caulfield12

http://bucco-blog.com/Pittsburgh-Pirates/2...ates-blueprint/ Interesting, in-depth article about building an organization from the bottom up, about the Pirates' "new" plan for restructuring (not rebuilding!) Lots of insights for minor league fans to consider, particularly those critical of the Sox minor league system.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 16, 2009 -> 10:23 AM) Payrolls in the AL (money in millions) 1. New York ($207) 2. Detroit ($137) 3. Boston ($133) 4. Chicago ($121) 5. Anaheim ($119) 6. Seattle ($117) 7. Toronto ($96) 8. Cleveland ($78) 9. Texas ($67) 10. Baltimore ($67) 11. Kansas City ($58) 12. Minnesota ($56) 13. Oakland ($47) 14. Tampa Bay ($43) Payrolls in the NL (money in millions) 1. Mets ($137) 2. Cubs ($118) 3. Dodgers ($118) 4. Braves ($102) 5. Cardinals ($99) 6. Phillies ($97) 7. Astros ($88) 8. Brewers ($80) 9. Giants ($76) 10. Reds ($74) 11. Padres ($73) 12. Rockies ($68) 13. Diamondbacks ($66) 14. Nationals ($54) 15. Pirates ($48) 16. Marlins ($21) I imagine these numbers are skewed a bit by deadline trades and what have you else, because I merely got them from B-R, but it paints a relatively clear picture nonetheless. The Sox also did not pay quite a bit of that payroll thanks to money from a couple a teams (the Phillies for sure and it seems to me that there's another team in there too). Of those teams, which have really been the most active in adding payroll? To me, I see the Yankees, Red Sox to some degree (bringing in multiple cheaper free agents and signing guys to extensions), and that's it in the AL. In the NL, I see the Mets, Phillies, and Braves, though the Dodgers have brought a couple guys back at decently expensive extensions. I don't mention the Cubs because while they've been active, they've also had to dump players for cheap while picking up money in the deals as well (namely DeRosa and Marquis). Also, as you mentioned, the Sox did spend some money to get the move to Glendale expedited as well, and that has to be figured into the equation. The Sox definitely aren't alone. The Phillies' offseason has basically been status quo....they let Burrell go (not offering arbitration, perhaps wisely it seems), and he was making $15 million per season, but might have offered the worst free agent position-player deal of this offseason to Raul Ibanez, a glorified DH. Other than that....released So Taguchi (just picked up by Cubs I think), traded for Ronnie Paulino, resigned Moyer (status quo) and the very speculative contract for one season for Chan Ho Park. Hard to tell where they've done anything but treaded water, and perhaps regressed with the expected decline over Ibanez's insane contract. The White Sox payroll is a little bit misleading if you include Griffey's money, as well as Thome's (without the subsidies)...

Well....everyone forgets we also spent that money on Viciedo...it would be like we had the largest first round draft picking signing bonus in MLB history, essentially. Although he does basically cancel out Swisher for this year. Which teams are spending like crazy? Well, you have the Yankees, Mets and Braves....who else? The Red Sox are being very "prudent/careful" with their money, too. Angels, likewise. Before all is said and done, the Dodgers will probably bring back Manny Ramirez, I'm guessing. $50 million for 3 years, maybe? The Cardinals are a perfect comparison with the White Sox...the two teams have been acting very similarly over the last 5 years or so, with the White Sox finally catching up on lowering payroll. The Dodgers almost let Furcal get away...and were shying away from most of the big name free agents. The Angels were only interested in TEX, and not enough to fight with the Yankees and Red Sox when it came down to it. The Mets and Yankees both have new stadiums. As mentioned, Red Sox are very very conservative in spending this offseason. Then you have the Cubs. Even the Phillies, coming off a World Championship, haven't done much or spent wildly like we did in 2006.

