caulfield12

QUOTE (Tony @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 01:40 PM) It should be, but fans want the numbers, and don't care about the rest. Until it's May, things aren't going well, and everyone is freaking out about 4 more years of Cespedes. Exactly when in this current plan can fans reasonably expect to compete for the playoffs again?

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 01:34 PM) Take a look at his previous three seasons. Unlike you, I don't view things in a vacuum to fit my narrative. There's no vacuum. This is the going rate for free agents. Why is it shocking? Didn't we experience it firsthand last offseason? Look at those ridiculous pitching contracts. You don't develop your own players and have a borderline third quartile payroll and bottom quartile farm system, it's not the best situation to extricate yourself from...where most spending and trading becomes counterproductive but standing pat like a shark that stops swimming and floats to the bottom.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 01:32 PM) True. It's not like the Sox targeted improving at 3B or Catcher or anything. The only move that matters is an OF improvement. But the problem here is we were passed by Detroit, and still have to catch KC and Cleve...and just might be even with the Twins, who happen to have one of the better farm systems in the game again under Ryan.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 01:31 PM) What would be disappointing is Hahn throwing $150M at Cespedes for him to be a slightly better than average player. $7-7.5 million per WAR is the going rate now for free agents. Last year, that would have been worth $40-45 million alone. If he averages a 3 war, that's what is considered fair value these days.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 01:28 PM) Oh it's disappointing for sure, but the White Sox don't give out large contracts. It's just not what they do. Incredibly disappointing, incredibly unsurprising This. Someone said we're one of three teams in MLB history never to give out $70+ million to one player....I hope it wasn't $100 million.

Hahn's fake three year negotiating position is really paying off, though.

Done to where? Nationals?

QUOTE (Dunt @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 01:09 PM) If he had so much value to them, they wouldnt be going after Cespedes. They will try to sell Werth and/or Zimmerman like we did LaRoche...not forced to dump a Top 50 prospect who flashed lots of positive signs before fading. Keep in mind, they're $30 million under last year's budget.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 01:08 PM) Sale, Anderson, Fulmer, Adams for Harper. Who says no? If you could guarantee they'd still spend money to fix the huge pitching hole over the next three seasons....otherwise, it would be like Trout these past few years in Anaheim. You'd only have him three years at highest arbitration level salaries and then lose him.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 01:03 PM) IF the Nats do sign Cespedes for some reason, I would love for the Sox to try prying Taylor off them. He would be a fantastic 4th OFer option. He still would cost Adams at a minimum, plus. Avi, on the other hand....

QUOTE (staxx @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 12:56 PM) Not at all. No one ever expected or thought we could sign Cespedes this offseason. Getting Frazier and Lawrie has been fantastic along with the C change. Id give it an B+ right now, with a solid A/A+ if Cespy signs. A-/B+ for now, but D/F for long-term if nothing else is done because they underestimated difficulties of coming up with value signing or trade/s for an impact bat to really make them competitive. From a fan excitement standpoint, maybe B-. It's hard to be elated giving up high draft picks (for Fowler) and still barely be in the conversation for third place. Like the Orioles still being fourth in AL East WITH Davis, we have more financial flexibility but you still have to pick the right guys (at some point), who also have to actually available...

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 08:33 AM) Who cares? Then why spend over 300 pages discussing someone who doesn't even play for the White Sox if it's so inconsequential?

