witesoxfan

Good to read. Hope it's true

Randy Johnson - 16-14, 2.60, .197 BAA, 0.90 WHIP, K/9 of 10.6, K/BB of 6.5 in 245.6 innings...and he did all that for a team that lost 111 games. That means they won 51 games. That means that Randy Johnson accounted for 31.4% of their wins as a starter. That's Carlton-esque. His cost is $16.5 mill for 1 year...meaning he's going to cost the White Sox a guaranteed $16.5 million, and if they are lucky(meaning RJ is really good and the White Sox do good things with him), more. If not, he gone...it's that easy. Pedro Martinez - 16-9, 3.90, .238 BAA, 1.17 WHIP, K/9 of 9, K/BB of 3.7 in 217 innings...that means he won the same amount of games that Randy Johnson did for a team that won 98 games. He didn't lead his team in wins, he didn't lead his team in ERA...AND HE WANTS $14 MILL? Those stats look like a $10 mill pitcher to me at the very most, and those are not the numbers of an ace. He is going to cost you probably $45-55 mill over 3 years, or $60-70 mill over 4...and he definately showed signs of wearing down this year. So you tell me...which is riskier, getting a guy in FA who will cost you $45 mill over 3 years, or getting a guy that will cost you $16.5 for one year? Also consider that getting the guy with $16.5 mill will take away a big contract too. Red, you're a good poster...but your Red Sox bias has definately gotten in the way here. I would much, much rather have RJ over Pedro next year, and you'd almost have to be crazy to disagree.

For me, the hardest part has been asking her out. I don't know why. Maybe it's fear, but when I think about it, it really isn't. And I don't think it is being turned down, because I'm not sure exactly what she'll say. I think it probably has to do with me being a pretty shy person. Not sure what I'm waiting for either. I just gotta ask it. My hands on the gun, it's cocked, and ready to go, and I just can't pull the trigger. :banghead

It depends on what you mean by steep. He will cost a lot...period. Arizona does not have to trade him. They will have to get a pretty good offer for him to trade him.

I agree. I also think this no celebration penalty is stupid too. Let the teammates celebrate, and only call the penalty if the celebration gets out of hand(ala the cell phone :rolly )

Plain and simply, I'd like either team a lot. I think your team gets us to the postseason a lot easier then my team does, but I think my team wins in the postseason more then your team does. Head to head in a series of games, my team is better...but over the long haul, yours probably wins more games then mine, just do to an offense that would be very inconsistent. But an idea that has not yet been visited it doing what you do...signing Perez and Vizquel and whoever else...and using your team. Then, come trading deadline time, you put together a package for RJ, assuming he is still with Arizona, for half the cost with more talent on the team. I would assume that a starter from the rotation would go along with a good package of prospects(and one of the downers about trading for RJ during the season is that you probably have to give up one of Anderson, Sweeney, and McCarthy). Let's hypothetically say it is Garland that is dealt as part of the package. Can you imagine how good a rotation of RJ-Garcia-Buehrle-Perez-Contreras would be?

15 wins is pushing it...that would be more or less if he pitched similarly to his 2003 form. But I would say that double digit wins is not out of the question and that's more then we have gotten the past 2 seasons from our #5 starter, and for $2 mill more, I'd take it in a heartbeat. I'm not really overhyping the Sox prospects at all...but I'm just not sure how many teams will have interest in Jose Guillen. That's basically all. I'm not suggesting Borchard is a good prospect at all, just that I'm not sure what other offers Anaheim will get for Jose Guillen. Borchard and Diaz wouldn't have to be the final offer...I did say that I was just throwing some names out there. I do think Diaz would be part of the package though. Another person I just thought of that could become available is Kenny Lofton, and while I know he was an asshole on the Sox, and he was part of the late 90s Indians too, he is still a very solid player, and is cheap and would be a hell of an option to lead off for us. Not sure where he'd play in the field(I'd put him in LF personally with Rowand in CF and Guillen in RF, assuming we got him), and I'd end up just trading Konerko elsewhere for value, with a good reliever being apart of the package. I do realize there is the potential to have better teams with $75 mill, but a rotation of RJ-Garcia-Buehrle is quite possibly the best in the majors, and if we got to the postseason, be it Wild Card or a division win, that team is probably the favorite to win it all just because of that trio. .280 may be overrated...but how about how Hairston and Vizquel would both probably have OBP's of .350 or better, 3-7 would all probably put up OPS's of .800 or better, and that Crede and Davis would put up OPS of around .700-.750? Another thing that would indicate that this is an Ozzie type of offense is how often they put the ball in play...in half a season, Jerry Hairston struck out roughly once every 10 ABs(29 K's, 287 ABs), and had as many walks as strike outs. The most Vizquel has ever struck out in a season is 72 times, so you know he wouldn't strike out a lot. Guillen has only struck out 100 times one time in his career, though has struck out 90 times twice(so I wouldn't say he doesn't strike out a lot). Gload struck out about once every 6.5 ABs or so, so he doesn't strike out an incredible amount either. I'm not a big believer in having to have guys that put the ball in play...but it is there to see. I just proposed this idea anyways. Not like I'm the GM. I personally do think this offense would be better then you give it credit for, but it probably wouldn't be as good as I think it would be.

