caulfield12

It's a bit sad that we couldn't even consider going after the big names...whereas we're going to be considered quite lucky to be "stuck" with Rick Hahn if the Cubs aren't interested in pursuing him with all the other nationally-hyped entities in play.

And we don't have many of those "interesting to follow" players, lol.

Putting Eduardo Escobar out there wouldn't kill the defense. But Beckham and Morel might actually need to hit at 700 OPS clips to make it feasible. 600-635 won't do it for both those guys. DeAza, LillyBOMB and Flowers have all looked stout when they've had opportunities this last month. Another shutout by the Sox pitching staff. It's another offday and on to So Cal. Tigers get the Mariners. That's not good....the could reach their high point of 11 games over 500 on the season.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 21, 2011 -> 03:03 PM) And there's another pitch Brent could have turned on and driven down the LF line. Lift and pull Brent! Open up those hips more and try to pull the ball! Did Greg Walker hack into your SoxTalk account during the game??

At least Greg will be happy for Juan Pierre's June-August success.... One hopes it's not like Kotsay late in 2009 and it ends up getting Pierre another contract with the Sox. Lilly, DeAza and Flowers (896) all over 800 OPS numbers. Amazing what a little offense can do for the pitching staff. And it's gotten us all of a .500 record.

Rangers an almost bizarre 5-18 in one-run games on the road. 47-16 for the Brew Crew at home.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Aug 21, 2011 -> 01:30 PM) I see that mighty Tiger pitching staff took it on the chin today. Hope that doesn't disappoint too many around here. But it wasn't nearly as bad as "ace" Jimenez in one single inning...he made it an almost impossible comeback. Now that they're within 1 run, they really need to win or it's much worse than just getting blown out. The Indians using Joe Smith....arguably their most effective short reliever...in the 5th and 6th innings today. Ozzie Guillen could learn something there from Acta's bullpen usage. Could have just as easily tanked that game...or not used Smith when down by 2 runs. Ozzie would have put in Ohman or Stewart there undoubtedly.

8-7 Tigers....Hafner single (out at 2B on the throw) to score Cabrera who'd doubled and moved over on a wild pitch. No boos for RIOS there? C'mon, has Rios/Dunn/Beckham apathy fully crept in?

LillyBOMB strikes again. Two nice approaches there against Holland. We've had probably more success against him than any other MLB team this year.

8-6 Tigers going to the top of the 6th in Motown... Daniel Schlereth in for the Tiggers. Indians can't afford the 3 game sweep.

Yet another reason to trade Ramirez. Lapses on concentration. But nowhere as many errors as Valentin used to commit...30+, and a heckuva lot better range than Clayton. Still think Uribe was the best SS we've had...although Ramirez is capable of more spectacular/athletic plays.

DeAza sparking the offense single-handedly... He has done it the same number of times, perhaps more....than Rios has the entire season.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 21, 2011 -> 12:52 PM) Yeah, if only we could have added a guy with a .701 OPS. 2 homers in 25 AB's, multiple RBI's he put up well over 100 RBI's last year.....Twins' line-up in 2011 just sucks he definitely will be more productive than Magglio....which is all that matters in the end

Lilly the home run machine. Maybe he will be the next Mike Morse. One things for certain, we will always wonder what would have happened had Lilly, DeAza and Viciedo gotten AB's a lot sooner this season.

Lillibridge looking shaky. Needs more PFP's over there still. Lucky Floyd's 6'6", no other starter would have speared that one.

Indians at least rallied for 5, still a game. 7-5 Tigers in the fourth.

Typical White Sox baseball. Lillibridge playing out of position and trying to make the throw to 2B before he even caught the ball... What else is new? This has been a season defined by paper cuts that have slowly bled us to death as a team.

That's 3/4 bad starts for Jimenez. The one good start did come against DET...but that trade looks to be disastrous, thankfully they didn't give up Kipnis. Our line-up today would be outgunned by most AAA and AA ones.

The only work I've liked of his since THE PIANIST was his tongue-twisting Halle Berry on the stage at the Oscars. All the rest, pretty much garbage or "B grade" stuff.

