harfman77

Fire Greg Walker

We gave up a lot to get Javy, but he has shown to be worth it. You cant really add Quentin into the mix as that happened almost two years later and has more to do with the emergence of Justin Upton and the re-signing of Eric Byrnes much more than anything that the Sox did. If you are going to include any deal you would have to include the Richar for Cunningham deal as that was the next in the series of trades.

QUOTE (BearSox @ May 15, 2008 -> 07:47 PM) someone mentioned something about Hicks, but to be honest, at 8 overall, I'd rather get more of a true baseball player than an athlete. Hicks is good and all, but is still very raw. Right now, my big board is something like. 1a. Aaron Crow/Brian Matusz, SP -Okay, odds are that both will be gone in the top 3-5, but if something were to happen where one of them is somehow there at 8, you gotta take them. Highly wishful thinking, but oh well. You can throw Alvarez, Posey and Tim Beckham into this category as well, as something extraordinary would have to happen for them to be available here. 1b. Justin Smoak, 1B - South Carolina -Now this is a bit more realistic. As of now, it is between Smoak and Alonso for the top college 1B spot. I am not that big of a fan of Alonso though, and like Smoak better. I actually hope Alonso goes ahead of Smoak to increase the odds of Smoak being available at no. 8. 2. Gordon Beckham, MI - Georgia -If Smoak is gone, but Alonso is still there, I personally would go a different route. Gordon Beckham provides us with a toolsy shortstop with linedrive power, and potentially a 5 tool threat. There are questions as to whether he would play SS or 2B, but I think he can handle SS just fine. 3. Kyle Skipworth, C - California HS -I'd still avoid Alonso here and go with Skipworth. Skipworth has a nice swing from the leftside and power to all fields. He is similar to Joe Mauer as a hitter but probably has more power potential. He might or might not be able to stick at catcher, but due to the fact he has a canon arm, it is reasonable to think he can. 4. Yonder Alonso, 1B - Miami -Now would be the time I'd personally go with Alonso. I like him, but I don't see a ton of upside with him. However, he'd be one of the safer picks, and should be a good player for a long time. He has arguably the best eye in the draft. 5. Eric Hosmer, 1B - Florida HS -He'd be higher on my list if not for the fact he wants a monster signing bonus in the 7 million range. That is going to push him down similar to Porcello, IMO. However, there isn't much to not like about Hosmer. A reach that I wouldn't entirely mind would be Jemile Weeks, 2B/OF, Miami. I really like him as a potential leadoff hitter. I would move Beckham down to 5, I just really dont like middle infielders at the top of the draft, unless they are the A-Rod or Utley type. Someone unexpected will slip to the Sox, thats the way the draft usually works, or maybe the Sox can find a guy like LaPorta who is not as well thought of, but translates well into pro ball. At this part of the draft you need to find a potential cornerstone for your franchise offensively or a potential ace pitcher. Ceiling should definitely be the emphasis because any player this early in the draft should have a pretty high porch to start from.

If the draft went like that, I would rather have Smoak. Switch hitter with power, reminds me of Texiera.

The bottom line to the whole thing is the Sox do not have a good way to manufacture runs when the HR's aren't flying. The Sox lack anyone who is a legit threat to steal a base consistently, anyone that can put down a bunt consistently, and guys that will hit behind the runner. Every at bat is just an opportunity to slug one out of the park. The ability to manufacture runs is what helped us to win so many one run games in '05 and the lack of ability to do so was evident last year. The Sox need to find a legitimate lead off man/slap hitter that can steal bases to plug into this lineup to help with that. That gives the offense another way to beat you when your offense isnt clicking as well.

Dye would make more sense for the Mariners than Thome would. It would allow them to be more patient with Balentein and allow Ibanez days to DH as well. Clement is blocked at every spot unless they would find a way to DH Sexson and get Clement at 1B. The problem with a deal with Seattle is that if you traded them a DH you would probably have to take Vidro back.

