harfman77

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Nov 4, 2013 -> 02:41 PM) Granderson received a qualifying offer. Also: Scott Merkin ‏@scottmerkin 15m Keep in mind that although White Sox top pick at No. 3 is protected, they almost certainly aren't giving up Draft picks. That item, along .. Reply Retweet Favorite More Expand Scott Merkin ‏@scottmerkin 15m ... with international spending, are two of the major items in the '14 budget per Rick Hahn. Reply Retweet Favorite More Expand Hopefully it is a good class of international prospects.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 4, 2013 -> 02:07 PM) Per Buster Olney, the Yankees have made a qualifying offer to Granderson That should put an end to that talk. He is a decent player, but won't provide enough value to this team to pay him more than the $14.1M AAV he receives with his qualifying offer. The money is better used signing a couple of catchers to platoon and shoring up the bullpen.

I would take Gavin on a deal for next year with a team option for the following season. He has a pretty good track record and can give you innings at a minimum. Pitchers that feature their curveball have a history of their stuff being better after TJ surgery, so there is a chance for optimism. If he comes back and pitches great you can move him for a prospect, if not he at least gives you an alternative to the rookies if they struggle, or worst case you DFA him. Hes not going to command a huge deal, and may not even sign with anyone until he is healthy and can get a better contract.

Trades I can see: Beckham to the Blue Jays for Anthony Gose - Change of scenery for both, Sox need to open a middle IF spot and the Jays are overloaded in the OF. Hector Santiago and Viciedo to the Mariners with for Kyle Seager, Tom Wilhemsen, and Charlie Furbush. Sox get a 3B who can plug in right away and patches up the bullpen, Seattle gets a solid #2-3 starter to fit in between Felix and Walker and solid hitter to replace the production of Seager. LF De Aza RF Garcia DH Dunn 1B Abreu 3B Seager SS Ramirez 2B Semien/L Gacia C Brayan Pena/Phlegley CF Gose

