witesoxfan

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Mar 6, 2014 -> 07:41 PM) 2 reliable starters, plus Danks (we'll see) plus Paulino (who's never had an above average season in the majors) plus a high ceiling pitching prospect Johnson who I think will do well. Beyond that, we have little, except for perhaps Rienzo. The pen has Jones plus a mediocre Lindstrom and then retreads and low ceiling younger guys, with the exception of Webb. Some of those guys will be fine, but it's not top shelf by any means. Our farm has really 1 high ceiling starter anywhere near the majors, Danish. Beck looks decent but the low K ratio is concerning. A lot of work to do on the staff. Offensively, we added 3 new hitters, all 3 of whom could be above average and 2 of which could be a lot better than that. Plus Davidson. So the rotation includes 2 reliable starters, a guy who has shown very good stuff before, plus another high ceiling prospect. That's 4 of 5. They have the #3 overall pick in a draft that is top heavy with great arms. They have Danish in the low minors, Beck (who, having not struck out a lot of people last year, still has a great arm) is close, and Snodgress has good stuff too. This is not mentioning a slough of great bullpen arms plus the ability to identify and bring in the best arms available. The offense is still weak. There's no catcher and most of the guys brought in have done jack squat at the MLB level. I think you're crazy if you think the pitching is holding this team back, and, like I said, you're steering your own boat.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 7, 2014 -> 12:06 AM) You've hit on one of the biggest controversies with pitch framing research right now. Intuitively, the "runs" should represent a zero sum situation. The top public saber guys are very divided on framing right now because of this type of thing. Everyone agrees that it's important and that it's been overlooked in the community, but there doesn't seem to be any sort of consensus on valuation. I cite this article all the time, but if you start increasing catchers' WAR for that, why not start increasing fielders' WPA for (and against) great (poor) plays? http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/venables-winning-defense/ It creates a very, very slippery slope. They showed Brandon Crawford's 5 incredible plays the other day. I've never seen those percentages, but it would be nice if they showed them on the FanGraphs site, just the same as they show the pitch framing stuff. It would also end Ryan Doumit's career as a catcher. That dude is the worst.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Mar 6, 2014 -> 10:36 PM) Wow. f*** you guys. f*** you guys hard. I LIVE HERE, you don't. I WAS THERE the days after the storm - YOU WEREN'T. You all have no f***ing clue what you're f***ing talking about. The red cross was doing PHOTO OPS while there were people huddled around generators with NO FOOD and NO WATER and no SHELTER. But FEMA and the red cross were taking pictures of their "workers" in front of their trucks! Honestly I don't even feel like explaining myself to you midwest f***ers who have no idea what this place was like. The MAJORITY of the emergency relief in the weeks following the storm was provided and orchestrated by Occupy. I was f***ing THERE. See ya.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Mar 6, 2014 -> 03:50 PM) Under. But over 70. I think pitching's going to take the longest to rebuild. Too many retreads and low ceilings in the mix for me to be confident. I think you are steering your own boat.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 6, 2014 -> 10:02 AM) Still, quite a bit of attention will be paid to Eaton, Davidson, Abreu, Paulino and the battle for the closer's spot. Yeah, making sure they're healthy. If they're healthy, stuff looks good, and command looks good, then that's all you care about. Numbers don't mean a ton.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Mar 6, 2014 -> 09:08 AM) ‏@AdamSchefter Colts gave former Browns LB D'Qwell Jackson a four-year, $22 million deal including $11 million guaranteed. Colts are big on overspending for bad and old linebackers. It's amazing that they have made the playoffs 2 straight years. I can't put that on anyone but Luck and Pagano. They have made some truly brutal personnel moves.

