caulfield12

AA must be cringing to think he'll still have to compete with the Tigers, Angels, Rangers, Red Sox, Yankees and Rays. No matter what he does, seems like an impossible task to overcome, and there's just no way a 3rd/4th or even 2nd place team will generate much excitement amount the TOR fans, who are still in a malaise/hangover from the glory years. Will AA do an Ozzie and head to a team like Seattle, the Pirates, the Royals, etc., where he has a much more realistic shot at the post-season? Definitely not BALT. Dodgers or Mets?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 13, 2012 -> 06:12 PM) ...yet... Or Man Soo Lee, that's another personal favorite. Or Hawaii Five-0's Don Wakamatsu.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 13, 2012 -> 04:03 PM) This guy is another minor league catcher that will be in spring training camp to catch guys for a couple weeks. http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/p...id=espino001dam He's not named Corky or Spanky I hope?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 13, 2012 -> 04:24 PM) After reading Rogers' article, it seems like the Chicago media is sick of the Sox like many of the fans. My guess is most people believe Kenny has jumped the shark and like me, think the wrong guy won the war between KW and Ozzie. Sox are going to have to prove a lot on the field and in acquiring good players in the next 2-3 years. I would think only the true die-hard fans would buy tickets to see the Dunn/Rios White Sox. Greg, roughly 1/3rd of the posters and probably everyone who follows the Sox minors closely knows more about their system, and has taken the time to see the players firsthand, than Rogers. Had we given Buddy Bell, Marco Paddy or Rick Hahn...Mike Gellinger, etc., this article to write instead as an assignment, it would have been 100X more insightful and informative than what Phil came up with. Heck, Joe Posnanski, who doesn't even follow the Sox system, would have done a better job, because he would have found the right sources in baseball and around the Sox to put together a much more accurate list. Silverio, Martinez and Marinez don't belong in the top 10. That's just laziness. There are some legit areas to be upset with Williams and Reinsdorf about...but this complaint is pointless and well-document, it would be tantamount to starting another anti-KW thread with the title, "Fire KW now, Phil Rogers thinks our system sucks, and he writes for a major US newspaper and Baseball America, so he must be right."

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 13, 2012 -> 04:44 PM) Because the Sox might be willing to spend that as $8 million a year. And $8 million a year isn't going to make a huge dent in this team right now. Especially when/if you subtract Floyd/Thornton or Crain from the salary equation, and possibly AJ at midseason and Peavy as well in July/August or at the end of year.

Halfway through WAR HORSE. Brilliant cinematography, a beautiful movie to watch so far. Still doesn't beat SEA BISCUIT or SECRETARIAT, but totally different types of movies there.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-dad...-162022292.html This girl used to do a lot of interviews with the White Sox in the past, right? BTW, would KW go after Edwin Jackson on just another one year deal (like the Yankees are rumored) if they could unload Floyd for decent prospects? Still...probably not. However, stranger things have happened, and Edwin is clearly comfortable with COOPER.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Jan 13, 2012 -> 11:44 AM) The risks of rebuilding. Look at he Twins trade for Santana as compared to what they passed up. They passed on Jon Lester and Phil Hughes for Phil Humber and Carlos Gomez. They are a good organization that failed on this trade which is why rebuilding is not as great as people make it out to be. Suck for two years and then ride off into the sunset as a dynasty. Not only that, but there was an insinuation (I was guilty of it was much as anyone) that seemingly anyone in the Twins' front office could walk on water, as apparently Terry Ryan did for much of his tenure. Bill Smith did us a TON of favors during his tenure there.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 13, 2012 -> 12:11 PM) Don't remember watching him in the second half of 2006, but a 4.76 ERA as opposed to 2.78 ERA in the first half as well as his BB/9 and HR/9 getting quite a bit worse were pretty solid indications that something was up. Hopefully the same thing won't apply to the post ASB performance of Dunn in 2010, when looking back in retrospect.

J4L is right, there's no way they're a single Floyd acquisition away from competing for the division. Maybe 2, possibly 3 players away, at a minimum. Now....2 wild cards, things become a lot more interesting, because other than the Angels/Rangers, there's no clear 2nd place team in the AL Central Division at the current moment, so very easily those 2 could both come out of the AL East. Even then, intense 4 way competition for those 3 spots. Will be interesting to see how Sergio stands up to the increased level of competition.

