beck72

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ Dec 7, 2006 -> 07:03 PM) Yeah it scares me that they didnt talk to Coop about this deal. The entire plan is that Floyd is fixable, yet Williams is not any sort of pitching coach. I would have preferred if Cooper atleast said something along the lines of, "Floyd is a guy that can be a difference maker, he is one you should target." Otherwise its basically just Williams blind faith in a pitcher improving when they come to the Sox. KW wasn't in the meetings by himself. He had a team of at least 6 guys with him [through media reports]-presumably scouts and guys who are probably equal or better judges of talent than Cooper. Wasn't the ex-Philly guy Amaro there or consulted? The sox do a very good job of judging their own talent and getting talent not fully maximized by other teams. KW doesn't do this by himself. The organization as a whole has a good track record in this dept. Hopefully it continues with Floyd.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Dec 8, 2006 -> 07:24 AM) Well Coop said on the Score today that he'd like for Gio to tryout for a bullpen spot this Spring Training, this leads me to believe that the lowest level we'll be seeing Gonzalez at next season is Charlotte. Of course this could just be Coop talking out of his ass but you never know. It wouldn't be a crazy idea. Esp if Gio was pretty polished with two of his pitches, which seems to be the case. Gio would likely have to be very dominant for him to even come close to heading north though out of ST. Haeger and Broadway are both likely ahead of him if a spot opens up in the rotation anyway.

The sox sound like they'll keep Floyd as a Cooper project. But why does Gio sound like someone the D Rays may want as part of a deal for Baldelli--a local Miami boy?

I would like Troy Patton and Nieve. Nieve would be for the pen this year, and possibly for the rotation in 2008--Patton for the near future, starting the year in AA. Yet I could see the Astros wanting to part with Chad Qualls and Patton, though.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Dec 5, 2006 -> 11:01 AM) Now if he pitches like the MB of old after he signs that deal, it'll be a masterstroke by KW. And I think something will get done, he's basically the face of the franchise in my mind. That said, I hope Buehrle is getting PLENTY of rest this off-season, especially that arm, because I think that's what caused the problems for him this season, too many innings in that arm too soon. I'm not sure what money he'd likely get--though a 3 yr deal seems the sox "norm". But Mark is a great candidate to bounce back. He's been one of the league's most consistent SP's for yrs. One thing though is I hope Mark's working his ass off getting in great condition. By his own account, Mark needed to get into better shape. He rested too much in the 05 offseason. I know his arm needed it. But Mark basically took it too easy.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 05:00 PM) KW talking about the insanity of contracts is kind of amusing. Are any of the contracts being signed very far out of line with Javier Vazquez's. KW unloaded a lot for Vazquez and if he wants to keep him in 2008 will have to pay him probably $13million to $15 million. He is making $12 million a year and has a career record of 100-105 with a 4.32 ERA. Last year on a 90 win team, he wasn't even .500 and had a 4.84 ERA. The sox aren't paying Vazquez total salary. IIRC, at least $3 mill is coming from elsewhere. The larger point KW is saying is true. Less talented players are earning this offseason what more talented players got last year, and with more yrs on the contract--from SP's, to position players to middle relievers. One thing about KW, is he is ahead of the curve on the market for players. How wise does he look now after getting the discounted thome, and the less than market deals for Garland and Jose? Instead of overpaying and saddling the sox with bloated contracts like the Cubs are doing, KW has got the sox in the position to re-stock the farm system with impact, young players who could be around for years, through trading players like Freddy, Joe or Javy.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 08:52 PM) Who says we'd be stuck with him? You're telling me another team wouldn't give up a C prospect for one year of Riske at ~$3 million? It's a 'risk' (no pun intended) that the Sox should've been willing to take. It was a great opportunity to have a shot at adding a pretty good prospect to the farm system in next June's draft. Bad move, plain and simple. Riske is a type A free agent. No team would have given up two picks for Riske. The sox offer him arb. and every team in the majors would avoid him like the plague, which would leave him no choice but to accept the sox offer of arb. If the sox wanted to keep Riske, they would have offered him arb. [or they still could bring him back for less]. The larger point is the sox don't seem to want him around for 2007.

I think one of the teams in need of a SP will meet KW's asking price

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 05:51 PM) Well if we indeed would have been stuck with him he would have never had to pitch with the game on the line. He's not a great reliever by any means but having a guy with a high 3's era in the back end of your bullpen isn't exactly the worst thing in the world. This honestly makes no sense to me, we either get picks or get "stuck" with a guy who isn't very bad at all. It makes perfect sense if the sox don't want Riske. KW and the sox coaches didn't want to get stuck with a guy they didn't want pitching for them, regardless of his ERA. They didn't want him or they would have tried to keep him [i agree, his salary would be very reasonable and in line with what other guys are getting in free agency]. IMO, Riske wasn't terrible. But KW and the sox [and we fans] should expect more than a guy who "isn't that bad".

