caulfield12

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Apr 3, 2018 -> 08:52 PM) I'm still looking for this reputed excess pitching depth. The rotation has 2 starters. 3 needed. Okay, I'll add Rodon - 2 needed. The bullpen has one keeper, Jones, who will likely be traded; and perhaps Bummer. The rest are stiffs. 7 needed. That's a total of 9 pitchers needed. Okay, I'll add Fulmer to the pen (kind of a compromise) and that's 8 needed Total of leaving absolutely no depth. Using a prospect wash-out rate of 50% (which is really way too low), that means 16 pitchers are needed just to get to 5 and 8 (in contrast, the Astros have 8 starters). In a best-case scenario, the Sox need 16 legitimate pitching prospects. Oh sure there is free agency (crapshoot) fo a spot or two. And they could trade (the Sox record on trading FOR veterans, is, to be kind, less than exemplary). Stockpile the pitching. It's easy to imagine, but we know reality (from 1999-2001) doesn't work out so well. Kopech Rodon Giolito Lopez Hansen Cease Dunning That leaves Fulmer (starter #8), Dunning (#7), Burdi, Stephens (arguably #9), Vieira, Jordan Guerrero, there are a slew of potential guys in AA/High A or last year's draft class I'm leaving out off the top of my head that have a lot of upside for the pen. The main point is that you have to have 3-4 close to dominant relievers that can fill multiple roles and/or ONE elite closer. (Just look at the recent success with picking up Kahnle and Swarzak off the scrap heap.) Not to mention this year's draft pick, let's say it is LHP McClanahan. They're in pretty good shape, all things considered. (Obviously, injuries are hard to forecast.)

Kahnle read this thread and just struck out 4/5 batters...gave up tying run, inherited. Velocity was down to 94-95, touching 96, but his other pitches like the slider and change were effective.

Can SoxTalk subsidize a new ipad, lol? I have one that?€™s 3 1/2 years old and recently the keyboard has been failing...probably just wearing out and needing replacement like Apple hopes for...also, just ran an IOS update, we?€™ll see. Haven?€™t had a problem with work computer. Whether prices rise (due to proposed tariffs) will ultimately depend on the availability of substitutes, said Brad Setser, senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. And companies might find ways to skirt the tariffs by making greater use of manufacturing facilities in other countries, like Brazil and Vietnam. "Simply because it costs Apple that much more doesn't mean the consumer will pay [that much] more," said Awi Federgruen, a Columbia Business School professor who studies supply chain management. There's no easy way to determine if companies will decide to raise prices — and if so, by how much. Still, higher prices of any kind could make things tough on stores and shoppers — especially during the upcoming holiday season. "These tariffs might be Grinch tariffs," said David French, senior vice president of government relations at the National Retail Federation. He noted that retailers will make decisions about where to source what they sell in December in coming weeks. Right now, companies are combing through their supply chains to see whether they might be impacted. The USTR list included a lot of general manufacturing equipment, so there could be additional revelations about affected products in the days and weeks to come. For example, even though clothing, shoes and toys were excluded from the initial list, parts and machinery used to manufacture these items may have been included, which could affect pricing. There are also lingering concerns that such items may find their way into the final draft. "Items like apparel and footwear that are not on the list today, may suddenly materialize or appear on a later list," French said. cnn.com

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 3, 2018 -> 08:08 AM) Yes, because he is mad at Bezos over the Washington Post, not losing the Washington state vote the purple monkey dishwasher doesnt help though But he and the deplorables resent that West Coast elitism...that they know more about the environment, care more about illegal immigrants than real white Americans in the Heartland, Appalachia, Deep South, Rust Belt...heck, Schultz from Starbucks is always going after Trump.

