caulfield12

If the Red Sox don't sign Lester and Sandoval, they're definitely going after Shields and perhaps Scherzer if Max doesn't end up with the Dodgers as expected. They could still conceivably trade Cespedes, and turn around to sign Scherzer OR Shields AND Sandoval.

QUOTE (LDF @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 07:49 PM) if I remember the article, it stated that the dodgers FO wasn't excited about how he performed on the call up. so who knows. come spring he might be lights out. You can never judge that type of prospect getting sporadic (at best) playing time in the heat of a pennant race... They were unhappy with Puig and Kemp and practically everyone on their team at one point or another last year. Puig was in a pretty big slump down the stretch and still struggling with defensive fundamentals, albeit moderately improved from his rookie year. Adrian Gonzalez was getting a lot of criticism early as well....the bullpen guys like Wilson and Morrow, etc. The Dodgers are just under a tremendous amount of pressure to get to the World Series.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 07:58 PM) Saying they may have them is fine, but who are you thinking will be those surprises? Montas (as a reliever, which is 50/50), Bassit, Snodgress, Beck...those are probably the best bets for now.

http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/white-...&ocid=yahoo

QUOTE (woods of ypres @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 06:25 PM) Jose Canseco. Forgot about him. That was pretty much a lost year already with Thomas down and the 14-29 start. And, of course, the steroids/PEDs ugly scandal hadn't yet colored the face of the game...it was whispered about, but not a deal-breaker for players or the HOF.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 05:39 PM) There's a strong case to be made that both of those guys could get very useful time in the minors next year and that there's not "little to lose" in either case. Beck has 7 starts at AAA. Bassitt has 110 innings above A ball. Yes, calling guys up who just arrived at AA is a thing the White Sox do, but there's reason to think both of those guys should have plenty of stuff to work on next year. I meant that only in the sense the White Sox probably value both of those guys failing/falling on their faces and ending up in the pen more than giving $48 million over 4 years to Erwin Santana to cover the mid-rotation spot. Clearly, they're going to be more careful with Rodon, and probably Montas and Danish (to a lesser extent). Maybe they will surprise us all and open up the wallets on someone like Volquez. But probably not.

Inception and his Batman films have SOME critics, but I'd take all of them over Interstellar. Maybe even The Prestige and Memento. That said, it was Nolan's version of The Fountain or perhaps Noah (Aronofsky). It had the goal of being a great movie....incredibly ambitious undertaking....but came up just short in the end. I can't honestly say I ever thought it was great, though, or that I didn't look at my watch at least 10 times saying "wow, we're closing in on Titanic's 3:14 running time!"

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 05:31 PM) Just so it's said, I want neither him nor the fake company he created to try to cover up his juicing to receive money from the white sox, but y'all knew that anyway so I'm shutting up. And that's probably how JR feels as well. Bringing in reportedly questionable character guys like Belle, AJ or Everett is one thing. Awarding Cabrera with one of the 3-4 or so biggest contracts on the team "as an outsider" is quite another. Of course, they did give Wil Cordero a shot. Jimenez as well.

Barring any major surprises (spending $10-12 million per year on a 3/4 guy), there's little to lose giving Bassit a shot at starting...or even Beck. We already know what Carroll's going to give as a starter, that won't change. Of course, fans wanting to compete NOW aren't going to be encouraged by any of those three names being anywhere near the rotation. Plus, Bassit could also end up taking Webb's place in the bullpen...or Sanburn, if he has a great spring in AZ.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 05:21 PM) I would agree, and would go one step further and say that I wouldn't even hate 3 at $16. I wouldn't really want to go over that. To me, the 4th year is always a much bigger deal than the AAV. And someone's surely going to go higher than 3 years/$48. Heyward's off the market. Which leaves the Sox with declining options as the money chases the remaining quality bats...of course Rasmus, Hunter, Aoki, Morse, Butler, Morales, etc., will be out there longer, and it's too early to know how the "over-valuation" of Cuddyer will play into the offseason, if at all. As this continues to play out, the Dodgers and White Sox working together will make more and more sense.

