beck72

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Nov 25, 2006 -> 01:16 PM) The White Sox current SS is a far better player than the White Sox current LF. Pods has never been a solid defensive player. Offensively, as bad as he was, except for batting average, he was a much better hitter in 2006 than he was in 2005. I should say batting average, and taking strike 3 right down the middle, which I cannot imagine anyway being connected to an injury. I guess I just don't buy that he was hurt, and if he was, how is it that it is a given he will be completely healthy this year? Its funny that a board that laughs at a team on the other side of town always assuming their injured players will suddenly be healthy, (and rightfully so), do exactly the same thing with the players on their team. If Pods was/is hurt, and I'm still not buying, what does everyone base their faith on his total health in 2007, a year where the Sox will have to pay him a lot more that the $2.4 million they were paying him for his pathetic performance in 2006? Pods hasn't had anything near the same injury history that the cubs pitchers do/ did. And he's a better bet for staying healthy than Dave Roberts--who has missed more games to due injury, is older, and far more expensive than Pods. The larger question remains--how do the sox get back to the playoffs? Is it through their offense? Or will it depend more on their bullpen and SP? Making an upgrade in LF / leadoff will almost certainly weaken the sox pitching, which will remain their best hope of getting 95 + wins in 2007. The Sox should have backup plans for both SS and LF. Both Pods and Uribe played sub par baseball and if repeat their 2006 performances in early 2007 should be gone--provided there are options there. There aren't a lot of options at SS either. I know Ariz. has a glut of SS's. And one could start in AAA for the sox, Alberto Gonzalez--he's 23 from Venezuela, has a great glove and hit .290 in AA. The sox are thinner at SS then they are in LF, with Sweeney and Fields possibilities there.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Nov 25, 2006 -> 12:56 PM) Pods was pathetic in April, had a great May and was mediocre to poor the rest of the season. I wouldn't call his first half decent. If he was so hurt, why did a team trying to defend its championship stick with him the entire year, when a guy like Mackowiak was riding pine or playing out of position? I don't buy the injury excuse. If he was so hurt how come he hit .318 with a .443 obp and an obs over .900 in May? Its a weak argument. The guy just isn't very good. He got a lot of credit for stealing bases in 2005. It would be nice to have a SS with the ability to leadoff, but there aren't many of those, and teams with them aren't going to give them up. Maybe because he was the sox best option leading off. Like I said, the first half he hit .276 with an OBP of .353. Those are decent numbers. I also said he was brutal in the 2nd half, and very tentative for the entire yr on defense in 06. What do you attribute his poor defense to after playing a solid first half of 2005? That sounds like someone playing hurt or trying hard to avoid a re-injury. Instead of using up resources to get an upgrade for leadoff in LF/ Cf this year, i'd like the sox to try and upgrade at SS, someone who would start the yr in AAA. The cost will be less than it would be for someone expected to start the yr in the bigs.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Nov 25, 2006 -> 12:27 PM) First, Pods left a lot, I mean A LOT, to be desired in the lead off spot last year. Yet, we do know what he is capable of from the first half of '05. It was stated earlier that it was obvious he's been injured and/or not totally rehabbed since the middle of '05. I agree with this. Pods in '06 was the same Pods we saw in the latter half of '05. I'd just like to add, Pods 1st half of 06 was decent. What could have happened is Pods wore down in the 2nd half after the offseason surgery, that he probably came into 06 in decent shape after the surgery. But it's hard to fully strengthen and prepare your body after recovering from being hurt. i'm also of the opinion the Pods/ Owens plan is probably the best bet heading into 07. Owens stays in AAA playing Lf and leading off, insurance in case Pods can't cut it. What I'd like to see is the sox get a SS prospect near major league ready who has the ability/ tools to hit leadoff. That way, the sox have another option at leadoff besides Owens and someone who could replace Uribe.

