witesoxfan

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 31, 2014 -> 09:33 AM) Free to a good home He is also not free.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 31, 2014 -> 09:18 AM) Good Morning Bismarck! Laser Beam Blake and the Beaver here, ready to entertain you this morning! {PEWWWW} {CHOMPITY CHOMPITY CHOMP} I would be awesome.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 04:07 PM) I had a dream last night that ILL won this weekend 20-7 I also had a dream that I was hired to be a radio deejay for a nationally syndicated radio station and my personality was Laser Beam Blake. That's why they're dreams.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 31, 2014 -> 08:32 AM) I'd be okay if he is this year's Felipe Paulino. That said, the fact that his $4m option was declined may be telling RE: his health I think he's had like 3 separate Tommy John surgeries. At some point, he's going to run out of ligaments and tendons. It just seems too risky to me at this point to put even think about it. I would sign him to the Mitchell Boggs contract - $1.5 mill with an option, none of it guaranteed.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 31, 2014 -> 08:11 AM) Just to say again...the 2013 and 2014 white sox did not look at all to me like a team that anyone would ever call well led or motivated. The best you can say about them is "they didn't completely quit in September of 2014". Sloppy, barely improving over a 2 year stretch, completely uninterested on defense, can't even do basic things like run hard to 1b or hit a cutoff man. The 2013 White Sox looked unmotivated. The 2014 White Sox looked perfectly motivated, but it simply wasn't a very good team.

If you could sign Josh Johnson to a non-guaranteed contract, I'd be OK with it, but nothing beyond that.

I don't mind LaRoche as a hitter, but I think I would shoot for something a little different. I think as a January or February addition, he'd make some sense, but initially that's a let down. I think the Sox should be looking to acquire younger, more athletic players. --- My ideal offseason sees them landing two athletic (or relatively athletic or solid to good defensive outfielders) so Avisail can DH quite a bit while also allowing him the opportunity to play the outfield on occasion. Very generically beyond that, I'd have 11 hitters on the team to whom I'd feel completely comfortable giving 400 ABs. I'd have 7 guys going into the season I'd feel comfortable starting 15-20 games. I'd have 10 or so guys I'd feel comfortable giving me 40-50 games out of the bullpen. I don't think the Sox are far off from that, and I think that's kind of been their philosophy to some extent (getting rid of crappy players, not necessarily acquiring just good players). There's still a lot of work to be done though. I'd also kick the tires on Russell Martin too, but I'm not as gung-ho about him.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 04:48 PM) I've seen this multiple times, but what could the outcome of this be if it's deemed tampering? Cubs pay some sort of fine? I mean, I wonder if the penalty is even anything the Cubs would worry or care about. You could most definitely see MLB force the Cubs to compensate the Rays in some manner they find sufficient yet reasonable. Perhaps it means the Cubs give up a player or two, but it's not going to be anyone of crazy significance, or perhaps they will get cash reimbursements or who knows.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 04:29 PM) Bullpen turnover is also generally very high. This is a big key why. The point isn't that you just stick with the same crappy relievers and expect it to suddenly transform over (as the saying goes, you can't turn chicken s*** into chicken salad). You go out and you get better pitchers, but just be cautious in how you do it. If you're going to spend a lot on a reliever (or relievers), you have to somehow, someway be confident that they are going to be effective for the entirety of that contract. Otherwise, it's best to keep going out and grabbing talented arms and a lot of times just hoping for the best.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 04:05 PM) No surprise on Paulino. I'd take him back under a minor league contract on the off chance he might have something to offer as a reliever, should he be able to stay healthy. Mmmm, no I don't think so.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 03:00 PM) What team has the money to throw around that they'd pay an aging average (projection) pitcher like Shields 17 to 20 mill a year? A lot of them. What they will do is pay a premium for the upgrade James Shields, a good pitcher who will likely be a #4 starter in 3-4 years, provides in the next year or two and then eat his cost at the back end of the rotation as a capable, innings eating arm who is overpaid. They know this and are aware of the likelihood of this as they are suggesting 4 or 5 years to a James Shields. Teams have absolutely no problem borrowing against the future to help the team now. It's the same exact principles and reasons why teams trade prospects for proven players, except this time, instead of players, it's money and, for all intents and purposes, guaranteed spots on their 25 man roster (which are arguably more valuable than even the prospects they give up).

