harfman77

QUOTE (scs787 @ Oct 19, 2014 -> 11:44 PM) Has this Jozzen Cuesta fellow been talked about on here yet? Can't find much on him other than he's a "Hulking" 25 year old first basemen who can play in the OF as well. Clicked on several links and only one talked about his ability to play the OF....What type of D are we talking here? Here's a BP article if we have any subscribers kind enough to share some info... http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article....articleid=24562 Dude looks like a beast. Cuesta is probably not going to fill a need for the Sox. Silverio would be interesting as a guy that could come out of the pen next season and perhaps transition into the rotation after that.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Oct 17, 2014 -> 12:55 PM) I understand that they have similar profiles (RH, power, potential contact issues) but there are things that differentiate them as well. Tomas for one, will more than likely start in the big leagues. Something that Viciedo couldn't because he was much more raw. Tomas is much more athletic and figures to be at least average in LF, another thing Viciedo cannot do. Obviously exposure isn't where it is today, but when Viciedo defected, I don't remember 80 raw power being thrown around like it is with Tomas. I am not sure what the power number was for DV, but it was pretty high. He does have 70-80 power, if he can find the ball. Dayan was also much more raw coming over at 19, which could be good or bad if you weigh Sox player development against that of the Cuban leagues. DV is only a year older than Tomas and with similar profiles I would rather keep DV than throw a large amount of money at someone who may only be marginally better. I think Tomas and DV both have room to grow and improve but I feel like the Sox can take the $7M+ that Tomas will cost over Viciedo and strengthen the club in other ways. If the club scouts him and decides that he is markedly better, than yes make the jump.

QUOTE (BaconOnAStick @ Oct 17, 2014 -> 12:54 PM) As of now the White Sox have nothing to even pin hope on in the pen and it's not like we have any reason to believe Miller or Robertson will be in the Sox price range. Montas has a huge fastball and a very good slider. Why not just try and cash him in now? Especially when the pitching depth through the org is improving so rapidly. The Sox should not pay for Miller, he will get way too much money for a RP. Production of RP's tends to fluctuate to greatly year to year and organization to organization to warrant the contract that he will demand. Robertson is allegedly getting a QO and will be out of everyones price range. Montas has the ability to be a #1, you don't abandon that until he shows that he won't make it there. If he fizzles as a starter than you consider making a move, but not until then.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Oct 17, 2014 -> 12:49 PM) Agreed on both counts. If Rodon's agent was an issue the Sox would have drafted someone else. The whole Boras thing is old for f*** sake. Hahn is the GM now and has said he has a good repore with Boras so its time to move forward from the KW vs Bora's days. Montas just made his way to AA at the end of the season so to pencil him into the Sox opening day roster is just a bit premature. The Boras issue wasn't KW's it was (and is) JR's. When Hahn called Boras his friend he was pretty clearly being sarcastic. There is history between the two sides and that cannot really be disputed. That being said, they are all professionals and adults and neither side is going to sabotage their success by holding a grudge over doing their jobs.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Oct 17, 2014 -> 10:02 AM) I'm getting very tired of seeing that argument. Rodon eventually taking a spot in our packed rotation should have no bearing on which free agents to bring in. Why even sign a guy who may not be on the roster in July? Why pay some guy anything at all when we can just have Carroll or Bassitt fill that spot as a bridge to Rodon? There'll be room for Rodon and a good pitcher, I promise. It boils down to Volquez just being bad. His only good season is a distant memory and I don't see 2014 being a springboard to better things. We should aim a little higher. Its management of resources, do you really want to invest a large share of your resources in a SP when you have one for free sitting in waiting? Personally I would rather invest that money in the lineup and in the pen and take a shot on reclamation guy that you can spin at the deadline - as the Cubs have done each of the last two years. Rodon isn't the only pitcher on the horizon, Bassit is not far away nor is Beck and Danish will probably be ready to break camp with the team in 2016. I just don't want to unnecessarily tie up payroll in duplicative assets when there are holes at 2B, LF and DH that need to be addressed. Volquez may not be the answer, but he is one of a bunch of guys on that list that have potential to take a step forward and provide the Sox some value at the trade deadline. Whoever the Sox get, I would not want them to go anything beyond a 1 year deal with an option, similar to the Paulio deal.

