caulfield12

Carlos Gomez, Colby Rasmus or a 37 year old Jose Bautista will save us!!! Knowing the White Sox, we'll overpay for the last 2-3 declining years of Bautista's MLB career...we're good at that, at least.

The Royals overpaid Ian Kennedy by at least $20 million over 5 years but they're only paying him $20 million the next two seasons and don't care as much about the $50 million due from 2018-2020. Gordon is only making $28 million as well (but $38 million plus a $4 million buyout for 2018/19/20). You have to maximize your window. We keep saying you can't cripple yourself with long-term contracts, but the Royals still have a four year window despite: 1) Signing Alex Rios to a big one year contract last year that was a huge bust 2) One of the least productive free agent signings in history in Omar Infante 3) Season-ending injury to Jason Vargas 4) Complete lack of effectiveness out of another bigger pitching contract in Guthrie 5) Having to cover for most of the season with Dyson/Paulo Orlando 6) Relatively ineffective seasons out of Ventura and Duffy It's almost like paralysis by analysis. The White Sox have made a lot of mistakes and therefore...risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis mode, we're turning into a team that CPA's will certainly appreciate but not one a baseball fan probably will. They're too afraid to make another big mistake...and tentative because that would cripple them and force a selloff. Well, going into the season with the roster as currently comprised is basically just "living on a prayer" to quote Jon Bon Jovi.

PTAC, the problem isn't needing a $200 million payroll. It's needing to spend in the $140-150 range or being better off at half that and investing all the profits into international acquisitions/minor leagues/development. Even at that range, we're still going to be 3rd in our own division, and the Twins have a heckuva lot better farm system/future prospects outlook than we do. It's the trap we've fallen into by: 1) Not developing any impact hitters 2) Graduating all our pitchers quickly into the majors, where they make the roster more cost-effective but can't be spared to trade for position players without creating another hole to be filled 3) Making a series of bad FA decisions, starting with Dunn and now continuing with last year's class In the past, the only thing that helped us escape was being able to identify Abreu/Ramirez/Quintana. The other one that comes to mind was acquiring Carlos Quentin. Where/when/how are they going to pull another unexpected rabbit out of the hat again? It seems that, along with those FA moves, the acquisitions of Avi and Davidson instead of say Iglesias and Inciarte have really put us behind the 8 ball.

The impact: Yes, the Tigers are getting old in some places. Victor Martinez is 37, Ian Kinsler turns 34 in June, and Miguel Cabrera will be 33 in April. But the lineup still looks imposing on paper, and the Tigers have a chance to vault Minnesota, Cleveland and Chicago and give the world champion Royals a run if they get any kind of pitching at all. A lot depends on health, of course. Cabrera missed 43 games with calf and back issues last season on his way to capturing his fourth career batting title, and Martinez missed 42 games while logging a career-worst .667 OPS. Detroit’s offense slumped to 10th in the American League in runs after ranking second in that category in each of the previous two seasons. Even though Upton will be playing in the American League for the first time, he should slide nicely into the No. 5 spot in a predominantly right-handed Detroit lineup. The Tigers aren’t asking Upton to carry the team. If he can approximate his career .271/.352/.473 slash line, he’ll lengthen out the middle of the order and be a welcome addition at Comerica Park. http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/i...of-justin-upton Jerry Crasnick

This is kind of like the majority of construction/public works projects in China right now. Half-finished. Is it better to walk away and lose all your investment or finish the project?

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 10:17 PM) No its not a certainty. But we know they won't have a budget even asbig as theCubs so it is thebest chance to have a consistent winner. Posters keep using the criticism of "only one playoff appearance since 2005". This is because they haven't taken the time to build it, they have just tried to win this year. Therein lies the problem...even if Anderson and Fulmer are even better than expected (in 2017), you're wasting another season and lowering your aggregate revenues even more prior to next year. Unless there are tremendous breakthroughs in the farm system, then we'll be in that rare position of having a 3rd quartile payroll, a Bottom 5 farm system and lacking the front office willpower to take on any more longer-term deals because of the fear they'll bust like Dunn/LaRoche/Cabrera. Our orientation is neither towards the future nor towards the present. It just makes giving four years to Robertson when now two of them might have been wasted seem even more ill-advised...we would have been better off letting the Yankees claim him and freeing up that money for hitting, because we've historically been much better at unearthing closers than developing outfielders.

