Buehrlesque

QUOTE (flavum @ Feb 24, 2015 -> 11:09 AM) It's a small sample no matter what. Making the World Series the only best-of-7 makes it more prestigious. And in my opinion, get winning, or go home. I see your point (and I feel like we talked about this before!) but that just feels like too much of an F.U. to the regular season. 154 games and best-of-7 series wouldn't suddenly restore order to the world, but it's at least a little better.

QUOTE (flavum @ Feb 24, 2015 -> 11:02 AM) I'd start the season on a Thursday, and end the season on a Wednesday night with 15 games being played simultaneously. Postseason: Play-In Wildcard Game Division Series and LCS both best-of-5, and World Series best-of-7 Game 7 of the World Series 28 days after the end of the season. Too short! What's the point of playing a marathon 162-game season if the far-more-prestigious playoff winner is only determined after 3 wins?

QUOTE (thegringokid @ Feb 24, 2015 -> 10:46 AM) As the article states, most fulltime players averaged 150 games a year so there is that. And cutting the number of starts from an average of 32-33 to 30-31 might reduce the load on SP's? Dunno, just thinking of obvious benefits. But if the cut in games means a cut in regular season revenue then I see that as a non-starter, unless they expand playoffs by one round?? Think that make even less sense doesn't it? They don't have to expand the number of playoff rounds, just the amount of games in each playoff series. Baseball playoffs are always going to be like a crapshoot, but this would make each round at least a little more representative and "fair." MLB could stand the reduced revenue of losing on week of the regular season if it meant more relevant games, healthier players and better playoffs. The sport becomes better overall in every way.

Whatever happened to Myles Jaye?

QUOTE (AlSoxfan @ Feb 11, 2015 -> 06:55 PM) I tend to agree with you. It might of been Sandoval or another 3rd baseman but I think it was a catcher with Castro the most likely. Of course it might also of been an outfielder who was traded elsewhere and then we picked up Melky afterwords. It would be interesting to know for sure what could of been. Castro and Grandal are the obvious guesses, but I think it was an OF. Jay Bruce or Justin Upton are my guesses.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 11:25 AM) For the record, I don't think the Sox can put together a package that the Rays would accept without Rodon being involved, merely that they'd consider a package of Montas, Anderson, and Danish as the center pieces if Montas and/or Danish take a big step forward early in the year. It all depends on what other teams are involved, and who they are offering and who they're keeping off the table (and if the Rays decide to shop Longoria). Anderson plus the two most "helium at the moment" of Montas, Danish and Adams is at least a starter.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 9, 2015 -> 11:39 AM) At this point, that's a minor problem with the Sox current roster construction. At this point, it's safe to assume that the Sox will carry 12 pitchers. Here's what we're looking at otherwise (these names matter a little less, as some could change) C - Flowers 1B - Abreu 2B - Sanchez SS - Ramirez 3B - Gillaspie LF - Cabrera CF - Eaton RF - Garcia DH - LaRoche C - Brantly IF - Beckham IF/OF - Bonifacio There's one remaining roster spot. In theory, that could go to a guy like Quentin, but $8 million for a bench player with no real acceptable tool other than an ability to hit the ball hard is rather expensive even if you could get him for free player wise. I will agree with the contention that I wouldn't hate the move, but I wouldn't be particularly satisfied with it either. Ultimately, Michael Taylor may fill that role at a level slightly less than what Quentin would at a fraction of the cost. Regarding an injury putting the Sox in a dire position, you can say that about quite a few teams, but the Sox don't have a lot of high ceiling talent in the upper minors either, which also hurts. No one in their right mind would take Quentin at $8 mil. San Diego would have to pony up half that to make it even worth considering. (And why wouldn't they? They have Kemp-Myers-Upton-Venable ahead of him.) Michael Taylor is just not very good, and the Sox lack of position prospects in the upper minors is the very issue. Quentin specifically may or may not be the guy, but the Sox should be looking for someone with that kind of profile for that last roster spot, either now, in Spring Training, or before the trade deadline.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 9, 2015 -> 11:00 AM) There's an $8 million price tag that makes it incredibly unlikely, as well as his tendency to get injured and inability to really play the field at all. Plus I think there will be a team with a relatively full time opening come up at DH that will take a shot on him because he's still good against both RHP and LHP. If he could play 1B - it's not that hard, tell him Wash - it would make a bit more sense. The problem right now is that the spots he'd play - LF, RF, 1B, and DH - are probably 4 of the 5 most solid spots on the entire team. Quentin would be an extreme luxury at this point for the Sox and I don't think it's something that ultimately makes sense. I agree that, at this point, Quentin is a luxury item, but finding someone to take LaRoche's at bats against lefties is still worth looking into. Besides, the Sox are one corner OF injury away from that luxury turning into an all-caps, blinking red NEED.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Feb 4, 2015 -> 08:40 AM) I'll guess Shields gets 3/54M with a 4th year option that vests based upon IP making it a potential 4/72M. I think the Yanks come in a sign Shields. That contract would be a steal. I had been wonder if anyone might be tempted to do something like 3/66M — short years but high AAV — but I think he'll ultimately get that 4/80M from the Yanks, Cards or Tigers. The Padres seem to want a frontline starter; they should give up trying to pry Hamels from crazy Amaro and just plunk down the bucks for Shields — he'd fit well in that stadium anyway.