I haven't been a big advocate of keeping Pods for 2007. But I do have to wonder how his injuries [to his hamstring in 05 and the groin surgery in the 05 offseason] affected his performance. With few upgrades/ options out there for the price [talent in trades mostly], expecting Pods to put up decent numbers might be the best option heading into 2007. The Pods of the 1st half of 2005 was stellar---on the bases, at the plate, and even in the field where he was aggressive, cutting off balls hit to the gaps and everything hit near him was chased down. The numbers prove that as well--where he hit .294 with an OBP of .369, and had 44 SB's in 53 attempts. Then he got hurt and his post ASB was sub par--hit for a .284 avg, an OBP of .320 and 15 sb's in 29 attempts. Pods 1st half of 2006 was decent--.276 avg and .353 OBP--though his 29 sb's in 41 attempts were poor. We all know his brutal 2nd half of 06--.241 avg with an OBP of .296, and 11 sb's in 18 attempts. He was tentative in the field, tiptoeing around allowing runners to take extra bases, and getting poor jumps. The sox have been about getting players in down years--guys who have had past success and expecting them to return to form. We all know Pods was hurt. The question is how much. For a guy who's entire game is predicated on using his legs, Pods was tentative for much of 2006. Can he get back to his 2005 and even his 2006 1st halves? In this market, that might be the best option. Then use the resources to upgrade the bullpen, pitching and position player depth in AAA and AA. Pods has the entire offseason to get healthy and build up his strength. With a big payday looming in Free agency next yr, Pods has every incentive to have a nice 2007. And for all the Dave Roberts-love, he was a much bigger injury risk than Pods. Pods has played even when he probably should have sit. Roberts has missed more games due to injury than Pods has the last few yrs. FWIW, Pods had an avg of .330 and OBP of .404 vs. LHP in 05 in 100 ab's. He hit .216 with an OBP of .281 in 06 in 139 ab's.

QUOTE(beautox @ Nov 25, 2006 -> 11:34 AM) You have to bring in young talent, and the quote about the pirates is crap. How did the marlins manage to say competive all season when they let ROY winner Hanley Ramierz lead off? infusing young cheap talent is what competive ball clubs do *cough* braves *cough* I understand that teams have to bring in young position players into the lineup--but slowly. Few teams throw rooks into the leadoff spot. They put them in the lower 1/2 of the order where there is less pressure. Like the sox did with Anderson. Hanley is a special case and talent--one of the top prospects in all of baseball, something I haven't heard with Willits. With the Marlins, the whole team was very young and they were rebuilding. Putting him there made perfect sense for them. It doesn't make sense for the sox to put Willits or a Jerry Owens type there.

QUOTE(beautox @ Nov 25, 2006 -> 11:07 AM) Seriously, All this affection going around for Podsednik and Figgis is making me want to heavily. Chone is a lateral move, and not much of a move at all, esp if its going to cost anything in terms of talent, did everyone suddenly forget that Scioscia was batting him 9th near the end of the season???? Add to the fact Chone is only 2 years younger than scott and i say no thank you. The only person i would want coming back our way from the Angels to lead off it Reggie Willits, lead milb in OBP and is a excellent bunter and exceptional out in CF and all around badass lead off man, and hes a switch hitter, sign me up. There's no affection for Pods or Figgins. It's a matter of being realistic--leadoff hitters are hard to find. There aren't a whole lot of better options. And if Willits was everything you said, why did the Angels pay Matthews for the next 4 yrs to play CF? You don't throw rookies into the leadoff spot if you're a team that wants to get to the playoffs and a world series. Teams like the Pirates do that.