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 11:56 AM) Next someone will say that Bumgarner's sample in the post-season isn't large enough...that it's the equivalent of saying David Ortiz is "clutch." Bumgarner is a very good pitcher who went on an incredible run in the World Series this year. If you give him another 120 or so innings, I'm guessing his ERA will be around 2.50-3.00 for his post season career because that's about his true talent level.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 10:59 AM) And yet, in your heart of hearts, you would never start Quintana over Ventura in a must-win World Series game for the White Sox. I'd have no problem whatsoever starting Quintana over Ventura. Just to follow up on this: in 2014, Jose Quintana had a better K% (21.5% to 20.3%), better BB% (6.3% to 8.8%), better HR/9 (0.45 to 0.69), and allowed fewer homers overall in more innings (10 in 200.1 to 14 in 183). Ventura's ground ball rate was a better better (47.6% to 44.7%), but that's OK.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 10:40 AM) I would take Ventura over Quintana in a heartbeat because you simply can't teach a 97 MPH average fastball velocity. He has much better stuff and is going to get better and better unless he gets injured, whereas Quintana's already reached pretty close to his peak. I would probably take Duffy over Quintana as well...but it would be VERY close. In the end, Ventura had proven he can be the "ace" in a World Series at his young age already...and Quintana's not the type since his elite run at the very beginning of his career in 2012 where he will consistently put up shutouts or only give up a single run or maybe two. You also can't teach people how to pitch and command like Quintana. Plus Ventura wouldn't be the first pitcher with huge velocity to suddenly fall off or lose control and command of his stuff, especially with the innings jump he had this year. I really like Ventura moving forward too, but you just can't make the assertions you are at this point in his career. I also don't agree with your argument that Quintana couldn't be an ace for a team moving forward. You simply can't say that. All you can do is point to how successful he's been up to this point, which is to say he's been very good and is still seemingly improving. If you gave him the kind of defense the Royals have, his ERA might drop below 3.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 10:21 AM) Except it's really NOT THAT EASY, especially when you're looking for a LF who can hit AND field and is not on the wrong side of 30 and declining. For example, LF and DH. Once you get past the headliners in Martinez/Ramirez/Sandoval, then you enter the abyss of guys like Markakis, Cabrera, Rasmus, Morse, Butler, Kendrys Morales, Lind, LaRoche, etc. It's a complete crapshoot....predicting what any of them will do. Who really has a clue how Flowers, or Gillapsie, or Avisail will do in 2015, or if Eaton can even stay healthy? If it was easy to find those offensive pieces, then the Mariners would have been in the playoffs last season. There's a very good chance that Viciedo has a better season than half the guys on that list...but does it for another team. It's a hell of a lot easier to find a competent left fielder than an elite slugger. I didn't say it was easy overall. Also, the Mariners missed the playoffs by 2 games and had a 5 game losing streak late in the year to essentially seal their fate. If the Sox missed the playoffs by 2 games next year and won 87 games, I'd be perfectly happy with that season.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 10:14 AM) Except they don't. After Sale/Shields, most scouts would take Duffy going forward over Quintana, everyone would take Ventura over whoever we're claiming as our 3 and then Guthrie/Vargas have a HUGE advantage over Danks/Noesi/Rienzo/Carroll. (And 90% of scouts would take Ventura over Quintana, as well). It is absurd and/or ridiculous or preposterous when Danks/Noesi/Carroll had 3 of the worst 11 statistical seasons for starters with over 80 IP this season in the entire majors. Nobody is taking Danny Duffy over Jose Quintana, get out of here with that. Danny Duffy averages 5 innings a start. That's Hector Santiago territory. Ventura is the #2 and probably the ace moving forward. The Sox have Rodon waiting in the wings too. Are you going to tell me that teams are going to take Danny Duffy over Carlos Rodon? Barring any severe injuries, I feel entirely comfortable saying that the Sox rotation is going to be better - and perhaps significantly so - than the Royals' next year.

Frankly, that is a Skip Bayless/Colin Cowherd kind of argument. "Oh, so if you think that's better, WHY ARE THEY GOLFING THEN?" Well because the offense featured quite a few bad hitters this year, the back end of the rotation was really quite bad, and the bullpen was hot garbage all year long, nevermind a mediocre defensive team outside of like 2 positions. There are holes to fill but this is a team that could easily be competing in the very near future (as in 2015). They have 4 of the hardest things to find in the game right now - an elite middle of the order threat, a very good top of the order bat, an ace, and another very, very good starting pitcher. It's much easier to fill in those other areas than it is to fill those 3.

QUOTE (knightni @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 09:49 AM) If he was the QB coach or O-Coordinator, maybe it would work out better. He's just not a good head coach in the NFL. He lacks leadership and the ability to get support and respect from his players. I think these are very bold statements to make and are difficult to do so without information or quotes supporting that argument. QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 10:03 AM) Orton's pretty damn serviceable and with the cap space I can at least see an argument for him. Everyone else on that list...no. Orton has been pretty damn sexy, that's what.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 09:59 AM) Most here say Sale's better than Bumgarner....while someone else said the Giants were a juggernaut (the same team that Ventura easily beat twice in the span of a week)...and if Quintana's better than Shields/Duffy/Ventura, then the White Sox should be in the playoffs on a regular basis. Yet they're not even close. Well this is some absolutely ridiculous hyperbole. The Giants have a much better back end of the rotation, a much better bullpen, and were a better all around offensive team. It's not absurd or ridiculous to say that the White Sox have a better rotation than the Royals but a worse overall team.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Oct 29, 2014 -> 11:48 PM) It's a requirement to watch that movie before you work your first shift. While a lot of stereotypes are true in that movie, and we say/think a lot of those things in the movie, I always felt like it was more of an Applebee's looking restaurant in the movie. And don't worry about people spitting in your food or being wreckless with it. our food standards are actually quite impressive. I mean, don't get me wrong, the chefs eat food back there they get lazy cooking sometimes, but they don't tamper with the taste in any way or use old or dirty food. Hell, we even throw food out if it is under the heatlamps for too long. Spitting in food in a kitchen setting is actually a felony punishable with prison time. Nobody spits in food. That's all old urban legends.

But seriously, why were all the Royals hitters swinging for the fences? Hosmer wanted to tie it up both times he went to the plate. Here, Eric, let me put this into perspective for you, BRO: in the regular season this year, when Madison Bumgarner was only really, really good instead of a damn unhittable demon god, he faced 187 lefties and allowed 1 home run. That means that when lefties went to the plate, they had a 0.53% chance of hitting a home run. Those are not very good odds.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 30, 2014 -> 08:13 AM) From Deadspin: No, Alex Gordon could not have scored on the misplayed ball OH BALONEY

When I saw Perez bobble the ball out in LF, I have no idea how Gordon didn't score. I thought he was faster than that. I know that you don't want to end the World Series getting thrown out in that spot, but I thought he should have gotten there.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Oct 29, 2014 -> 04:46 PM) Because they undervalue our own talent and eat their young around here. This is definitely not the case.

QUOTE (staxx @ Oct 24, 2014 -> 11:33 AM) I smell Cubs nice call