caulfield12

Hahn is cool as a cucumber, but will never get overly emotional under questioning or bristle like KW. You could ask him the same question ten different ways and maybe a sigh or two of exasperation but never anger or tables overturned theatrics. The reason that session wasn't overrun is most Sox fans are smart enough to realize the only one they can upset is KW.

Sale and his wife are already taking Fulmer and his fiance under their wings...they went out to dinner together last night and had lots of questions about transition from college to big leagues, lifestyle adjustments, living in Chicago, etc. Other observations: Avila is going to be an excellent manager or front office exec like his father someday. Finally, Connor McKnight is a lot better than Rongey. He even got Willie Harris and Carl Everett (beatbox) to do a rap on air. Willie wouldn't comment on team's makeup and future moves needed, but sang the praises of Todd Frazier for five minutes and how everyone will love him...and how annoying playing Sinatra everywhere he goes can get to his teammates, but in an amused/retro is cool way. Sale was extremely complimentary to JJ Putz and Matty Thornton for their mentoring in 2010-2011...

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/splits/_/id/...rique-hernandez In light of Kendrick signing... To be our righty dh platoon with LaRoche. Or he plays more in the field with Garcia platooning...although the ideal situation would be supersub, DH against lhp and would require addition of Fowler/Jackson with Avi traded or at Charlotte. The Dodgers already have Utley, Hernandez, Micah, Alex Guerrero (at first I looked at him but the splits aren't as favorable), Thompson, Van Slyke, Ethier, Crawford....huge logjam. Hernandez carries incredible positional versatility, a 1.215 ops in 78 career at-bats versus lefties, a 346 OBP and 836 ops last year in 200+ abs but no starting role in LA now in 2016 because of Kendrick and Utley. He was perceived to be good enough to start in CF, LF or 2b. Actually, he has played every position except catcher, 1b and pitcher. And he won't cost Adams or a top prospect...plus, LA knows our system intimately from the Frazier deal so a deal could be put in place quickly. http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=m...itting/2015/ALL He's got the Trayce anomaly going...801 career mlb ops in over 300 at bats vs. 722 in milb https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrique_Hernández_(baseball) See last paragaph with Dodgers...plus, you have to like a guy who can dress up in a banana suit

Very well. Ventura isn't going to be around much longer. Enjoy yourselves in the interim.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Jan 29, 2016 -> 06:44 AM) Sorry if this has been recently stated by others, as I haven't read the entire thread: Over the last 3 seasons, Fowler is around a .245 hitter vs. RHP. His numbers are terrific vs. lefties, but he won't face many southpaws, playing for the Sox. He does hit for more power from the left side, but he's still not really a power hitter. I don't think he is the answer, and he would cost that draft pick. The biggest offensive hole is still someone to hit between Abreu and Frazier, and Fowler isn't suited to bat in that spot. Everyone seems to agree that he would profile as a leadoff or 2 hole hitter, which is not the Sox' greatest need. The walks/OBP have clear value, but $15 million per year and a top 30 draft pick's worth?

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/i...on-in-odd-trade Good analysis here by Schoenfield...

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jan 29, 2016 -> 06:09 AM) There's no doubt that the Sox have the potential to be dangerous. Things have to go right, and players have to perform. And if another outfielder isn't added, even more things will have to happen. Certainly, this is what will have to happen: - Abreu, Sale, and Quintana will have to repeat 2015, if not get better - LaRoche will have to recover to near his career norms - Garcia must improve greatly, offensively and defensively - Frazier will have to be the guy he was the first part of 2015 - Lawrie must NOT be Beckham part 2 - Navarro and Avila will need to an effective platoon And the list goes on. But if LaRoche can get back to .240+ with 20+ HRs, that changes things greatly. I have more faith that he can do that than I do in Garcia being effective. There's no doubt the Sox have wanted to replace him as they were in on Cespedes and Gordon. It will be a disappointment if they don't continue to pursue other avenues to do so, but if Garcia ends up being the starter on opening day he's going to be under a ton of scrutiny. Yes, the Sox have the potential to be dangerous, but they had the potential to be dangerous last year, too. We all saw how that worked out. Not to mention Saladino and Erik Johnson have to be better than replacement level... Right now, Lawrie's starting around 22nd in the 2b rankings. He needs to be 13-17. And the defensive chemistry between him and Tyler is critical to establish from the beginning of spring training, not just the last couple of weeks after all the roster cuts. They know what Sanchez can and can't do already, same with Leury Garcia.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25465155 Royals and White Sox ranking 1 and 2, TB really needs some help, along with Mr. Met Cubs' hat sucks too...