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 05:09 PM) What part of St. Louis do you stay in? No idea, my friend's brother is picking us up. All I know is that he lives a ways away from the airport. It's actually going to be my first time there. They both think baseball is boring but follow it enough to the point that we could have gone to a Cardinals game. Unfortunately, they're going to be in Pittsburgh at the time.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 06:34 PM) So, the Sixers are awful. Question, if they get the #1 pick, do they take Embiid (already have Noel) or one of Wiggins/Parker? Extremely tough for me. I think I take Embiid and figure s*** out later. I wouldn't want to be the GM that passed on this kid. You also hate to be the guy that passed on Kevin Durant too, ya feel? EDIT: And I'm not saying Embiid is going the way of Oden. I'm just saying you take the best player on your board. If it's Embiid, then, yes, figure s*** out later. Or don't and run with Embiid at PF and Noel at C and just deny everything inside for the rest of eternity.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 07:55 PM) Pretty sad when the biggest positive highlight today was Dylan Axelrod. Bill Melton was quite entertaining. He got the wrong Hundley as the father (the Cubs' Randy)....then he went on and on about who researches such a bizarre stat for Andrew Cashner (in his first MLB win, he had a single, steal and run scored along with the decision)...which led to phrases like "wonks" and pocket protectors and SABR geeks....and he also thought that John Danks had Tommy John surgery instead of labrum/rotator cuff work done. Oh, and Jordan Danks is as good as an everyday player apparently...except he isn't. That was another nugget. And the often repeated commentary about Gordon Beckham being deserving of an AL Gold Glove except for the fact that Robinson Cano actually has a hit tool to go along with the fielding one. Taking anything from a Spring Training game other than "hey look, they're alive" is wrong.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 6, 2014 -> 07:35 AM) Ahh, I see. Yeah I was barking up the wrong tree. But yeah, Moustakas aside, if the Dodgers need a 2B so badly they end up looking at Beckham, they might as well just use Dee Gordon, who is similarly bad, albeit in different ways. Or Chone Figgins or Brendan Harris or Justin Turner. I think I said if they make a trade for a 2B, I'd eat the entirety of a peel of an orange. I stand by that.

Here are your top 30 hitters last year by wOBA: http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=...0&sort=16,d Bautista was 20th at .259/.358/.498/.856. If Abreu puts up that over a full season, while being either a neutral or good defensive 1B (say 0-10 defensive runs value), we are probably talking about a 4-5 WAR player. McCutchen was 10th at .317/.404/.508/.912. If Abreu puts up that over a full season, while doing the same defensively, he's a 5-6 WAR player, and perhaps more.

QUOTE (scs787 @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 01:46 PM) What's the deal with Tajh Boyd, where do you guys think he'll go? Wasn't he viewed as a first round talent last year? All he did last season was improve his completion% from 67.2 to 68.5, his passer rating from 165.6 to 168.7, and he threw 2 less ints. Yet now the CBS prospect rankings has him as a 7-UDFA. I know there are "questions" about his size, but it's not like he shrunk. Bears worked him out, if they move on from Josh and got him in the 6th round I'd be thrilled. 3rd to 4th rounder. He struggled against good defenses, he has questionable height, and he played with arguably the best playmaker in the country in Watkins. I think there's a lot of Geno Smith to his game, which is both a good and bad thing, but drafting him any higher than the 3rd is a reach. I strongly doubt he goes undrafted.

I'm an idiot. I was trying to think of the other Bennett, and came to the conclusion that the only Bennett on the Bears roster was Martellus. It also didn't make sense because, jesus, why would you get rid of him after the season he just had.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 03:05 PM) I think all of those are summarized well by me calling it silly. I think it's a poor move to break camp with both of them. It's a point of contention, but I certainly don't feel that way. This alignment allows them a backup outfielder who can play all 3 positions while also affording them the opportunity to play matchups while also sticking with the hot hand. I don't think anybody has ever said that they have too much talent. I also don't think it's a big problem if they end up losing Jordan Danks. To me, he's the equivalent of Conor Gillaspie. Yes, he can certainly be a solid bench player, but having him start is a dangerous proposition and if there are more talented players in front of him, why not go with them? The Sox don't currently have that in the infield, at least not without burning up a year of free agency/arbitration, but come June or July, that could certainly be an option. In the outfield, they absolutely do have players more talented than Jordan Danks. I still see them trading one of the two, more likely De Aza.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 01:17 PM) Or, if you combine them... Trayce Thompson! God you're right. It would be nice if one of these raw prospects like actually developed a hit tool, wouldn't it?

