BearSox

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 03:41 PM) I prefer to be optimistc about our chances. But, every other game or so we still have the naysayers calling for wholesale trades involving Sox veterans and asking for second tier prospects in return just to dump salary. I think they forget all we have to do is finish 1st in OUR division to get into the playoffs. some of them can make the point we don't have a team good enough to compete with the Yankees or Red Sox, and I'd agree with that. If we want to be World Series contenders, we're gonna have to improve this team some how.

YES!!!! Another politician who doesn't pay his taxes!

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 03:34 PM) I'm not sure the 232 ABs he had in 08-09 is enough to condemn him. Don't we need more of a sample size? He has always had a low average and suspect defense, but his OPS of .728 is very respectable given that low average, and it should improve. Joe Crede has a career OPS of .754 (yes I realize he is a superior defender). He's played a little over a full season's worth of games and has something like 600 ML abs. Shouldn't we be giving him at least one more half to full season before drawing any conclusions? I would agree if he should any resemblance to a major league hitter at bat, but he hasn't. Until he learns how to swing a bat properly and gain some bat speed, I don't see how we can have much hope for him.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 03:33 PM) Exactly. He's our best hitter and we're well-within the race. This is purely speculation and there's no reason to even consider Dye as a trading chip. Unless you think this team isn't a contender. I know a lot of people have confidence now, but I still don't see how it's still no 50/50 with this team. It's pretty silly to automatically say this team is a contender again because we're playing good for the past week or so. However, it's probably equally silly to automatically say team is a pretender because of our poor play in the past. This team can still go either way, and I'd say us staying in the middle like we are is the worst possible thing we can do. Hopefully we either start to play extremely well and cement ourselves right in the middle of the playoff picture or we realize this team is bad and some work needs to be done.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 03:29 PM) Six career minor league games at 3B? This isn't XBOX. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/Fielding/G/Chris-Getz.shtml I'm not disagreeing about Getz....... but how many career minor league games at 3B did Beckham have?

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 02:55 PM) In that case, the type of hitter he is has nothing to do with the conversation, because typically speaking that's what sluggers do...they hit about .250 and 25-30 jacks. See Joe Crede without the defense. My point is that Getz at 2b and Fields at 3b seem exactly comparable, even though they are different types of player. The difference in my eyes is that Getz is always going to be this Graffanino low ceiling player and Fields obviously has the ability to crush the ball if he gets his s*** together and have a way higher OPS. I'm not sold that the "intangibles" (which I admittedly like in Getz) justify the opportunity cost of Fields' ceiling. The defensive downgrade of playing Beckham at 2b and Fields at 3b v. playing Beckham at 3b and Getz at 2b seems negligible to me as well The thing is, Fields has shown no ability what-so-ever to be the .250, 30 home run hitter in the past 2 years. And quite frankly, it'll never happen unless one morning he finally finds out how to hit a fastball.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 02:55 PM) One more thing: really, really hope Nix hits well enough to stick as the utility guy. He's likely our best defender at three positions. If he keeps up what he has been doing, he'll be sticking around. He really deserves more playing time, IMO.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 02:31 PM) As much as it would pain me, I'd part with the following to land Big Roy: Poreda and Richard Hudson OR D. Carter Brandon Allen Link or a similar level relief pitching prospect (Nathan Jones, Santos Rodriguez?) Maybe you're right about them wanting position players more, but you can't have too much pitching, and it's always very tradeable. We'd still have Flowers/Dayan/Jordanks etc. so we're not too depleted on the farm. I really like Hudson, and I have to believe his prospect status is climbing rapidly. Would this be enough? First off, no way we can afford to trade both of Poreda and Hudson. You do that and you completely void this team of any legit pitching prospect. We'd have some interesting guys in Carter, Shirek, Ely, Harrel, etc., but none of them compare to Hudson at this point. However, I think Poreda, Richard, Carter or Ely, and Allen would easily get the deal done for Halladay, but that's only if the Jays are really willingly to deal Halladay. And if they do decide to move Halladay, it'll be in the offseason... In the trade, they'd be getting 2 very good prospects in Allen and Poreda, a decent pitcher in Richard, and a decent spect with Carter or Ely. However, I only make the trade if we have every intention of extending Halladay for another 3-4 years. IMO, with Halladay's make up, we can expect another at least 3-4 good to great years out of him and probably some more decent ones when he is passed 35 or 36. A core rotation of Halladay, Buehrle, Floyd, and Danks would be awesome.

