beck72

QUOTE (103 mph screwball @ Aug 14, 2009 -> 03:30 AM) That's why the Sox got him off waivers without trading anybody for him. It is a definite buy low situation. I hope Rios reads that stuff. Maybe it will be a bit of a wake up call and drive him to prove them wrong with a fist full of World Series rings. Clean slate from me. KW has been after him. He knows what he's doing. I agree. This has to be a humbling, and a bit of a humiliating experience for Rios. Going from a huge contract, to such a huge disappointment that your team gets rid of you for nothing. This is a hug.e wake up call for him personally and professionally. Whether he has that drive and determination, who knows. But he's been given a fresh start Only one team really wanted him--the White Sox, and they have a reputation now of being a first class place to play, with the vets like Thome, Griffey, Dye and PK all speaking well of the clubhouse, coaches and management. That has to factor in, wanting to show the team that showed faith in you that all the other teams made a big mistake. Hopefully, it pushes him to be the player people think he can be.

QUOTE (SockMe @ Aug 14, 2009 -> 01:36 AM) "He was a guy who just didn't go after it. He'd be sleeping in his locker 10 minutes before he had to go out on the field. And not just once." I especially didn't like this quote So, it's OK for guys to be playing cards or watching TV before games, but not OK for a guy to be sitting in chair with his feet up, eyes closed, resting? I don't know the particulars of the "sleeping" charge, and if Rios was lethargic in the games he was "sleeping" prior to games, but that quote doesn't bug me. There is too much information missing. During the course of a 162 game schedule, I want my players resting prior to games, so they can perform at a high level once they get on the field. Many people can "sleep" in a chair and nap in 5 minutes and then be perfectly ready for anything, myself included.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 07:49 PM) As far as this year, I am intrigued by the following scenario: Pods starts in RF, with Rios in CF. Dye on the bench. Getz is still your #9 hitter. Come late moments of the game, if a good lefty comes in to face Getz/Pods..... you can then sub-in Dye for a PH and force their hand to potentially leave said lefty in to face middle of the order righties. Just one thought but ....in a lot of ways...we have lots of flexibility now. And I really like not having to depend on Thome against great lefties late. Dye is not a natural PH but based on his slump, his fielding, and our righthandedness...........I think for awhile now we have to see him coming off the bench a few times a week. Pods should never be near RF. I don't even know if he's ever played RF.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 07:46 PM) We're gonna have 2 LF? I meant to put Carlos in RF.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 05:34 PM) rios hits a s*** load of doubles....47 last year, 43 the year before....his 25 so far this year isn't quite on pace, but would still lead our team and i'd think alot of them will turn to HR as he comes to our park and gets further along in his prime....between he and beckham we will have alot of runners on 2b I think KW goes one of two options this offseason. Either A.) he is confident in Getz and Getz leads off next year, while KW brings both Dye and Thome back and lets pods go, or B.) He upgrades at 2b/SS/3b (with Ramirez and Beckham filling the other 2 spots accordingly) with a lefty while letting Thome go, with an OF of Pods, rios, quentin with Dye DH. I pick "C", he keeps the IF as is, signs Pods to a deal for LF, has Rios for CF, Q for LF, and has either Thome or Dye as DH.

QUOTE (The Baconator @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 03:04 PM) That's not going to do anything for his confidence, and we need him full-strength as we make a playoff push. What we need to do is keep him in the lineup to reassure him that we have plans for him, too. Benching him more often may give him the impression that he is indeed on the way out, and that may impact his play even more. If the sox keep running Dye out there every day, he'll be useless at the plate and more of a liability in the field. He needs time off in order to stay fresh for the last month and a half. It's not a benching when you rest guys. The sox will likely use a rotation of some sort--which Ozzie alluded to him and Joey Cora coming up with lineups to get people rest. With PK, Thome, AJ, Dye, and Pods all 30+, they need time off. Thome was the bluntest when he hit after the ASB talking about being the freshest he had been after getting the week off. Other guys need a rest but aren't saying "I feel like crap", and need time off.