Important fact to remember about Colon...Jose Contreras will be back around the All Star break. If Colon does not eat himself to death we will be fine. Maybe Ozzie will have Ramirez room with Colon. If Ramirez eats half of all of Colon's food, all year, we can kill two birds with one stone. If Colon can loose 25lbs and Ramirez can find it....its all good.....Double Carne Asada Burritos for everyone. The Dodgers are interested in Young. The Dodgers just resigned Furcal....sooo Young must be willing to go back to 2B when he started. The White Sox should send Josh Fields to anyone that will take him....Figgins leading off with Young batting second would be a great table setting tandem....Speed Kills in Minnesota and Tampa...it will work on 35th Street too. The White Sox should keep Dye. Send Pauly to the Angels. The Sox get Figgins and bat him lead off playing 3B. Kenny Williams ....Listen up...send Josh Fields to Texas for Young, bat Young 2nd and play him at 2B. The money saved by unloading Pauly will cover Young’s cost. Figgins contract is settled at 5.7 million ...so with the arbitration done...lets light this candle. Oh yeah...have Dye play first base....and finally hire Ozzie's neighbor Abreau to play RF and bat 5th, behind Figgins, Young, Thome, Dye, Abreau , Quentin, Pierzynski, Ramirez and Owens. * Speed Kills Baby...Getter Done Kenny I think this is either The Big Hurt or Greedy trying to be funny. The hilarious part is that even with Michael Young, Figgins and Abreu, we still have Jerry Owens batting 9th and playing CF. Maybe Anderson would be a much better fit with that line-up, actually... 1) Young's contract down the line when he inevitably declines 2) Dye playing 1B without any experience 3) Replacing Figgins all over again 4) Convincing the Rangers' fans that they could live with a return of Josh Fields for perennial All-Star Michael Young...that might be the straw that broke the camel's back....after losing Galarraga, Chris Young, Danks and Volquez.

BIG HURT....let me give you this scenario and tell me what you'd do for 5th starter. 1) Go with the likes of Poreda/Marquez/Richard/Broadway/Egbert/DJ Carasco 2) Sign Jon Garland for $24-27 million over 3 years 3) Sign Oliver Perez for $30 million over 3 years 4) Sign Randy Wolf for two seasons at $15 million 5) Sign Andy Pettitte for one year at $11-12 million 6) Any other option (Braden Looper, Pedro Martinez, Jason Jennings, Mark Mulder, Jon Lieber, Sidney Ponson, Livan Hernandez, Tom Glavine, Josh Fogg, Jamey Wright, Kip Wells, Kenny Rogers, El Duque, Tony Armas, Jr...now that I think about it Armas, Jr. is a bit intriguing too, to match with Cooper) 7) Cuban defector Yadel Marti for $6 million over 4 years 8) Bring in Paul Byrd at mid-season I underlined my choices, along with Sweaty/I look like the Rock Freddy Garcia. So if you gave me a healthy Contreras with a 95-97 MPH fastball in August, then Colon/Garcia/Mulder/Armas, Jr./Marti, we would win the World Series, lol. MAYBE. That's why baseball is so interesting, particularly this offseason.

It's not a matter of being right or wrong....being in the majority or minority. Last year, if you'd have predicted we would have won the AL Central, you would have been in the minority, and people probably would have been laughing at your optimism. The White Sox don't OWE us anything...we choose to be fans or not...if enough fans make the choice not to care or become apathetic (kind of my attitude now about Iowa Hawkeye basketball), then something has to be done. If we hadn't won the World Series, if we hadn't won the division in 2008...well, then there would be some justification in criticism. There would be MANY MANY legitimate areas we could have all pointed out throughout the offseason (like Twins fans could do) about why we missed the playoffs by one game after leading for most of the year. In this economic climate, I think it's more logical to pay Yadel Marte, Colon ($1-3 million), Garcia and Andruw Jones the same amount we would pay Jon Garland. You, probably would rather have Garland than those four, am I correct in stating that? Just a difference in philosophy. The same things will come into play between the Red Sox and Yankees. If you were a Red Sox fan, would you be equally furious that your team was signing question marks in Smoltz/Penny/Kotsay/Baldelli/Saito for a fraction of the cost of the "sure things" that are Sabathia, Burnett and TEX??? Or are you simply saying we shouldn't be in the same position the Red Sox are trying to compete with the Yankees? That we should dominate the AL Central each and every season because of our inherent, built-in advantages as the largest media/population market of those five??

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,6904519.story (Sox and economy, KW quotes) http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,7096588.story (Colon deal, KW/Coop quotes) Watch the 4:43 KW video conference http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,4788987.story Spring training facility progress/Reinsdorf tour

I can see it now.....Colon, Garcia, Andruw Jones and Marti (3-4 years)...all for less than the price of ONE year of Garland, Oliver Perez, Wolf or Andy Pettitte. Not bad at all.