I think the only way Michael signs with the Bears is if Martellus is there. Also, I think McCown is going to ask for $4-5+ mill a year, not as a total for a multi-year deal.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 11:34 AM) I think I'd be okay with that (assuming everything looked like it does today). I think the reality is that the most precious tool for position players, in this offensive environment, is the hit tool. To me, middling speed and power is fine if you have a plus hit tool, even in the first round. There just aren't more than a few guys in each draft that seem to have it. Without it, you're Keenyn Walker. Or Chris Carter

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 10:53 AM) I was told by bucket to stop listening to Bruce Levine, but apparently he told Mac and Spiegs that the Mariners are interested in Dayan Viciedo. What would it take guys? That scoop is only about 3 months late. Bucket mentioned that on here during the Winter Meetings. Unless they're suddenly willing to give Nick Franklin, it's not going to happen.

Just booked plane tickets for St. Louis on May 8th, going to be there the 8th-11th. Primarily there for the Draft...it's going to be like 6 football psychos in the same room (and I do plan on doing my drunken live blog again). It can't come soon enough.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 08:49 AM) As of today, I am hoping we stay away from Turner. The tools are loud, but the pitchers seem like safer developmental bets with similar upside. My fears with Turner lie primarily in the idea that, for him to actually produce a substantial amount of surplus value for the Sox, he has to consistently be a 4-6 WAR player, and I'm not sure he's that. I think both Garcia and Semien can be 2-3 WAR players at SS pretty easily, they're both very close to the majors (if not already major league ready), and both have the potential to be about 4 WAR players at SS. On the flip side, these starters seem like, assuming health and proper development, they are 4-6 WAR pitchers, and the Sox simply don't have that type of impact arm in the minors.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 08:35 AM) I'm not enough of a grinder. You just gotta learn how to bunt and hit behind the runner and slide into 1st, and then you'll be perfect.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Mar 4, 2014 -> 06:00 PM) I like where this thread is going Do you want to bat 2nd tomorrow?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Mar 5, 2014 -> 02:04 AM) I see Paulie got two hits the other day. You all wait and see. ... #1) Paul Konerko's career average in Spring Training hovers around .400. He hit about .380 last year. Then he bombed during the season. #2) Paul Konerko HIMSELF has said he's a part time player, primarily against left handed pitching. I don't have to wait and see anything, he's a bench player at this point in his career, no different than Eric Karros at the end of his career but with a far more storied and celebrated career.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Mar 4, 2014 -> 10:00 PM) I don't know why we're wasting time with Heath. I guess you have to pitch someone. There's something they see in him, or something he's shown before. He's pitched well in the minors and exhibits fairly good velocity (92.5 or so average with the fastball), but his control has been mediocre in the past and when it was good last year in AAA, his K/9 plummeted. He's your typical 1 in 100 kind of guy - 99% of the time, these guys never figure it out and they act as organizational depth, but if something clicks just right, he could come up and be a guy that turns into a valuable pitcher. That includes -locating his fastball well -getting more movement on his fastball -refining his slider -adding a show-me changeup (or other offspeed pitch, like Hector's screwball) -honing his control -maintaining a good strikeout rate The odds of all these breakthroughs without a true breakthrough in overall pitching talent - meaning he adds bend to his slider or 2 MPH to his fastball - are very small, or about 1 in 100, but you can never rule it out.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 4, 2014 -> 04:30 PM) This early they may not want to load up pitchers yet. Oh no, definitely agree with them to call it after 9. There's no point. The games mean nothing and there's no point trying to stretch anybody this early.