ILMOU

QUOTE (knightni @ Aug 10, 2009 -> 05:33 PM) Perhaps if Dye could still play in the OF he wouldn't need to be so shocked. Agreed. There's bound to be some ruffled feathers, but JD has to man up.

Carter. Looks like he's putting it all together now.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 10, 2009 -> 03:12 PM) You don't bench Pods, but everyone gets extra time off. This.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Aug 10, 2009 -> 01:27 PM) My guess is KW wants the player, is willing to give up some players, but no one that he has any significant plans in the organization for. And it is true that if KW doesn't get Rios, he is in no different position than he was prior to the claim. However, he has lost an opportunity to acquire a player that could significantly improve the future of his club. Is it worth losing that player over a few middling prospects? I sure hope not. But that is the pressure he is feeling. Agreed. We've all heard enough about the gaping hole in CF for four seasons now. We can put it to bed tomorrow - oh happy day!

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 10, 2009 -> 10:51 AM) If KW is able to do that he'll do it. It's going to be largely up to Riccardi and the Blue Jays Ownership to decide how desperate they are to shed salary though. If they actually want a substantial return, then KW can and should just sit on his hands. It just depends of the definition of substantial, doesn't it?

QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Aug 10, 2009 -> 11:44 AM) I hope Dye but I'm going to predict we see Thome. Simply because it'll be a cheaper signing. Cheaper, and it will only need to be 1 year. Dye will look for two, though may not get it, especially if he thinks he's still an OF. His option's too expensive for a DH. I don't see us getting Figgins, if we have Rios tomorrow at this time. 2010 Pods LF Rios CF Beckham 3B Thome Q RF Paulie 1B AJP C Ramirez SS Getz 2B

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 10, 2009 -> 10:10 AM) Except Fields would have to clear waivers to be part of a deal, and there's no reason to think he'd even make it to Toronto. The Padres or Orioles or Royals or someone like that would be happy to grab him for nothing. Good point. Then someone else besides Josh instead. I want the Rios deal done because I look at where we'll be this offseason (still needing a CF and a significant upgrade to the OF defense) and I think Rios is the best alternative. Crawford is a pipedream, and we may be outbid on Figgins, or his acquisition may otherwise require a compromise such as a contract longer than his projected usefulness. Who knows that Rios won't be attractive to a team like the Yankees or Mets this offseason? - teams that won't be bothered so much by his contract. Now is a unique opportunity for acquiring CF stability, without losing major prospects or high draft picks. Get it done!

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 10:30 PM) Can you confirm to me via PM? I promise I won't tell anyone... And even if it isn't the Jays I just hope he gets traded so the book can be finally closed on all those bad drafts and poor development projects. McCulloch + Fields to the Jays would be perfect. Yes it would.

QUOTE (League @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 04:28 PM) Eh. Maybe replace Ely with Leesman. I don't want to give that guy up, he really knows how to pitch. OK, I hear ya'll. My point is that we should get him, and if we can get cash by adding prospects for Rios, all the better. When I think about the offseason as an alternative time to fill the CF void, I can't imagine that we'd fare any better, or for a better player. This is a unique opportunity for a serious upgrade and we hold exclusive negotiating rights only temporarily.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 04:12 PM) There is no way Riccardi botches this oppurtunity to clear that much payroll. Esspecially after the Halladay embaresment. I'm guessing Rios will come here for 2 middle level prospects. Get this done KW!! Finally a CF who could play solid defense and actually hit the ball!! Oh how we've been craving this for far too long. . . Retherford, Shelby and Ely or Shirek. I don't want to part with Morel, but he'd be the limit as far as I would go in giving up quality. Several others are untouchable in this instance, clearly.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 04:06 PM) Based on his first AAA start...not yet. He had bad starts early at high A and AA, IIRC, before a quick turnaround to studliness. But I'd like to see another AAA start from him before consideration for pitching on the 18th.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 03:53 PM) Yep, more of the same from CBS. Confirmation of the rumor, link to the White Sox, but nothing substantial. It does say, however, that the Jays would pull him back if the White Sox fail to offer enough for him. Which I believe to be too absurdly stupid to be true. “Blue Jays outfielder Alex Rios, who is guaranteed nearly $60 million over the next five years, was claimed last week, two baseball sources confirmed to CBSSports.com. One source said that the claiming team is the White Sox. While the Blue Jays could simply let the claim go through and offload Rios' contract, it's believed that they keep Rios if the White Sox don't offer them enough in return. The teams had 48 hours to make a deal, a time period that is believed to run through Monday.” http://danny-knobler.blogs.cbssports.com/m...e=rss_blogs_MLB Sounds like Ricciardi may be posturing again (perhaps overplaying his hand, again), when in fact he could have marching orders from ownership to launch Rios' contract yesterday. Make him look stupid, Kenny, but get your man!

QUOTE (flavum @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 01:40 PM) Hudson is done. Better luck next time. Well I think his early starts at W-S and B'Ham weren't great and he immediately turned it around, so I'm not going to worry so much. Perhaps he knew he was auditioning for the big leagues in his next start, which he WAS, with Torres and now Count peeing their pants respectively. I think I'd like to see Torres ONE more time. He had a full 6 days rest last night (hadn't pitched since Saturday the 1st) and was perhaps a bit too rested, which could have contributed to all the high pitches early in the game, and the general wildness and overthrowing that seemed to be evident.

QUOTE (EvilJester99 @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 01:30 PM) Given this game isn't over by a long stretch... its a great day to mash. We may still win today, but I'm much more worried than I was yesterday at this time. It's time to DL Count again, but Torres wet the bed yesterday, and Huddy's getting lit up in his first start at AAA. Our 4th-5th starter options don't look so good all of a sudden, and Peavy can't get here soon enough.