Kenny sees what we fans see-an offense that is underachieving and a defense that has been horrible. Rios helps out on both fronts. If guys are b****ing and moaning, they should look hard and fast in the mirror, and ask themselves: Are they part of the problem or part of the solution? The way I look at it, only PK and AJ have been solid both at the plate and in the field. Everyone else can step it up and improve in one area or the other. Now, JD can't improve his old legs in the field. He just needs more rest and more time at the DH spot.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 01:45 AM) Whatever KW says, I think the truth is they had some money to play with. They weren't at their budget at the beginning of the season, perhaps anticipating moves like this, and for everyone who thinks I think Rios blows, I don't and I hope he hits .400 with 80 homers. I think the truth is, that there was really no one to spend the money on. These moves, financially, though, are mostly for 2010 and don't affect the 2009 payroll too much. Esp. Rios, who only makes $5 + mill. this year. I do think Kenny saw the finances coming, and dealt Javy and Swisher early on. That alone would put the sox in good position, knowing that other teams would be in far worse shape, and would likely deal at some point in 2009, when their teams dropped out of contention.

McCulloch would make sense in a deal for Rios-a prospect in the high minors, not on the 40 man roster. You can never have enough young starting pitchers--those SP's in the minors [even if they aren't all that good] could be bullpen options in the majors.

Jose seems to have more mechanical issues than most pitchers. He can't seem to repeat his motion and is easily off track with his wildness. Hawk was talking about how Jose noticed some mechanical flaws and told Hawk thought he had corrected them, and would throw well again. And esterday, he threw like he had after coming back from AAA for the first 4 innings. Jose seemed to tire in the 5th. Maybe part of it was Jose hadn't been going deep into games lately. But right now, the sox don't have a 5th SP, let alone a better option to replace Jose for the 4th spot at this point. IF Jose had not shown any improvement, I do think the sox would be looking for another option, though. But Jose should and probably will turn it around.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Aug 10, 2009 -> 05:07 AM) I think it's safe to say that in the Cell we'd see Rios turn on a lot more fastballs and hit more home runs as a result. He does have power to all fields and if you watch some of his highlights he does hit some real bombs to straight-away CF in Rogers Centre. Going from turf to grass should keep his legs fresher over the course of a season, and playing for an aggressive manager like Ozzie should bring up his SB totals. He'll have protection here pretty much wherever the Sox hit him in the lineup and the change of scenery should help. I bet he could also learn a few things from JD as well. Rios has oodles of natural ability and even if he doesn't become the type of elite, perennial All-Star kind of player he is capable of becoming, I think he'll still become a very good all-around CF for us. He'll make our defense leaps and bounds better plus he'll provide more speed on the basepaths. The speed + power combo is the best type of package for our park and our manager. His contact rate is always high too, and just in general he should be able to get more loft and carry here with the winds, and he should stay hot longer in the summer. I just love this guy and always have, and a bit over a year ago it would have been a pipedream to me to get him. Well, we might get him and I REALLY hope we do. His versatility also complements our toolsy OFers in the minors very well. There's not much to dislike here from my perspective. I hope that if Kenny does have to give up some talent he will. No D2, no Flowers, no Hudson, etc. but I'd be willing to go for a package of talent like Gilmore + Infante + Ely + throw-in if need be. Thinking more and more about it, this really could be an incredible steal. I don't think we'll have to give up that much though, and hopefully we don't have to give up anything, but the last thing I'd do is end negotiations over some longshot prospect with some ability or some UT/RP/5th starter prospect that is essentially replaceable through FA for near the league minimum or just a bit more. I do expect the Jays to ask for at least a few names just so their fans think they got something in return. I don't have the love for Rios you do but I agree that it would prob. be a coup to pick him up. Just imagine a year ago someone saying the sox would replace Vazquez and Swisher with Peavy and now possibly Rios. That stuff is usually only done on Xbox. Kenny Williams should get a deal done. No one is talking top of the line prospects. It's just a matter of Tor. pulling the trigger on a common sense move. Ken Rosenthal put it best by showing what the Blue Jays could do with Rios salary, filling the roster with multiple players. For a team that has one albatross contract [and really Wells' contract is like having 2 bad contracts], they can't afford to pay Rios that money. He's put himself and the sox in the position to net a long term CFer who would fit in well with what the sox are trying to do--get younger, more versatile players--by staying ahead of the trends, and foreseeing that other teams may have to sell off players in order to stay financially afloat. We Sox fans are lucky to have a GM like Kenny at the helm, who has the guts to pull moves that only Soxtalk GM's would make.