QUOTE (Dam8610 @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 05:14 PM) If you don't value superior defense, striking out much less, or walking much more, then yes, Markakis is exactly like De Aza. Markakis is getting paid like a perennial All-Star when all the numbers point to his being a complementary player, especially going forward into his 30's. Someone lined them (DeAza and Markakis) up in terms of offensive statistics since 2011 and they profile pretty similarly. There's not anything close to a consensus about Markakis' defense. Reputation....is being trumped by computer analysis/advanced stats. A marginal upgrade over a player we didn't want to pay anything isn't worth $10-11 million per year. Cabrera, if he plays to his potential in a non-contract year and doesn't get dinged by the PEDs police, he's more likely to repeat his numbers. That said, if you look at the entire body of his career, incredibly inconsistent. I'm not sure JR will authorize it.

The Cards still have insurance for Heyward going FA in Piscotty and Grichuk. (Let's also keep in mind most Cards fans wanted to dump Jay a year ago before he rebounded and Craig sank in 2015). They're not going to just give those guys away. It's a "win now" move for the Cardinals, whereas it's a "hope for the best/upside" play for the Braves, who are dealing with so many injuries in their rotation and the FA loss of Erwin Santana, so they pretty much needed a younger pitcher who would be around long/er term. Maybe they'll try to convert A.Vizcaino (Cubs) into a starter, although he's probably ticketed for the pen. If the Braves are still trying to sell off BJ Upton and Gattis to the highest bidders, that's when you'll know it's a true rebuild down there (Freeman as well). I think they believe with this move they can be competitive enough for 2015 and wait for their starters to bounce back in the 2nd half/2016.

QUOTE (woods of ypres @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 04:54 PM) Markakis? Would we pay 4 years and $40-44 million to DeAza? Because offensively, that's the kind of production we're looking at. Markakis clearly has better fundamentals and fewer brain cramps and is beloved by Showalter (supposedly), but he's not going to be the difference-maker he was projected to be five years ago. If I had a gun to my head, I'd choose Cabrera, but not a big fan of either acquisition at these price points.

The last time we invested "heavily" into set-up guys, it didn't go so well with MacDougal, Dotel and Linebrink. That said, we have to find the middle ground between buying at an absolute peak and finding "bargains" on the downside who end up costing almost as much (and probably moreso if you factor in replacing them constantly) as the premiere players.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 10:03 AM) That's similar to how I feel. The two moves of significance I want to see the Sox make are bringing in a closer and a lefty. I'm not sure who those guys are at this point. From there, bring in a bunch of minor league free agents to throw in the pen and see if anything rises to the surface. At this point, I'm perfectly content going with [closer], [lefty], Petricka, Putnam, Guerra, Webb, and Surkamp. In an ideal world, Webb would get some more seasoning. He was shaky at best in the 2nd half.

That would definitely be a bold and risky move. One that the White Sox might not be prepared to make...gambling on another potential franchise superstar when the betting odds say you need to place your wagers in 5-6 different places and then roll the dice. However, if the White Sox thought Moncada would be ready by Opening Day, 2017, then why not? The problem is whether they'd have enough resources left to put together a competitive team in 2016. White Sox fans aren't going to be too patient with the "wait for a couple more years" mantra. If Montas, Micah Johnson, Danish, Anderson and Hawkins all blow up and have tremendous seasons in the minors (this year)...we just might hit crest of the wave perfectly, but I'd worry about "wasting" two more seasons of Sale/Abreu with this move unless I was sure as GM that we'd have another $35-40 million to spend next offseason.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 09:59 AM) I really feel like the end of the bullpen is in place. We have guys to be long relievers, middle relievers, and maybe even set up men. The problem in 2013 was that they were all asked to do jobs above their paygrade by a level or two. If we find good guys for the back end of the pen, guys like Petricka, Putnam, and company all slide back an inning or two, and will be in much better shape. Last year I think you mean.

