beck72

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jul 17, 2013 -> 11:51 AM) Crain wouldn't be remotely close to enough. Cecchini is a top 10 prospect in all of baseball. Fangraphs just updated their top 50 prospects for midseason. cecchini is 45 after his monster year. He wasn't in the top 100 preseason.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jul 17, 2013 -> 11:51 AM) Crain wouldn't be remotely close to enough. Cecchini is a top 10 prospect in all of baseball. with Middlebrooks ahead of him, and Boston in a position to win another World Series, it's about what Boston would need in return. Target who you want in terms of prospects, such as Cecchini, and see if common ground is there for a trade.

One place I'd like to see Crain land is Boston. If they could get AA prospect Garin Cecchini. He tore up the SAL and CAR leagues so the Sox would be familiar with him. His LH bat, hitting for avg. and OBP, is one to build around. Not sure if Crain would be enough though.

I'm on board for a Peavy trade, as teams should give a Garza like return if Jake shows he's healthy. but Danks is younger and can play a part of contending team come 2015.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 02:30 AM) Alexei wouldn't be "for the rest of '13." It sounds like they only want a short term option for the rest of this year. Makes sense as they have Bogaerts almost ready. Ramirez doesn't sound like an option for Boston.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 07:10 AM) The Rangers could avoid giving up top prospects for White Sox right fielder Alex Rios, depending on how much of Rios' contract Texas is willing to eat, ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett writes. Rios is owed roughly $4.85MM for the rest of 2013, $12.5MM in 2014 and a $13.5MM club option for 2015 that can be bought out for $1MM. The Rangers are one of several teams interested in acquiring Rios, though his trade stock has dipped due to a six-week slump. In the comments section of that article, a fan suggested SS Sardinas, OFer Lewis Brinson, and RHP Neil Ramirez for Pence or Soriano. If they were to offer that for Rios, that would be a nice return. They are the #2, 12, and 14 prospects for Texas. I'd really like Sardinas in a Rios trade.

Who will be gone next? I'm thinking Lindstrom. His value could go down a bit with a few bad outings.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jul 13, 2013 -> 07:39 PM) I disagree. I just spent a week in Pittsburgh. Most of their fans don't want to trade anything of value to get anyone. Not even Kingham, Josh Bell, or Hanson. Huntington has to add the biggest impact bat he can find this deadline. It's what playoff teams do-they pay the price in terms of prospects to fix weaknesses by the trade deadline. Sports radio fans may not want to give up much. But GM's who want to keep their jobs do-especially when the Pirates have faded in the 2nd half of two straight seasons. Its a lot easier defending moves you've made and didn't pan out, than to stand pat and defend not making moves. Watching a team that hasn't been .500 in 20 years fail once again, or watching a division foe like the Cards or Reds improve, while you did little, would mean Huntington answering questions all offseason. The Pirates should be making moves to win a world series, and not just be happy to be over .500. Whether its at SS, 1b, C, or RF, the Pirates should ID what spots thy need the most help to win and overpay.

If the Cardinals are looking at Alexei, and get him, and the Pirates miss out on him, and they do another late season fade, I think Pitt fans will go crazy. Not only can they improve their team, but they can potentially keep the Cards from improving. The Pirates would seemingly give the sox the biggest return for Alexei. Mercer also has been playing 2b, which has been another weak spot for Pitt. as well. They can keep him-even though he's had like 1 XBH the last month.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 13, 2013 -> 04:17 PM) It looks like they've been platooning Garrett Jones and Gaby Sanchez at 1b. Sanchez had a good start to the season but his numbers now look pretty rotten. That does look like the position where they could use a bat. Ken Rosenthal said back on June 30 that Rios could be a great get for the Pirates, as they had the lowest OPS in the NL there. But Tabata would seem to be the future there.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 13, 2013 -> 04:05 PM) Serious Q: if the Pirates wanted to add a bat, what would be the ideal spot for them to do so at? What position do they have where they're weak and they don't have a young kid in AAA ready to take over? I do know they have serious power issues. Only Alvarez at 3b has more than 10 hrs. Not sure who they have at 1b but Dunn? Fans will demand a big bat this deadline. rios doesn't seem a good fit with their young OF.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 13, 2013 -> 03:49 PM) Except Zack Cozart is still considered their future. So count the Reds out of that. And Mercer just had the game winning hit last night and has done well SO FAR from an offensive standpoint. Kozma's sub 600 OPS stands out as the sore thumb. Mercer had been awful lately and doesn't project as their long term answer there. HEading into the trade deadline, that's good for the Sox. the Pirates need to add some bats, ESP. With their recent fades so they can make the playoffs. If Alexei is the best available SS, he makes sense for them.

