harfman77

Would Donovan Tate still be around when the Sox pick? I think he would be a great pick in the supplemental round as there is a lot of risk involved with him not signing. He supposedly has five legitimate tools, but I dont know much about him other than he is a two sport athlete committed to UNC for baseball and football. Nevermind, just read that he is a Boras client as well...

I think Lillibridge will come around, he put up decent numbers two seasons ago but after coming back from an injury last season he has been a mess at the plate which seems to more related to mechanics than talent. It appears that Owens is gone and Pods is on the way up, and if Anderson and Thome make DL trips that will bring up Nix and maybe the recently acquired Andy Phillips. Pods would last in CF about two days until he pulled a hamstring or something. I think Nix can play LF but not sure about CF, and so Lillibridge may be the only viable option for CF for a couple weeks unless Betemit is going to be play SS.

I think this comes down to have no better options in house. I think it is a good decision to keep Getz out of the lead off position for the beginning of the year to take some pressure off of him. I dont think we have a good pit/pa guy on the roster, I think Kenny will be working to find one as teams are clearing out space. Atlanta still has two more CF's that are a possibility in Blanco and Hernandez, Golson could probably be had as well, there are still optios available as teams set their lineups to go into the season. I also dont feel that our defense is any worse than last year with Swish/Griff in CF, and who knows, maybe Wise will have a Ryan Ludwick season? Ok probably not, but I will wait til the real games start to pass judgement.

I cant see any city putting up the financing to build a stadium right now, or in the near future. Teams are locked in where they are and are going to have to make due with their current financial situations. KC - The team has lasted this long in that market and recently had renovations, dont see them going anywhere. Detroit - Probably the team in the most trouble because of their payroll obligations and increasing unemployment rate in the area, Detroit will probably see a shift from spending like a large market team to more of a small to mid market team over the next 10 years. Cleveland - The team is in pretty good financial condition and the population of the city will hold steady at least. Minnesota - Almost folded once, but a new stadium will cease any specualtion about that possibility and the team will continue to operate with its financial constraints. Pittsburgh is a team that could be in trouble, low attendance, small market size, and a lack of results hurts the team, though it has a storied history and a newer stadium to keep it anchored. Florida - The team is in the process of building a new stadium and ownership will be obligated to keep the team in the area for a period of time after the stadium is completed so that the city can recoup some of the money that was invested. Going nowhere. TB - Last season a WS run, this season contenders in the East that will likely fade in the second half of the season. Last years success will cause an attendance bump, but with no financing available the team will look at re-locating but have few options available (Charlotte, OKC?)

Too bad he couldn't give some of that weight to the Missile.

I think Marquez has the ability to be an effective innings eater and ground ball pitcher and his success will depend heavily on the defense behind him not totally unlike Buerhle. He will not strike many people out but will be able to get people out with less pitches than others. I think he could be better than Garland, but I have liked the kid for a while and was pretty excited when the Sox got him. To me, he still hasnt scratched his ceiling but his floor is good enough to be succesful now. I think he would be an ideal fifth starter this season as he acclimates to the majors. His success will depend on how his offspeed pitches have progressed because otherwise hitters will constantly sit on the sinker until the get it.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 17, 2008 -> 06:42 PM) So now it's back down to: A's Royals Braves Blue Jays Indians Twins Orioles (cross off list, just signed Cesar I.) You also have Uribe, Eckstein, Jack Wilson trade possibility...I can't imagine BB would want to give up the draft picks. That was the whole beauty of Furcal for him, Type B compensation. Royals don't appear to have the money unless they move DeJesus or Guillen. Braves could use Escobar there. Blue Jays are in budget-consious mode. Both the Indians (A. Cabrera) and Twins (Punto/Casilla) have much cheaper options available for that position. I'm really intrigued where he will end up going, finally...as dick allen said over and over again, we got pretty lucky. So is Kansas City the only real remaining possibility? Toronto only wanted Furcal for his lead off ability, the Twins re-signed Punto, the Indians traded for Valbuena to shift Asdrubal Cabrera to SS and Peralta to 3B. The A's arent interested. The Braves were signing Furcal with the understanding he would play 2B, I dont think Cabrera would go for that. The Marlins could be a possibility as they are talking about moving Hanley to the OF other than that the market seems pretty dry unless SD starts spending money.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Dec 22, 2008 -> 06:06 AM) I could see the Angels and White Sox doing such a deal, but why would the Reds let go of Votto? Do they have a 1b in there system ready to come up? They have Yonder Alonso who is about as far from Cincinnatti as Beckham is from Chicago. They could make due for a while until he is ready. Obviously a Dye->Votto->Figgins deal would need to have other pieces added in as well. Maybe something like Angels get Reds get Sox get Votto Dye Figgins Fields K Escobar Dickerson Ortega Bourjos Anderson Figgins would be a one year rental, and I think would net Type A compensation.