QUOTE (GREEDY @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 02:40 PM) Except he is essentially the same player you jut dfa'd, but without the lotto ticket upside and for double the money. Quentin is a surer bet than and clear upgrade from Viciedo. He's making $8 mil in 2015, much of which I'm sure the Padres would eat, making the money about the same as Viciedo.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 02:22 PM) Mrs. Hickory Huskers wholly approves of the reacquisition of Gordon Beckham and is really hoping that Carlos Quentin gets added as well. Crazy as it sounds, you could actually argue that Quentin makes some sense for this team right now!

I didn't really like Viciedo, but the Sox are dangerously low on corner OFs with any hitting ability. If Avisail gets hurt or just stinks, there is no back up plan at all. Meanwhile, between Sanchez, Johnson, Saladino, Leury, Bonafacio and now Beckham, we have six potential 2B. It's a little strange.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 09:49 AM) I'd make the regular season 26 weeks (which it is), starting on Thursday and ending on Wednesday. That year a few years ago was cool when the regular season ended on Wednesday night. Then Game 7 of the World Series exactly 4 weeks from the end of the regular season. Baseball for 30 weeks is good enough. Opening Day- Final Day- WS Game 7 March 29-September 26-October 24 March 30-September 27-October 25 March 31-September 28-October 26 April 1- September 29-October 27 April 2-September 30-October 28 April 3-October 1-October 29 April 4-October 2-October 30 I'd rather have regular season games in March than World Series games on Halloween or later. My layout would go: Opening Day: Monday, April 6. Final Day: Friday, Sept. 18 (24 weeks, 148 or 150 games) Tiebreakers and Wildcard game over the weekend LDS: Best of 7: starts (week of) Tue. Sept. 22 LCS: Best of 7: starts ~ Oct. 1. WS: Best of 7: starts ~ Oct. 12, ends no later than Oct. 24.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 09:10 AM) Personally, I like 162. No matter what the postseason series is, it's a small sample. I like the one game play-in, and then make the LDS and LCS both best-of-5, and the World Series best-of-7. It would tighten up the postseason more. When a team clinches the LCS early and they have to wait 5-6 days before the World Series, it takes a lot of momentum away. The World Series will go into November this year, and that's got to stop. I completely agree about stopping the WS from going into November. But I take the opposite side on tightening up the season vs. the postseason. I think the biggest momentum killer is clinching your division in August and then just waiting around forever for the playoffs, which could be over in three games. 90+ win teams deserve more of a buffer in the early part of the playoffs that a best-of-5 just doesn't provide.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 08:48 AM) Yes, and that's something that could work if they reduced the LCSs to best-of-5. Start the best-of-9 WS in a neutral site on a weekend. Gm 1- Neutral site (AL team home) Gm 2- Neutral site (NL team home) Gm 3- NL city (or whoever lost the All Star Game if that still applies) Tuesday off Gm 4- AL city Gm 5- AL city Friday off Gm 6- NL city Gm 7- NL city Monday off Gm 8- AL city Gm 9- AL city Or just chopped a week or two off the regular season and made the first two playoff rounds best-of-7.

