iamshack

Martes dealing through 4. Nice power slider. Still not sure I like him a whole lot though.

I didn't realize how fat Martes is

Wow, Vasgersian with some awesome hair going tonight

I think Martes is starting tonight against the Yankees and Clint Frazier...

The comments in the tweet are hilarious

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 1, 2017 -> 02:46 PM) They run the risk of burning out their effective guys like Romero and Albers while waiting for a closer There are a LOT of risks they are running right now. Burning out existing pen guys, burning out starters, screwing with team chemistry, etc.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jul 1, 2017 -> 11:29 AM) The problem with Calhoun is where do you play him. Can he stick at 2B and not kill you there? For a team that plays half its games in a park that greatly benefits from keeping the ball on the ground, I'm not sure how I feel about relying on Willie up the middle. And this all assumes the Sox would be willing to move Moncada, which I'm personally more than ok with but the front hasn't hinted at much interest in at all. On the other hand, if he's only a DH/1B that greatly reduces the value he provides obviously. Just don't think he's a great fit for us as much as I find him as interesting prospect. I'm with you...he sounds like a DH, but Fathom seems to think his bat is so good that he's still worth it.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jul 1, 2017 -> 07:11 AM) Let's get this thread back on track. Who thinks the Dodgers could be the sleeper team in the Quintana sweepstakes? Rumors are they are interested in a cost controlled TOR starter and Q could also provide a huge impact in this year's playoffs as well. The Dodgers also have the pieces to get a deal done. Any deal IMO would have to be built around Verdugo & Buehler IMO. Get me those two guys & two of their recent high profile LatAm signings and that's a deal that could make sense for both sides. Jason definitely does. Fathom would be furious if we did not get Calhoun!

QUOTE (ChiliIrishHammock24 @ Jun 29, 2017 -> 01:36 PM) Yes. You let me know when my cheering actually affects anything. This is a win-win bet for me. Looking at your signature, I am scratching my head as to why you guys couldn't come up with the simple "Draft Beer."

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 12:20 PM) Ian Begley‏ @IanBegley 20h20 hours ago Sources: John Calipari reached out to NYK through intermediaries to express interest in presidency. More: http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0672213947528516541-4 … This would be awesome.

QUOTE (soxtalker999 @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 11:50 AM) I don't understand the reluctance to trade with the Cubs (or any other team). I hope that Quintana makes whatever team gets him stronger -- now. But whatever we get from them, makes us stronger in 3 years - and them weaker in that time frame. I also don't understand the interest in Schwarber. It's not about whether he's a good player now. Based on his play last WS, I'm willing to assume that he is. But I'd rather see us get back players who are a bit earlier in their development -- ones that still need to spend at least one more year in the minors and preferably more. Schwarber, if he is as good as the Cubs hope he is, will be playing in the majors almost immediately. That means his price is higher. Let's use the time we have to our advantage to get better prospects that still need some time to get to the big leagues. Good post! Welcome! I think you are correct in re: Schwarber...I'd be happy to take him at the appropriate price, we just know there isn't a way he will be offered to us at such.

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 11:06 AM) Could not agree more. The 30 year old Euro point made sense if you kept Jimmy and were trying to find lightning in a bottle. On a rebuilding team? Absolutely not. Or maybe if you had $3.5 million in cash sitting around because you SOLD Jordan Bell