Cuz he's cheap, and if he can stay healthy, he's a good player Gotta take risks sometimes. If he doesn't work out, you have to make sure you have a good backup ready...and Willie Harris might be good enough.

If the trade I proposed is made, someone has to replace Garland's production in the rotation...you think it's gonna be Jason Grilli? Why not sign Esteban to a $2 mill deal? I'm sure come January, seeing how there are no other options out there, he'll accept the deal. And he's being asked to be our #5 starter...nothing more, nothing less. He will get atleast double digit wins, and maybe up to 15 as a #5(and that would be asking a ton, but it's possible). All you really need Esteban to do is to give you 5 innings a game or so. Keeping him fresh is the main idea. I mentioned before that they'd trade Borchard and Diaz to Anaheim for Guillen...I don't think KC can top the offer, nor do I think they would. And I do think Anaheim would love that offer, even seeing what Borchard did this season. If they can turn him around and shorten his swing any, they rape us in that deal...but it's almost a move you have to make. I do realize that a trade of Lee, Garland, and a couple others for RJ would put the Sox over $70 mill...I see no reason why the payroll should not be at around $75 mill this year, and the roster I proposed is right around $75 mill. Attendance figures remained roughly the same from last year, and that's including a raise in ticket prices. You also have to factor in a new TV deal and potential revenue sharing that the Sox will get along with JR's supposed willingness to open the checkbook a little more, and there is no reason the payroll shouldn't be at $75 mill. I do not think the Sox would go after another big FA if they got RJ, and I think it would be foolish if they did. Getting 1 big name could probably be too much for this team to overcome...only time will tell. As I said before...the deals with Anaheim and Baltimore are just the general trades. They could be tweaked a little, and there's nothing wrong with that. I do think Anaheim accepts Borchard and Diaz for Guillen though. They were the ones that dug themselves a hole in saying that they will trade Guillen. And I will disagree about the offense being dreadful...it wouldn't be as good as offenses the Sox have had in year's past, but it wouldn't be terrible. In fact, I don't see how it differs much from Minnesota's offense. Crede is probably the worst offensive player on the team, and I really do not think there's much stopping KW from upgrading at either 2B or 3B at the deadline or even in the offseason and having Uribe play the vacant spot. The most notable thing about the offense is that every player 1-7 hit .280 or above last year(though Hairston and Gload's were in limited playing time) with the exception of Frank, who hit .271 and had an OPS of .997.

Maybe I'm just sick and tired of Bledsoe then. He's in his 3rd year here, and the team has gotten worse in each of his years here...started out 8-8(and hotter then hell in 2002), were 6-10 last year, and are 1-5 this year. In that time period, the Bills defense has gone from one of the worst in the league to one of the better defenses in the league. It's not the running backs...Henry has run for over 1350 yards each of the past two seasons, though he's struggled a little this year, and McGahee has been a good #2 back(and ran for over 100 yards in his only start). The receivers are fine...there is nothing wrong with Moulds, Reed, or Evans at all. The offensive line is mediocre, not good, not bad...and the defense is still real good. Moorman is still a damn good punter, and Lindell is decent. I can't figure it out...is it just coincidental that the last time Drew Bledsoe led any team to a winning season(note, I'm not counting 2001, as I shouldn't...he was not the starter that year, Tom Brady was) I was still in grade school(1998, New England went 9-7)? And, maybe Jay Fiedler is not as good as Bledsoe...but, even with the talent he's had, he's actually won games within the past 3 years...more then Bledsoe has anyways.