QUOTE (chunk23 @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 06:55 PM) It's very possible that they work out a hand shake sweet heart deal for this, where in the offseason KW makes a lopsided trade in Toronto's favor. This would be because of the difficulty of getting a trade done through waivers. I disagree. The sox could give them a decent deal by including players not on the 40 man roster. It really depends on if the Jays want to rid themselves of the large contract, or get the most in return from Rios as possible. If the Jays want to get the most for Rios, they should wait until the offseason. If they want to rid salary, they should definitely do the deal with the sox.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 10:15 PM) You got a link? It's a mutual option, Dye makes the decision first on whether he'd like to return if he says yes then the Sox make their decision. If both sides say no then the Sox can still offer arbitration, it's been done in the past and unless something has changed in recent years that's how things work today. IIRC, it was the sox option. But I could be wrong. Either case, if the sox decline, he's no longer a member of the team to offer him arb. The sox could strike a deal with him then, but the sox wouldn't be eligible for comp. picks if a team signs him

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 10:04 PM) You can offer a player arbitration even after declining an option. I doubt the Sox would risk it anyway given the amount of money Dye would net in arb and what he's looking at in the free agent market in terms of annual value (significantly less than the $13M+ he'd get in arb). If the sox decline Dye's option, he automatically becomes a free agent, and no longer a member of the WS.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 09:47 PM) It seems to me that it's becoming more and more clear that Thome will be the guy sticking around next year. Dye will probably be offered arbitration, if it's possible to do so, and allowed to walk. I can't say I disagree with the decision, as we are going to need some power from the left side and Thome doesn't seem to have quite fallen apart yet. I'd miss Dye, but I'd also miss Thome if he left. One of them has to go if this trade happens, though. Dye's option won't be picked up so the sox cannot offer him arb. He'll be a free agent if the sox decline which they should do. I do agree that if the sox get Rios, thome is more likely to be on the sox. Dye deserves his "payday"--the most cash and the most years from another team. He won't get that with the sox. He should be able to get a 2 year deal worth $17, 18 mill. Too rich for the sox blood. Thome, OTOH, would prob. do a year to year, and could get a $6 mill, 1 yr deal.

QUOTE (beck72 @ Jul 18, 2009 -> 02:20 PM) The Sox can't take the chance to be left with little OF depth before the trade deadline. They need to add an OFer, esp. someone who can play a solid CF, and also be able to play RF or LF. I know Carlos is due back. Best case scenario would him being healthy and playing 5 times a week in LF. With him still not running well, I don't see that happening. Worst case, he gets hurt and misses significant time. Yet I see him taking a lot of time at DH, resting Thome vs. LHP, if he stays healthy. And that's a big IF. The other thing to consider in adding another OFer would be that the sox can keep Dye and Thome fresh [i don't see Konerko getting much of a rest, other than having Fields spell him once a week]. By Thome's comments from last night-'I felt like a kid after getting 4 dyas off'-the sox need to keep their big bats fresh for the 2nd half. Adding another bat who can contribute more than what BA and Wise have, is a must. The sox won't go anywhere with a weakened, worn out middle of the order. If the sox have to start Wise or BA, the other big bats won't get much time off. The question is who to add. It prob. won't be a rental. Someone who can contribute in 2010 and beyond would prob. be best. Alos, the names who'll be FA's after 2009 out there don't really seem to add much to the sox [besides prob. Holliday]. *Alex Rios. He's got a full NTC. His contract is low this yr, [$5.9 mill.] and wouldn't cost the sox much additional cash this year, or a huge boatload of talent, esp. from previous years. A good "buy low" possibility. The questions would be 1] if the sox think Rios is worth the $60 some mill. over the next 6 years, and 2] if the sox could swing a deal. I'd be a fan of this, as Rios can play CF, Pods play LF, CQ could play some RF and DH. *Vernon Wells. He's owed $98.5 mill over the next 5 yrs. No dice unless the Jays paid a ton of that deal. And Wells has a NTC. *David DeJesus. Not a big fan. He's avg. in LF and CF would be horrible. He'd likely cost a lot in terms of talent. But he'd be an improvement over BA and Wise. And he's owed only $4.7 mill. for 2010, with a $6 mill club opt. for 2011. *Matt Holliday. I know the A's are asking for two top prospects. Even with offering him arb [he might not get a deal for more than his $13.5 mill this yr], I don't see him as fit, as he plays LF. Depends on if Fields could be one key guy included. *Mark Teahan. Can only play the corners. Also likely cost a lot in terms of talent. *Juan Pierre. He's still owed $18.5 mill. for the next two years. Having to LFers w/ below avg. arms in the same OF? Not a good prospect. I'm just not seeing a whole lot out there. But the Sox can't keep playing Wise or BA regularly. Even with CQ coming back, an OFer will still need to play a lot to keep Carlos from re-injuring his foot. And to provide insurance in case Pods or Dye get hurt. What other names are out there? Or should the sox add another starting pitcher--someone who takes the pressure off the offense? If the Sox did make a claim on him, it's good to see KW listening to me