QUOTE(chitownsportsfan @ Nov 25, 2006 -> 08:19 AM) The Left Fielder in a home run hitters park shouldn't be dropping in bunt singles then getting picked off -- He should be lacing doubles, taking walks, and hitting the ball out of the park. I'm not offering any quick fixes but Pods is def not the answer and it will be easy to upgrade that position because pods sucked so badly. I'd be willing to bet Gload could play slightly worse or the same defense while posting a 280/350/445 line. And that is just in house. The sox get enough HR's from other positions. They don't need Hr's from LF. As far as it "being easy to upgrade that position"--not at all. This is why Pods is still being mentioned as possibly being around for '07. Sure the sox could stick someone like Gload in LF. But not if they want to win a world series. The sox need a leadoff hitter who can hit .285, steal some bases, and have an OBP of .350. That isn't exactly easy to find. With so few options available, a healthy Pods might be the best bet to give the sox what they need.

QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 05:41 PM) I have no problem with Pods being back. I think a lot of our players suffered from some nagging injuries and Pods was one of them. 50 sb's minimum in '07 is a real possibility from Pods and I think he will improve on his batting average too. There is no way I want to see the kind onf money paid out to these FA's coming from our team. Matthews Jr is the prime example of a crazy system out of control. One good year and he gets $10M a year?! My goodness gracious great balls afire. I guess it depends on how hurt Pods was. Only the sox and he know how badly he was dinged up. If he was hurt and it kept him from going all out--which it seemed like both at bat and in the field--keeping Pods might not be bad. Esp. if the prognosis for Pods is that he'll be 100% for 2007, and very aggressive in the field, at bat and on the bases.

QUOTE(fathom @ Nov 24, 2006 -> 05:18 AM) We have such a short window though with this current team, and like others have said, KW will have failed us if he didn't upgrade at the leadoff/LF spot. The Southtown reports that we're more likely now to bring Pods back. I can't believe that's even a consideration after his pathetic effort last season. The sox do have a short window to win with the current roster of players. But getting a new lead off man this offseason should be part of KW's "3 yr plan". Step one is to get younger in the rotation. Bmac in and one of the current SP's out. Step two is to get younger with position players. That's why Josh Fields and Sweeney should play a big part of the sox future, with at least one in line to start 2007. My guess is Fields, if the Sox feel he's major league ready.

SS Alberto Gonzalez would make a lot of sense. He's a 23 yr old SS who hit .290 in AA, from Venezuela, whose glove is his calling card. And the DBacks are stacked at SS http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/G/A...-Gonzalez.shtml With the Dbacks organizational depth, the sox could fill a few holes. Probably with a SP the sox saw in AA like Micah Owings.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Nov 22, 2006 -> 10:26 PM) The best Sox-Halos match I could think is Joe. It doesn't seem like Stoneman has that big of a problem giving out a big contract(just seems to come up a little short) and I could see them locking him up. Something like a Crede-Garcia for Figgins-Santana-Prospect? I could see trading Joe if the sox were somehow able to turn say Ervin Santana into Carl Crawford. Or maybe get Scot Shields and Figgins. [not sure what Shields contract status is though. I believe he'll be a FA after 07--which means they'll have to pay him more than they just signed Speier to--a very hefty sum]. The sox could get by paying big bucks to Shields because the rest of the bullpen is pretty young and inexpensive. If the sox feel Fields is ready to play everyday in the bigs, I wouldn't rule a Crede trade out. And the LAA would make sense.

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Nov 23, 2006 -> 12:52 AM) Many on this board overrate Figgins wildly. At his best, he can manage a .350 OBP with no power. Overestimating the value of speed and maybe a .350 OBP leads to mistakes like trading for Podsednik. Let us not repeat that mistake. Speed and versatility are worth much less than hitting. And he's no hitter. Speed and versatility (and not much more) may be enough for a 4th OFer or a utility player, but not a regular. The sox don't need a leadoff guy with power. Figgins has avg'd over 40 XBH the last 3 yrs. He's a career .285 hitter, with one down yr last yr. His .350 OBP is decent enough--few leadoff guys are out there who can do what Figgins can and might be available for a reasonable price. No one's talking about trading a guy like Dye for Figgins here.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Nov 22, 2006 -> 10:26 PM) The best Sox-Halos match I could think is Joe. It doesn't seem like Stoneman has that big of a problem giving out a big contract(just seems to come up a little short) and I could see them locking him up. Something like a Crede-Garcia for Figgins-Santana-Prospect? Crede should be a non-starter. Even if Boras is his agent, Joe is worth what he'll ask for and likely get.