QUOTE (qwerty @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 02:20 PM) Irrational to say he will have to change positions (which i think he will... though not likely this season) based off a total of 21 games at third in the major leagues, and in total 29 games between the majors and the minors. Neither you or anyone else has seen nearly enough of him to have even a semi decent grasp of what we have on ours hands defensively. Sample sizes are are no ones friend. He just screams MI to me. He's should he can play a somewhat decent 3B so far, but I'm not sure he has the reaction time or reflexes to be a good one there. I think his skill set is much more suited for either SS or 2B. But for now, there is no reason to move him.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 02:28 PM) I intangibly agree with this, but if Fields was hitting .250 and projected to hit 30 homers, would you feel like you could bench him for a different type of hitter? Of course he would be playing if he was hitting .250 and projected to his 30 homers... but he's not.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 29, 2009 -> 11:33 PM) If the Sox could get in a 3 way deal they might be able to get Andre Ethier in a deal that gives the Dodgers and additional starter. The key would be having the right package of youngsters to offer the team giving up the starter. I'm higher on Ethier than most but out of all the Dodgers outfielders he's the one they'd be most willing to move to bolster there rotation and with Manny coming back the Dodgers wouldn't mind upgrading there rotation with Ethier all while opening up a spot for Pierre to continue to play (Juan Pierre has been f***ing ridiculous this year). I really like Ethier too. I love Ethier and would love to get him in a similar trade that happened last year with Bay, Ramirez, etc. Also, he'd make the decision of Dye or Thome a lot easier as he would replace the left handed bat we'd be missing with Thome. Also, you make good points. Out of of their top 4 young position (Martin, Loney, Kemp and Ethier) players, Ethier is likely the one they'd be most willing to trade. Also, there's no getting rid of Juan Pierre and his contract, and he's been playing great for them. And they got Manny for next year at 20 million, and I wouldn't be surprised if he resignes with LA again after 2010 (if he keeps on producing like Manny) as they seem to be the perfect fit for him. Plus, their top prospect Lambo will be knocking on the door soon. Also, moving Ethier would likely mean moving Kemp to RF, but I think it's a likely scenario that Kemp will likely have to move to RF. From what I've seen, he doesn't seem to get good enough jumps or reads to be a good CF. Another guy on the Dodgers I'd look at is Blake DeWitt And if we want to make a trade with the Jays, the guy I would try and get is Rolen. Rolen has been playing great for them, but there's no doubt at this point that the Jays want to clear salary anyway possible. It'd be unrealistic to expect Rolen to keep doing what he has been for the Jays, but he's shown when he's healthy, or close to it, he can still be a very solid player. He still plays a good 3B, and while he doesn't have the power he once has, he's still a very good overall hitter. Plus, I was surprised to see how athletic he still is and how he still moves decent for his age and injury history. If we could get him plus some money for the rest of this year and next year, that'd be fantastic. We could move Beck to 2B, and he'd be a great option at 3B while he wait for Viciedo to develop.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 10:17 AM) First of all, I think next year is a Mutual Option, so Dye may or may not be a FA, BearSox. Second, in the other part of the article, it said the Giants might also be scouting Victor Martinez. Third, I would love to keep Dye as he's been the most consistent player on the Sox for years. He's had bad stretches, but not nearly as long as others (I'm looking at you, Kong). But, if we can get something good for him, and we are really out of it, then why not? No team is gonna exercise their portion of the option mainly because 12 million, in this economy, is too much for an aging, slowing down RF who likely will have to move to DH.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 01:39 PM) I disagree. This is the first time all season where we have been playing good. Wins and losses don't always tell the whole story. So without looking at things in just black and white, I will tell you that we have not been bi-polar. We have sucked all year up until a few weeks ago. imo This isn't the first time we've looked good. I thought we looked pretty good to open up the season. I thought we looked pretty good for a streak after the Toronto series. And we're looking pretty good now. Just because this is the best we've played doesn't mean we have sucked all year. I don't understand how you can see we have been anything but streaky.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 01:40 PM) hitting: Getz: .243/.303/.338/.641 Fields: .233/.314/.351/.666 fielding: Getz: 6 errors at an easier position/.978 fielding percentage Fields: 8 errors at a tougher position/.941 fielding percentage in one scenario, beckham stays at third, in the other, beckham moves to ss with alexei going to second or beckham moves to second. In one scenario, our speed and flexibility is compromised with fields, but on the other the power numbers and ceiling go way up. Yes, I know we stick with the hot lineup. If and when we come off this streak, does it make sense to rethink some things? I'm not convinced Fields still does have a much higher ceiling, even though he said some stupid things the other week. Fields is an idiot, but he's an idiot capable of hitting 27 home runs a season. Chris Getz arguably has a much lower ceiling and has similar offensive issues. As a side note: is Fields now going to be consigned to a suite in the Anderson Doghouse? You gotta throw out the numbers and just compare how they've played. Right now, Chris Getz with Jayson Nix platooning is the easy answer. Getz has come through with some big hits this year, and has a lot better shot at putting the ball in play and hitting a fastball. Fields on the other hand, while he might have more power, is a much worse pure hitter. Fields approach at bat has been pretty bad and him being so prone to the K will only hurt this team. As for the defense aspect, there's little doubt in my mind that we are better defensively with Gordo at 3B with Getz and Nix at 2B.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 01:48 PM) I'd prefer Beckham at 2b where he'd be at a premium position for the way he can hit. Let Fields/Nix toil at 3B until hopefully Vicedo figures it out or we get a deal done. I'm so sick and tired of this argument. Fine, yeah, he'll be a premium hitter there. But how the f*** does that help the team if Getz is the better option to have in the lineup instead of Fields? I think Beckham will have to move eventually to the MI because I don't think he's a good enough 3B, but right now, you do what's best for the team. And honestly, with Getz being pretty clutch for us lately, having him in the lineup instead of Fields helps the team.