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 07:17 PM) I have major bullpen worries. It's not horrible but I could see it going that way. Also the aging sluggers at some point need to be replaced. It's weird but this power reliant team could be a year away from needing a new infusion of sluggers. At least Sept. 1, the bullpen can add arms to rest some guys

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 04:31 PM) The fact that both players can no longer play passable defense at this point in their careers should spell the end for one of them in a Sox uniform, acquiring Rios shouldn't be the determining factor there. Only 2 outfielders have more doubles than Alex Rios over the past 3 calendar years; Nick Markakis and Matt Holliday. He's also 5th in triples over that span. I wasn't implying that both Dye and Thome should stick. I was just saying that Rios would likely be one of the "final" pieces of the rebuilding. Kenny just has to be sure that Rios is one guy to build a team around with that contract.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 04:33 PM) 2010 is going to be a very critical year for the Sox. A ton of money is coming off the books. Do we want to go into next season with a s***load of money locked into one player who's been underachieving? Are there better OF options in free agency next year? This would be a big gamble if it were to go through. Do the names Randy Winn, Bobby Abreu, Coco Crisp, Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Johnny Damon, Matt Holliday, Mike Cameron do anything for you?

QUOTE (WCSox @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 04:01 PM) Are you sure about that? What I've read explains it a little differently... Unless Rios has been pulled back once already this month, he can be placed back on waivers again. It also sounds like Kenny is running the risk of getting stuck with all $60 million of that contract. Uggh. If the Jays true intent is to see if they can strike a deal for Rios, they would try and work it out with the claiming team now. Say they pull him back, they likely wouldn't place him on again or they'd be stuck and have to trade him [for less than the first deal, as the 2nd claiming team wouldn't have to give in at all].

If the sox are indeed interested in Rios, it just goes to show how difficult [and yes risky] it is to remake a pro baseball team without completely breaking it apart and go through a losing string of a few years. In Rios, he could [plausibly] be one of the final peices of the retooling of the sox-with his big and long term contract, as it would mark the end of either Thome of Dye in a Sox uni. Since losing in 2007, the sox have gotten to this point in decent shape going forward, and should be able to contend for the AL Central in the future each year, by 1] making trades --Floyd, Danks, Quentin, Swisher #1 trade, the Vazquez and Swisher #2 trades, Pena, now Peavy; 2] signing a few free agents: Linebrink, Dotel, Alexei, Viciedo; 3] improving via the draft: Beckham, Mitchell, Hudson, Danks #2; and re-signing key vets: Buerhle, AJ, Dye, Thornton. Rios is a risk for not playing up to his contract. But even if that proves to be the case, Rios shouldn't be Swisher reincarnated. At worst, he's a plus defender with power, who may not hit for a high avg. and get on base in a premium position, CF. Though, Rios would be a decent bet to give the sox production in CF they haven't had since 2005.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 03:30 PM) The Tigers are most likely not interested in picking up a $60 million contract. Last I heard, they were pretty desperate to shed payroll. Even if Kenny did do this to cock-block the Tigers, wouldn't Ricciardi be able to put Rios back on waivers 30 days from Tuesday? What would keep Rios away from the Tigers then? Once a player's been put on waivers and a claim has been made, a move has to made on that player--traded only to the team that claimed him, brought back from waivers, or released. That player cannot be traded to another team for the rest of the season. The rules are different as far as waivers is concerned after Aug. 1 than it is before that date, IIRC.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 02:44 PM) Ricciardi is also probably in his last couple months as Toronto's GM. I wonder how that will play into it. He may be desperate to save his job, and getting $60 million or so off the books would be a pretty good start. That's a good point. If he's trying to save his job, getting the Jays back into a semi-healthy financial condition, at least enough to be able to afford to re-sign Roy Halladay, is a good start. It may not be enough to save him. But it could only help.

QUOTE (AWhiteSoxinNJ @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 01:18 PM) Is there any news coming from the Sox beat writers or local media? Mark Gonzalez of the Trib. basically refers to the ESPN report. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,7564443.story

QUOTE (chisox2334 @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 01:18 PM) Yes, players need rest. But, when it comes September you think Dye, Quentin, or Pods are going be happy sitting. Same thing goes with Rios if he comes here. If the "trade" comes to pass, then it would be a nice problem to have.