QUOTE(IowaSoxFan @ Nov 22, 2006 -> 10:23 PM) The rumor a while ago is that they were trying to get Tejada to play 3rd. That's right. I knew some big names were on their radar. You can scratch an OFer off their list like Manny. With the Speier signing, they have some chips with their bullpen guys, esp Shields.

QUOTE(Hatchetman @ Nov 22, 2006 -> 10:17 PM) what's the appeal of figgins? What Iowa sox said. Figgins would put pressure on the defense through his bunting, stealing ability, his OBP. Figgins couldn't be worse than Pods in LF. It would depend on what the Angels are asking for him, though.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Nov 22, 2006 -> 10:07 PM) As of right now it appears he's their starting 3B despite his s***ty defense at the hotcorner. If McPherson shows a pulse, he should be there. But I guess that's the key. They need power from 3B, which Figgins won't give them. I could see them make a trade. I haven't heard their names come up for any 3b men. It would make sense if Figgins was part of that deal.

QUOTE(IowaSoxFan @ Nov 22, 2006 -> 09:58 PM) They will likely hang on to Figgins until they are blown away. Figgins wasnt supposed to be their CF'er last year until Erstad was hurt. They will use him in the super utility role again. His contract might be a bit much for a UTL guy though-- 3.5M in 2007 and 4.75M in 2008

I have only heard the speculation that Figgins might be moved if the Angels got a CFer. With Sarge Jr., on board, it only makes sense. The questions are, 1] what would the Angels realistically be asking for and get and 2] what could the Sox offer in return? Has anyone heard of names being mentioned with Figgins? I don't count the Crede talk because that must have come from fools. Mackowiak's versatility might intrigue them with Figgins gone. Mack and a young arm that doesn't fit with the sox like Heath Phillips.

The only teams that will think about trading their top AAA SP prospects [guys who will start the yr there, I mean, guys who can slide into the sox rotation in 2008, maybe by the end of 2007] are for sure playoff teams who want to win now[mets, yanks]. Or have big holes in their pitching and need a guy who can eat innings, ala Tex, Balt. I get what people are saying with the sox holding out for the best deal. But the sox can't hold out forever, though, as Bmac is coming to the rotation. In order to get the guys the sox want, they may have to take a fair deal, rather than holding out and waiting for the best available prospects/ players. The quality of who the sox get, may mean more in the long term than the quantity of the players involved.

Another bullpen arm the sox may want is LHP CJ Wilson. According to BA's Prospect Handbook, he's compare to Neal Cotts. And he threw 40 innings in Texas in 06. BTW, he was rated right ahead of Feldman coming into 2006 Also, am I the only one who would like SS Joaquin Arias included in a deal? He skipped low A ball, and hit .300 in AA last yr. though he hit .260 with a sub .300 OBP, he hit and got on base every other spot he's been http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/A/Joaquin-Arias.shtml

