's game is being impacted a lot more significantly then we all think from his eye. It must suck playing with that mask. No way he could possibly be used to it yet. He looked really good in the exhibition, but since the games have counted, seems a bit tentative. The talent is still there, but I just wonder if the head will ever allow him to get back to anywhere near what he was.

Why would the White Sox decline a $10 million option on Alexei, buy him out for $1 million, and then give him a QO? It appears we have a poster or 2 that has a serious crack habit. You don't pay $1 million to get out of a $10 million commitment, and then give something that is worth more than $15 million. If the White Sox didn't want Alexei and thought he could get more than $10 million on the open market, they would have saved themselves $1 million, exercised the option, and traded him.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 10:01 AM) Guys who are in decline don't usually add 216 OPS to their first half OPS in the second half. His second half OPS was .757, and above his career numbers. The guy had a really bad first half, but recovered and had a very good second half. Then he should have no problem getting paid.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 09:37 AM) I'm not saying it's likely, but I meant a team like the Dodgers/Yankees/Red Sox if they needed a SS, or even a 2B/CF, where he played in 08. They don't, and even if they did, there is zero chance Alexei would get that much. If he could the Sox would have exercised the option and traded him. He's going to be at least 34, coming off a below replacement level season. Those guys don't get 3 year guarantees with raises.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 09:20 AM) I agree, but I could see a big market team giving him a ridiculous contract, like 3/36. No chance, and if they do, good for Alexei.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Nov 5, 2015 -> 07:10 AM) He's below replacement level. He passes the eye test, but he's not actually any good. If he gets $12-$15 million, whatever GM does that should be fired on the spot. He was in 2015 but well above it other years. There are 2 types of free agents, the kind that get paid for what they have done, and the kind that get paid for what they are projected to do. I think Alexei is now in that group. I wouldn't guarantee him $12-15 million for 2 years, it also wouldn't surprise me if he was worth that amount for 2 years. Coming into 2012, people were freaking out as the Sox owed AJP $6 million. He outplayed it. I think Alexei needs a contract with a lot of incentives. If he still has gas in the tank, that is the way to get him to burn some.

He is a Sox killer whether is is on another team or the White Sox.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Nov 4, 2015 -> 02:38 PM) Please just let him go. Set Alexei free. I'm sorry, I can't worship minor leaguers.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 4, 2015 -> 02:04 PM) Specifically, the Sox could sign him beginning the 7th, which is Saturday. Not before, at least officially. I thought you can sign your own free agents now.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Nov 4, 2015 -> 10:02 AM) Bulls need to get their defense together if they want a chance vs OKC tomorrow. 130 points to the lowly Hornets in unacceptable. Thibs is probably sitting at home laughing at us. First time they gave up 130 in regulation since Vinnie was roaming the sidelines. It really was a horrible defensive effort. If they play like that vs. OKC, Durant and Westbrook might combine for 90 or 100 the only thing holding them back being the icing of the knees because of a blowout.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Nov 4, 2015 -> 01:51 PM) Holy f*** I hope he is not serious. I think this is what most teams do. You really can only have preliminary discussions. Then he finds out what's available at what cost, he probably has a little idea who's available from the trade deadline. It's really not all that shocking. You have to be flexible.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Nov 4, 2015 -> 01:38 PM) How the $&@? Can you not have the beginnings of a plan in your mind on September 1st? If they were really parting ways with Ramirez, either Saladino or Sanchez should have been given a one month audition...because we all know how reliable spring training is. Forgetting about the expanded rosters and the bloated impact on offensive numbers, we would at least have more certainty about how well they would fare at that level defensively. We also know how reliable September meaningless games have been, don't we.. cough Josh Fields, cough Jerry Owens, cough Brent Morel. I'm pretty sure the Sox know what Saladino can do defensively at SS. He's been in the organization for several years.

We’ve only had preliminary discussions about direction this offseason,” said executive vice president Kenny Williams. “Rick (Hahn) has to survey the landscape at the GM meetings and I’m sure once he’s comfortable will present Jerry (Reinsdorf) and I with his ideas. It’s not for me to comment on Alexei one way or another right now other than to sing his praises for what he’s done in a Sox uniform from the first day he put the hat on.” He has a grammatical error in this statement. It should be Jerry and me, not Jerry and I. Give me a gold star.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 4, 2015 -> 01:06 PM) It is a mighty false assumption to assume that at least one team won't make a bad decision this year. We will see. The teams that generally throw money around appear to be set at SS.,

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 4, 2015 -> 01:05 PM) He has a higher Dwar than Hardy, even with the horrible start. Hardy played 114 games.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 4, 2015 -> 12:54 PM) Steven Drew just got a five million contract from the Yankees last year after hitting in the .100's for two different teams in 2014. JJ Hardy turned a .682 OPS into a 3 year deal pushing $40 million. Alexei was .642 this season, and still a way better defender. And both teams regret their decision.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 4, 2015 -> 12:47 PM) You are probably right, that it could be closer to 3-4 M. I presume somewhere in the deal their will be an option for the 2nd year (if he signs with the Sox). In terms of the market, I agree that in general, aging players are having a hard time getting bigger contracts as people are aging more normally (vs. during the steroid era). Both OC and Alexei are good comparisons as neither was ever the best shortstop in baseball, but both were widely viewed as upper echelon guys during chunks of their career. That said, 3-4M puts him at utility costs (of some guys) so I do think he gets a tick more then that (or at least has some incentives that could push the value up). The other problem Alexei has is the teams who probably would have interest bringing him in, I would think TB, maybe Oakland, don't exactly break the bank with contract offers.