QUOTE (mike65 @ Jul 13, 2013 -> 01:41 PM) Cardinal fan, again. Buster Olney tweeted yesterday that the Cardinals and Indians were again discussing Asdrubal Cabrera. While I am sure that such discussions have taken place, I think the results will be like last winter. The Indians still want one of the Cardinal good young pitchers - Wacha, Miller, Rosenthal, or Martinez - and I am pretty sure the Cardinals will not do that. All roads lead back to the White Sox, IMO. The question is what Hahn would want in return? I have tried to play GM with my neighbor who is a lifelong White Sox fan. Nothing that I have suggested pleases him so I feel for Mozeliak - Hahn. I did think that the White Sox would have gotten slightly more for Thornton so now I am really confused. I have thought that Wong + one (lower level) should do it but no according to my neighbor. What say all of you? One guy the Sox could like going forward is James Ramsey, your 1st rd pick last year. the sox have "toolsy " OFer prospects and need a consistent, solid guy with upside. Him, along with a decent arm high A, see some AA by years end, top 10-15 in your system would be around a solid return. If the sox can't one top prospect, 2 decent ones would be about right. The price might go up seeing how Alexei could be a good fit for Pittsburgh and the Reds as well.

An interesting note-Carlos Sanchez has played SS for Charlotte in 6 of the last 7 days. He has been hitting better in AAA. Maybe just to see what kind of SS he can play, to see if he is even an option there. I definitely don't think Gordon would move full time to SS, as he's finally hitting. Let him get some long term hitting success to go with his stellar defense at 2b. [Though he may get some looks for a few days if Alexei's leg needs some rest]. Of all the pieces the Sox should net with their trades, a top SS prospect should be a #1 priority. Someone who can take over to start 2014, and see some action this year as well.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 5, 2013 -> 04:26 PM) Why would a team take on Rios's remaining salary obligations while giving the White Sox anything useful back? Rios' contract doesn't look bad, IF he hits like 2012. Depends on the return, but my guess is Rios has value around the league. If the Sox could get salary relief, and two decent prospects, it could benefit the Sox both short and long term.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Jan 5, 2013 -> 03:22 PM) Also, can our current roster compete with Detroit or even KC at this point? We will need multiple guys to have career years to do so. I just do not anticipate that happening. (I have been wrong before!) I would like Hahn to make a bold move. Take a risk. Its not like we have any guys on our major league roster (except Sale) that are untouchable. I'm with you. Just to be competitive, the sox need guys to repeat what they did last year. I'd rather the sox take a risk or two with trades, esp. with Rios to upgrade the talent and potential. The sox right now have a decent floor--similar to last years, 85 win team. Yet their ceiling is limited.