QUOTE (beck72 @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 12:31 PM) I think the Sox would do very well with what they have in house for 2010. Is Contreras ready for a 1 year deal, with a team option for 2011? I think so. If he continues pitching the way he has since coming back from AAA, he sticks with the sox in 2010. I think it's silly to offer anything guaranteed to Contreras, even if he keeps pitching the way he has been. It's just too much of a risk with his age (there's little doubt, IMO, that he isn't at least 2-3 years younger then the 37 years old he's listed as) and injury concerns. Also, I doubt anyone else would offer him much. If Contreras starts to deteriorate, which is still a possibility, he'll likely have to settle for a spring training invite. We basically got 4 spots set with Buehrle, Danks, Floyd, and one of Poreda/Richard (or an ace if we trade for one, and a deal would involve CR/AP). I don't see us using a 4 man lefty rotation. If they were all proven to be effective, I'd be fine with 4 lefties, but you gotta provide more matchups. Some teams mash lefties and imagine playing a 4 game series with all 4 lefties pitching vs. a team that has a bunch of lefty killers on it. QUOTE (beck72 @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 12:31 PM) But the question is, would another team take what the sox offered for Jake Peavy? Probably. Yet it's hard to see who would be available. Finances come into play a lot. Toronto has to unload salary. Yet both Wells and Rios have full no trade clauses for 2009 and 2010. As much as Toronto say they want to keep Roy, I don't see how they do it financially. If the Sox have the same deal on the table for Halladay, that they did for Peavy, IMO, Toronto bites on it. I'd love to get Halladay, but no way Toronto trades him. He's the face of their franchise, and whenever he pitches, their stadium is packed. Most games in Toronto he pitches, that game likely sells out, or close to it. Odds are they get rid of Rolen, Rios, Wells, etc. even if they don't get great offers, before they get rid of Halladay.