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 08:32 AM) @devinlintaoNY Early morning news: The #Nationals offer is not a good one, #Mets and #WhiteSox could make an offer by day's end. I would be skeptical of any message coming out of NY since their agenda is obviously seeing him back with the Mets.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 08:20 AM) Can you show me one marketing department in sports who has ever tried to use fangraphs projections as a means to sell anything? Just stop. What are the marketing department's three top talking points for today's efforts to drum up season ticket interest?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 08:23 AM) Never said you did, but you mentioned the buzzkill and the hopelessness.You did state with #6 in your Royals manifesto how Fowler could be a good signing for them. Of course, now he would be a horrible idea. Ralph Garr, BB Richard, Alan Bannister, Jim Spencer. Yes, after the compensation draft pick period expires. Now that they've lost it for Kennedy, they might just go ahead and sign Kendrick, Desmond or Fowler the same way we lost two lower picks last year. I never once said sign him if it means losing the pick.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 08:23 AM) Are you literally insane? How many times have you suggested a marketing department could use advanced metrics as part of a sales pitch? I think you're up to five this offseason alone and every time you look more ridiculous when you say this s***. That's the point. When arguably the best sales/marketing point is something 95% of Sox fans have no clue about, you're swimming in some troubled waters. You tell me...you're calling past season ticket holders today and convincing them to return to the fold, what would your three top arguments be? Todd Frazier....and?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 08:16 AM) Signing Fowler also improves the team WAR. The catastrophe of not getting Cespedes is way overblown. He's clearly the better player, but there are other ways to win. Jim Essian, Kirk McCaskill, Kevin Bell, Todd Cruz (wanna buy a watch), Tex Wortham. So do Desmond and Jackson. Your point? Once again, where did I equate signing Fowler with 90 losses? Please find the quote. Gordon Beckham, John Danks and Ubaldo Jimenez are Golden Gods.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 08:11 AM) You of all people should know how bad those Fangraphs predictions are for the Royals. I wouldn't put any stock in them there. Yes, but that's perhaps the only thing on the marketing department's side right now...claiming the Royals were lucky two seasons in a row is getting to be a more difficult sell.

And whose children out of all those 3.5 million plus fans going through the Wrigley turnstiles this year are going to be cheering for the White Sox over the Cubs?

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 08:01 AM) To fit an agenda? I guess hyperbole, joking and sarcasm are lost these days on White Sox fans. Just because you take a position that signing Fowler would be dumb means you've consigned them to the Seventh Circle of Dante's Inferno.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 07:58 AM) Sox sign Cespedes...possible WS team. Sox sign Fowler, probably the worst team in the division. Will lose at least 90 games. Sometimes if you look at it actually written out, you MAY see how silly it really is. Shawn Abner, Luis Alvarado, Mike Andrews, Ed Herrmann. I'll quote Cali. You can have $1.6 billion if you can pull the quote where I ever stated/claimed/asserted signing Dexter Fowler equals 90 losses? C'mon, you're supposed to be better than that. Nobody ever said sign Cespedes for $150 million. It was always something like $85-110 million. And yes, if signing Upton made the Tigers World Series contenders, why wouldn't signing Cespedes accomplish the same if the White Sox were the better team last season and also upgraded three other offensive positions? Aren't we 2 games ahead of the Royals for fangraphs projections? Cespedes would put us ahead of Detroit.

Why has Reinsdorf never purchased his own radio station for that very reason...? Just curious. This is starting to make sense...free advertising. All the media jumping on the case of JR, Hahn and KW was the main strategy of planting all the Sox rumors from the beginning and now backtracking...all publicity (especially free) is good publicity!

Anything to pad the post counts with the hopes of one day getting my own personalized comment like Fathom and Greg got. That whole third base coach moniker is kind of lame. I have a suggestion. "Lowest cumulative star rating of top all-time posters." Kind of like the best shi---est bar lifetime achievement award...well, close to a decade at least. Least favorite poster of Dick Allen, Kyle and Northside would be cool, too. Buddy of The Ultimate Champion and nemesis of Marty34...

Cooper is Cooper. It's not going to keep anyone from attending a Sox game, except for those who weren't inclined to go in the first place and were deliberately looking for something to faux rage against. Non-issue. Moving on....

SoxFest will be SnoozeFest at this point, unfortunately. Frazier will get some coverage, and that will be about it....along with Benetti/Stone. They seem to be hitting it off well.