Ilitch made it clear last month at a news conference to announce the signing of Zimmermann that he’s not afraid to keep spending. “I’m telling them you gotta get out there and get me the best players, and I don’t care about the money,” he said. “I want the best players, and that’s it.” freep.com/sports I wouldn't say it's the best division. That has to be the AL East. Probably it will end up being the most competitive. I'd even argue with Houston, the Rangers, the Angels and the Mariners...you've got just as much if not more talent in that division, especially if Cespedes ends up on one of the first three teams.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/the-net-value-of-draft-picks/ Another reason following up the loss of Cespedes/Upton with the signing of Fowler would be foolish... Where exactly is that Samardzija compensation pick as of today, btw?

Is the contract front or back-loaded? Is there a year by year breakdown yet?

Your move, Jerry Reinsdorf. It's hard to make an argument that as things stand today, despite our 3 young/cost-controlled aces at the front of the rotation, we're NOT still likely a 4th or 5th place team. If Minnesota can get another starting pitcher, they might actually be the most dangerous team in the AL Central, but Sano still has to follow up his impressive debut and adjust to the pitchers this time around. Buxton has to stay healthy and put up at least a 700 OPS. Mike Illitch....balls (or, more accurately, a bank vault) of steel.

This whole situation is making the White Sox negotiating or bargaining position look a little less nuanced than previously. Gordon got six years at age 32, granted, he remained with his hometown team. 1. Royals 2. Indians 3. Tigers 4. Twins (can obviously move up based on Buxton/Berrios impact) 5. White Sox That's where things stand as of right now, at this exact moment. 1. Maybin/Gose 2. Kinsler 3. Miguel Cabrera 4. Victor Martinez 5. Upton 6. JD Martinez 7. McCann 8. Castellanos 9. Iglesias Whether Gose and Maybin can hold up in the leadoff position is another question... They might have to hit Kinsler leadoff, and move Iglesias to 2nd (not sure if last year was an anomaly yet)...and Gose/Maybin/Tyler Collins at the bottom.

A showcase workout for Cuban left-handed hitting outfielder Yadiel Hernandez will be held Feb. 23 in Mexico City. Hernandez, 28, batted .369 for Mazanzas in 2014, has a .324 lifetime batting average in Cuba, a team can sign him without being subject to the international signing bonus pool rules, according to his representatives. www.chicagotribune.com Here's another opportunity. Anyone want to do some research?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 05:39 PM) Scott Merkin ‏@scottmerkin 28m28 minutes ago Merkin: Even without further moves, '16 White Sox should be decidedly improved: http://atmlb.com/1SsDc8Q via @mlb "So, ONE team has won the World Series in the past 23 tries with a below-average team payroll. What does that say about the effect of money on baseball success that I haven't already said? For a reference, if all teams were evenly talented, the odds of a Q3 or Q4 payroll team winning only 1 of 23 World Series is about 1 in 365,000, or roughly three times less likely than being struck by lightning." http://beneathdata.com/blog/does-money-buy-wins-in-baseball/ If the White Sox go into the regular season with this payroll (around $118-119 million), they're going to be in the 3rd quartile. KC was at $152 million last year when they won, fwiw. That Merkin tweet has all the oomph to it of a Joe Crede pop-out down the RF line. It might actually dampen fan expectations. In all seriousness, I'm not sure how it can be considered helpful. If you're not going to make any more moves, at least be honest about it. Don't try to sell or spin the fan base when everyone can see right through it. "The market for the remaining impact players isn't one we're comfortable with in terms of long-term return on investment. We strongly believe in Avi, Saladino, LaRoche and Erik Johnson (obviously they're not going to say that part) as key contributors to this year's team. Rather than move now and be unable to adjust at mid-season, we prefer to retain the financial flexibility to adjust on the fly as the season unwinds. We're understand