QUOTE (soxforlife05 @ Apr 3, 2018 -> 04:18 PM) The only takeaway is they aren?€™t that great at evaluating players at A level and below. Above that level they are much better. I?€™m seriously amazed how so many of you have completely given up on Rutherford after how useless Leury Garcia, Sanchez, Avi, Davidson, etc all looked for years and have now become contributors. It took Micker years to show anything at all. If he ends up being a late bloomer who doesn?€™t get to the majors until 24-25 so what? Not everyone fast tracks it through the minors. He didn?€™t suddenly lose the natural talent he has. If those five players you just mentioned are a part of the next playoff team, or contribute back pieces to it...it?€™s a win. Another takeaway is that Preller has an encyclopedic obsession with Latin America, but pushes borders ethically, lol (see fired Braves’ GM or Chris Correa of the Cards/Astros.) Time will tell. They did make the right call on Quintana at that High A/AA stage...and he got them back Jimenez and Cease. For all we know, that one waiver claim is what pushes the rebuild over the top.

At the time, the projected future surplus value for Rutherford was certainly higher than Kahnle. That said, you need to be right on these things more often that not. Rutherford, Tatis, Fulmer, Collins and Burger are all going to be used as prima facie evidence if things do not go as well as expected. I don’t think we can make a realistic argument that many other teams would have taken Schwarber over Rodon, and drafting a LH future ace with thst type of stuff over a limited defensive player is an easy one to defend, especially in light of the way those players are leaking value today. Or we can argue the Sox would be better off with Happ than Fulmer...and rue Benintendi going 1 spot earlier. That’s why they play the games. A decade ago, everyone would have laughed at Tim Beckham having a higher career war than Gordon Beckham by the end of his career. (Of course, the Astros made mistakes with JD Martinez, Chris Johnson, Grossman, Singleton, Appel...maybe trading Domingo Santana but he was surplus to Luhnow...and overcame in through frontline quality/depth. And they had an MVP in Altuve to build their team around, adding Correa and Springer, eventually Tucker.)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/world-financ...-122826731.html Markets starting to bet Trump is all talk and no action President Donald Trump?€™s approval rating has gone up three points among male voters in the wake of the Stormy Daniels controversy. Following allegations by the adult film star that she and Trump had an affair in 2006?€”shortly after his wife Melania gave birth to the couple?€™s son Barron?€”the president?€™s approval rating among men rose from 50 to 53 percent compared with last month, according to a new Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll. But female voters are not impressed. The poll, conducted from March 27-29 , showed that among women the president?€™s approval rating dropped from 41 percent to 35 percent, in what the poll?€™s co-director dubbed ?€œthe Stormy effect.?€? ?€œWhile President Trump?€™s overall ratings are stable, his support increased among men and dropped among women,?€? Penn told The Hill. ?€œThis poll was taken right after the Stormy Daniels interview and so I think this increased gender polarization is the ?€˜Stormy Effect?€™,?€? he added. source: yahoo

Get on the Blaze Jordan (MS) bandwagon...the next Bob Horner/Dave Kingman/Pete Incaviglia/Rob Deer, haha.

Unless one believes in Basabe, Adolfo staying in one piece without duct tape and baling wire, Rutherford and maybe Cordell. On the plus side, Moncada/Robert/Anderson/Avi/Leury/Yolmer/Saladino are all pretty darned athletic...and, of course, Engel. That’s a really nice foundation. Nothing like the plodding 2006-2008 White Sox, or 2011-13 (minus Rios and DeAza).

QUOTE (ChiSoxJon @ Mar 29, 2018 -> 01:19 PM) Hopefully Kopech is up by July Stephens, Adams, and Guerrero should really be in AAA, borderline ridiculous...hopefully move quick, Hansen may be a September call-up Dunning is likely in W/S for two months tops, but that OF is crowded...I see Rutherford needing a demotion to KAN, Basabe clicking, Call hopefully clicking and moving up to AA somewhat fast, Booker maybe up to AA by July, and Robert in AAA by the end of the year...Forget when Adolfo can field again but he'll be there too Hopefully Curbelo rakes upon return with KAN, real talent Thats very aggressive with Robert missing two full months...probably AA at end of he year, then AFL.

