caulfield12

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 12:28 AM) Latos isn't going to get more than 6-8 mil after last season Will believe it when I see it. His velocity and performance picked up the second half last year...plus no draft pick. He'll grt at least $10-12 million for one year if Ian Kennedy can get $70.

As we discussed before, Jesse Sanchez was the one who originally pushed the Cespedes/White Sox story out there... Then it grew legs (Mibelt jumped in, among MANY others, and all the national guys) and faded into the abyss.

Well, the Mets already have Conforto, Granderson, DeAza and Lagares, right? Doesn't really make a lot of sense unless they're taking Granderson's deal off the books...assuming that finances are the main issue here with the Mets. Still, it's hard to believe they want to go with either DeAza or Lagares as an everyday player.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-leag...-202121746.html Article touting Tigers as wild card candidates...of course, according to FanGraphs' updated numbers, we're one game behind DET and two games ahead of the Royals. (By the way, the White Sox weren't mentioned in this article about AL contenders, fwiw). http://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=Standings http://espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/insider/post?id=12122 Olney has the Cubs at #1 now and the Royals at #2 in his MLB Rankings (pay site, can't see past first two)

http://espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/insider/post?id=12122 Olney has the Cubs at #1 and Royals at #2...

The only problem with that theory is: 1) Desmond's probably going to be close to $15 million, and Latos $10-12 million, so you're already well over what you were willing to pay Cespedes/Upton 2) Latos difficult personality/chemistry issues 3) Blackmon has reached salary arbitration, so you're adding even more salary compared to what's going out So the real question is whether JR would possibly okay a 25% payroll increase coming off last season's debacle. Desmond less than a year ago turned down a $107 million contract extension, btw.

Someone at another Sox related site claimed they made $31 million in profits, but that must have been 2014...? I think part of the hangup was determining which year Abreu's signing bonus was counted against.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 09:40 PM) They "invested in the team" last year. How'd that work out? Do you think Rick Hahn deserves a higher grade for his performance than the fans rewarded him with in terms of attendance last season?

The Sox are doomed already if their culture isn't strong enough to keep a new player from polluting the clubhouse. Maybe the wild card is fellow Cuban player Jose Abreu, a formidable presence who could help keep Cespedes in the right frame of mind. A big question is whether Sox manager Robin Ventura can earn the respect of a player like Cespedes. If he can't, the Sox have to start looking for a new manager because that's a huge part of the job these days. This part of the Daily Herald article could have been cribbed from SoxTalk.

Don't forget "Rick Hahn is the greatest poker player since...." As good as the Lawrie and Frazier deals still look (on paper), it's still curious why you would make those moves if you knew you were limited on the payroll side. Hopefully it wasn't all predicated on being able to move Adam LaRoche (to free up roughly $5-6 million), because that would be a sad state of affairs indeed. All we heard last year was that none of the players we gave up and none of the contracts we signed would have that much of an impact on the overall direction of the franchise. Well, clearly, that was not the case.

The sense I got early on was that their interest in Gordon/Upton was overblown, as they were never willing to do more than a 3-year deal. Cespedes may still be an option, but as we saw with J-Up last night, the long-term deals are still out there. This is what Chris Cotillo had to say about it...

There's one problem with this theory. If the Reinsdorfs were trying to sell, while they would want to keep the payroll from being encumbered with too many bad long-term contracts, you also have a diminished product without any nationally-recognized superstars as well (referring more to the idea of bringing in players to supplement the current core). And yeah, the problem is that Upton/Gordon/Cespedes aren't really superstars either, although Cespedes certainly played like one last year and has all the flair in his game. Illitch described Upton as a star, fwiw. Since the White Sox couldn't be moved until 2029 at the earliest, you'd think they would want to have teams in 2018 and 2019 that are playoff-worthy/competitive and also look like sound broadcast rights investments for 2020-2022. This current trend of the fanbase bouncing back and forth like a yo-yo (tremendous expectations coming into 2011 and 2015)...but ending up disappointed, whatever they do, whatever they have to spend...they need to field a consistent winner and soon. In some ways, they've also got to hope Sano, Buxton and Berrios don't all live up to their potential or Minnesota will be a starter away from being a serious threat...luckily, that Mauer contract has encumbered them (along with the disappointments from Santana/Nolasco) enough to dampen spending for this year while they wait on their farm. But you're to the point with the Tigers and Royals desperately all-in, the Indians with a better overall young core of players and the Twins with the highest upside of all, they're going to have to pick a lane and stay in it.