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/3...esmond-jennings Jennings has been a very consistent low 3's performer until last year, almost exactly like IAN Desmond but closer to 3-3.1 than 3.5-3.6. The Two Desmonds, or Desmond Squared. Can't remember how to get the computer to make that "squared" symbol.

If we're going to buy low, it's better to go after Jackson/Jennings or Desmond. That's IF IF IF you have the financial flexibility to make two moves.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 28, 2016 -> 09:36 PM) He said that he likes the pitching and IF the can score runs and IF they catch the ball they could be dangerous. I think he is dead on balls accurate. (It's an industry term) It would be a little more comforting if he said something like "I don't care about exactly how many runs we score, the offense will take care of itself, but we're going to play the game the right way and we're going to do whatever it takes from now through spring training to make sure this team is 100% ready to play defensively from Opening Day. We can't control the weather conditions in Chicago in April and May, but we can control our defensive efficiency, especially our decision-making."

It's SoxFest time... Granted, if he guaranteed we were going to make the playoffs (eg. "I will resign if we don't!" or "I will work for free/refund my salary if we finish below .500 again") or be in the race until the last week of the season, etc., that's pretty much a no-win statement from his standpoint. Otoh, every team in the American League could pretty much make the same exact statement as well.

You can see the White Sox adding Desmond Jennings because he has just one year left before free agency (if not, it's only two, but pretty sure on that) and he wouldn't cost as much in trade as it's something of a salary dump. That potentially is a more attractive option than Austin Jackson or overpaying for Fowler. Assuming he's healthy, though...hard to know without seeing his physical. FWIW, IAN Desmond currently ranked as the #12 SS in the majors. No Marcus Semien in Top 15. http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25464930

http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/robin-...al-be-dangerous Cue one-liners in response...

CyAcosta's chanelling The Ultimate Champion these days, haha. Actually, the Cuban Connection has always been more of a positive than a negative...and it's not like there is anything unique about poverty there, in San Pedro de Macoris DR or rural Venezuela. With Minoso, Alex Fernandez, Rodon, Alexei, El Duque, Contreras and Abreu, we have a long and proud tradition of players connected in one way or another with the island. (Note: I hesitate to offer Jose Canseco, but he was actually fun to watch in 2001).

It's more than talent, and more than strong defensive fundamentals. It's everything else: The frog-in-the-pot buildup of McCaffery's zone press, which begins as a token look and lulls opposing guards to sleep as it gradually gets more and more intense. The way Iowa's guards hit every cut, off of every screen, with a textbook-tight curl. It's how easily, and opportunistically, the Hawks steal points back with lightning fast-break strikes. It's adjustments and clever tweaks and a shared obsession with detail. This team is good enough to not need to be so smart, so precise or so tricky. The Hawkeyes are all of the above anyway. Thursday might have been Maryland's night, its win, the big one the Terps needed. But Iowa made them work for it -- and, in the process, did absolutely nothing to diminish its own reputation. The Hawkeyes are really good. http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballn...-over-no-3-iowa Disappointed, but they just didn't shoot the ball well tonight (defense on Uthoff was exceptional, as noted in the story)...Maryland desperately needed their first Top 25 win...and you simply have to defend your home court in the Big 10.