There goes the sign Josh Donaldson backup plan, lol...cue a “whoever offers him the most FA money wins” retort.

Attendance woes: There were several “Yikes” tweets about the A’s announced attendance of 7,416. A’s beat writer Susan Slusser reported it was the team’s lowest attendance since April 3, 2003, when the team drew 6,295 fans. That game, however, was a makeup game after a planned trip to Japan had been canceled. Maybe even more surprising was Toronto’s attendance of 16,629. The Blue Jays had just six crowds below 30,000 last season, with a low of 28,401 for a September game against the Orioles. The Jays’ attendance had soared past 3 million each of the past two seasons, the first time they had reached that mark since drawing 4 million in 1993. Is the bandwagon falling apart after one sub-.500 season? Yes, it was a Monday night in early April, not exactly prime time for big attendance figures. The extra off days this season help with travel, but making a season that’s already too long for many fans a week longer doesn’t help. The Blue Jays game, a 4-2 win over the White Sox, did offer an interesting moment when Josh Donaldson homered and then pretended to blow a whistle toward the White Sox dugout. Apparently, White Sox coach Daryl Boston whistles whenever the Sox make a good defensive play -- which seems as ridiculous as it must sound -- and Donaldson was miffed about a whistle earlier in the game when he grounded out. While the Sox dugout laughed at the gesture, this is Josh Donaldson we’re talking about: He didn’t do it to draw a laugh. espn.com Schoenfield

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 08:20 PM) Lopez looked strong. Offense didn't do much but that was expected...they never saw Garcia before. We've seen that a lot in the past. Meanwhile the bullpen blew the first of what figures to be many, many games as they had a 2-1 lead in the 7th and gave it up, wind up losing 4-2. Don't care for Farquhar at all. Ross needs to be called up, had a great spring and could be a nice trade chip come July. Not sure they want to go four lefties...Avilan, Bummer and Santiago. (Clearly they see some long-term potential in Bummer.) Of course, this season, there's no reason not to experiment. The best relievers who can get anyone, LH or RH out, win their spots in the pen. Ross, Gomez and Rondon are surely the next in line before they go to "youngish" guys like Beck and Danish yet again.

At least we have loads of pitching options at AAA...let the merry-go-round of back-end relievers begin.

QUOTE (soxfan49 @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 07:31 PM) Isn’t Jones the SU man? Not clear...seems he's more the "high leverage" guy, whether it's in the 7th, 8th or 9th.

Well, the main point tonight is Lopez pitched well...or we're no longer satisfied with moral victories?

Ooops. Bad location for a 94 mph fastball...inside, but not far enough in, and belt high.

Lopez was really throwing BB's in the first inning...was consistently 97-99 mph. Impressive stuff.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 03:50 PM) Considering the way that a roster and the game is made up the tilt SHOULD be heavily towards position players, and not even. We did the whole pitching heavy with a couple of star hitters thing, and it flopped. Unless the starter surplus goes into a Top Five pen. Good luck building that through free agency with the numbers this offseason. We already tried with Dotel, Linebrink and then Robertson to mixed success.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 03:10 PM) Donald Trump and Betsy Devos should not be involved in the least in teacher pay protests in various states just because the states voted for him at the national level. And yet that’s the prism eveything is looked at today...especially if these tariffs are imposed by China. They’re specifically targeting his base (including EU)...Harley-Davidson WI, bourbon whiskey (TN/KY), farming/agriculture (numerous states, especially Heartland and Rust Belt.) Do you think he would still go after Amazon if Washington (state) had voted for him...? Or Howard Schultz from Starbucks didn’t criticize Trump at every opportunity? Heck, the GOP seems to be actively courting a “culture war” with WA, OR, CA and Hawaii. Hollywood. Liberals. Elites. Silicon Valley minus Peter Thiel (of course, tax policy runs counter.) Net neutrality. Sanctuary cities.

