29andPoplar

I understand this situation differently but could be wrong on this. My understanding is they have until one week before the Rule 5 draft to add him to the 40 man and in the interim he's still under their control, despite certain media listing him as a minor league FA. Regier said they were evaluating whether or not to put him on the 40.

You nailed it on the head, and something like this is what I see happening. I also agree that if something big doesn't happen by the end of the winter meetings, it means some or most of KW's plans fell through. In fact I am a bit surprised some move hasn't happened already, be it large or small.

And you know what, that's ok with me. The LAA are an obvious destination but the White Sox and Angels never seem to get anything done on the trade front. Always rumors, nothing ever happens. But I think there are a number of teams who'd be quite interested in Paul Konerko, probably more than any of us believe.

Yes and you're not the only one puzzled. The picture isn't clear at all. As I mentioned they've said they want better speed, better contact hitters, and better on base guys, adding them to the sluggers in the middle. That's all well and good but the question stands, where are those guys? Who has them and who is willing to part with them? Seems to me lots of teams are looking for the same thing. Also it is fair to assume Williams will trade pitching but I also believe he will get pitching in return, possibly for some other assets. He likes to tweak the pitching staff every winter and this staff needs more than a tweak. One thing for sure, and they have said it without actually saying it, the team needs a jolt of energy. Maybe that comes from a sparkplug player or two and I think you will see them try very hard to bring in guys who are known for having good at bats.

It iwll be interesting to see what Williams does. Not many rumors out there involving the White Sox and they need a couple of OF's. Seems they want speed, contact hitters, and on base guys. Not too many players in baseball fit all three categories, as mentioned above Juan Pierre fits two but not three. Not many of the free agents are a perfect fit either. It's right at Thanksgiving, this is usually the time Williams kicks into action. The most interesting comment he's made is he knows which teams the Sox match up with trade wise. This year more than ever though, any trades he makes should be judged in the overall picture, I believe there will be a domino effect as some moves may take much longer to consumate. I do not think we will have a clear picture of the 2008 team until late January.

Yes he was, my mistake. Mark Loretta in the OF? I don't think so.

He can? 2B I agree with. SS, 2B, OF? I don't think Iguchi has ever played OF. Very little if any 3B, and he hasn't played SS since Japan, when they moved him over to 2B due to his arm. I don't know, that doesn't scream utility player to me. They are probably better off with a cheap utility player (Bourgeois?) who can play IF and OF, in addition to Ozuna who may be in the plans for 2B. In an ideal world, Loretta, because he can play a few IF positions and can hit, but I've seen no indication the White Sox are interested in him, nor vice versa.

Boyer does a great job explaining, in a nutshell, who decides on the broadcasters. Farmer and Singleton are employed by WSCR but Boyer says it's wrong to say one person makes the decisions, it's the Sox people and the Score people and I'm sure there are others with input as well, like MLB people for instance. I would imagine it works the same way with Harrelson and DJ. I also agree with Steff who states it's important to underscore the broadcasters aren't paid by the Sox. Which is why I wanted to emphasize the "sell the White Sox experience" part of the broadcasters job description. Just as lots of people have input into which broadcasters do the games, there are undoubtedly numerous parties who want the broadcasters to "sell the White Sox experience". Namely, the White Sox, WSCR, Comcast, WGN, the advertisers, the Stadium Authority, MLB, etc. etc.