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 03:03 PM) Alcides Escobar, Alex Rios, Omar Infante Escobar and Perez over their careers have been much better offensively than last season. Dyson and Orlando will share RF unless they add Fowler or Jackson. The war numbers there should be better overall because Dyson is even better than Cain defensively and should hit well enough in a platoon. Rios was terrible/injured. Infante's the biggest question mark (which is why Royals fans wanted Zobrist back instead of Kennedy). Colon is the replacement, or Mondesi...eventually. Theoretically Gordon won't miss two months again. Honestly, there isn't much difference offensively if the Sox can upgrade one more position. Team defense/speed, starting rotation depth to compensate for injuries, and then a huge difference in bullpens (although Davis is due to finally regress and Soria's a question mark, adding Duffy/Collins helps a lot compared to Franklin Morales). Clearly, the White Sox big advantage on everyone is the top of rotation. If Lawrie, Frazier and the catcher hit as expected, the White Sox will score more runs. Morales falling off is just as likely as LaRoche improving.

The line all season was to attack Semien on his error total and not his actual effectiveness...and overlook the cost factor as well. Also not considering his bouncing around from spot to spot with the White Sox without ever becoming comfortable, the improvement defensively over the second half, the fact his offensive numbers were being put up in Oakland and the fact he never received the individualized mentoring he got from Ron Washington last year. Knowing you're important to a team's future and that they're willing to invest in you makes a huge difference. It always felt like the White Sox perceived him more as a utility guy than a regular...even during his minor league career.

The Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox are among the teams considering Cespedes, Heyman notes. In a separate tweet, Heyman calls the Tigers an "interesting" candidate and reveals that they seriously considered Davis before he re-signed with Baltimore. Meanwhile, the Houston Astros could also be in the mix for Cespedes, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com reports. http://espn.go.com/blog/mlb/rumors/post/_/...l-cespedes-sign

We will be devastated if Fulmer and Adams both flop and Montas becomes a star...but what are the odds of that happening, all three together? It will nevertheless be more disappointing in the next two FA signing periods if we do have to buy starting pitching at the going rates because we don't have sufficient quality depth left to trade from.

QUOTE (L. Ron Paultard @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 07:57 PM) LOL, take a deep breath, Senor Greg, and please grow a spine. Trump's in like Flynn. Since June. (The only thing stopping him is his virtually non-existent ground-game; Donald honestly didn't expect to be in this position this late, hence why he's thrown nickels around like manhole covers, as old-timers liked to say. It takes years to built up the required infrastructure, recruit army of volunteers & cultivate relationships with various local power-brokers.... Whereas the Soros GOTV Machine is absolutely legendary; poor Mittens!) Irregardlessly, there is no reason for you to change your entire worldview & personal feelings on a dime - just because of some irrelevant dafuq-bloggery of Lenny Pitts, or the 'Washed-Up White Witch of Weiseltier', et al. Have some self-respect. Seriously. It's all house-money, anyway: GOP as a viable political movement, was pronounced dead circa 2006-2008. Obama's Veep in '08 could have been Bin Laden; McCain had no chance from mid-Sep. onward IIRC. Outlook beyond grim. Made all the worse by the fact that while the New Democrats play in ruthless big-leagues; rally their warring factions, rainbow coalition around the Consensus candidate... Republicans find themselves torn apart by the whopping 5-way (five, Carl!) intra-party Civil War: -Neo-Cons VERSUS -Ron Paul Libertarians VERSUS -Christian-Evangelicals VERSUS -Moderate-Establishment VERSUS -(secular) Tea-Party Constitutionalists so it's a small miracle GOP even survived, haha ------> And yet with some luck, not only could the next POTUS come from your party, Greg, Congressional-supermajority is not out of the question, either. Obama/Clinton Horror-Show is a gift that keeps on giving. If RBG pancreas can hold on for a little while longer, 3-4 Supreme Court picks might be at play. Some serious stakes right there. PS. all the fashionable "Trump = only 3-to-5% of popular support" duh, derr, derrpity McDerp, that's been thrown around lately? Bwaa-ahahaha. --- np: Did Obama personally splinter the GOP? It's like blaming "social values/demonization of liberals" campaigns run by the Atwaters and Roves of the world for 20/24 years of GOP control before Clinton or 28/40 before 2008. Run better candidates!...Carter, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore and Kerry weren't very good, and then you have the SC issue to blame the GOP being able to hold on in 2000 (thanks to that 20/24 run of presidents), as Gore foolishly ran against or away from Clinton with his populist campaign. Nader's votes also hurt...but then Republicans have almost cursed Ross Perot for the same reason, helping to elect Clinton with only 38.5% of the vote in 92. Besides, the GOP has control of Congress, most governorships, a majority of state legislatures and even more local boards like city councils and school boards.

