caulfield12

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/?year=2016

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/b...0901-story.html White Sox get no new monies from Guaranteed Rate deal....

Three choices (really 2 1/2) Spend $125-175 million on free agents, minimum... Trade the likes of Fulmer and Adams to add major league pieces...like a Carlos Gonzalez, so you're also adding significantly to payroll by buying 30+ veterans with expensive contracts, since you're simply not going to receive "young/cheap/good" players in their primes for minor leaguers. Maybe if you packaged our entire Top 10 together (outside the 2016 draftees), you'd get an Ozuna from the Marlins, or Teheran from the Braves. Trade Q/Sale One is unlikely. Two is even a harder road. That logically leaves Door #3.

If you're a pitcher like Q on a losing team with an ERA over 3 (now) and not blowing away everyone with 95+ MPH gas, it's going to be quite difficult to finish in the Top 5 of the Cy voting. He'll end up somewhere around 7th-10th.

Where the heck did Minaya come from? Haven't heard much about him. His picture at ESPN has him with an Astros cap on.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 1, 2016 -> 09:06 PM) Remember when the Twins were good every year? What happened? Were they so gawd-awful cheap they simply let any good players they had go? It seems to me you shouldn't even have a franchise if you are not willing to spend as much as the other teams in the AL or at least in your division. What happened to Minnie? They had one of the best teams every year. 1) Overpaid for Hughes/Nolasco/Hughes 2) Bullpen injuries...just not nearly as good as their 2001-2010 versions 3) Mauer has just been a "decent" hitter for the last five years in outdoor stadium, and you need superstar at his salary and position...went from surefire HOFer to a bit questionable 4) Dumb trades, like Wilson Ramos for a reliever or JJ Hardy for a reliever 5) Farm system has been highly rated, but guys like Buxton and Berrios have hit road blocks...nevertheless, Kepler has looked good offensively, and Sano has a ton of potential as well for his age (compared to the likes of Avi/Viciedo/Beckham) 6) Ryan's time came and went as GM...just wasn't nearly as effective after replacing the inept Bill Smith, who was a great farm director but terrible GM 7) In general, lack of pitching development over the last 5 years has really hurt the Twins....plus they can't take advantage of speed/defense/opponents' mistakes like they did in the HHH Metrodome to the Sox and others

What are the odds that Cabrera, Abreu and Frazier ALL actually hit the way they're capable of in April and May next year? Seems like we always have a key hitter (Melky and Eaton in 2015, Abreu this year) missing in action for at least one-half the season, and it completely debilitates our offense.

Well, there goes any outside chance Quintana had at the Cy Young. It used to be Minnesota was the team that gave Sale problems. Now Q. SIGH. Can't even get excited about the September call-ups. Southsider2K5 will argue this isn't the ABSOLUTE worst, but we're getting pretty darned close when a majority of the fanbase has completely tuned out for the final 2 months. Heck, some of them are even watching the Cubs instead just to see ANY excitement. That's pretty telling.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 1, 2016 -> 05:47 PM) I don't think Fulmer's value dropped that much this year, I would have sure said the Rockies would say yes on that. If the 2015 draft was redone today, would Fulmer have still gone to the Sox at #8? Pretty doubtful. And I would be a lot less concerned about his struggles if there was a clear mechanical fix OR his velocity wasn't sitting in the 91-93 MPH range, even as a one or two inning reliever in mop-up duty. (Even with that point, Jacob Turner can throw 98 out of the pen, but that doesn't necessarily make him a surefire candidate for our bullpen in 2017.) He might not have fallen into Dillon Tate territory, but it remains to be seen what actual value Fulmer has...and we'll probably never find out, since it would call into question Hahn's judgment again (since Laumann won't be blamed by the media).

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Sep 1, 2016 -> 04:48 PM) Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. There's a lot of parity in the AL right now. Just look at the wild card standings. Coming into this season, who thought the Rangers were a legitimate WS contender? 1 of 31 "experts" picked them to win the ALCS. Now they have the best record in the league and are the favorite to win the ALCS. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/page/seaso...ons-2016-season Managers matter, too. And GM's. Look at SD. The owner there forced an all-in season on Preller, was smart enough to realize the error in his ways and they're going in a clear direction now. JR wants all-in but there's been no willingness to pay (and by definition you're almost always overpaying in free agency) the amount it would cost to put out a legit/competitive offense. Coupled with the shape of the farm system, especially in terms of their ability to trade non-2016 draftees, it's obvious they won't get back what they need because it's hard to imagine the Rockies lining up to trade CarGo for Fulmer, and just as difficult to imagine us adding more $15-$20 million contracts for NL players. Realistically, the only way to win is finding those rare motivated free agents like Fowler and Desmond (late 20s/early 30s), and that's not going to be sustainable because they're typically on one year deals while rebuilding value. Same situation we have with Morneau now, and would have faced if Jackson had a really good season offensively and had stayed healthy.

All the value in the world with Eaton, Q and Sale actually makes them harder to move...

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 1, 2016 -> 08:07 AM) "Spend like a boss"? On what? If Cespedes doesn't opt out, who is left? Does Ramos + Rich Hill + Josh Reddick turn this team into the best team even in just the AL Central? Overpaying Hill and giving Reddick 4-5 years has disaster written all over it. Would be nice to at least have that option, but the presence of Shields, Gonzalez and Fulmer will be the primary reasons no starting pitchers are added.