Great interview, and as mentioned above Boyer is very candid and forthcoming. Obviously this is not a "critique the broadcasters" thread (it seems like the game threads are for that purpose). But these comments were of particular interest to me: * What's your take on Ed Farmer as a play-by-play man on the radio? Boyer: With what we ultimately want, we want it to be more of a conversation, where you don't have that straight play-by-play man, he's doing what we want him to do. He does drift. He can talk about St. Rita [High School in Chicago]. He can talk about my [Fighting] Irish. He can talk about golf. Sometimes, these guys forget to tell you what the score is, and we talk about that. But they aren't under any strict format, from A to B to C to D, which we have outlined. We want to make this a White Sox broadcast for a White Sox fan to listen. They know the score. They know what's going on. They feel like they are there, they are at the ballpark. They hear the picture being painted. But we've got to be quicker. There are times on the broadcast where you will here the crack of the bat, the crowd reaction and then it's explained. So, I think we are going to work on our delivery. That's not just Ed. That's also Chris. * Boyer correctly explained Singleton had a long way to go and still has a long way to go. In my opinion he's made strides but he's still very raw. As for Farmer, I'm glad Boyer recognizes he "drifts" and there's a need to be quicker and work on his delivery (also pertains to Singleton). Farmer "drifts" every single broadcast. I'm glad Boyer is emphasizing this is a White Sox broadcast for White Sox fans. This is not a "my golf game" broadcast or a "what's new with Notre Dame" broadcast. I can understand they want the broadcasts to be conversational and not rigid. That's fine. But I think Boyer needs to specifically explain to Farmer and Singleton what that means, if Boyer himself can define what it means. A "conversation" to Farmer means talking over everyone and going on about Notre Dame, St. Rita, and golf. Bottom line if they don't structure it more for Farmer, he'll continue to "drift" as Boyer puts it. Also, not surprising to see Boyer say one of the three top priorities in the broadcast is to sell the White Sox experience. Basically then, it's part of these broadcasters jobs to be salesmen for the product. That means selling the ballpark, the players, the team, the manager, the game day experience, everything. It's in their job decription and they are evaluated on selling the White Sox experience. For those who criticize the broadcasters for being "homers" well there you have it ... it's in their job decription. The "homer" criticism should in reality be directed toward both the White Sox and the media outlet (radio/TV station).

The latest on the spring training scene: - Rockies have approached Tucson officials asking for huge improvements to Hi Corbett Stadium (which needs it). Goodyear AZ has approached the Rockies about moving in the new facility in 2009, partnering with Cleveland. - White Sox continuing to say they will find a replacement team for the Tucson market in order to move to Glendale for 2009 without incurring a lease penalty. - Cincinnati Reds have their referendum request for ballpark improvements voted down. Their future in Sarasota is now in doubt. Arizona Sport Commission is trying to steer the Reds to Tucson but barriers exist, namely the lack of direct flights from Cincinnati to Tucson. The only other team with a seemingly shaky Florida situation is Baltimore, who have had trouble working with Ft. Lauderdale officials to get improvements. Baltimore makes little sense for an Arizona move. At one of last years games at Hi Corbett in Tucson, questionaires were given to fans, asking about other teams they'd like to see in Tucson. Cincinnati, Minnesota, St. Louis were three of four teams mentioned. Twins and Cardinals seem to have very solid lease arrangements in Florida. - Diamondbacks are now saying they need to keep their options open regarding staying in Tucson, indicating if the Rockies move, they'll need to move as well. - Casa Grande AZ, in between Phoenix and Tucson, is again pushing to build a spring training facility. - Meanwhile in Glendale, ground has broken on the new Dodgers/White Sox complex. They are a bit behind schedule and have an extremely tight timeframe to get everything done in time for late Feb. '09. The handwriting appears to be on the wall for spring baseball in Tucson. My guess is within the next 3-5 years all the teams will be in the greater Phoenix area, which is probably just as well.

Agree. A few other teams are in on him too but it appears the Cubs are pushing the hardest.

Yes, me too. Fukudome is supposedly evaluating whether to stay in Japan or come over. If he's as advertised he'd be a great fit for the White Sox. I have long sensed, and stated, that I believe the Sox will be active in Japan this winter. As another poster mentioned he would be a fit in LF but no one knows if he wants to play LF. His experience is in RF and somewhat in CF so there is a question of whether he would want to not only change cultures but positions too.

Watch the Cubs land Fukudome for RF now. They are drooling over his on base skills.

Yes, and not sure why this guarantees Uribe will be the starting SS, or even back with the team. Despite his shortcomings and oversizedness he is still an asset, he's not a player they'd just cut loose for nothing. As you state it's early Nov. I'm as impatient as the next person but this is how it works every offseason.

Williams was quoted in todays paper that things will not fall into place quickly this year. He said the Sox will need to see how the whole FA market shakes out. Once those dominos fall it opens up the trade market to a greater extent. Yes, teams will make trades before all the FA's are signed and I expect the White Sox will be included. I do suspect though that their "plan" won't show its true colors until late January. Unfortunately, it will take time IMO.

Correct. All this means is they have a signed player for 2008 for $4.5M. They could turn around and trade him tomorrow. Even if they talk to the press and say "we think Juan will do better, lose weight, hit better" it means nothing. If nothing else materializes, they have him at SS. But clearly they are unhappy with him. Doing this just gives them a bit more leverage in any talks they're having about other shortstops.