Not only that, but we had a "flat" tire with Flowers catching and simply put a patch on it... While it's more likely than not Navarro/Avila will outproduce Flowers (putting up a combined 3+ WAR), it's also not a slam dunk nor is it a plan for the future, either. Granted, there are only a handful of elite or even really good catchers left in the game today, but you hate to see the lack of stability up the middle at catcher, SS (nobody would be surprised if Saladino ends up a bench player) and Eaton defensively...to the point we're talking about Dexter Fowler being an upgrade there when Eaton was actually quite good the previous season.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-leag...-191753654.html Big League Stew makes the case for a Fowler signing. The Sox, Cubs, Rangers, Angels, Orioles, Nationals , Indians and some I might be missing. Brewers supposedly want a stopgap for CF, but that would probably be Austin Jackson. Seems the Indians are already at the ends of their budget, so you can cross them off the list. Cardinals would be another possibility, depending on their long-range plans for Holliday and Adams. That outfield definitely has its weaknesses, especially subtracting the certainty of Heyward's defensive prowess. The Red Sox aren't sure about anyone in their outfield except for Betts. Bradley, Jr., and Castillo are huge question marks.

QUOTE (TheFutureIsNear @ Jan 28, 2016 -> 07:47 PM) So what, put him in the bullpen if EJ or Danks don't blow it in spring training? I get wanting insurance, but Latos would be an expensive insurance policy that is far from reliable himself. Is Beck/Turner/Purke/Carroll/Possibly Fulmer worse than most teams have past their starting 5? Considering the fact that almost nobody perceives Fulmer as being a promotion candidate until August/September, it's definitely a bottom third list in terms of depth past #5...and obviously there are lots of concerns about Johnson and Danks as well.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mlb-salaries-...-220442264.html Passan article on record free agent signings and some interesting payroll numbers, like the Brewers. Right now, the White Sox are sitting in 16th place. Almost exactly in the middle. FWIW, only one team in the last 23 years has won the World Series with a 3rd or 4th quartile payroll.

If Upton didn't want to come to Chicago, and this rumor was out there well before a contract theoretically could have been offered by the Sox...what were the reasons other than this "he was never interested" without further clarification? Nobody's going to argue that Detroit had a far superior team, although they certainly had been much more active in free agency (especially Zimmerman) up until that point. We always hear the common refrain that money always trumps everything else (with a few exceptions), so what gives?

The best shot we had was Upton, and apparently he prefers Detroit as an organization over the Sox because it's certainly not based on lifestyle/standard of living in the two cities...and it's not like Comerica offers him the opportunity to put up the stats USCF would, either.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 28, 2016 -> 10:48 AM) Now you are arguing in favor of the deals you said are bad. Are you trying not to make sense? So far, long term extensions to pitchers are bad. But Sale, Quintana? Still bad, do you really think Buster Olney would have it wrong. You wait until 1 year before they become free agents to offer extensions, because...John Danks. John Danks was extended one year before he became a free agent. But Sale and Quintana, what if they get hurt. Yes, but the Sox have safeguards in the contracts in case of those events. Still dumb, and Boras will never give you that for Rodon. So according to you, he is doing the White Sox a favor. It would be stupid locking him up to a contract that bought out free agent years because....John Danks. No sense at all and now flipping to the other side. It is hysterical. Wow, then they should be able to use all those safeguards to easily entice a good hitter once every ten years, lol. Whatever...but I'm sure your confidence (that has nothing to do with Don Cooper since he sucks according to you) in keeping our pitching staff healthy year after year will be borne out.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 28, 2016 -> 10:36 AM) The have already saved money with Sale. You can argue he is no bargain, and everyone will laugh at you, but again, if you look at the facts, Sale and Q can be bought out the final 2 years for $1 million. So once again, you are way off. Don't let facts stop you Caulfield, those were clearly misguided extensions. They should be like the Royals and spend $70 million on Ian Kennedy. Why don't you spend your time and write to Buster Olney instead...tell him that Sale and Quintana rebut his theory, just like John Danks does as well. See if he reconsiders his position.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 28, 2016 -> 10:36 AM) The have already saved money with Sale. You can argue he is no bargain, and everyone will laugh at you, but again, if you look at the facts, Sale and Q can be bought out the final 2 years for $1 million. So once again, you are way off. If you're going to value war at $7-8 million, then Desmond and Jackson are no brainers, too. The problem is the White Sox won't get that same deal from Boras on Rodon, and everyone in baseball thinks it would be dangerous to offer it to Fulmer. And despite those bargains with Sale and Quintana, they still haven't created enough payroll flexibility to have a truly competitive team because of Danks and LaRoche.