QUOTE (MattZakrowski @ Aug 21, 2011 -> 11:51 AM) Floyd isn't as good as Alexei relative to his position. Sale isn't proven as a starter, and Santos will never be more than a reliever. Viciedo might give him a run due to team control, but Danks isn't under contract long enough to surpass Ramirez' value. For the record, Dave Cameron at Fangraphs saw it the same way. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/2...de-value-35-31/ That same fangraphs should have told KW to sell high on Rios while it was still a possibility. Well, all water under the bridge. On average, for all 30 teams (not ones specifically needing a closer, in which case Santos would have more value obviously)....Ramirez would be the one. Maybe in a couple of seasons, not so much....due to aging and increasing payroll obligations. At least through 2014, it looks to be a great deal for the Sox. But I'm sure there are a few GM's who would love to get their hands on Sale and/or Viciedo. Especially, Chris.

Anne Heche was interesting. The black dude was hilarious when he went into the party... At any rate...has anyone seen LIFE IN A DAY?

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Aug 21, 2011 -> 10:41 AM) I think we have some too expensive players who are not performing, but Ramirez is not one of them Trading the Silver Slugger and one of the best three defenders in baseball at his position, in the prime of his career...making $1.1 million in 2010...that's telling the rest of the players that you made so many horrible decisions with the rest of the roster that your ineptitude in decision-making has forced an ever more desperate move that will end up making things SOMEHOW worse going forward.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Aug 21, 2011 -> 10:30 AM) Ramirez is a combination of too expensive/too old/not good enough to build around. By that definition, we have four players. Sale, who might not even make it as a starting pitcher, Santos and Z. Stewart, who likely profiles as a back end of the rotation guy. Then Viciedo. Ramirez is only making $5 million next season. That's STILL one of the great bargains for our club. signed extension with White Sox 2/3/11 12:$5M, 13:$7M, 14:$9.5M, 15:$10M, 16:$10M club option ($1M buyout) We still have Peavy/Dunn/Rios, Konerko, AJ ($6 million next year, more expensive and much older and less productive in all likelihood)... Matt Thornton, a lefty set-up guy, will make $5.5 million next year. Heck, Teahen was set up to make more than Alexei will. Crain will make $4.5 million. Floyd, Danks and Quentin will all make more than Ramirez. Unless you're tearing the entire team apart....you can't "reload/readjust" for 2012 and trade away Ramirez. It's the exact same position Hendry was in after 2009....being told he couldn't spend but to be competitive. That's how he ended up trading away some good players and forcing Milton Bradley onto the payroll. You make increasingly desperate moves when you're back into a corner.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Aug 21, 2011 -> 10:24 AM) The post saeemed to turn to Beckham nedig to turn it around. What would trading Ramirez do for us there? I don't think you trade a silver slugger SS still learning at the big league level. He is a person you build around. I also think Bedckham can get on track and having him and Ramirez together will be a major plus. Lot of areas to look at to improve this team, but saying we should traade ramirez is missing the point. We are 5 games out now because of no production from Dunn-Rios-Beckham and struggles by some other early. Therein lies the problem. All In again for 2012, and we have to keep Ramirez. And that's also contingent on Quentin, Danks, Buehrle a few others being around. Plan B and it's a much bigger question mark how competitive we'll be before Alexei's contract starts to bite into the payroll too much. You're right, in the sense you're dramatically weakening one of our net team strengths (because of his offense but mostly defense...the offense is still net "plus" for that position) and making it into another weakness going forward based on the idea we can get a slew of major league ready prospects for the likes of Danks, Quentin, Floyd, Thornton, Frasor or Crain, etc. Plan C, total rebuilding and 14K-18K attendance (except Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees) per game for the forseeable future and we simply have to trade Ramirez.

I'm not sure about most valuable. It would be close, because of his contract ascending dramatically in the coming years and questions about his age. He doesn't seem to have the type of body that will break down in his early 30's, but you never can tell these days. Certainly you could make arguments now between Floyd, Ramirez, Sale, Santos, Viciedo and Danks (although moreso prior to the 2011 season) as to our most valuable asset.