Well they didn't match up with the Braves (see your 100% accurate farm system comments). Unfortunately the SS market looks rather thin. There are red flags with most who are available, and the good young ones under control are guys teams want to keep or would cost a ton in talent. As a result sometimes teams have to look at incremental improvements. Just to focus on Wilson for a second. I would say he's an upgrade over Uribe. If he can be had in exchange for some non essential pieces, it's worth it. They have the money and the extra $1.5M in 2008 plus the 2009 guaranteed+buyout won't hamstring them. Also as you say, re-doing the bench is critical.

It really depends what kind of hitter you want from that spot as well. If you want the guy who can provide more pop, Greene is your guy. A lot of those doubles would likely be HR's at the Cell. However, the K's stick out to me, and with Guillen wanting to reduce K's in the lineup ... Wilson does a lot better in that dept. I like the higher average hitters who get their bat on the ball, but what I think doesn't matter. What matters is what type of fit the White Sox want. It is becoming clear they want the anti-Uribe in terms of plate performance. No pun intended. I believe Greene is the better defensive player, just from my own eyes. Although I feel Greene would cost more to get vs. Wilson.

How do you figure Greene is a significantly better hitter than Wilson? I'm not a huge stats guy, but Wilson is a career .269 hitter, trending up. Greene is .254 for his career. Their walk rate is basically the same. Greene strikes out a ton more than Wilson. Their career on base % is identical.

Sorry, forgot to add, they had a sound byte of KW from the meetings, talking about the SS situation. He said "we don't know what we're going to do yet" on Uribe's option. Said the Sox are looking at SS, and every position for that matter, and determining if they can upgrade. I thought I'd seen him quoted as saying they knew what they were going to do with Uribe's option.

Score 3 pm update says KW is trying to peddle Crede.

Yes, this seems to come up every winter and every trade deadline doesn't it. The White Sox would (likely) have to overwhelm the Rays to get Crawford and as you suggest I'm not sure they match up. Baldelli might be easier to get now, but there are huge red flags with Rocco (staying healthy for one).

That's true. Stepping back and looking at it, there's good and bad. The good side is, it's almost always a very good idea to trade a prospect for a major leaguer who can contribute, which is what most of those guys were dealt for. Similarly it's a good idea to trade a prospect you may have soured on (within the organization) to another team that still feels they'll make the big leagues. The downside is when the prospect you trade blossoms, obviously. The other downside is what the White Sox face. When you don't have enough impact prospects, not only does it limit your trade options, it also limits filling holes on your team and often causes you to do things you don't want to, personnel wise. There was a comment by the minor league guy recently who said it's their goal to give Williams a list of 6 guys every year that can be used in trades, and another list of guys who they should keep and not trade. The bad PR comes in when you trade a prospect that blossoms elsewhere. What is just as bad in my opinion are the things fans don't hear, and that's the guys you decided to NOT trade who never make it. The list of those regrets is likely quite long - for every team in MLB. But we will never know.

It's not all about stats. Productive at bats are important and Mackowiak was good at that.

This is the second post of mine you've reponded to with profanity. Please don't do that or don't respond to my posts. Thanks. It's not necessary to make your point to me. Here is why Anderson was a detriment to repeating as a winner. Bad hitting, at the very least very inconsistent, the entire year. Bad at bats. Failure to execute at the plate. Not working hard enough to learn and overcome his shortcomings. All of which probably do not resonate with you as you are clearly in Brian's corner and are insisting he was wronged. That's fine to believe that. I though will believe those close to the team who have always told me good information. I have no quarrel with what you believe. I believe something completely different and have stated my reasons for believing those things. Mackowiak was a better bat and the plan all along was to get him in there to shield Anderson from certain tough pitchers. It was not as if he was suddenly inserted in the lineup as soon as Anderson started hitting better. It was the plan all along. Should they have had a better CF candidate, absolutely yes. One could argue Mackowiak helped with the bat as much as he hurt defensively, but why get into that debate? You will have your pro-Anderson stance and I will have my Anderson is not a good player stance. As for Anderson's defense we will disagree on that too. Better than amazing is not how I would phrase it. Well above average with several things to get better at, like consistency on cutoff throws, technique on jumps, and learning the hitters. Certainly he is much better defensively than at the plate, there is no question of that. Also to suggest the manager would have left Anderson out there if he really wanted to repeat as a winner, implying he was making a point and that point was more important than winning, well, that's not Guillen. Not in the slightest. Personally I think this has gone long enough. You have your take on it and I have mine. I indicated I was done participating and feel badly I have added this post. I felt it was necessary based on what I stated at the beginning of this post.