For 2009: CF Owens/Wise RF Abreu LF Quentin DH Thome 1B Konerko C AJP SS Ramirez 3B Fields/Betemit 2B Getz SP Buerhle SP Floyd SP Danks SP Marquez SP Bailey/Penny/Contreras CP Jenks RP Linebrink RP Dotel RP Thornton RP Russell RP Richard RP Carasco BE Owens/Wise BE Anderson BE Fields/Betemit BE Miller/??? For 2011: LF Shelby/Lillibridge SS Ramirez LF Quentin 1B Allen DH Viciendo 2B Beckham CF Danks C Flowers 3B Morel SP Bailey SP Danks SP Floyd SP Buerhle SP Marquez CP Link RP Poreda RP Nunez RP Santeliz RP Russell RP Richard RP Jiminez BE Getz BE Armstrong BE Shelby/Lillibridge BE Negron Pretty right handed lineup so I think that there will some moves made to brought in some veteran LH bats. That bullpen is big on power arms until you get to the back end, and that is usually a crap shoot.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 16, 2008 -> 11:48 AM) According to previous Forbes reports, the White Sox made more than $70 million in profit from 2005-2007. Profit or operating income? I am not trying to stir the pot, I am just trying to gain a better understanding.

QUOTE (striker62704 @ Dec 16, 2008 -> 11:45 AM) don't they also get a cut of MLB's contracts with Fox, ESPN, XM Radio and MLBMedia? Yes, but every other team receives that as well so it is not really a factor that separates teams.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 16, 2008 -> 09:47 AM) And I'm a bit surprised the numbers for 2006 are so low, with all the season tickets and "sellouts" we had. I guess you have to take into consideration the diminished seating capacity as one equalizing factor. Attendance by percentage of capacity from ESPN 2004 - 61.1 2005 - 71.2 2006 - 89.9 2007 - 81.6 2008 - 76.0 http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/attendance?sort=home_avg&year=2008&seasonType=2

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Dec 16, 2008 -> 10:22 AM) You're not including money deferred in that payroll. If I were to guess we have deferred more money than anyone in baseball the past few years. It had to be about ten million alone last year. Deferred money still needs to be paid, it is just a question of when.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 16, 2008 -> 09:47 AM) Do those revenue figures include any monies generated by World Series and playoff appearances in 2005 and 2008 (now I see 08 is not included)? Broadcast revenues (WGN, etc.)? Parking and concessions? I know we have one of the highest average ticket prices in the majors, and I'm sure parking and concessions have to be up there as well...which is why I would have thought our revenues should be at least a BIT higher than our "average" as far as attendance. Source of figures? MLB? Forbes? I guess it's a little misleading to include the 2008 attendance figures without including revenues generated....that would seem to "skew" the average up a couple of ticks. I would think we're something like 10th-13th in revenue generation during that time, just guessing though. And I'm a bit surprised the numbers for 2006 are so low, with all the season tickets and "sellouts" we had. I guess you have to take into consideration the diminished seating capacity as one equalizing factor. The attendance numbers are from ESPN, payrolls are from USA Today, and revenues are from Forbes. 2008 Revenue will not be available until April. Forbes does not say what they include in revenue, but it would take into account all incoming money.

I hear a lot of people say that the Sox should be spending more because of the market size that they are in, being the third (or if you group the Bay area as one market) largest sports market in the country. In the last five seasons the Sox have had attendance ranks of: 2004 - 1,930,537 (21st) 2005 - 2,342,833 (17th) 2006 - 2,957,414 (9th) 2007 - 2,684,395 (15th) 2008 - 2,501,103 (16th) That averages to 16th in baseball over that time period. Total Payroll in that time 2004 - $65,212,500 (15th) 2005 - $75,178,000 (13th) 2006 - $102,750,667 (4th) 2007 - $108,671,833 (5th) 2008 - $121,189,332 (5th) Averaging the 8th highest payroll Revenue in that time (2008 n/a yet) 2003 - $124,000,000 (17th) 2004 - $131,000,000 (19th) 2005 - $157,000,000 (14th) 2006 - $173,000,000 (13th) 2007 - $193,000,000 (14th) Averaging the 15th amount of revenue. So really the only financial figure which would not categorize the Sox as a middle of the pack team would be payroll. I see a lot of arguments that the Sox should be one of the top spending teams in baseball and that seems to be a pretty well accepted notion here, and I am sure there is probably a good reason for it. I wasnt able to find the amount of revenue sharing that the Sox receive and where that ranks, but they used to be in the middle of the pack as far as receiving money from the league. So I guess the question is, are the Sox a mid-market team? KC, Pittsburgh and Minny are all small market teams according to the numbers for each of those teams, but the Sox seem to always fall right in the middle.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 11, 2008 -> 02:49 PM) Ah, so now we can determine how good a top prospect in the baseball world is by the time he is 22. Dye for Bailey+ 2 other prospects is an absolute steal for the White Sox. What he said