From Buster Olney's blog: • Hearing a lot of chatter about a possible Atlanta-Baltimore trade built around right-hander Tim Hudson, a free agent coveted by the Orioles a couple of years ago. You would have to assume that either Adam Loewen or Hayden Penn, two of the Orioles' better young pitchers, would be involved in the discussions. If that's the case, I'd keep Loewen rather than deal him for Hudson, considering the veteran's increasing inconsistency -- his WHIP has climbed in each of the past three seasons, from 1.075 in 2003 to last season's 1.44 -- but I would use Penn as a bargaining chip in a trade for Hudson. --I'd have to say the O's would like Garland if they are after Hudson. I don't know much about Loewen, thoguh IIRC, he had control issues in the past--or Penn. Though I don't think they are in the Danks/ Hurley category.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Nov 19, 2006 -> 04:53 AM) But I think KW has found out the value of good young pitching, because of the price you have to pay in Free Agency to actually get quality starting pitching there. Hence why he is interested in trading for Danks, Masset and possibly Hurley, because they're young, cheap and under our control for 6 seasons. We don't want to be a team that basically goes all out for a World Series, and then drops back down the division because we don't have enough young players being worked into the mix, especially if you have the likes of Dye, Garcia, Iguchi and Buehrle leaving in the next off-season. I think you're right on both accounts. 1] High quality, cheap young pitching is where it's at. Detroit is a fine example of the kind of turn around a team can have based almost solely on pitching, both in the pen and rotation. and 2] bringing young players into the mix for a World Series contender/ playoff team is hard. Bringing young position players into the mix is even harder though than bringing young arms. The sox are heavily dependent on their high priced veteran SP's. Bringing Bmac into the mix is step one--which leads to one veteran arm being traded The only other way to bring another young arm in as a SP is to get a top tier prospect. Broadway may be decent. But he's not a #1 or a #2. I think step 2 [maybe in the 2007 offseason, or at the deadline] is to trade a high priced position position player for another high quality, top rated SP prospect.

QUOTE(shoota @ Nov 19, 2006 -> 02:59 AM) Since Garland is the best of the three, I understand why potential trading partners would offer more value to acquire him than they'd offer for Vazquez or Garcia. I believe trading Garland for pitching prospects downgrades the current, World Series-contending team by losing its best pitcher and not upgrading other areas of the 2007 team. With the construction of the current team, KW must play for the present. Trading Garland would be for prospects and probably a bullpen arm. But Bmac would take his place in the rotation. I don't think that's a huge drop off. Esp. if 2 of Freddy, Mb, Javy and Jose return to form.

QUOTE(shoota @ Nov 19, 2006 -> 01:34 AM) Good point, I see the importance of obtaining young, quality pitching; my puzzlement is born from KW's seemingly willingness to trade his best pitcher, Garland, before two other pitchers of value: Vazquez and Garcia. It may boil down to the type of SP prospects the sox can get in return for one of their SP's. Only Garland may be able to net the top SP prospect the sox need. If Danks can be around for 10 years being a #1 or a #2, it may be worth the cost of garland for 2 years. Trading Freddy or even Javy, may only net #3 type SP who can give the sox 5 decent years. The sox don't have a top of the rotation type prospect in their system, someone who can help the sox late in 07 and definitely in 2008. Garland may be the cost. In the short term, the question should be, can Bmac give the sox Garland type numbers? 2006 numbers pretty sure. 2005 numbers, not yet.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Nov 18, 2006 -> 08:35 PM) You know, I don't entirely believe this is true. When various high profile FA pitchers sign, we're (likely) eliminating those teams from dealing with us. Potential trading partners will eventually become fewer and fewer. I'd be more willing to offer our starters when the entire field is a possibility. Even though there remains a lot of time between now and Spring Training, Williams waits long enough and suddenly he'll become the desperate party. Everyone already knows we're willing to sell. It's a bit different dealing with 10 teams now than 5 two months from now; none of which may possess the prospects/players we may covet. I'm not suggesting Williams immediately jumps upon the first offer; but honestly, we should have already traded a starter by Christmas. After that, I'll be more worried about return value than I currently am. Well said. Moving sooner rather than later means the sox can probably get who they want. Not to mention, the sox will have probably scouted some teams and know the farm system of some teams better than others. IMO, a team like the Pirates or Nationals who have a lot of holes to fill will want to sell to the highest bidder. The sox have certain needs to fill and only the serious teams should be interested. That number won't change much. In fact it should lessen as teams sign FA's/ makes trades, etc