QUOTE (bmags @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 02:00 PM) It's somewhat true but moreso I'd say the sox need of filling in depth with veteran contracts was not an efficient use of their modest budget. Compare that to an actual sell-off with the Marlins. The sox for example held onto QUintana for the right time, whereas the marlins needed to move off stanton to get to a payroll threshold. They would have had to sell high/er on Yelich, Dee Gordon, Realmuto, Ozuna...at least one year earlier. Or auctioning Stanton off before he got that immense deal. Jose Fernandez’s premature death really rattled Loria, from everything you read. It’s also why the Royals’ path post Yordano Ventura makes even less sense (feels like Moore can’t afford another full rebuild with the fans.)

QUOTE (bmags @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 02:00 PM) It's somewhat true but moreso I'd say the sox need of filling in depth with veteran contracts was not an efficient use of their modest budget. Compare that to an actual sell-off with the Marlins. The sox for example held onto QUintana for the right time, whereas the marlins needed to move off stanton to get to a payroll threshold. They would have had to sell high/er on Yelich, Dee Gordon, Realmuto, Ozuna...at least one year earlier. Or auctioning Stanton off before he got that immense deal. Jose Fernandez’s premature death really rattled Loria, from everything you read. It’s also why the Royals’ path post Yordano Ventura makes even less sense (feels like Moore can’t afford another full rebuild with the fans.)

QUOTE (bmags @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 01:41 PM) I think he tried to wiggle out of the marlins/indians examples because those were driven by costs. Isnt that at least somewhat true for us, too? The White Sox were not willing to put out a $150-175 million payroll with only a non-zero chance of getting back to the playoffs. At the time, that?€™s what it would have taken to overcome post-World Series KC, the rising Indians. Even the Twins had Sano/Buxton/Berrios arriving...and the Tigers?€™ willingness to outspend with Ilitch.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Apr 2, 2018 -> 11:23 AM) Yeah I wouldn't call the Sox the "most extreme" tanking ever, just happened to luck into a crazy combination of having a few elite assets + contending teams with great farms. The Astros were BAD for 3 years in a row and destroyed the draft a couple times to get them a ring. Outside of Tatis I've loved every move, my only concern is they can't draft & develop a positional player to save their lives (jury out on Anderson still) and will eventually need to do that at some point once this wave of prospects has passed. Having a young core hopefully come along in the next 2 years + infinite money to spend in a great free agent class is a pretty nice spot to be in. The Marlins and Indians did the same thing at least twice. Now at least three times in Miami. The A’s have been cycling through tanks over and over again. The Rays? The Twins...the Padres, many examples. Otoh, without the Shields deal, the White Sox have the lowest payroll in baseball by $10 million and clearly the #1 farm system with up to five superstars or at least All-Star caliber talents in the system (Jimenez, Tatis, Kopech, Robert, Hansen, Cease...and, if you squint hard enough, Collins because of the dearth of legit catching prospects, or Micker Adolfo). So the unique differentiating point is teams like the Cubs and Astros based rebuild on hitting/positional prospects moreso than the Sox approach of pitching first. Of course, we’ve already taken hits there...Rodon injuries and inconsistency (compared to say a Bryant, Correa or Lindor)...Burdi injured...Giolito looking more like Gavin Floyd than a true frontline ace (still a net win) due to a dropoff in velocity...otoh, Cease looks more and more legit everyday. Let’s not forget Fulmer is also FAR from a sure thing. And then you have the Burger, Robert and Adolfo injuries. Not quite the linear path those two teams followed (Cubs/Astros), but undoubtedly faster to get back to competitive team, too. Financially, we might be in the best division to overtake rivals as well...over the long-term. The Padres do everything right, still have the Dodgers in their path, for example. Maybe NL East post Harper is equal opportunity for Braves and Phillies?

If Moustakas couldnt get 5 years and $60 million at age 29, LH, key position on the infield....what can Avi realistically expect two offseasons from now at age 28 (assuming he stays a minimum 3-4.5 war player)? What would/should/could Hahn be willing to offer, know he’ll probably be too low but just checking to see if he’ll bite without insulting him simultaneously?