There was a big rumor in TOR they actually made the whole thing about DARVISH up to cover themselves with fans, that there in actuality had not been a legitimate attempt to get him and that the actual bidding number was nowhere in the vicinity of the Rangers.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 13, 2012 -> 03:08 AM) Uh, no. Ozzie benched Ramirez about 4 games into the season and he didn't get another shot until Uribe was hitting so poorly that HE needed to be benched. But the argument should have been he would be better off in AAA playing everyday instead of sitting until mid-May...still curious as to who wanted to keep him more, maybe it was KW, he was the one who was so high on him, compared to the majority opinion around baseball. Then again, Ozzie's always seemed to be a pretty big Alexei supporter. https://twitter.com/#!/jonmorosi/status...661302586744833 WHAT's THE MOROSI TWEET on Cespedes, can't get TWITTER IN CHINA without vpn or proxy

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jan 12, 2012 -> 11:24 PM) Sending him down would be KW's call. Maybe KW's call, maybe not.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jan 12, 2012 -> 09:28 PM) I really hope people aren't judging this guy off one game. There's one where you have to give Guillen credit. He stuck with Alexei through the first 6 weeks of the 2008 season, didn't send him down to Charlotte, and that patience really paid off. My biggest concern is we really need a true CFer...and Cespedes isn't that. He reminds me of Vernon Wells, for some reason.

Well, that kid is definitely a DH or corner OFer, 50 inch vertical be damned. And if his best tool is hitting, he's probably not worth the price tag unless it comes heavily discounted. We already had Quentin at that price and it wasn't worth holding onto him. Ventura can fix him, Tm.

Didn't Tejada homer? He's playing 2B or 3B? Someone on Cespedes' team jacked one out in the bottom of the 2nd, #4. I'm sure he's pretty nervous...despite all his international experience...to know that every at-bat could be costing (or earning) you millions.

That game is worth watching just for the HOOTERS-esque dugout dancing girls outfits alone. Already heard a LORENZO BARCELO mention, pitching Sabado before Fausto Carmona. Well, that's not going well. 0 for 2. His second ab, he struck out on an outside pitch that Alexei, Juan Uribe or Gordon Beckham might have been able to hold up on. DHing, so can't give any comments on play in OF. Looks a bit bulky now, less so than Viciedo, but has the build of an NFL strong safety.

That game is worth watching just for the HOOTERS-esque dugout dancing girls outfits alone.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 12, 2012 -> 04:54 PM) Ozzie tweeted today that he couldn't believe a "Juan Pierce" wasn't signed yet. I'm guessing there's a misspellink. Maybe, since Ozzie's such an NBA fan too, he was thinking of putting Paul Pierce on the field when he retires from the Celts.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jan 12, 2012 -> 06:22 PM) Marlins will be going hard after Cespedes. http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_baseb...top-target.html Mr. Boras, please send Prince Fielder their way...they don't really need Cespedes. Maybe Hanley Ramirez ends up in LF or RF anyway.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jan 12, 2012 -> 06:19 PM) I'm not sure what you're arguing. His price will be determined by the market. All I'm saying is that his performance in the DWL will help teams decide if they think he has a shot at immediate MLB playing time or if he'll need time in the minors. In the former instance, teams will be willing to pay much more for him than in the latter instance. That despite DeAza's "track record of MLB play," Cespedes' overall ability, five tool skills/potential, and track record in Cuba as well as in international play, and, most importantly, in the eyes of talent scouts and evaluators, puts him in a much more exclusive or rarefied zip code.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jan 12, 2012 -> 06:15 PM) I have seen nothing to make me believe Lillibridge can play competently in the infield. SS, that ship has already sailed. But it was his natural position in the Braves' system after coming out of Washington. Based on athleticism and arm strength, 2B should be a position of advantage defensively and 3B just "so-so." It took Gordon some time to adjust as well before becoming one of the best defenders in the game last year. Same with Morel's progression throughout the season.

Except arguably Cespedes is the best player (along with Gourriel) to come out of Cuba in this current generation of players. DeAza was a waiver claim, largely due to injury/depth issues with the Marlins, but cheaply available nonetheless. At the least, Cespedes will get around $20-25 million. And we've seen some guesses for $50-60 million on the top side of the range. Nobody would have given Alejandro $1 million+ guaranteed when he left Florida, or a major league contract. He was claimed October 20th, 2009. Many teams in the majors passed on him, presumably.

Realistically, the only player who really could play 2B and clearly outproduce him offensively (based on 2011) is probably Brent Lillibridge. Despite Marty's please, we can't trade Alexei and move Brent to SS. But playing everyday at 2B might be his ultimate destination. If only we could have 100% confidence in Rios and, to a lesser extent, DeAza. That lack of depth is another reason (besides his clear inability to stick at 3B) that has had Viciedo moving all over the diamond...but we put Gordon Beckham through the same process, and one wonders if 2 position changes didn't do a number on him? Certainly, it couldn't have helped.

Cue Borat segment...the one with the cockroaches or "running of the Jew."