Abreu would be a great asset offensively, though he has seemingly regressed the last couple of years. If the trade and signing happen, and barring other moves, the opening day lineup will probably look like CF Owens/Lilli RF Abreu LF Quentin DH Thome 1B Konerko C AJ SS Ramirez 2b Getz/Lilli/Nix/Betemit 3B Fields Not a bopping roster like we have had, but more athletic and better able to manufacture runs. Hopefully the top spot can be upgraded, but it sounds like a lot of people are attempting to do that.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 11, 2008 -> 08:48 AM) Am I nuts for thinking Francisco Hernandez still has a chance to develop into a legitimate catcher, or at least a backup catcher? I've been high on him for a while. I can't seem to give up on him. He's only 22. I think he has some type of serious injury, from what I have read on here anyway.

At first glance of that list these are the players that I would be interested in: Campbell, Eric 3B 23 - Braves Kaaihue, Kala 1B 23 - Braves Costanzo, Mike 3B 25 - O's Brown, Jordan C LF 24 - Indians Dolis, Rafael RHS 20 - Cubs Mayora, Daniel SS 23 - Rox Einertson, Mitch CF 22 - Astros Jimenez, Esmerlin RHS 24 - Angels Wipke, Flint C 25 - Angels Anson, Kyle C 25 - Yanks Whelan, Kevin RHR 24 - Yanks Marshall, Jay LHR 25 - A's Perez, Miguel C 25 - Pirates Morlan, Eddie RHR 22 - Rays Strop, Pedro RHR 23 - Rangers Herrera, Javier C 27 - Nasties Wagner, Ryan RHR 26 - Nasties

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Dec 10, 2008 -> 03:09 AM) You're right, he was #9 going into 2006. 06 Yankees Top 10, Baseball America And #7 in 2008 2008 Yankees Top 10 from BA

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Dec 9, 2008 -> 12:45 AM) Agreed, although Murphy, Hamilton, and Salty had already produced somewhat at the Major League Level prior to being acquired, The Rangers have done a good job at facilitating their development as players. But they traded Volquez and Tex for two of those three and they were developed in house along with Ian Kinsler and Michael Young. The bottom line is they cant find anyone to pitch effectively in that park, much like the Rockies pre-Humidor. Of course bringing in the likes of Vicente Padilla and Sidney Ponson makes that a difficult problem to fix.

Actually since the company is in bankruptcy they may be able to get more deals done then if Zell was making the decisions. As long as there is a solid business reason for the transaction the court appointed trustee will allow it especially if it increases the odds of the company netting a larger profit.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 8, 2008 -> 12:58 PM) I'm going to be a little cryptic. But if this was a smokescreen, what other teams are interested in Dye, and why does KW want to make them think they need to up their offer to beat the Reds? Is there a team in the NL that MAY be losing a very good corner OF'er, and would benefit from having a vet both in the field, and in the clubhouse? Phillies also fit the bill there, and there have been rumblings already that they have interest in Dye to replace Burrell in the OF. They also have some young pitching, but not much in the way of tradeable OF prospects unless they want to flip Mayberry Jr.

It makes me apprehensive to sign someone whose speed is a major tool that has been injured the last two seasons (Pods) and will be in his mid-thirties for the majority of the contract. Furcal was a good signing 4 years ago, but I think that ship has sailed, and the Dodgers lack of interest should throw up a red flag, like maybe they know something that we dont. I think our leadoff hitter will come from the CF position, and it may be an acquisition for another young prospect, maybe a package of the pieces that we have acquired for a year of Chone Figgins and Peter Bourjos, Cameron Maybin, or Dexter Fowler they would all fit KW's plan to get younger, be more athletic, and improve the defense. Save the money and get a pitcher instead of spending on a big question mark like Furcal.

I read in one of the articles that Lilli played two seasons of CF at Washington, so it would not be that much of a learning curve for him. I dont think that the Missile is a good option for CF, he never really looked comfortable out there, he was more confident and fluid in the IF.