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 10:27 AM) I saw a graphic where MLB is on pace to break a record 6 years in a row for ABs that end with a walk or a k. Right now they are at 30%. It has to peak soon. It's becoming a problem. It makes the games longer, and walks and strikeouts are pretty boring to most. They said this during the Red Sox game last night and were talking about millennials and there phones. Then they showed millennial after millennial in the stands paying no attention to the game and watching videos on their phones. I'm not sure anything that happens in a baseball game would be enough to get them off their phones, tbh.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 09:35 AM) I would like to get see some younger SS prospects in the system, however. We just have Curbelo. Keiboom would be nice for that reason, but, it's not something you have to get. Just an area I hope we even out in the system. Part of the issue is it is so difficult to identify the guys that can hit AND stick that are still some years away. You end up with a bunch of all glove guys or guys that end up moving off short to third.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 09:21 AM) Part of what convinced us to stick around and move to a place ~10 minutes from both of our parents' homes was 1) having a baby and 2) our friends who moved out of state for a few years for work. All of their vacation time was eaten up by traveling home to see family and friends, and whenever they were back in town, it was a whirlwind trying to figure out how to see everyone in 5-7 days. So instead of moving out west, we've just flown out there 2-3 times a year for the last 5 years and collectively in that time I've probably spent 9-10 months all over California for work. Lots of places in Idaho are extremely sketchy, and the good places in Montana like Missoula are more expensive than Chicago. We loved Oregon, but again, way more expensive than Chicago. There are sketchy places in every state. I understand the COL argument, but that doesn't mean employers don't make up for that...it's not necessarily that your salary(ies) would be static.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 09:16 AM) That's true. I love the west, would love to experience living there. Perhaps I could find ways to have month or 2 month stays. But I don't feel regret about staying. I live blocks from family, and raising a family in that situation is too good to be true. My parents family was all east when we grew up. Among other things, every vacation is just visiting family. At the very least we get to visit the world on our vacation time. I agree with this...we've got both our parents here with us now, and I think eventually we will even get them all under one roof. I really want my son to grow up with his grandparents nearby.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 09:15 AM) that cost of living tho Chicago's not cheap but prices anywhere on the west coast are just insane Notice I said west and not west coast There are still a ton of places to go, despite the coastline being so expensive. Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico....sooo many gorgeous places to live. I really think Reno is a solid option as well. I know you had mentioned you weren't impressed, but it's got a lot of momentum right now. Just have to wait for the real estate market to come back to reality a bit.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 08:55 AM) A couple of years ago when I was job searching we were seriously considering moving out of state. Friends and family is mostly what has kept us here. That and not wanting to uproot our kids from their schools. But with our youngest turning 16 our reasons for staying are becoming less and less. I could see the possibility of us leaving the state within 10 years. Although the idea of starting completely over in a new city/state is a bit scary. At least here we know where to turn if we need help with something and we've built a good relationship with a lot of businesses over the years. Banks, repair shops, construction companies, etc... It's not that scary...the advent of gps/smartphones has made this sort of thing so much easier. I love the Chicago area and I always feel a tinge of regret when I come back to visit, but there is just so much this country has to offer to spend your entire life living in just one place. The west in particular has so many great opportunities.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 08:08 AM) an article in the Trib from earlier this year on the dropping population in Illinois: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/b...1220-story.html I freely admit that if not for nearly all of our friends and family being in the Chicago area, my wife and I would have fled to somewhere on the west coast already. Gonna be interesting to see what increasing temperatures do to all of the migration currently heading to the sunbelt over the next few decades though. Do it! Just being able to avoid the ridiculous discussion about White Sox attendance is well worth it