They're obviously not going to trade Soler, Russell or Bryant. The problem becomes creating a package with what's left for one of the best pitchers in baseball (albeit a handsomely paid one). The Phillies might be interested in a package centered around Castro, Edwards and McKinney if they could get someone to take Rollins off their hands. Baez can't be the centerpiece right now, coming off his 2014.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 08:06 AM) Lego movie, How to Train your dragon 2. And probably that last Studio Ghibli film(can't recall the name) The Wind Rises... Too controversial, unless you're referring to The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 07:53 AM) Big Hero 6 and Frozen fall on the same voting year? That doesn't even seem possible, it seems like Frozen has been out forever Guess I was wrong. Thanksgiving time a year ago. It took until February/March to become a phenomenon here in China...with all the schoolchildren singing "Let It Go." I think I heard that song over the loudspeakers for 3-4 straight months. The Lego Movie then...against Big Hero Six?

Moviegoers don't like "creepy" unless it's a serial killer/supervillain. By all accounts, Gyllenhaal and Carell are very good in their respective performances, but not enough to move the box office meter. Thinking back to Interstellar, it's just missing something "fun" and "engaging" that Inception had...a quality that kind of forced you to go along for the ride and think along with it. Whereas Interstellar kind of beats you over the head with these heavy topics like physics and love and sacrifice that resonate, but maybe not quite to the point of making you care (like Michael Caine when he's in the Batman universe). It made me think back to the movie Contact, and the debates between Matthew McConaughey and Jodie Foster's two main characters. I have a feeling if I revisited Contact again, I would prefer that. Maybe it's because Anne Hathaway annoyed me....along with the "cameo" surprise in the middle which is too distracting.

St. Vincent's a nice quiet little film. If you like Bill Murray at his ornery best (think Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino), this one's for you. Melissa McCarthy does well in an understated role, and Naomi Watts didn't need the fake Russian accent. I'm pretty sure this was the acting debut of the kid who plays Oliver...he does a commendable job and holds his own. This awards season is going to be a free-for-all. Foxcatcher's getting raves for Carell and Ruffalo's performances, but most non-critics who see it almost detest it and find it droll and mundane...when they're not being annoyed by Carell's heavy make-up to play DuPont. Interstellar's just not quite clicking to the point where it becomes a best picture candidate. Birdman's not being seen by enough to create a buzz. Gone Girl and Nightcrawler are GOOD films but not Academy worthy, although Ben Affleck seems to be getting overpraised these days to make up for when he was down in the dumps with J-Lo. Whiplash is attracting some fans...but enough to break out? Probably not. Big Hero 6 and Frozen seem poised to fight it out for best animated picture.

Rodon will likely pitch in a regular rotation with occasional extra days at Charlotte...they won't ever risk him when the weather's iffy or send him back out after rain delays, etc. Whenever he reaches some undefined number with the major league team in August or September...anywhere from 150-175ish IP, depending on how he responds to pitching every five days as opposed to mostly weekends in the ACC...they will shut him down. I don't think they will ever go to that six man rotation in Chicago...unless something happens with Sale again and the White Sox are out of the race but can't totally shut down Chris since they'll need him to pitch 200+ innings when the Sox (hopefully) are competing for the division in 2016.

QUOTE (LDF @ Nov 17, 2014 -> 12:57 AM) a very good point. I didn't even think of it that way. Unless LaStella's just insurance for a Baez flameout and they want to keep Alcantara in the outfield.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Nov 16, 2014 -> 09:29 PM) Wow I guess I never considered how crowded that Pirates OF is. So our OF trade partners seem to be Pirates, Reds, and Rockies. And the Dodgers, of course. St. Louis was probably going to have to dump Bourjos, but now they might need to keep him.