Any cigarette manufacturers in Chicago willing to step up?

He just completely fell apart his last month with Detroit and subsequent two months plus with the M's. If only we had a Don Cooper for hitters...

QUOTE (glangon @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 08:11 AM) Never believe what you read in the media. If the money is right, he'll come. What slugger wouldn't want to come to the Cell. I feel like we've been saying that about every new power hitter since Nick Swisher with less than ideal results to show for it...

QUOTE (Lillian @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 08:01 AM) The worst part of that entire scenario with Jackson is that the Sox are just about the least likely organization to fix a hitter's problems. They may play in a homer friendly park, but when is the last time a guy suddenly figured it out, at the plate, in a Sox uniform? Quentin, but already a very accomplished minor league hitter. Juan Uribe bounced back with the Sox. Figured it out, though, is pushing it. Rowand, but he and Crede took 2-3 years to break in as full-time players. It happened more with castoff outfielders in the 80s and 90s. Abreu and Ramirez are tough to credit the White Sox coaching staff more than scouts.

But has no interest in playing for the White Sox apparently...the only AL team currently connected to him is the Rangers.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 07:12 AM) If we get Jackson, what do you do with Eaton? Put him in left and move Melky to DH? I don't know if Melky or Eaton could play right. Cabrera in right...Eaton in LF. Cabrera has the bigger arm. I just dont see adding Jackson or Fowler to have them play LF. LaRoche would DH with Garcia. Granted, it's not ideal. The problem is there aren't many natural RFers on the market. Who knows...we'll probably end up with Markakis 2-3 years too late.

Can someone find a specific breakdown of his numbers in Safeco vs. Comerica in 2014...? He was absolutely atrocious on the road that year. Maybe the trade shook him up and he has a hard time adjusting to a new team? http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2014/10/13/6...-austin-jackson Possible explanations for what happened...long but interesting article. "In July, Jackson hit .349/.390/.505 with the Tigers. Then, upon joining Seattle, he promptly went into a massive offensive slump that lasted the remainder of the season. Look at his ISO with the M's. Look at it! Maybe you can't see it because you don't have a magnifying glass handy, but let me assure you that it's miserable. In 236 PA with the Mariners, Jackson racked up SIX extra base hits. This was a man who'd averaged an XBH every 12 PA over the past two and a half seasons and then all of a sudden he couldn't hit the ball out of the infield. He also started striking out a lot more and walking a lot less. This was a shocking, disappointing, frustrating turn of events. But what happened? ... The thing about these numbers that I find to be the most striking is Jackson's GB/FB ratio after leaving the Tigers. Jackson went from a GB/FB ratio of 0.98 with the Tigers (23rd percentile for GB rate in 2014) to a ratio of 2.16 with the Mariners (90th percentile for GB rate). I should point out that Jackson's career GB:FB (GB:FB of 1.33) isn't quite as flyball-heavy as it was at the beginning of this year, but the dramatic change in his numbers after joining the M's is more or less unfathomable to me. Park effects can certainly impact a player's performance, but that is just absurd. (Also, according to Fangraphs, the difference between the park effects for groundballs at Safeco and Comerica is negligible.)" He basically turned into Alexei Ramirez with even more grounders to the left side...