If we did sign Colon, Garcia and A. Jones, how are we doing anything differently from what the Red Sox are doing with Baldelli, Saito, Kotsay, Smoltz and Penny? Their moves are somehow brilliant while KW's are an act of desperation and cheapness?

Braden Looper or Yadel Marti would be fine for that role. The Big Hurt...what would you do if you were GM of the White Sox, starting TODAY, to make the organization better? Throw out the past, throw out KW and Wilder, etc. What would you do to create an exemplary organization that you could/would be proud of and wouldn't have to dis every day on the message board, lol?

QUOTE (beautox @ Jan 16, 2009 -> 01:56 AM) i agree, i think Getz has the potential to be a perennial 750+ OPS player. I think at the very least he will have a career like Grudzielanek, and has the potential for a peak longer and less assited than Giles maybe peaking at 20+ HR You realize Mark Grudzielanek has over 2000 career hits? How many major leaguers end up at that level? I don't expect Getz to have that kind of a career....I think he'll be a nice utility player (like a Craig Grebeck) and hit 10-12 homers and give up 15 or so steals with pretty regular player. But Mark was an All-Star caliber player when he came up with DeShields in the Expos organization.

Sep. 29, 2008 - 10:37 a.m. ET According to the Chicago Sun Times, the "best-case scenario" for Jose Contreras' return from a torn Achilles' tendon next season is "late July or early August." The newspaper adds that "even that was doubtful because of the severity of the injury" and speculates that he may have pitched his last game for the White Sox. ''Things are going well mentally, but it isn't something I can rush,'' Contreras said. ''I know it's something that is going to take time.'' Are there any more recent stories anywhere about Contreras' rehab/comeback?

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 01:30 AM) what move did Detroit make that makes them a better team than the Sox? They traded for a mediocre starting pitcher in Edwin Jackson, traded for a so-so catcher, and signed one of the worst offensive shortstops in the game to platoon with a utility guy at SS? And they are suddenly going to finish ahead of the Sox? Consider me confused on that part alone. If Bonderman and/or Dontrelle Willis make the 2009 AL All-Star team, then I'll start to get worried. Who is going to be their closer? Dolsi? Rodney? Zumaya, with one pitch, multiple injuries and possibly psychotic behavior?

There's no doubt that Sheets is the best pitcher left...and that close examination will show minimal difference (probably favoring Sheets) when compared to AJ Burnett's career path. There's no way he would take anything under $10 million, economy be damned. There are too many teams competing for something that's in limited supply...a legit 1-2 starter, when healthy. Nobody else on the board comes close....certainly not Garland, Wolf, Perez or Pettitte. Of those four, I would take Pettitte in a heartbeat...but he already turned down a $10 million, one year deal from the Yankees and he will either retire or go back to the Stros, who don't seem to have any money to spend, which means he'll suck up his pride and sign with NY or retire from baseball. Of all the names left out there, I think KW is looking at the following five... YADEL MARTI GARCIA MULDER PEDRO BRADEN LOOPER (he's supposed to be a sinkerballer, what his FO/GB ratio the last couple of years, would it play in USCF?)