Thank you So I think it's settled...Buffalo has the worst 1st string QB in the league, and probably the second worst starter in the league(thanks a lot Jonathin Quinn). Put Shane Matthews in...he seriously couldn't do any worse.

You could be right. The Angels have said that they will get rid of Jose Guillen though, so they've dug themself a hole. They no longer have leverage in any deal they make. Even saying that, Cleveland did the same thing with Milton Bradley last year, and they still got a pretty good prospect from LA for him. I think I've seen that KC wants Guillen, but I am not sure how many other teams will have interest in him either. If we have to outbid KC for Guillen, I see no reason why he shouldn't be in a Sox uni next year, other then the fact that he may be a clubhouse problem. Not sure exactly what it would take to get Guillen though to be quite honest...I just threw some names down and was hoping they'd be good. As for the O's deal...that's pretty much just the general makings of the deal. They've mentioned that they'd like to add more power to their team, and have also let it be known that Hairston and Julio are available, and it seems that Gibbons has lost a lot of value in the past year or so with injuries and a poor season. He would be just a throw-in type like Ben Davis...and then we hope has a decent season as a backup 1Bman/corner OF type guy. A prospect could be thrown in here or there, or maybe even Gibbons be taken out of the deal(because I would love Hairston and Julio for Konerko, and I'd still even throw in a sweetener in that deal to get it done)

I would rather have Fiedler then Bledsoe. I think that if the Bills had a decent QB starting right now, they'd probably have 2 or 3 wins. Also...you can't use the INT excuse. Forcing turnovers and not turning the ball over is a huge part of the game. If you want to play that way, the Bills are a yard short and a bad pass away from being 3-3 right now(last play of the Jags-Bills game and the goal line stuff by the Raiders D in Oakland in week 2), and if Bledsoe had his head out of his ass, they could have beaten New England too(there are a potential 14 point swing late in the game that killed the Bills when Bledsoe coughed one up and New England took it to the house). The Dolphins have shot themselves in the foot and figured out a way to lose late in the game a lot of times...like all bad teams do.

I just did a little work and came up with an idea that could potentially work...I don't know what people think of it or what the reaction will be, but I think it's a decent team, and while it wouldnt be set, I do think it's reasonable, and goes along with the Ozzieball approach. First of all...I figured that with the numbers we have now, we are at around $62.5 mill total as of right now. If someone wants me to post the numbers I used, I can...I'm just not now because it will take a while to do. Taking that $62.5 mill into account, and realizing that the payroll will increase by $10 mill at the very most, I would sign Vizquel...probably a 2 year deal worth like $9 mill or so($3.5 mill in 05, $4.5 in 06 with an option for 07 or a $1 mill buyout). I'd then trade Lee, Garland, and 3 decent younger players(probably 2 of them being pitchers...for the hell of it, I'll say Adkins and Munoz, and the other is just a decent player who could turn into something nice) for RJ...in doing so, we take on roughly $4 mill or so in payroll. At this point, we are at around $70 mill total. We then take care of the #5 starter spot and sign ELo to a 1 year, $2 mill deal with an option for 06. We then trade Borchard and Diaz to Anaheim for Guillen...not sure they'd accept, but I guess I just assume they may make that move. Maybe I'm wrong in thinking that. The payroll now sits at around $75 mill. That's too much, because there are still holes to fill, so... Konerko is then traded to Baltimore for Hairston, Julio, and Gibbons...I figure in that deal, we save around $3 mill, and we are at around $72 mill. To fill the roster, the payroll goes up a couple notches and we end up at around $74.5 mill or so. Basically, the team is RJ Garcia Buehrle Contreras Loaiza Shingo, Julio, Marte, Politte, Cotts, and Baj/Grilli/minor leaguer/NRI Hairston - LF Vizquel - SS Thomas - DH Guillen - RF Gload - 1B Rowand - CF Uribe - 2B Crede - 3B Davis - C Burke(C, OF, and maybe even 3B and 1B), Harris(2B and OF), Timo(OF), Escobar(OF), and Gibbons(1B and OF) on the bench. I used some very rough general salary numbers for quite a few of the players, so it may not be exact...but I think it's pretty close, and a team like that wouldn't surprise me at all next year.