There are so many variables that can come into play that there is not much sense in having this discussion yet. IF Rodon comes up and shows he belongs I am sure RH will try to initiate some extension talks. If Rodon/Boras decline, he will still be a White Sox for the next four seasons, after which point he will again be offered an extension and if he declines he will likely be dealt. Or he could fail miserably have a couple TJ surgeries and be out of baseball in 5 years.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Oct 17, 2014 -> 11:55 AM) I also tired of hearing Tomas sounds too much like Viciedo. Not only was Viciedo not a LF when he defected, but people are jumping too much into the convenient fact that they're both Cuban, No that is not the reason for the comp. The reason is that Tomas has huge power in a right handed bat but struggles to make enough contact to make that power play in the majors. From BA "A righthanded-hitting corner outfielder, Tomas can hit towering home runs thanks to the strength from his thickly-built 6-foot-1, 230-pound frame. Tomas has 70 raw power on the 20-80 scale, and with Jose Abreu already gone, the only player still in Cuba with more raw power than him was Alfredo Despaigne. He has some experience in center field and is a decent runner for his size, but his speed is still below-average and he’s going to be a corner outfielder in pro ball." "Tomas did show some swing-and-miss tendencies at the WBC with an uppercut stroke and trouble handling good breaking pitches. Three months after the WBC, when Cuba took a team to the U.S. last summer to face the college national team, the U.S. power arms were able to exploit some of those holes by beating him with good velocity up and in and getting him to swing through soft stuff in and out of the zone." http://www.baseballamerica.com/internation...as-leaves-cuba/ That description is what draws comparisons to Viciedo.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 03:01 PM) Here is a question, would you rather be relevant and in playoff contention 80% of the time (making the playoffs more often then not while not winning the series) or be relevant once every 30 years and win the series that one time. For me I'll take the relevant and not winning series vs. extended periods of irrelevance. I think the goal is to always be relevant, the problem is that sometimes franchises get caught in the middle where they really are not a threat to contend but aren't at the bottom either collecting talent. The Cubs were an example of this for a long time, the Indians are right now. Before RH, the Sox were that team that you mention and KW did all he could to keep the Sox right there. The 2005 season was more of what the Royals have this season, the Sox were a team that were there all season and really caught fire in the playoffs. The only problem with what happened under KF is that he sacrificed the future to try and put the team over the top each year, stretching payroll and unloading prospects which led to the re-build that RH has commenced. Yes, I agree, I will take relevant because anytime you can be the team that catches fire and makes a run deep in the playoffs.

QUOTE (LDF @ Oct 17, 2014 -> 09:41 AM) i am a little confuse. would you rather sign Tomas or Fernandez? I would much rather have Fernandez, he has an elite bat. Tomas' profile to me reads a lot like Viciedos, and we already have that. Though since we are dreaming today I will go ahead and take both.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Oct 17, 2014 -> 08:07 AM) Why do I keep seeing Volquez' name brought up? That guy is a dud. Is it a Coop'll Fix Em mindset? He is likely to come at a lower cost, is relatively young, right handed and not likely to receive a QO. Any pitcher that meets that profile is a candidate in my mind, especially when they may only be on the roster until July when Rodon has passed Super Two danger. Of the players that fit that list- Scott Baker Chad Billingsley Gavin Floyd Jason Hammel Josh Johnson Kyle Kendrick Justin Masterson Brandon McCarthy Ervin Santana Kevin Slowey Carlos Villanueva Edinson Volquez McCarthy, Volquez, and Masterson stand out as guys that have had success previously, are ground ball pitchers, and aren't coming off significant injuries.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 17, 2014 -> 09:32 AM) Moncada seems like a pipe dream just because of the implications. Also, our front office doesn't seem like the type to sacrifice future signings for a specific guy. Agree, but it is nice to dream.