Cooper is irascible when the team's not going well and he's facing some criticism, but that goes with the territory and he's been in the organization so long he should be used to it by now. Sure, there are "meathead" fans but nothing approaching the amount of pressure and scrutiny a lot of teams are facing in places like NY, Boston, Philly, LA, etc. As long as you feed him with talented guys like Rodon, Fulmer and Adams, he'll largely be content. Now as far as him ever being the manager, the PR side of that would be a disaster. The "us vs. them/bunker mentality" works as a position coach a lot better than when you're the public face of an organization.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 03:01 PM) me too. but i will not mention it until later. Fister, Latos, Lincecum, Cliff Lee with a wing and a prayer based on his elbow Gallardo looking for $15-17.5 million per year for 5 years. And the draft pick is lost.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 02:59 PM) this is a pipe dream and i know it. but if the sox does sign them, yeah i can see the sox being a playoff contender. why not. the only hole will be ..... the DJ and the manager. Darrin Jackson unhappy, SMASH!!!

That's what Desmond potentially brings...or he plays SS and Anderson ends up in CF or LF potentially. But it's the kind of thing that would probably require a full offseason of preparation. For now, he's a SS.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 02:51 PM) a little confuse, the sox singing cespy or not signing cesp.... Both Cespedes AND Desmond

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 02:46 PM) ok i like what you and DA are saying, but let me asked this. the sox fixed the holes via fa's. and let the farm continue to rebuild, wouldn't this still be the right option??? next yr draft, eky on college players to continue to fix the minors..... i mean, we still have to gasp the golden key when it is there. the sox are too deep into this not to continue on the path they are taking. If we do draft another college pitcher, we're nearing a critical point they almost have to be traded for hitting... At that spot in the draft, you can still find your Wachas and Newcombs. Otherwise, you're waiting until 2019 for likely impact from an advanced college hitter like a Benitendi and then that's really pushing to the end of that window that was supposed to begin last year and is currently pushed back to 2017.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 02:41 PM) and maybe it will be me, but that will be a playoff contender. yes..... makes it all the better when i come into chi for a visit. That's one eventuality we can be 99.8% certain won't happen.

Which is riskier, getting buried in the first half of the season again and being paralyzed with indecisiveness again at the trade deadline...or making those moves to fortify your team's team chances from the get go? If they do tread water and are something like 3-7 games behind 1-2 teams again, what possible player could they acquire realistically without trading Fulmer and Anderson that would be convincing to fans like Cespedes now? Would bringing CarGo on board now with his relatively large salary and cost of acquisition move the needle enough? Probably not after fans became enthralled with one of the big names. And his salary isn't too far off from Gordon or Upton. At this point, they have to hope two smaller names gives them the winning team...the same logic as entering 2005. If the best they come up with is Pearce, Victorino or Snider, the fans will understandably be skeptical...and arguing if you're dipping that low into the barrel, better just to see what Avi can do than throw out retreads.

He was one of the first on the Sox/Cespedes story that weekend when Jesse Sanchez was pushing it. One or both of those guys act like they have inside connections with Jay Z/Roc Nation or someone in his camp.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 09:55 AM) One thing: I have to wonder why Dombrowski was sacked when this is still the behavior post DD. I think Avila gets along much better with Ausmus, for one. Another reason is DD's problems building a consistent bullpen.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 09:18 AM) They could very well end up being in the Padres or Mets situation very soon. The Mets have been great at developing young pitching. Their financial problems are 95% about Masoff and Wilpon, not foolish free agency spending.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 09:22 AM) Who is averaging $18 million and who is averaging $20 million? Paul Splittorff, Amos Otis, Willie Wilson. Daryl Porter. Gordon 4/72 Kennedy will be at $50 million or so his last three years...which is way more than Abreu. They were willing to overpay what every website believes he will produce by $20 million. It would be the statistical equivalent of the White Sox giving Cespedes four years and $120 million.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 19, 2016 -> 09:15 AM) A $25 million annual deal will probably be somewhere between 15 and 25% of the payroll for the foreseeable future, unless the team wins it all and the bandwagon fills up again. Even picking 20% that is a huge number to overcome if he goes the Adam Dunn route. The Royals have two guys averaging $18 million and $20 million now. More than a decade ago, 5 years and $55 million for Gil Meche was almost unconscionable.