Why gamble getting stuck with Riske when the sox obviously don't trust him or want him to pitch for them? There is no guarantee that Riske could net a draft pick. But there would be a very good chance the sox would have Riske on the roster for 2007, by offering arb. and him accepting. Why pay Riske $2.5 mill-to a guy they don't like or want him to get the ball--when they can go with a guy like Aardsma who they believe in? IMO, this is a move a team like the Yanks or Red Sox would make. Cut your losses and don't look back on guys who you believe do not make your team better--even if means taking a risk. And that's not a bad thing. The only risk they took was trading a journeyman AAA Lefty reliever for him.

QUOTE(beautox @ Dec 1, 2006 -> 01:40 PM) Nice find Beck, looks like some of those highly touted Angel prospects will find there way on another teams roster. heres hoping Jason lands with the cubs, and Zito lands with the padres or dodgers. It looks like you can add the Angels to the list of teams like the Yanks, Red Sox, and Mets who will trade off important parts of their future for a chance to win now. In this crazy climate of inflating salaries, I wouldn't be surprised if Freddy, Javy and Joe were dealt. That would be the easiest way for the sox to stock up for the future, while having a very solid chance to win now.

For those who think the Angels might be making a long term mistake for a short term gain [like me, though I'll take it], here may be a reason why--- "Angels owner Arte Moreno has told general manager Bill Stoneman he wants a division champion in 2007 or he will get a new GM... http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/spor...5182540,00.html

QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Dec 1, 2006 -> 12:20 AM) Josh is not the caliber of fielder that Crede is and is an unproven talent. Just because Scott B is the agent for Crede is no reason not to try and sign Joe. Trding Joe away is simply the first move in revbuilding a team that doesn't need to be rebuilt. Now, will the Sox entertain offers? Sure they will and they will on all PLAYERS. JUST DON'T TRADE FOR THE SAKE OF TRADING. IMO, if the sox trade Joe it's not a rebuilding move by any means. It's a move for the present and for the future. While the defense and offense would take a bit of a hit right away, the pitching would probably be better. Add in the financial aspects of the deal [saving $11 mill the first yr, many more after that---which the sox could then add another position player in 08 like a SS] and who the sox could add to the bullpen with the savings, it wouldn't hurt the sox in the short or long term.

QUOTE(beautox @ Dec 1, 2006 -> 12:16 AM) Lets just say the sox did move Garcia + Crede for Santana and Figgins even though KW shot it down, we would still need to move another SP not named McCarthy, Santana or Jose. So who would you move? Vazquez, esp. as there are trading partners like the Mets and Rangers.

Here's another link to a Daily Herald article about the same topic: http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/whitesox.asp My take is KW had spoken with the Angels and Crede was mentioned as being available a few weeks ago when the GM's met in FL. The Angels side probably talked to the media recently, saying that they could get Crede--with possible players from their side that could come to the sox. If there is anything to make a deal there, it'll happen at the winter meetings.

I still think if the sox somehow get Santana they'll move him in a package for Crawford. Was it Levine who mentioned the sox were in talks with the Drays?

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Nov 29, 2006 -> 12:11 AM) Yes, Sweeney,Anderson, Fields aren't power hitters(Although Fields could turn into one) but why should I think the Sox are going to change from a HR team? They have hit 200 HR's 7 years in a row. It's pretty clear what the philosophy of the organization is, and I don't really have a problem with it. The sox will and should have HR's hitters with the Cell. But the sox have too many low OBP, swing and miss type hitters

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 11:32 PM) 100% agree, and have been saying this all off-season. The Sox are build on power, it's really simple. Some don't like the mash offense, but O' well, find a new team. You know what Thome-Kong-Dye are going to do for you. Hit the ball out of the park, drive in runs. Because of that, get as many guys as you can on base. Don't think it gets much more simple than that. With Dye likely gone after 07, the sox won't be built on power forever. Esp. with guys like Sweeney, Anderson, Fields coming up--they aren't 30 hr guys. Getting in some speed guys, guys who can get on base and manufacture runs will also be needed when the HR's stop. If the sox load up on pitching, getting consistent hitting would be more important to winning games than relying on the HR's. I'm not just talking about SB's either--more like 1st to 3rd hitting rather than station to station ball.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 09:52 PM) I think some of you guys don't realize just how valuable an Ervin Santana is. Santana's very valuable. Either he can be in the sox rotation for yrs, or help net the sox a stud OFer locked in at the top of the order for yrs [Crawford]. More likely the rotation