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 08:02 AM) I think a guy like Robertson's value being adding to a guy like Q might mean that instead of getting a teams #2 guy, maybe it gets you there #1 guy, plus a little more at the end of the deal. In a Yankees deal, maybe it moves the needle enough that the top prospect is Torres, instead of Frazier. That is interesting to think about, considering Torres is injured but Frazier has some makeup concerns. And of course considering we already have our MI accounted for. I would be very hesitant to package Robertson with Q, particularly since we know Washington is a very likely potential destination for Robertson. If we can assume that Robertson can net Soto from Washington, I suspect the only way I'm packaging Robertson to the Yanks is if they are willing to give me Frazier and Rutherford.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 06:37 AM) Heyman posted an article today saying the Sox will gladly eat salary if it gets them a better prospect return. Right or wrong, I'm operating under that assumption for the time-being. And if we're willing to, I think a Soto or more realistically a Kieboom headliner becomes a possibility with WAS. Look, I'd do Frazier, Sheffield/Adams, & Andujar in a heartbeat for Q. If that's a little too rich for their blood, throw in Frazier and get back a low-end prospect to fill out the deal. Robertson should land a low end top 100 prospect in this market if we eat even a small amount of salary. We take on a bigger chunk and he suddenly becomes one of the most valuable relievers on the market that any team can afford. Trading him and Quintana should result in an absolute haul and I'm not quite sure that proposed offer is quite that. I agree...I don't think it does us any good to be packaging some of our better assets such as Q and Robertson or Kahnle unless it gets us the PARTICULAR guy(s) that you really want. Otherwise, there is enough demand out there to trade them separately and get additional depth. That being the case, if the Sox really loved Rutherford or Frazier, for instance, much more so than Tucker or hypothetically Jimenez, maybe it would be worth burning one of those chips to get the guy they really wanted as opposed to just some other top 50 prospect.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 29, 2017 -> 10:07 AM) For the first, I would argue that the Sox could very well get better mileage by bringing in the positional prospects that someone else has put in the resources to draft and develop, versus themselves, in exchange for those things we develop well, pitching. Well this is why I said underdeveloped pitching was something we should acquire to develop, and then acquire more developed positional prospects or mlb players. I think we are on the same page.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jun 29, 2017 -> 09:39 AM) Ultimately you need both and would ideally have a well-rounded team. I do think mid & small market clubs have to find a way to develop their own TOR starters, because signing those guys in free agency is typically cost prohibitive. If I'm the White Sox, I'm much more willing to gamble a big chunk of my payroll for a positional guy than a starter. But going overly pitching heavy in terms of prospect accumulation comes at a cost. The success rate is extremely low due to natural attrition tied to arm/shoulder injuries. When committing high draft picks or cashing in on important trade assets, the opportunity cost of going pitching over hitting can be very real over the long-term. It's exactly why teams are placing a premium on high end positional talent. The other factor to consider is that it's easier to uncover a diamond in the rough on the pitching side. Two members of the Cubs World Series winning rotation were cast-offs or lesser known prospects. It's easier to teach a guy with good stuff how to harness it & learn how to pitch than it is to teach a positional guy with fringe tools or lacking place discipline how to be an effective hitter. This is an outstanding post. Two things that were implicit in your post, but perhaps that I will add: 1) "You do you" - the White Sox seem to be very successful at developing pitching - much more so than with developing positional players - to me, that justifies a "lean" towards selecting undeveloped or underdeveloped pitching in drafts and when trading for prospects that are somewhat far away, while signing more developed position players or veteran position players in free agency and via trade. 2) Trends - sometimes enough teams go one way so as to create an opportunity to go the other way. If the rest of the league follows a trend of selecting positional player prospects such that a market inefficiency is created, by all means, we need to exploit it. This would be the same if the trend was towards pitching prospects and it left more positional players available.

QUOTE (ChiliIrishHammock24 @ Jun 29, 2017 -> 01:25 AM) .318! You worried yet? I am worried about Avi and what this may mean for the organization. As for your beef sandwiches, no, I am not worried. I'd be happy to buy them for you if it meant Avi would start barreling up the ball again.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jun 28, 2017 -> 02:31 PM) I've posted this before but I'll post again here. I have a buddy that is good friends with someone close to Braves organization. He told me in the winter that Atlanta was really interested but balked at trading Maitan or Acuna in the deal. I posted all of that here. This guy gets legit Braves info a lot but the White Sox/Quintana stuff always seemed off so I never "run" with it. I've heard heavy pitching packages as the rumored offers with the following names in play: Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Luiz Gohara, Akeel Morris, and Touki Toussant. I don't think Hahn would go for an all pitching package but Rogers and Ofman have both mentioned Braves interest as well as Atlanta Journal Constitution beat guy Dave O'Brien. Just FYI I guess. Yeah, that could very well be why it has yet to happen.