caulfield12

Two more runs and we're up to 24th in runs scored in MLB. Remember when Alexi Ogando used to have a great arm with the Rangers, along with Neftali Feliz? 44 hits, 25 XB hits, 28 runs....playing Stairway to Heaven, haha.

Adam LaRoche=Stonewall Jackson? LOL. The Red Sox radio announcers are really bored...

The Pirates essentially built their defensive philosophy around pitch-framing and shifting. The other component was pitchers throwing more to contact with two seamers/sinkers and keeping the ball on the infield and then having superlative outfielders paired with them. It's worked extremely well for them with both Russell Martin and then Cervelli this season.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 08:04 PM) 6 outs away from a Chris Sale start and a shot at .500 Not bad. And then we quickly find out how real this team's transformation is when they face some real competition in teams like the Yankees and Cubs. Last time they reached .500, they went 1-7 to follow it up. Let's hope that's not the case this time or there will be a lot of disappointed White Sox fans. Hamels is close to going to the Rangers again...supposedly.

White Sox now up to 25th in runs scored per game in MLB. Just percentage points behind the Braves for 24th. Just 17 behind the Cubs.

Napoli would be a nice platoon partner and PH for the White Sox bench...depending on the asking price. 810ish OPS against LHP this year, 851 from 2012-2014. Veteran, good clubhouse guy supposedly, tons of playoff experience. It's over now, Baltimore is 1 GB of the Twins now, streaking in the opposite direction of the Twins (5 wins in a row for them).

Tillman must have pitched a masterful game for the Orioles. Two outs from a shutout over the Braves, 2-0 in the 9th.

The crazy thing is that the Giants will pass the Dodgers tonight for first place if LA loses. Between LA/Houston and LA/SF, will go down to the wire. Yankees and Dodgers are reportedly the two hottest suitors for Cole Hamels right now. Using logic, it probably means they're sending Wood and pieces to the Phillies...can the Yankees beat the Dodgers in prospects? Don't think so...

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 07:42 PM) Ship AR out while he is hot. If they're not going to trade Shark, they're definitely not going to trade Alexei. Do we really want Micah, Sanchez and Saladino as the infield (3 rookies) for the next 50 something games? Ramirez and Sanchez really have a nice partnership going right now and have a feel for each other around the bag on DP balls.

Conor Gillaspie has been en fuego this week. 5 for 13, 2 doubles, 3 RBI's and walk, .385 BAA Pulls his regular season OPS up to .680. Funny how joining a playoff team and fighting for your MLB career will inspire you...same happened with DeAza. 24 XB hits for the White Sox in just 3 games. Crazy. Doesn't seem like Alexei has 19 doubles this year.

This is getting to be like that situation when enterprising net researchers are tracking private planes whenever there are big name football and basketball coaches rumored to be on the move to these smaller college down regional airports. Anything happens with a top minor league prospect (goes out of the game or not in the starting line-up) and it's quickly assumed he's being traded. Ah, the trade deadline.

So the only drama left tonight (hopefully) is cheering for the Braves to somehow beat Baltimore in the next two innings. Weird how it feels like the end of September but it's only July.

So Flores is going to start at SS for the Brewers? Or Segura? Or has Jean been playing 2B?

Saladino's first career stolen base and then he erases himself.....poor Vince Coleman. That's one thing we actually can clearly blame on KW, since they were good friends from their playing days.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 07:19 PM) Trading Wood and Peraza for a guy they got outbid on seems like a terrible trade for the Braves Maybe the Dodgers are paying all of his salary, for both guys?

QUOTE (Baron @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 07:18 PM) I was watching Sports Talk on CSN. The guy they talked to from MLBN said he could see us buying and get a .....RH Reliever One, Nate Jones might not be as close to MLB-ready as they had once projected. Two, the lack of real quality options in the 7th and 8th has pretty much been limited to Putnam, Petricka and Duke. You wouldn't say it's the most pressing need compared to a RH companion for LaRoche (or a possible RF replacement for Avi), but you definitely had a feeling Monday night in the late innings they were quickly running out of options there. When you look at the Yankees with Betances/Miller (.100 and .118 BAA) or the Royals, the model is more and more becoming to lock down at least the last three innings with "go to" or close to automatic guys. Problem is that there aren't many arms like that just growing on trees. Would actually feel more comfortable with a better LH option than Jennings, someone mentioned Thatcher in another thread.

Think Alexei doesn't hear the footsteps with Saladino and Sanchez around? They're all seemingly pushing each other now to make better and better plays, not unlike when Omar Vizquel was playing 3B in 2010. Maybe that's the one thing Alexei needs the most, some competition around him. Because when Micah was playing 2B, it seems to infect the rest of the team like a virus but all of a sudden the whole team's playing much more focused baseball. Maybe it's the pressure of the deadline, of losing Samardzija as a teammate, but there's definitely a new dynamic at play recently.

That makes a lot more sense, Atlanta has to be getting someone more helpful than Morse when they move Wood. Olivera's on the OKC DL, but this is clearly a long-term move for them at 3B. It's crazy how the Dodgers can just go out and stockpile all these Cubans like Olivera, Guerrera and Arruebarrena and then use them as trade chips right and left.

So Cashner/Ross/Shields are the big pitching names right now, other than Price/Hamels? The Yankees could really use Hamels to solidify their playoff chances, but do they have the minor league pieces? Cardinals one of the few teams in baseball that can survive so many injuries...due to their farm system. Red Sox were really interested in Zach Wheeler, fwiw. Boston also hoping to deal Napoli...who's an 805 OPS guy against LHP. From 2012-2014, an 851 OPS against LHP. Good match for the White Sox there?

The Dodgers must be paying all of Morse's salary, because the rebuilding Braves with Freeman at 1B don't have much need for Morse in the OF obviously. Doubt Puig would be going anywhere without Teheran, because Wood's given up quite a few more hits than IP and has a relatively pedestrian 3.54 ERA in the NL. LA surely thought about Price/Hamels/Samardzija and decided to go with packages that would protect their Top 3-4 prospects instead...while solidifying their bullpen with some additional experience. It's not a "hey world, look at me" move like the Jays for Tulo, but it's giving you two innings eaters and reliable arms for the back end. Wood's only 24 years old.

But A. Garcia is leading the AL in outfield assists!

Three hits again today (another homer) after being the hero for the White Sox last night. We should send him a playoff share if we make it, along with one for A-Rod (KW would be happy to deliver that personally). Fwiw, the Pirates have been really shrewd with budget-conscious acquisitions like Russell/Volquez/Liriano two years ago, then Cervelli and Kang as well this year.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 02:12 PM) Montas is ready to be the Brandon McCarthy 2005 version ten years later. Brandon really saved the Sox with a handful of starts that year, especially memorable was one against the Red Sox.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jul 29, 2015 -> 02:09 PM) Or they just want him to keep getting regular AB's. Well, there's no compelling need to bring him up if he's just going to sit on the bench and there's one more month of games left at Charlotte. He'll obviously get called up in September, and playing time will depend on Saladino/Alexei (if they feel the need to try out Sanchez or Saladino at SS for awhile) and where we are at in the race.

They're seemingly determined not to have Micah Johnson set foot anywhere near the MLB defense for now. And/or they're looking to trade him, but who knows with KW and his penchant for dealing prospects...