QUOTE(VAfan @ Nov 28, 2006 -> 09:53 PM) Figgins is worthless. His OBP sucks, and he has no power. In the 2005 ALCS, did he even get on base more than once?? Pods, as bad as he is, played circles around him in 2005. As for Ervin Santana, people are acting like he's Francisco Liriano without elbow troubles. Sure, he has a live arm. And he's relatively cheap because he's just starting out. But is he going to be a dominant starter? Is he a #1 guy? Will he ever be a #1 guy? I don't think so. But the deal buster would be dumping Joe Crede at this point. You might as well add a half run to the team ERA if we eliminate the vacuum man from 3B next year. Especially if you are talking about replacing him with Josh Fields or Chone Figgins. If you want Joe Crede, you'd have to offer me more than Ervin Santana. We don't have our first WS trophy in 89 years if we don't have Joe Crede at 3B. A few things. *Figgins would provide Ozzie with his super sub, while allowing the sox to bring Fields at 3b and Anderson in CF slowly. BA shouldn't need that much time off, though, and Figgins would likely see most of his time in LF and hit leadoff. His OBP was .350 + except for last yr. One series does not detract from what he's done for his career. *Santana's young, has very good stuff, and has room to improve on his 16 win, 4.30 ERA. With the sox need to get younger in the rotation, Santana is a good step toward helping the sox having a strong rotation for years. Maybe he's not a #1. But he's a strong #3, maybe a #2. Also, Santana is more of a strike out pitcher, less reliant on the defense. *Joe would be tough to give up. But he's likely around for only 2007. Figgins and Santana will be around for 3 yrs and 5 respectively. While the sox IF defense might not be as strong, the OF would be. The Sox needed the strong defense in 2005 because the offense wasn't as strong. With an improved O and better pitching, the sox can live with the dropoff of Fields and Figgins at 3b.

QUOTE(SABR Sox @ Nov 26, 2006 -> 04:47 PM) You're overvaluing the lineup order so terribly. I agree that the big boppers go into the meat of your batting order, but I don't believe you need a good "2-hole hitter" or that "this guy would fit in the 6 spot well." Lineup order is one of the most overrated aspects of baseball. However I do know this. Leadoff hitter see the most PA's in your lineup and Pods doesn't deserve seeing the most PA's, he's just that bad. Iguchi however is a nice little blend of speed, and power. Not meat of the order worthy, but certianly a guy who deserves to go in the batters box the most times in our lineup. It's not absurd suggesting him as our leadoff guy, if anything its a very good idea. By your logic, a team's best hitter should then hit leadoff because he'll have the most PA's, regardless of power numbers, speed, OBP? A team needs a mix of hitters [esp. the sox] or they'll be too much like the 2000-2004 sox, a station to station softball team that's susceptible to slumps and overly reliant on the long ball for scoring runs. Lineup order is very important. If you don't have guys on base or in scoring position for your RBI's guys, a team will have trouble scoring runs. Most winning teams place a heavy emphasis on lineup order to maximize their chances of scoring runs. To say it's overrated [in the pros at least, maybe not little league] is kinda silly. I never said Iguchi hitting leadoff was absurd. But Ozzie and KW have never talked about Iguchi hitting leadoff--only hitting lower in the order like he did in Japan. Only armchair coaches and GM's have talked about Iguchi leading off. The Sox have had chances to put Iguchi in the leadoff spot but haven't done it.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Nov 26, 2006 -> 03:02 AM) I'll post this one more time hoping that you actually read it: Yes. Plenty of opportunities... because he's been here for a whole, what is it, two years? And it's not like we already had a "leadoff hitter" here in Podsednik or anything, right? Then again, maybe a better option would be to go after Christian Guzman, ehh? Maybe he's a good option cause he could probably steal some bases, right beck? Keith, right. It's not what you and I want. It's what the sox want. They could have had Iguchi lead off many times when Pods sat vs LHP. The sox never did and have never talked about it. Re: Guzman. It's always nice to bring up irrelevant past suggestions that have nothing to do with the current debate. However it does show how you handle a little criticism. And the larger point was made about replacing Uribe, that the sox needed better OBP and speed from SS. That's why the sox and their staff get paid the big bucks and we sit back and play GM.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Nov 25, 2006 -> 11:30 PM) And I don't like that you or the Sox organization are "pigeon-holing" Iguchi as a #2, #5, or whatever hitter. He's a versataille player. He could hit pretty much in any spot in the lineup if you asked him to. Personally, I don't think a guy with a career .430 slugging percentage would be a great #5 hitter. We have those spots covered, anyways; Dye, followed by Crede and AJ. What we don't have is a guy who has shown he can get on consistently at the top of the order. We have that guy already on the team. If Iguchi is going to have a career year, it's going to be this year; contract year, and his third year in the majors, but right around the age where 2nd-basemen generally start to fall off. If given free reign over most of his ABs (ie not asked to hit behind anyone or bunt 10-15 times per year), I think he'd be fully capable of a .290/.360/.450 season. Dude, the sox aren't going to have Iguchi leadoff. There have been plenty of opportunities to have him there. The sox aren't doing it

I think the "plug Iguchi into the leadoff spot" people aren't listening to what the sox have said for a while now. Tad's a 5-7 hole hitter who happens to be the best option the sox have for a #2 hitter. Never has it been talked about him batting leadoff.

Most of what Rogers is saying is garbage. But with the Giants looking at signing Rich Aurilia to start at either 2b, 3b or 1b, they could use a guy like Uribe. The giants won't be looking to contend in 07. But if the sox offered Uribe [who has a 08 option] and some pieces like Heath Philips, Casey Rogowski, etc, the Giants might bite.