Boras has brought up this plan before. The season (less games), playoffs (first round best-of-7 instead of 5) and World Series (games starting earlier so people are awake to watch them end) need a bunch of improvements, but a neutral site WS isn't one of them. IIRC, Boras once recommended a best-of-9 WS as well. Weird as that would be, I would actually consider that.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 26, 2015 -> 01:30 PM) An interesting idea thrown out there was forcing relievers to face a minimum of two hitters per appearance. First of all, that would speed the game up some, instead of having a pitching change every batter. Secondly, that could help decrease strikeouts. With all these specialists whose only job is to face one batter, they have become very good at striking that batter out. If a LOOGY also had to face a RHB when you brought him in, that would change a lot. I heard this idea before and I actually like it a lot. Much better than banning the shift or lowering the mound or any of that.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jan 26, 2015 -> 11:01 AM) I'm not a fan of the idea . . . but something to think about This is like telling pitchers they don't have to hit and hire someone to hit for them who doesn't have to play the field. Well now that we sound like a bunch of NL fans . . . I like a commissioner that will consider anything, it doesn't mean it will actually make the rules book. Parallels I see are we have off-sides in hockey and soccer. My guess the idea springs from a desire to see more scoring, the same tree that brought us the fruit of the DH. For the same reason we like the DH others would like the no shift rule. How about no intentional walks? Four consecutive pitches outside the strike zone results in a two base walk. This is the way I look at it too. I am against the ban (I'm not that worried about it ever being implemented anyway), but I don't see any harm in it being brought up. It is somewhat like offsides in soccer/hockey, which is illegal, or goaltending in basketball, also illegal, or zone defense in basketball, which was illegal at one point in the NBA. Taking a different look at the concept isn't hurting anyone, though ultimately I am certain they'll leave it as is.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jan 22, 2015 -> 12:18 PM) If the Sox were only able to sign Melky Cabrera (3yr 42mil) due to an uptick in season ticket plans, where would the money come to give Shields a ~20 million AAV contract. While it was a cute PR story, the Sox did not specifically acquire $14 million to sign Melky from a few weeks worth of season ticket sales. That was just a (positive) spin the team attached to the timeline of those two not-independent-but-not-directly-related events. Not saying that has anything to do with Shields though.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 22, 2015 -> 09:52 AM) I'd offer 4/$80 in some form, but wouldn't budge from that. If some team wants to risk the 5th year, then I'd be out. QUOTE (Dunt @ Jan 22, 2015 -> 11:05 AM) I really think Shields to the Sox is something that could happen by the end of the weekend. The buzz at Soxfest will already be palpable, imagine announcing the signing of Shields. There are way too many other teams in on James Shields for this to be realistic. Would be nice, I agree, but competition will drive the price and years up.

QUOTE (credezcrew24 @ Jan 22, 2015 -> 01:18 AM) At that price I would sign Shields if Danks is traded or not. Yup. And no way Shields' price falls that low.

What about Dioner Navarro? No one seems to mention him. No place for him in Toronto. .274/.317/.395 with 12 HRs last year, will be age 31 this season. Minimal $5 mil salary.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Dec 30, 2014 -> 11:19 AM) Rogers better be right on this one, Zobrist makes a lot of sense for the White Sox right now. ...but he better be wrong about Leury being in the mix for the starting 2B job. Ick.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Dec 30, 2014 -> 10:58 AM) Could be available now that the Rays have signed SS Asdrubal Cabrera. Zobrist is in the last year of his contract at 33 years old. I think he would be a great platoon at 3B with Gillaspie, playing 2B giving Sanchez/Johnson time to develop and can platoon with LaRoche at DH. What do you guys think? I would offer Beck, Thompson, and Sanchez for Zobrist and Montgomery. I really like the idea of getting Zobrist. Career .285/.363/.447 vs. LHP (.340/.399/.474 vs. LHP in 2014). It'll take more than that though.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 23, 2014 -> 03:12 PM) It'd be convenient, but the small problem of him being previously unable to hit lefties or righties makes him a less than ideal candidate. Pfff, details...