QUOTE (joesaiditstrue @ May 6, 2008 -> 02:52 AM) "we can only hope" speak for yourself, sir. It is probably time to part ways with Walker. The offense has been bad and wasting good outings by the pitching staff. This is two years in a row where we slumped out of the gate offensively and pretty poorly. We need a new approach, fresh blood to come in to reassess things. As far as roster moves, there is no one in AAA that is going to make enough impact to warrant cutting someone lose. If there is a move made I hope that it is a trade of some type to bring in a everyday 2B that can lead off.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 2, 2008 -> 02:04 PM) I thought JB was on the 40 - my bad. I still would rather have seen Owens or even Getz come up though. Especially with PK having the problems that he is with his hand. If he gets jammed with a pitch you are down to a two man bench for that game and the rest of the series, and half of the two is Toby Hall.

I understand the sentiment, what Gomez from Minne was able to do against us demonstrates the value of having that type of player at the top of the lineup. The logic is very flawed in this case though, you cannot take the most productive hitter out of this slumping lineup. The only way that Owens can provide that kind of help is putting up good numbers in AAA and getting packaged in a trade for a high OBP 2B.

If Fields to 2B was in the thought process they would have had him working at 2B in some games in Charlotte. You dont call a guy up to play a position he has never played before. That said, I mentioned this same idea last week with the Rockies trying Ian Stewart and Garret Atkins both at 2B and Iwamura from the Rays making the switch. I think you could get him some time at 2B down at Charlotte to see if the move would make any sense, because being able to add that bat to this lineup would be huge. Or you could trade him for someone like Brian Roberts instead.

OK, so I have a question then. It has been much discussed that he is an above average fielder and has a cannon arm. So why is he in LF and Swish in RF with Dye out, I would think if he is as good as has been reported they would flip flop. Is it because they want to protect his shoulder after the injury or something else?

QUOTE (SoxWS05 @ Apr 22, 2008 -> 11:42 AM) The Renteria's kind of sound like gangsters in that article and they are strong arming O-Cab. They got him to buy into the baseball franchise and then refuse to pay him on ticket sales and advertising money. Now that Uribe and O-Cab are teammates the Renteria's are terrified. You just don't mess with Uribe's friends. Post of the week

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Apr 22, 2008 -> 06:00 PM) The Angels could make some sense for Paulie if the Sox did want to move him. I believe they have Garrett Anderson coming off the books after this year, which will allow them to move GMJ into the OF and open up the DH spot. Of course Vladdy needs some DH time too, but I doubt the Angels want to take his arm out of their OF permanently. The Blue Jays and Mariners could make sense as well. The Royals would be a good fit if they weren't in the division. While KW has dealt with KC before, the Royals are on the upswing and probably too close to contention IMO to deal a big bat their way. If the Sox did decide to move Paulie there would definitely be suitors. The Yankees would be a possible destination as I am sure they want to get Giambi off the field defensively ASAP. Baltimore might be an option as they wanted Paulie when he was a FA, but not sure how he would fit into their rebuilding. And Oakland could also be a possible destination because of Paulies veteran presence and good contract.

What about Fields at 2B? Maybe it is a crazy idea but the Rockies are attempting to convert Ian Stewart into a second basemen, Iwamura made the switch for the Rays, and Fields is a pretty good athlete. It solves a few problems at the same time, then if Crede walks at the end of the year you move him back in ST next season. Send Ramirez down to play everyday and work on his defense in the IF, use Uribe as a defensive super sub across the IF, and give Richar a lot of time to come back healthy.

I would like the move better if I thought Alexei was any different than Uribe, but so far he has looked unable to hit breaking balls and is trying to lift everything, granted this has been in limited at bats, but at this point he is a downgrade defensively, an upgraded base runner, and probably an equal at the plate. I would rather have Alexei go down to AAA and get everyday at bats until he can get Joboo to have his bat not fear curve balls anymore.

If Richar and Ramirez are both in AAA, who takes that spot on the bench? Borgeous?

I agree with everything in the article, why make a change when you are playing well? I would prefer to see Richar come up and take Alexei's spot on the bench so that he can get everyday at bats to help him adjust to playing baseball in the US. There is no reason to take Uribe out at this point as he is giving you exactly what you expect, great defense and a strong upper cut swing. Though it seems Juan has actually done a better job of taking pitches this season.

I would like to see Alexei sent down when Richar is healthy so that he can get everyday at bats, I think he stills needs to adjust to playing ball in the US a little more. Then Ozzie can use Richar off the bench to augment Juan when it is necessary.