So they're willing to spend another $125-175 million on, let's say, Cespedes and Ramos...? We'll instead end up with something like Rasmus, Wieters and a veteran bullpen guy and hope that everything goes right and nobody gets injured. It just doesn't make sense since they don't have any assets to trade that won't come from the big league club. Fulmer and Adams have lost considerable value. Trading the likes of Cabrera and Frazier won't move the needle. Maybe Robertson for salary relief, but that leaves Burdi, Jones and Jennings as your three best relievers. They'll probably try to sell Tilson as the permanent solution in CF, which will be as annoying as hearing Avi Garcia's name anywhere in connection with 2017. If they go for that strategy, maybe they try to bring in Kendrys Morales for one year to replace Morneau as DH (even though Abreu should be there) instead of bringing in a name outfielder.

So they're not going to bring back Fulmer up to start in Ranaudo's spot? Sigh. Maybe he legitimately is better off in a "real" playoff race than pitching in expanded roster games in September. Of course, the Tigers and Royals are battling for a wild card spot and Cleveland has to maneuver for best possible record, so "overexposing" him as a starter to fellow AL Central teams might not be advantageous. And the Twins have a pretty explosive line-up, although they struggle to drive in RISP. Flip a coin on what is ultimately best.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 31, 2016 -> 04:58 PM) Ask me after September. They have been trying to replace the guy for a year now, and every time they think they do, something else happens and he works back into the line up. I know they are working on the whole "launch angle" thing, and there is always a small chance that yields results, but the odds have to be pretty small. At this point, it's almost as likely they would get the same results from Hawkins or Tebow.

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1118878783/cwsdet-...layer_id=607385 Take that back. Pierre, Pods and Damon would have done better from left.

http://www.southsidesox.com/2016/8/31/1272...uit-matt-albers For me, it would be Albers.

Porcello will get more votes than Price. Likely, Hamels as well.

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/08/30/todd-f...&yptr=yahoo

The Orioles could probably use him about now...

Puig made a lot of throwing mistakes early showing off his arm...but has gradually curbed that. With all the highlight reel plays in 2013, there would be another 2-3 missed cutoff men and one ball with so much air under it that it would clear everyone or fly into the crowd. The biggest issue seems to losing some of his fast twitch muscles bulking up too much and/or lack of conditioning...and it's affecting him most at the plate. He used to kill fastballs and be vulnerable to low the outside breaking stuff (see Abreu earlier this year)...when there was speculation Abreu was old/er. With Puig, it was losing his response time and becoming a pure guess hitter, coupled with a prolonged loading mechanism/swing.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Aug 30, 2016 -> 01:56 PM) Yep. For sure. 2016 Sox vs. Central (gotta include twins) - 20-30 2016 Sox vs. everyone else - 43-37 2015 Sox vs. Central - 32-44 2015 Sox vs. everyone else - 44-42 2014 Sox vs. Central - 33-43 2014 Sox vs. everyone else - 40-46 2013 Sox vs. Central - 26-50 (holy s***!) 2013 Sox vs. everyone else - 37-49 2012 Sox vs. Central - 37-35 2012 Sox vs. everyone else - 48-42 Robin Ventura vs. Central - 148-202 Robin Ventura vs. everyone else - 212-216 The record against CLE in 2013 was something like 2-17, wasn't it? Or 1-18? Whatever it was, beyond abysmal. This really dates back to 2001 when we had that long stretch of getting outplayed by the Twins except for 2005 and 2008...then the Tigers again from 2011-2014 and the Royals have obviously owned us or been a thorn in the side for the last decade as well. Earlier in the year, I broke this down individually team vs. team. We were well behind the Tigers and Royals, closer against the Twins and Indians in the last ten years or so because of how far off the Twins have fallen. Again this year with the Tigers and Royals, playing 27 or whatever AL Central opponents down the stretch, it seems one of those two is bound to sneak into the WC (or the Astros) with how tough the AL East currently is outside of TB. KC has those divisional games and four with the A's and more home than road games remaining. They were 51-58 and behind the White Sox three weeks ago. Fwiw, Fathom was one of the few who called the Tigers a serious threat before this season as well.

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Aug 30, 2016 -> 08:07 AM) Better crooked than a Cub fan. I can just imagine that visual....this guy and his kids celebrating at Wrigley Field in October while there's another photo juxtaposed in the Tribune of Guaranteed Rate being carved into the concrete at 35th and Shields. At least he doesn't own Waste Management.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Aug 30, 2016 -> 07:47 AM) You throw them in the same sentence with EpiPen, Tiger Woods, and Weiner. You claim they need to go on a humanitarian mission to restore their image. Here are a couple of your quotes from the other thread: Wonder how many predatory lending cases/lawsuits they've been involved in...ala Countrywide? Great, the Uber of loan companies. Will fit right in with Sox plans, schemes and off-season themes... And yet none of those individuals have done anything illegal. They are the butt of lots of jokes around the country. That was the parallel. Maybe it's a bad thing to aspire to something more than a discount loan company. So I guess we're supposed to believe they're the most honest and ethical firm out there...in that particular field...when almost every single financial/lending institution colluded together in similar deceiving and predatory practices 8-9 years ago? Let's just say the industry has been unsavory for a long time. Perhaps they're the most ethical company out there and we'll be getting bombarded with testimonials all offseason of Sox media personalities financing their loans through Guaranteed Rate. Maybe SoxTalk should approach them about giving a 5/100's point discount if a board member says they heard about the promotion here.

Where did I ever say they were crooked? Those were someone else's words.