QUOTE (LDF @ Oct 17, 2014 -> 07:42 AM) with the couple of Cubans that just defected, any interesting players to look for? Jose Fernandez, a LH second baseman, is regarded by some as the best player remaining in Cuba after Abreu left. Badler ranked him #3 in his Cuban player rankings behind two guys that will seemingly never defect (Despaigne and Gouriel). Great on base skills and very good contact hitter, not a runner and defense is around average.

QUOTE (LDF @ Oct 3, 2014 -> 12:39 PM) great find, good reading. re: Moncada, how much are the sox under in the int'l pool money? I would love to have him regardless of the penalty of going over the limit. Who would oppose to this move? Why? The only way the Sox are players are if : 1. Moncada is not declared a FA until July 2. The Sox can get deals done with a large number July 2 prospects 3. Payroll stays around the $80-$85M range 4. The Dodgers dont want him 5. JR decides with Bud gone he is not going to be the only one sticking to the letter of the law Moncada is a very exciting prospect, would love for the Sox to be able to nab him, though given that he is subject to the international bonus pools I have not been optimistic.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 04:05 PM) From mlbtraderumors regarding Markakis..... "Assuming there’s no QO in play, I’m projecting a four-year, $48MM contract in a weak market for hitters." So the same speculated contract for both Markakis and Headley. Come on Hahn, let's make it happen. Pass on both for those numbers. Both had down seasons which at their age could mean that they are in decline, too much risk to the organization to paying these guys $12M over the next four years for the level of production they put up. Headley recovered well in NY, but the power did not come back the way I expected it to once he left SD. Also I think the Yankees probably pay to keep him with no other good options to man third in their system.

Signings: 2B Jose Fernandez 6 years / $70M SP Justin Masterson 1year / $7M 2nd year $12M option RP Franklin Morales - 3/$14M million LF Gerardo Parra 1/$4M 2nd year $6M option Trades: Sox acquire IF Pedro Alvarez for Marcus Semien and Chris Beck Sox trade 2B Micah Johnson to the BJ's for RP Brett Cecil and SP Roberto Osuna Sox trade 2B Carlos Sanchez to the Yankees for Jose A Ramirez and Jorge Mateo Release/Let Go RP Ronald Belisario RP Matt Lindstrom SP Felipe Paulino 1B Paul Konerko (Retirement) DFA RP Frank De Los Santos RP Taylor Thompson Line Up CF Adam Eaton SS Alexei Ramirez 2B Jose Fernandez 1B Jose Abreu DH Pedro Alvarez RF Avisail Garcia 3B Conor Gillaspie/Davidson C Tyler Flowers LF Gerardo Parra/Viciedo Rotation SP Chris Sale SP Jose Quintana SP Hector Noesi SP John Danks SP Justin Masterson/Erik Johnson Bullpen RP Erik Surkamp (long relief) RP Jake Petricka RP Zach Putnam RP Jose A Ramirez/Raul Fernandez RP Brett Cecil RP Franklin Morales RP Daniel Webb Bench C Josh Phegley UTIL Tyler Saladino OF Viciedo/Parra DH/3B Matt Davidson

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 02:59 PM) Correction....three decades. I knew someone would catch that as soon as I posted it.

The overall Royals model is to suck for a decade and load up on prospects and eventually some will pan out.