I'd rather have Fiedler then Bledsoe. Fiedler actually has awareness in the pocket and has a clue now and then.

We do need something to break the ice now and then. That was great...Minny left the door wide open for that

I have to agree. Though I will say with Bledsoe at QB for the Bills, they are definately one of the worst. Can someone name me a true, first string QB worse then Drew Bledsoe(threw a kink in there so you can't say Jonathin Quinn )? Didn't think so. Man, he's bad. Too bad Losman hurt his leg, otherwise, he'd be starting right now, and the Bills would probably be the Jacksonville Jaguars of last year this year(if you understand that)

Those holes are much easier to fix then trying to get a bonafide ace. To replace Garland in the rotation, we can sign ELo(and while that is not necessarily a popular idea around here, he never complained, he likes Chicago, probably likes KW and JR for giving him a shot to win the Series, albeit with another team, and he's cheap...he'd probably get us 12-15 wins out of the #5 spot, and there would be no complaints from me). Replacing Lee is a little tougher, but still possible. Jose Guillen is available in trade, you can always stick Gload out in LF(though that makes me cringe even thinking about it), and there are several potential options in FA too(more expensive ones in Moises Alou, Carlos Beltran, JD Drew, among others, cheaper ones who could start, like Marquis Grissom, Jeromy Burnitz, and maybe even Ben Grieve, Brian Jordan, or Gabe Kapler, and cheap ones who could come off the bench in reserve roles, like Quinton McCracken, Todd Hollandsworth, Doug Glanville, among others). Meanwhile, there is 1 Randy Johnson, and 2, maybe 3 potential aces in the FA market(Pedro and Pavano are both very good, but I'm not sure they are aces...Pavano probably is the closest thing to an ace, and I think he ends up in Baltimore or Boston...and Lowe has shown that he can be a very good starter too...other then that, there are not a lot of ace types out there). I think if Arizona would accept a Konerko/Lee, Garland, Diaz, Adkins, plus another prospect not named Sweeney, Anderson, or McCarthy for RJ, you do it in a heartbeat. And I think I have mentioned enough reasons for why I would make a Lee and Konerko for RJ trade...Gload as a replacement at 1B plus all the people above who could fill in in the OF.

I thought it was funny to be quite honest with you.

Attention whores! The Bills beat the Phins last week...you didn't see me starting a thread, now did ya?

Snoped Pre-EDIT: Damn, Crimson beat me to it...lol

I said in the other thread that I think Boston wins it in game 7...no need to change now.

It only became a mistake when he pulled his hamstring and his bat went to hell. When he was getting on base and stealing bases in April, the Sox were one of the best teams in the league with a rotation of Buehrle-Ritchie-Garland-Wright-Rauch/Stewart/Porzio/whoever. Think it is completely coincidental that when we lost both Durham and Lofton(and for that matter, Jimenez to an extent too), the offense went to hell and became streakier then hell? Leadoff hitters play the biggest role on the team, and if they aren't getting on base consistently, they aren't doing their job and the offense won't produce enough.

Here's a crazy ass idea. Say Sexson does leave Arizona. Do they accept a Lee and Konerko plus prospects for RJ trade? For us, losing Lee and Konerko and adding RJ is essentially even money, with us taking on like $1.5 mill. Zona can then trade Lee to another team for a solid group of players, while they put Konerko at 1B. We then have Gload at 1B, we go out and get 2 OFers(one of whom I would like to be Jose Guillen, but others would argue), and probably Vizquel too, while maybe adding a reliever too(say Percival). Not sure how that adds up payroll wise, but a rotation of RJ-Garcia-Buehrle-Contreras-Garland is sick. Basically what I'm asking, is giving up Lee and Konerko too much for RJ?

And that surprises you? I imagine if I got treated like he did, I'd feel that way too. That move was not a financial move...I thought it was obvious KW f***ing hated Foulke and wanted to get his ass out of there ASAP.