I'm definitely done with the Count, but given his stature, I fear we'll let him screw our chances in several more games before he's pulled from the rotation.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 12:42 PM) Jim Thome has been washed up 1000 times on this board since he's been a White Sox. That's a conservative figure. People can't wait until he's gone. He didn't get anywhere near the love a washed up Ken Griffey Jr. got when he became a White Sox. I agree with you wholeheartedly, DA. Thome has been vastly underappreciated by the fans on this board particularly. I, for one, believe that Thome makes more sense to bring back next year, due to left-handedness, cost, and the length of contract he'll seek (1 year). Jimmy has already had his big paydays and will be far more likely, IMO, to give a big home-town discount so he can stay here at hit #600. Dye knows that this will be his last chance at a relatively big deal, and God knows I've seen enough of him in RF this year.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 9, 2009 -> 08:21 AM) Thome would probably be cheaper, and this year he has 3 less homers but more RBI in 82 less AB. He has a higher OPS, neither are getting any younger. BTW, throw out Thome's last year in Philadelphia when he was injured, and he's only had 1 season since 1993 with an OPS less than Dye's current .867. That was last season when it was .865. Considering what kind of guy Thome is, its amazing how little he has been appreciated relatively speaking since joining the White Sox. His 3 seasons before this one, were the 3 highest homer seasons for a LH hitter in franchise history. Ventura is tied with Thome's 34 total of 2008. He gets on base, has had some huge hits, doesn't say anything stupid and is heading to the HOF. Dye might outproduce him the next couple of years, but the difference in probable paychecks and not knowing how Dye would adjust to being a DH or even if it was something he would be a party to, makes the decision pretty easy. This. He's the anti-BA.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 11:23 AM) Ricciardi can say, think, or demand whatever he wants. The real decision is going to come from ownership. If ownership will allow Ricciardi to chance a better package over the offseason then fine, but if ownership wants that contract gone NOW while they have the chance, then Rios is ours. This is NOT simply Ricciardi's decision. This is a good and true point. There's a chance the guy is on thin ice anyway, so I don't see him making a stand against ownership if they wish Rios' contract gone.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxfan1986 @ Aug 7, 2009 -> 03:23 PM) Smoltz is finished. It's a shame he couldn't have just retired after last season. Kind of a sad way to go out, if this is indeed the end. Hate the Ped Sox, but I've always liked Smoltzy.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 8, 2009 -> 10:11 AM) Well, he can get out of the Rios contract if he wishes right here, and if not trading the best pitcher in baseball makes you a bad GM, it may be one of the more difficult jobs ever created. The Wells deal was bad, but every GM has given bad contracts. Maybe not 9 figures bad, but as I said earlier, if Toronto was in the AL Central, they would be right in the race right now, if not out in front. You defend of a GM with Ricciardi's spotty record, while you find room to constantly criticize the far more successful KW. Curious.

QUOTE (SockMe @ Aug 7, 2009 -> 03:19 PM) ill be there, im excited to see Carlos pitch Glad it's Carlos and not Carrasco, and especially not Whisler. Nothing against DJ, but I have a lot of curiosity about Torres, and I want Oz's bullpen options intact. Should be fun.

QUOTE (Rooftop Shots @ Aug 6, 2009 -> 09:14 PM) Well guys, I read all of your posts, and I have a theory. Here's why I believe that Pods has a better chance of staying healthy, and could still be very productive. When he first got injured in 05' he was with the playmate. Obviously his body couldn't take the stress of the daily grind of baseball along with all of the "Extra-curricular Activities" that was going on outside of the baseball field with "Queen Hotsy-Totsy!. His body finally breaks down. Then.....After a couple of years of barely playing baseball.......his body gets a chance to heal and get rejuvenated. Now...........he just had his first kid. Can no longer have any "Outside Action" going on anymore. Mommy is too busy and very tired from taking care of the kid while daddy is away. Daddy also has a new responsibility...so he has to make sure he stays healthy to earn money to support the family. No more "nooky-nooky!" Daddy HAS TO remain a working man! So now, his total concentration is back on baseball, and he should stay healthy. There! How's that for some outlandish backwards twisted Neanderthal philosophy! (But.............you wonder if any part of it really could be a factor!!) Love this post. It's the "nookie regression" theory. Baseball Reference needs to do a study compoaring a players stats between the time of marriage and wife's 1st pregnancy, and compare it to their overall stats.

I didn't know Honus was available. I've got extra rookie cards if anybody wants 'em. Handsome kid.

let em off the hook big time right there. Danks has to shut em down now.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 6, 2009 -> 10:44 AM) White Sox, 26th in MLB Fielding Percentage at .980. 3rd in total errors committed (leading the entire American League), with 82, trailing only: 1. Washington Nationals, 98 2. Arizona Diamondbacks, 88 Besides moving Dye to DH, where can we get improvement in this area? Signing a leadoff hitter who can play CF at a high level? Keeping Beckham at 3B, Ramirez at SS and Nix/Getz at 2B? Or moving Beckham to 2B, leaving Ramirez at SS with Nix and/or Getz traded and a veteran 3B brought in (along the lines of Herbert Perry in 2000)? Are we sure we wouldn't be better off with Nix playing more against RHP than he has been, because of the clear advantage he provides defensively over Getz? How much can Getz improve defensively? Finally, with Fields and Viciedo defensively-challenged, dare we come into the season with either one of those players pencilled in as the starter in 2010, if they did make the internal decision to move Gordon over to second? Fields will hopefully be gone, and I'm figuring 2011 for Dayan's and Mitchell's arrival. I'm up for getting a stopgap 3B, or a CF that is a big upgrade defensively. I think we're stuck with Pods in left for 2010.