I think that the additional time will help Fields, as I think it woud help Alexei. Both players can crush fastballs but strike out a lot on secondary stuff. In AAA they will not see the fireballers that they would in Chicago, but they will see a lot of junk ball pitchers that will help them deal with secondary stuff in the majors. He will never be the type of hitter Ventura was, they are just different types of players, but he has the potential to have the most power at the hot corner in the history of the Sox. He is a good athlete and his defense will improve the more he plays, which is another reason that AAA helps his development as he will be playing 3B everyday instead of subbing from the bench.

As someone who wanted to hold on to Crede, I still think this is a little premature. He has had a fantastic first week, but lets see if he can remain at this level. If he maintains this level of play KW will have a big headache on his hands come July, but it will be a good problem to have. I think he has looked a little rusty in the field, mainly due to those 2 errors Sunday, but I think that may be a carry over of not playing for almost a year. What a great position to be in right now with two pretty good 3B.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Apr 7, 2008 -> 07:00 AM) I'm not getting too carried away, but the team has been fun to watch for the most part so far. :gosox2: I am gonna get carried away, might as well as enjoy it. I know a lot of us have the feeling of impending doom, but it is nice to shake that off and just be proud of the first week these guys have put together.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Apr 7, 2008 -> 09:31 AM) It's safe to say, Quentin's been a bit of a revelation over the past 3 games. When we acquired him, I hoped he would be our LF from day 1, and when Swisher was acquired, I thought a Quentin - Swisher - Dye OF would be the best for this team this season. But there was a LOT of pressure on here during ST for Brian Anderson to get a starting gig in CF. And then with Ramirez doing what he did in ST, Quentin became sort of the forgotten man (recovering from the shoulder surgery). Coming into this season, I thought if healthy, Quentin was capable of hitting at least 20 HR's and having an .800-.850 OPS. And some people may think I'm silly for a prediction like that. But then again, have a look at his track record; 2005 - AAA; .301/.422/.520 2006 - AAA; .286/.422/.484, MLB; .253/.342/.530 2007 - AAA; .348/.430/..574; MLB; .214/.298/.349 So this guy has just crushed minor league pitching in his career thus far. And it was only with his injury last season that he really struggled in the majors, and with the D-Backs having an OF of Byrnes, Young and Upton, he became expendable. So what do people think of him? Is he a building block? Is he a core guy now? Does he deserve to be considered a bonafide starter now, or is it still way too early for that (which I'm sure will probably be the main argument because of the small sample size). Either way, I think this could end up being one of KW's best ever deals. Quentin has to stay healthy though. Quentin has played well in the time he has had and Ozzie will be out in a tough spot when Owens comes back as it will be hard for him to justify sitting Quentin if he keeps performing. But a week into the season I am not ready to call him a core player for the future. We can all remember the show that Casey "The Babe" Shelton put on in Detroit and now he is struggling to make a major league roster. He has potential to be a great player if he can maintain his level of play.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Mar 31, 2008 -> 06:32 AM) if we look at Texas, we gotta try and get one of their young catchers... either Salty, Teagarden, or Ramirez. You are probably not going to pull Andrus out of Texas, for anything the Sox would be willing to offer. Joaquin Arias is stuck behind Young now and has Andrus coming up behind him so he may be a little more attainable. Lillibridge will likely end up in the super utility role that Betemit and Escobar formerly held until Kelly Johnson is moved or Chipper Jones retires. He still has a lot of value to that organization.

I have a keeper league on ESPN and a few people bailed with the drafting being tonight at 6. It is a H2H keeper league with non-default scoring options - http://games.espn.go.com/flb/tools/leagues...?leagueId=89717 - If you are interested in joining email me at [email protected]. Sorry if this is not the right place to post this, I usually post only in PHT.

I would have rather have had Bourgeouis on the team and Quentin rehab that shoulder a while longer. And then get him everday at bats in Charlotte until a trade/injury opens a spot for him. Lexi and Ozuna can play OF, and Swish can play all three OF positions if needed, I am sure BA could as well. Personally I would rather have our AAA team start with Fields, Richar, and Ramirez across the IF, Quentin in RF and Lucy doing the catching. Give all these kids playing time together as they will be a large part of the core of this team next season as they will likely all be starters in Chicago next season. Then bring them up as the roster space allows. But I think it is important to build that chemistry among the youg players.