I wouldn't mind going after Lackey, even though he is having a rough year. If we could get him on a somewhat cheap 2 year contract, I'd love that. Also, if he does wind up having a rough overall season, he might prefer to take a short term offer to get his value back up, as well as the economy to hopefully get in a better place so he can get a big contract. He's got a bit of an injury concern with him though. Or, wouldn't mind taking a flyer on Harden. Big injury risk, but when healthy, he's preformed well. I also hope we get Charlotte some high upside, low risk pitchers. I'd be all for signing guys like Prior and Cabrera and basically throw s*** to the wall and see what sticks. Also, it'd be a good idea to sign some Vets as well. If Contreras falters and has a tough time finding a team, he could be an option for Charlotte (would also likely team up with Viciedo, so that'd be cool), as well as Garcia and Colon, who'd make a lot of sense because of the past connection with the team. Wouldn't mind getting maybe Estes as well. I feel with vets in AAA, we'll have a solid option to go to if we get injuries. This way, if we are competing, we don't have to throw the young guys straight into the fire.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 12:13 PM) The Cubs farm system has produced so little over the last few years and what it has produced has seen results with guys in their mid to late 20s. That's not a team I would want to target for prospects. I wouldn't mind getting either Hoffpauir or Fox from them.... but not for Pods or Thornton.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Jun 30, 2009 -> 07:43 AM) I disagree with the team being bi-polar. This is the best the team has looked all season, regardless of W/L record at any other .500 point of the season. (even when we were 12-10 on May 1, I still did not like what I seen from this team) I would have to say I seen a change since the Detroit series. How has this team not been bi-polar? We started off hot, fizzled, then really sucked, picked it back up a bit, started to suck again, and now are playing pretty good, like you said, probably the best we have all season. I'm all for being optimistic, but this has been very up and down.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jun 29, 2009 -> 10:46 PM) I didn't see all of the game, but am I right in thinking that Chris Perez is a punk? The Alexei pitch was questionable, what happened to Dye even more so. Oh, and Beckham f***ing rocks!!! It's a 2-0 game in the top of the 9th.... why the f*** would he purposely hit two batters? He's got a great arm but has really no control right now. Am I pissed, yes. Do I want to see someone on the Indians hit tomorrow, yes. But I don't blame Perez for hitting Alexei and Dye at all, it was clearly accidental.

QUOTE (KipWellsFan @ Jun 29, 2009 -> 07:42 PM) Your quality of life probably won't be affected anyways by this weak bill. That will probably be the case for 99% of the American population. Some of the house members apparently voted against because it wasn't strong ENOUGH. I think it's pretty clear a large chunk of the Republicans in the house have zero interest in making the best legislation possible. Sometimes politics is about power, and unfortunately for some, those who give half a s*** about climate hold a very large chunk of it right now. Democrats and Obama were pretty clear on their environmental position in recent election campaigns and I think it would be a betrayal to pass anything weaker than this now. Don't forget about how you now also have to meet government qualifications if you want to sell your home. That means is your house isn't green enough, you have to pay to get all that stuff taken care of before you can sell... YAY!!!!

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 29, 2009 -> 10:25 PM) How is Lillibridge hitting in the minors? I'm too lazy to look it up. He's batting like .220.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 29, 2009 -> 10:03 PM) Just an FYI, but aside from Gordon Beckham, ALderson would be the best prospect in our system and he's one of the elite pitching prospects in all of baseball. The youngest player in AA too, IIRC. He can't be, considering his teammate in AA and fellow 07 draft class pick Bumgarner was born in 89 and is about 8 months older than Alderson..

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jun 29, 2009 -> 10:19 PM) Why trade one of our best most consistent players? We are contenders because of J Dye. Reading these posts makes me reiterate my feeling about how low we value our own players. "Lewis is 29 yrs old and has so much talent-I would settle for..." this type of stuff is just ridiculous. We need to keep JD No one is saying trade him yet. However, most people realize that this team is still 50/50 on whether it's a contender or not. So why not explore and discuss all possible routes?