I have no problem with Hahn being more patient than KW, esp. on the trade front. Most of the criticism KW got was that he didn't get the best value trading his players and overpaid in getting other guys in. This was mostly due to him being so aggressive, not waiting for other deals to possibly materialize. As long as Hahn fills the holes the Sox have. If it means waiting a bit, so be it. The latest sox drafts show they understand we lack talented position players. Getting those players via trade mean having guys in the upper minors who are close to producing. The sox upper minors is very thin so that trdse route isn't an option. Or it means trading guys who have value-Viciedo, Rios, Floyd. Few free agents this year would have been guys to build around, that made long term sense. Bourn may have been close but not with the lost pick, and extra years going into his mid 30's. Changing the talent level of the sox position players won't happen overnight. Hahn doesn't have unlimited resources and has a thin minor league from which to deal from. Other teams aren't trading away core pieces for possible avg. major league starters. they want possible stars themselves. The sox have few of those in the minors.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 29, 2012 -> 02:33 PM) Yeah I agree. I think people around here like to drop the "it would cost Sale" bomb way too much, but in all honestly Zobrist is a great, versatile player under team control for three years at a club friendly rate. There's just no reason for the Rays to move him right now unless it makes their existing team better and the only guy who does that on the Sox is Sale. Unfortunately, Zobrist is just a pipe dream. I just asked what LH bats the Sox would want to start with, even with the premise that not everyone might be available, pipe dream or not.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 29, 2012 -> 02:02 PM) Honestly, I'd imagine Zobrist is one of the more untouchable players around. From everything I've heard, the Rays absolutely love him and he pretty much personifies their play style. It couldn't hurt a team to call the Rays up.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 29, 2012 -> 01:52 PM) You know, I can actually see some benefit to both sides for a trade for CarGo. It would be centered on Viciedo and probably include whichever two pitching prospects the Rockies would like best. However, the financials would have to line up -- the Sox would have to take on that contract and the Rockies would have to need to move it and save money, otherwise they'd just trade him for a stud SP package. FWIW, I was at a Rockies game in 2011 and fans were booing CarGo. In talking with a guy who had season tickets, CarGo is frustrating in that he doesn't play "smart" baseball. Overly anxious at the plate when the situation called for being patient, trying too hard to hit HR's [which has worked well at Coors, with huge differential in H vs Away splits]. Tulo could do no wrong there. So with two huge salaries, CarGo would most likely go.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 29, 2012 -> 01:19 PM) If Ben Zobrist is available, the Sox should go after him. I just don't see what they possibly could give up to make Tampa bite. Zobrist is the kind of underrated, versatile player the sox could use. And under contract with options for '14 [7 mill.] and '15 [7.5 mill.]. He's playing mostly 2b for the Rays, with Joyce seeing most time in RF. You'd think Hahn would be going to teams and asking what it would take to pry away certain players.

I know it's been addressed in a few posts, but who should reasonably be on the Sox wish list of LH bats going forward? If the Sox were to make a trade, who would best fit the Sox needs,who would be locked up for a few years that would be worth the sox trading valuable players/ prospects for? Carlos Gonzalez? Jay Bruce? Chase Headley? Ben Zobrist? Not all [maybe any] would be on the block. But if the Sox came in with on overwhelming offer (without including Sale), what teams would listen, or at least not laugh and hang up? Also, could there be LH bats in the upper minors that could be worth trading for, that could develop into a key building block?

The only LH bats left via free agency aren't going to help the sox. Help via trade is the only way.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 27, 2012 -> 02:12 PM) The one thing I can't get past is all of the above, but then that people have already written him off. This is far closer to an Alejandro De Aza situation than it is a DeWayne Wise situation. That's a great point. Actually, I'm more comfortable getting less offensive production from the C's spot than CF (and hitting leadoff), as long as he can handle the staff and be an improvement defensively over AJ. De Aza actually was more of a gamble to me last year than Flowers is now.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Dec 27, 2012 -> 04:19 AM) The issue with Cole Tyler Flowers is that while he may be a decent catcher as far as an MLB average goes, offensively he may be a bad fit for THIS team going forward. His contact rate is low and that is once again looking like a prevalent issue for White Sox hitters on the current roster and definitely throughout the system. Rick is aware of this and Keppinger is a good indication of his approach which I think is good sign. The lack of quality contact hitters in the Sox minors is terrifying. Having Flowers as the everyday C fits in with the Sox looking for a LH bat. That may be why other RH bats may be dealt either now or a year. the sox need at C, defense and decent production, is more important than specific aspects of hitting, such as LH or RH, contact, power, OBP, etc. Good catchers are hard to find, regardless. Improving the offense has to come from other spots. Alexei is similar. His defense sort of makes his offense moot. You live with his hitting flaws because of his value defensively. IMO, Flowers should hit closer to his numbers in the minors rather than what he's hit in the bigs, with consistent playing time. Yet the sox can't expect that same "growth" for 2nd, LF, and 3b next year too. We've waited on Beckham and its probably his last shot with us. Vicideo should get some leeway--but a solid case could be made to sell high on his projected growth. Yet long term he may not be a solid fit. Keppinger is supposed to help fix some of the problem. But far more needs to be done. You are right about the lack of quality contact hitters in the minors for the Sox. Yet the sox lack quality hitters, contact or otherwise. Any trades should help address that, ESP. In the high minors. The sox leave themselves open to gaping holes should key guys go down or regress. Only Sanchez projects as a possible replacement in 2013.