That would be a terrible move. Get Granderson to replace the other LH bat in the lineup doesn't help to bring anymore balance to the lineup, Granderson's OBP and defense are trending downward and his power was propped up by playing in Yankee Stadium. That money would be used much better to invest in a long term solution at one of the corner infield positions.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Aug 16, 2013 -> 12:21 PM) Well, at least someone here is a realist.... I wonder if he will be more interested in a short term deal though. Maybe something like 3/27 with the team giving rights to arbitration away at the end of the deal. That way he can be a FA again at 30 and make his money there. If he goes for a long term deal he loses his chance to make a lot more money as he would be a FA until his mid to late 30's.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 14, 2013 -> 11:30 PM) From what I've read and what I've seen (I will not over-react; I like him) Garcia again looks like a White Sox free-swinger with a bunch of talent (see Viciedo, see DeAza) who could use some coaching. I like the fact Manto got Beckham to bend his knees. Beckham should now be a .300 hitter the rest of his career, though his power may have been zapped, which is OK. He was on fast track to the minors if he kept his old stance. But folks, our youngsters (Phegs isn't going to make it without some refining as well) need help. Is Manto the man the young players will respect enough to give that help? I'd fire him and bring in a FAMOUS hitting coach. Big Frank probably won't do it. He's too rich to want to travel that much during the season. Is SOMEBODY out there??? Garcia's future may depend on it. Thing is, if the White Sox scouts decide he's a can't miss prospect, the Sox HAVE to acquire him if they want to be relevant in the Central Division quickly. I seriously don't get the obsession people have with Frank being the hitting coach, what would make anyone think he would be good at it. Frank was such a natural talent I am not sure that he could teach others to hit the way he did. It is kind of like Michael Jordan coaching basketball to me, things come so easy to them it is hard to teach others. Most good coaches/managers were middle of the road players that had to grind everything out to make things work in the majors. I would much rather have Greg Norton than Frank Thomas in that role. Manto has been a good departure from the Greg Walker uppercut, the guys have lost some power but are making more contact, I think he deserves to stay given the improvements by Rios, Beckham, and Dunn on his watch.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Aug 12, 2013 -> 03:09 AM) Yankees - Teixera Rangers - Moreland Angels - Pujols Baltimore - Davis Red Sox - Napoli Phillies - Howard Detroit - Fielder Mets - Ike Davis I would think from that list I would look out for the Mets, Rangers and the Red Sox. The Yankees and Orioles need a DH as well, and supposedly Abreus best friend is on the Orioles. The Marlins are supposedly going to make a big run given their regional Cuban population. With the extra $25M every team is getting next year, their will be no shortage of bidders for him. Their are several teams that need offensive upgrades that wouldn't mind giving half of that money to Abreu.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Aug 15, 2013 -> 07:54 AM) I think KLaw also disputed the notion of his 70/70 grades. He basically said that means he would hit .320 with 30 HRs right away. For comparison sake, here are the guys in that ballpark last year: Miguel Cabrera (.333/44) Ryan Braun (.319/41) Adrian Beltre (.321/36) Robinson Cano (.313/33) Andrew McCutchen (.327/31) Prince Fielder (.313/30) Mike Trout (.326/30) Billy Butler (.313/29) I think that is why Law doubts the Abreu hype machine. Based on the scouting reports, I would expect him to be a similar player to Billy Butler. And as far as Law saying that Cespedes is worth more because he is much more athletic, that is pretty absurd. That would mean that Carl Crawford should have gotten more money than Prince Fielder or Curtis Granderson should make more than Mark Texiera. Cespedes is a great athlete with a ton of power, but his hit tool is below average so he doesn't get as much play from his power tool as he should.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 13, 2013 -> 12:51 PM) Which one of them will play 2b? Jeter/Nunez They need upgrades in the OF and at DH and can replace Cano's production+ with two bats in FA.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Aug 13, 2013 -> 10:03 AM) A lot of speculation that the Dodgers might really emerge as the favorites to sign Cano, too. Then the Yankees will go all in on Abreu and Ellsbury for the same $$.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 13, 2013 -> 08:37 AM) Let's note some of the actual scouting numbers. These were from earlier in the thread: Arm obviously doesn't matter much. Here's one version for Cespedes: Hit: 30-40 Power: 60 Arm: 50 Glove: 40-50 (projected as a corner OF) Run: 50-60. They projected him as a higher risk guy because they were more concerned about his hit tool. This guy probably won't steal 30 bases, but he's not going to be Konerko on the bases or in the field. It should also improve our IF and our overall ability on the basepaths...and the fact that the hit tool is so much more developed is what hopefully should give confidence in him stepping onto the field day 1 and tearing it up. I wonder how those numbers would compare with Franks in his age 26 season? He has two plus to plus plus tools, two average tools, and one less than average tool. It will be interesting to see how those numbers translate and with the $$ the Sox have freed up coupled with the flaming pile that is this years free agency class, he should be the teams #1 target.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 12, 2013 -> 01:50 PM) The White Sox aren't even in the discussion? huh? Everything is very preliminary, the Cubs and White Sox were the favorites for Puig before the Dodgers trumped everyone. This will be a process that will not conclude for quite a while.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Aug 12, 2013 -> 11:37 AM) The 3rd number is slugging not OPS I think which would be incredibly high. Guy should command 5+ years and somewhere around $10 mill per year. I think the Sox will be in on him unless the bidding goes higher than say $75 mill. I imagine with Puigs success, Abreus contract will inflate. I think $15M/year will be table stakes, maybe a 4 year deal so that he can hit FA sooner and get a large second contract as well.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 12, 2013 -> 10:42 AM) Of that list, I would cross off Colorado, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh,Houston, Minnesota, and Tampa Bay right away as teams that won't hand out a big dollar contract right now. Next I would cross off the Yankees with their salary situation plus having Tex at 1B. Baltimore has Chris Davis at 1B. The Indians seem to be using Swisher at 1B, but I can leave them in as a maybe as Swish can play the OF. Texas getting Rios locks up their OF situation for a while, and they probably need 1B and DH for flexibility to play all of the players they have. Oakland is also a maybe as they have finally dropped some coin internationally, but payroll is always a big problem for them if the dollars go too high. The Mets are a good chance as we have a history spending money, and they may be getting the pitching staff to justify some more thump. Boston would have to be one of the front runners for a big bid looking at their history, though maybe Dice-K's situation slows their roll a bit. Cleveland, Baltimore and the Yankees both have gaping holes at DH though, which it sounds may be the best fit for Abreu given his reported lack of athleticism. Houston may be inclined to make a splash if they see this as a guy that will be a significant contributor three years from now. The Rockies really need some production at 1B and should have the money with Helton's contract coming off the books. I think the Mets are the longest shot with the questions of how Abreus power would play in that park. The White Sox are a good destination for Abreu, the hold up may be the fanbase as it likely impacts the amount that he will be able to make in endorsement deals. Acquiring this player could really accelerate the Sox timetable for contention. CF De Aza 2B Beckham 1B Abreu DH Dunn LF Viciedo SS Ramirez 3B Gillespie RF Garcia C Phegley/FA - Suzuki/Pena Would love to make a deal with the Padres to acquire Headley and Fuentes, really would put that lineup in great shape for next year and for the future.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 12, 2013 -> 09:12 AM) It's not just that. He's actually overpaid for the amount he produces. As a near-full-time DH he's worth about $8 million in the fangraphs world (that was his value in 2012 when he was sorta adequate at 1b and didn't hurt himself much or help himself much). He's paid $14 million a year, so that's a $6 million a year premium you're paying for him. He's likely to put up $9-$10 million of value for a team as a DH over the next 1.33 seasons, which means that the Sox would have to pick up $7-8 million or so for a team to break even on him, again in the fangraphs world. The Sox aren't going to pick up $8 million of Adam's deal unless you give them a good reason to. They're not so desperate for funds or playing time that they're going to dump him to save 1/2 of his deal. His value increases though when he gets some protection in the lineup so that he gets more good pitches to hit.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Aug 12, 2013 -> 09:52 AM) Boston looks like the best fit, since Napoli has been pretty pedestrian after May. But yeah, this is one where the Cubs/Dodgers won't be in a position to blow everyone away this time because of their incumbents. Boston is probably the favorite given their park, fanbase, competitiveness, and immediate opening for PT.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 12, 2013 -> 09:47 AM) And on top of it, if you start to look at teams who will spend money, most have their 1Bs that they are committed to. Teams that will have some level of interest: Colorado Milwaukee Pittsburgh Boston Cleveland Houston Minnesota New York x2 Oakland Texas Baltimore Tampa Bay The A-Rod situation may keep the Yankees out of it due to his contract and the DH spot they will need to leave open for him when his suspension is reduced. With the extra $$ from the national TV deal, every team will have enough additional funds to sign him, so it is going to come down to who can get creative with a contract and what he and his agent feel are the best fit to maximize his value.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 12, 2013 -> 09:39 AM) Getting a guy that is basically Paul Konerko (without knowing really anything about him other than Cuban stats) would go a long way towards "rebuilding" Any word on who Abreau's agent is? Sounds like he hasn't settled on one yet. This is all still pretty fresh. He probably wont be able to sign until close to spring training.