If you're the Blue Jays and Ricciardi, why would you want Orlando Cabrera? For respectability? Unfortunately, their only hope is to deal Halladay, Rios and Vernon Wells and start over from scratch and try the Rays' approach. There's simply no realistic way for them to compete in that division...they have Snider to build around, but there's few teams that would be better off with a total rebuild. Baltimore is already sort of in the process as well, although the Blue Jays have better pitching and the much higher likelihood of being a .500 ballclub, but they're really just jockeying for draft position in 2010. Losing Burnett was the finally tipping point to limit any realistic chance of competing this season. Putting OCab at 2b and to hit #2 would help improve their offense The question is finding a suitable trading partner for Uggla AND whether a team like the Marlins is willing to pay an Orlando Hudson or Orlando Cabrera $6-9 million per season with their budgetary constraints.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 07:08 AM) I might be in a minority here, but I wouldn't mind this. We have an excess of corner OFs, no leadoff hitter, and a massive question mark at 3B. Moving Quentin to RF and Swisher to LF would also be a defensive plus. I also wouldn't mind seeing Kenny give Uribe a two-year deal if the price is right (say, $8 million) to act as sort of an infield super-sub. Defensively, he'd be a great insurance policy. Swisher??? Ummm...he's not on the team anymore. Are you talking about moving Dye to LF? The one problem with trading Konerko is that we don't have anyone to play that position, now that Swisher's gone to NY. It couldn't be Thome, realistically. That would leave either Dye, Fields, Viciedo, Allen and Tyler Flowers as the five best candidates. Probably, as of this ST, the best options (in terms of defensive experience at least) would be Viciedo and Allen, although, in the end, it would have to come down to Viciedo or Fields and multiple prayers. We already have, let's see....Ramirez, Betemit, Lillibridge and Beckham than can play 2B/SS, there's no room in this economy to give Uribe multiple years....or even $4 million for one year. I would much rather devote that $4 million to signing someone like Freddy Garcia, Braden Looper, Mark Mulder or Pedro Martinez than Juan Uribe. I love Juan, he's always going to have a place in our hearts for 04/05/08, but his usefulness to the White Sox is gone, unfortunately. The Betemit and Lillibridge deals sealed his fate.

Almost finished with Slumdog Millionaire. It reminds me of a cross between City of God, Born Into Brothels and Monsoon Wedding...some people take issue with the neat "flashback" accounting for the plot, but it works for me. 3 1/2 stars. By the way, I really really like The Visitor, whose star is Richard Jenkins, Frances McDormand's boss at Hardbodies in Burn After Reading. It's one of those quiet, understated but elegant movies like About Schmidt that kind of just sneak up on you and grab hold of you. Great movie. A little bit like In America mixed with About Schmidt is my description.

The 2007 team was really an underachieving mess at $25 million more. We're not really that far away...just a couple more acquisitions and we'll be able to compete for the division. The teams with the big payrolls like DET came to the same realization and cut back...Minnesota isn't adding anything, really. There's no reason a $115-125 million team is going to be significantly better than a $90-100 million team, it's just that the GM has much less margin for error. Now when you get up to $150 million plus like the Yankees or Red Sox...but even the Red Sox are being careful with their money in this market, as their revenue streams aren't unlimited like the Mets or Yankees in their new stadiums. The White Sox were incredibly efficient in 2005 at $65 million. It's possible, but realistically, that number has to be adjusted up to around $70-80 million unless you have an incredibly productive farm system, which we haven't had over the last decade (or we've used to make trades to shore up weaknesses in the 25 man roster).

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 12:08 AM) Far as I'm concerned, we were lucky and the stars aligned in 2005. Last year barely counts because we won a s*** division. The fact remains that the focus on this team has been shaky and the payroll as well as the players have not been maintained properly. How can you deny that when our roster is less impressive than many others and our youngest players aren't raking in the cash yet? The fact we have this high of a payroll is mind-boggling, and we all know how the organization is with things. Last time I checked, we'd won the AL Central 3 times in the last nine years. Minnesota has 4, Cleveland has 2. Detroit and KC haven't won it once in that time frame. Lucky in 2005? Well, if you call adding Iguchi, El Duque, Vizcaino, Hermanson, Pods and AJ for the price of one Lee or Ordonez lucky, well...no team that wins 99 games is lucky. That's not the way baseball works. We went 11-1 in the post-season. It wasn't even close. If you want to talk about luck or fortune, talk about the 06 Cardinals or the Marlins getting in as Wild Card teams and getting hot and having dominant pitching. Lest we forget, the 2006 team was 26 games over .500 at the All-Star Break. Was that also luck? What changed? Did we get unlucky? Well, yes...the best pitcher in baseball at that time (Contreras) went down and the pitching staff (especially the starting rotation) started to fade, and Jenks also got hurt. 99-63=2005 11-1=post-season 57-31=first half 2006 167-95...that's LUCKY??? Your what hurts? Ozzie Guillen has always done better than his statistical/Pythagorean averages would indicate...so we're either lucky, have talent or Guillen is a good manager/motivator/counselor? Which one? Didn't KW hire Ozzie? Was that luck, too? Or good judgment? What's the difference? Can't you also argue 2007 was terribly unlucky, or 2001? That goes with the "lucky" 2000 White Sox, right? Once again, I'm not understanding the logic of why it's BAD that Danks, Floyd, Ramirez and Quentin are all cheap/young/affordable? KW was "lucky" for signing Alexei to perhaps the best "bargain" contract in the history of recent baseball? What do you mean, "taking care of their players"? What players haven't the White Sox taken care of? Specific examples! The Thome contract locked in, we had no choice with that...unless we wanted to lose a grievance with the Player's Association. And he wasn't a bad deal at all for $9 million...everyone keeps forgetting the payroll number and what he actually makes aren't one and the same... So we're left with which complaints? Linebrink/Dotel? Did you see our bullpen in late 06 and all of 2007? It would have been insane NOT to make changes and spend money there, it was the only logical thing for KW to do. Contreras? Konerko? MacDougal? Those are the only contracts you can argue about. Show me one upper-echelon team in baseball that doesn't have at least one player with a "questionable" long-term/big money deal...one team that's been completely healthy the last 2 years, and one team without a player who had to be released/traded/DFA'ed/outrighted due to poor performance??? JUST NAME ONE, PLEASE. This I want to read...I will stay up waiting for your response.