QUOTE (striker @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 11:19 AM) The only person I'd consider for more than 2 years is Headley. The rest are on the wrong side of 30 or aren't anything special. Martin projects more like a 2 WAR player, which is what Tyler Flowers is. I'd try to find a right handed starter that you can either extend (trade market) or a 1/2 year stop gap via free agency (Peavy, McCarthy, etc). I'd prefer financial flexibility over a free agent gamble. As the Yankees have proven year over year, buying players doesn't translate to winning. They went nuts last year and didn't even make the playoffs. Before this season I would have agreed on Headley, this year I would go 1+1 to limit your risk given his marked drop in production.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 11:34 AM) Why sign a 26 year old second baseman when Sox have 3 that could fill that void right now? Because he is better than the ceiling of any of the three players. It would also give RH some trade chips to improve the roster and add depth to the farm system.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 09:42 AM) Yes he was, and I wish he'd (or they, rather) would go back to that. You can teach guys to throw curveballs and sliders and changeups but you can't teach guys to throw 100 MPH. I think they have stuck to that model, they picked up quite a few guys this season that fit that mold. Acquisitions Sanburn, Cleto, Angel Sanchez, Henry Rodriguez, and Raul Fernandez all light up the radar gun. It was only last year that they brought in Montas as a throw in on the Peavy deal, so I don't think they have abandoned that approach at all, just have not been all that lucky in getting one to click this year though I think that Fernandez and Sanburn show promise to be pieces of the bullpen in the not too distant future.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Oct 12, 2014 -> 11:07 AM) we shouldn't be dealing prospects of any worth, esp for expensive risks. Bruce is another high K player - I'd like to see a Sox moratorium on those players. See if we can get Dom Brown for the Danks bros. I think a Viciedo for Brown swap makes sense. Both are arb eligible and candidates to be non-tendered, each roster could use an opposite handed hitter, Viciedo could platoon with Howard some at 1B and provide as much defense as Brown in the OF. Trade for Brown, sign Jose Fernandez and Parra as a reclamation project and the lineup will be pretty set. I think that RH has Pedro Alvarez pegged for the DH role next year though.

Jose Fernandez may have defected this weekend. If he did, that would be a huge priority for the Sox. A 26 year old LH hitting second baseman with exception on base and contact skills. Other than that I think we just add some spare parts to the bullpen and sign a reclamation project SP. Any other upgrades to the lineup will be done via trade.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 12, 2014 -> 10:12 PM) With Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu...their closer, Haren, Puig, Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez, that's 8 players right there who would be desired by almost every team in baseball. If you include Pederson/Seager/Urias, that's 11. Not the worst position to be in. I'm not sure why they would HAVE to cut salary, as the financial value of their broadcast deal isn't decreasing or being affected by the squabbles with the local carriers/providers. IF KW were GM those guys would be on a plane for Mike Stanton.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 12:25 PM) Ravelo and Montas will, IMO, definitely be protected. I think Smith probably will too - he's basically a year more advanced than Nieto was when he was selected, and catching talent is super-thin across baseball, so he's a selection risk. Saladino won't even be healthy for the beginning of the season so he won't be protected and won't need to be. FDSL and Mitchell could all be passed through and I wouldn't be concerned about anyone taking them in the MLB phase of Rule V, so those two are likely to be assigned off the 40. Taylor showed he's likely competent as a 4th OF, but I doubt the Sox keep both him and JorDanks - so I'd say one of them will have a 40 man slot and the other won't. Cleto has run his course with the Sox, I would guess he gets DFA's. So that's 2-3 guys who they will protect, and at least 3 maybe 4 guys who will come off. Leaves likely 1 open slot for any potential pickups. I'm also not sure they keep Guerra around. And I'm 90% certain they won't have Veal on the OD roster. Open question - does Davidson need protection? I'm not sure if he does or not, but if he does, they will definitely protect him. Last I saw, Hahn expected Saladino to be ready by spring training and if he is injured, it makes it that much easier for a team to hide him. I don't really seen anyway they protect a fourth catcher unless one of the current three is traded. Davidson is already on the 40 man roster. Nate Jones coming off the DL will eat that final roster spot, so the Sox will need to be a little more creative with the roster if they are going to participate in FA.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 04:56 PM) Frank De Los Santos outrighted to AAA, 40-man to 39 QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 04:57 PM) And it begins. It's really at 38 with Konerko retiring. Jones and Paulino need to be re-instated to the roster so the roster is effectively at 40 until Paulino's option is declined.