The issue for the White Sox will be the number of years. JR is not a fan of long term deals, especially for unknown players.

QUOTE (southside hitman @ Aug 12, 2013 -> 08:45 AM) We were in it until the end for Soler apparently. And that was before we shed 27 million dollars towards our 2014 payroll. Sox were after Puig too, but were blown away by the Dodgers offer like everyone else.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 1, 2013 -> 10:47 AM) Oh, and to answer the question where the money actually goes, my guess is that the list for the offseason looks something like: Extend Quintana Extend Reed Extend Beckham (No reason to go to arbitration for another year, he's worth risking something like $3/15 guaranteed on with an option/buyout) Maybe extend Santiago Get all those guys locked up, and then: Sign at least 1, more likely 2-3 more veteran bullpen arms, including at least 1 lefty. Fix the **** bench. This step probably will involve bringing in a few guys (like Salty as I noted in the last post) who can contribute, maybe do several things, and can do those things well enough to actually get playing time. Guys coming off bad seasons or injuries would be idea. Agree on extending Quintana, I would trade Reed though given the short shelf life of closers and the abundance of bullpen arms on the farm. Agree on extending Beckham, but would probably market Santiago to see what guy of offensive talent we can get back (preferably LH 3B and CF). I would also re-sign Floyd and someone like Shaun Marcum on a one year deal to provide depth in case Johnson and Rienzo aren't ready for prime time. Hopefully Marcum performs up to his peripherals from this season and you can move him at the deadline next year and get some value back. I think the Sox probably also take a college SP with their first pick next year to fortify the rotation with Beede, Rondon, or Hoffman, whichever is available when they pick. The Sox will have about double their pool from this season next year in both the draft and in international free agency, so some of the money will go there. I don't see many free agents that are an upgrade to anything on the roster. Cano is out of the teams price range, Ellsbury and Choo are Boras clients, McCann is probably not worth giving up the draft pick for a rebuilding team.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 1, 2013 -> 11:10 AM) Yep, that might be our best bet of adding an impact bat for next season. I agree. I dont think there is any reason to dump contracts for no return, its not like the org is strapped for cash and replacing those players production in free agency isn't going to provide any real savings and will probably be more expensive. It is a good time for the Sox to start throwing waiver claims out with the money freed up in the Peavy deal.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 11:53 AM) This is the kind of analysis you see most and it makes no mention of $20,000,0000.00 . Because that is the market value for a #2 pitcher for a year and a half of playing time. Peavy's contract is a value if anything.

Was hoping Hahn could do a little better in his first big deal as a GM. The Sox pick up another "toolsy" OF to go with the masses they have been stockpiling. This one appears to actually have a shot at the majors since he has had a little success, but the jury is still out. The biggest holes in the system are at the IF corners, and this deal does nothing to address that. Instead of chasing down a ML ready bat, he should have taken a few players that were further away. We will need to see what he is able to do with his other chips, as Garcia seems like he could be ready to step in if Hahn is able to deal Rios. The other pieces the Sox picked up look like bullpen guys and a UT infielder. The other problem is that it made two teams that you are trying to catch better. The Tigers have their SS of the foreseeable future with Iglesias who is cost controlled and elite defensively. Hitting .330 this season shows he can hit at least enough to stay in the lineup. We will see what else Hahn is able to do, but in a vacuum, I feel he should have done better.