Guess I was wrong...should have looked it up. That makes it very unlikely that he ends up there...Oakland seems like a better fit. With Giambi, Holliday and adding Cabrera, they might actually be able to win the AL West, although I would still pick the Angels going into the season because of their pitching.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 11:28 PM) That's gotta be a fantastic paradox, considering everyone in that movie is 225 and ripped. Although Colon would be a great actor in this role... But wasn't part of those Joe Six-Pack/washboard abs CGI-affects or digital enhancement? I mean, I know Gerard Butler is in very good shape, but c'mon.

Chow Yun Fat? Even funnier name tie-in...the "chow/buffet" line and Colon, they'll have to increase the budget handsomely. At least that will only affect us adversely for 81 games...the other teams can share in the joy of our depreciating asset who's appreciating in weight.

What I found interesting was all the "racist" humor and jokes between Farrell, Fiennes and the midget (who's been in quite a few movies I've seen, a couple of very good ones, in fact). Especially the Fiennes one about bringing an Uzi to South Central to do a drive by and kill 10...but Farrell had a line I was shocked by, about a "black retarded woman on a teeter-totter" that I had to play again to make sure I heard right. Then all the banter back and forth about a race war between the world and midgets/dwarves! The irony is that many of Colin Farrell's girlfriends have been black, maybe that's why he felt more comfortable with the humor. Yes, Michael Collins was Liam Neeson, decent movie from the past. Has anyone seen JCVD (Jean Claude Van Damme)??? Looks really hilarious. What about "When the Levee Broke" about Hurricane Katrina or Taxi to the Darkside?

Another thing about Colon, I never saw a pitcher with the White Sox who was able to elevate his fastball from 90-94 in the early innings to 95-98 (with nasty movement) in the late innings of a game. If his arm/shoulder/elbow are structurally sound, I much prefer the gamble of getting him into shape/motivated (cue more Ozzie jokes about Colon and Viciedo in ST) than the far riskier gamble/s on the likes of Smoltz, Penny, Benson, Pedro, Garcia, Pavano, etc.

"We'd have to sit down and have a discussion," said Wade. "Where we are right now, our payroll is $107 million. Last year, we finished around $98 million. We're really up against our number at 107, and it's a number, quite frankly, that the revenues don't support." Wade followed with a bit of a disclaimer: "Circumstances can change. We can see if we can create more flexibility to make it happen, but right now, the feeling is the group we've committed to at this point is the group we'll go with, with 99 percent certainty." Sounds like the GM's and owners all have the same PR agent/soundtrack this offseason. Rumors of Orlando Cabrera to the Marlins, probably to play 2B (yeah, that Ramirez kid can play a little SS). I guess that would move our pick down...although the Marlins are pretty close to the middle of the pack, I guess we'd get first round supplemental and then 2nd round. Chone Figgins agrees to arbitration on a one year deal for $5.7 million with the Angels. Still not seeing a Dye trade there, but potentially Paulie if they feel Morales isn't the answer.