GREEDY

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jan 2, 2014 -> 06:07 PM) Pull Konerko off the roster though & we're still loaded on our bench. There are really only 2 main things hampering us IMO, 1) Dunn's deal, ......... and hopefully we just dump Dunn for nothing if we have to. Not sure how PK doesn't burn a roster spot but Adam Dunn does? Assuming Hahn has to eat virtually all of Dunn's remaining salary to move him, I'd much rather have Dunn than Konerko. Especially considering that a Viciedo platoons with Dunn much better at DH than he does with PK. Also, Dunn might be moveable at the deadline if the Sox are "out of it" and if you want to get someone more plate appearances at DH... where PK can't go anywhere other than the DL.

I forgot about Elmore! Dang, ALL OF THE RIGHT HANDED UTILITY INFIELDERS!!!! LeuryG needs to make this team, and find a way to hit tough righties, so Alexei and/or Beckham are tolerable. Konerko really put a damper on this team's bench situation. Keppinger is toast. Gillaspie works fine with Davidson for the first few months if there is room for him, but I'm starting to think that the only way Davidson breaks with the big club is if Keppinger and/or Dunn are not on the team...

I'd really like to keep De Aza unless he really nets something useful. I think the days of average or even good players starting every single day (especially in the outfield) are over. I think you will need to be an elite talent to see more than 500 plate appearances in a year. With the help of advanced metrics, scouting, technology, prognostication and player specialization, the age of the platoon is upon us. So, unless you project both Viciedo & Garcia as elite stars, I don't think it would be "stunting their growth" to sit one or the other for De Aza in unfavorable match ups. Also, De Aza would be the main injury replacement for all three starting outfielders, and the indirect second backup (via shuffling someone else to DH) for the 1B/DH situation. So, even if a guy wanted to play all three of our young outfielders every single day, I still think it is unlikely that De Aza wouldn't find his way into the lineup often, due to injury alone. I think De Aza's ceiling is in a different stratosphere than Danks', and would strongly prefer him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 30, 2013 -> 01:53 PM) Frankly, with this outfield, no he shouldn't. That is fair, and most likely correct; but if 2014 is strictly a "see what we got" dead/wasted year, then De Aza as well as Dunn, Alexei, Gillaspie and Keppinger have all GOTS to go... and PK should have never been brought back. Semien would need to play every day. But this just isn't what is going to happen, so why not keep the perfect 4th outfielder, at least for two or three months?

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 30, 2013 -> 11:14 AM) This is the only reason to trade De Aza. There was no reason at all to trade him before we got Eaton, IMO. What kind of player do people think De Aza could net? Feels like a reliever to me... and for the most part those can just be purchased on the free agent market currently for roughly the same money you would be paying the player netted in return for Alejandro. Otherwise, I think De Aza brings back the same middling SP prospect that he would net at the deadline. I really prefer holding Alejandro to mix and match with our right handed corner outfielders, at least until the deadline.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Dec 30, 2013 -> 11:08 AM) Keppinger won't. Not that I wouldn't try to get rid of him, but he could have a decent year with the bat and we'd be selling really low. Outside of multiple injuries to infielders, I just don't see where Keppinger's plate appearances would come from. I think you keep Gillaspie to "protect" Davidson from the Verlanders of the world and then use Garcia to mix and match with Beckham/Alexei. If you give Beckham one last chance, you don't need Keppinger taking playing time away from him... and if for some reason the team is in the mix for the division, AND the plethora of mediocre infielders continues to disappoint, it is easy to add a veteran like Keppinger at the deadline if necessary.

Hahn's next move is to find someone to take Keppinger off his hands for his essentially his contract. Keppinger's splits vs LHP were really disappointing last season. I was initially very excited to be getting one of Maddon's swiss army knives, for only three million bucks a year, but it became pretty clear, very quickly, that there was a reason Jeff was available. Hard to platoon a right handed batter who plays poor defense with Davidson, Beckham, Ramirez, Semien.... so time for Keppinger to go. I would like to hold onto DeAza, I think he is a nice platoon player to mix in with Viciedo & Garcia. No reason both need to face tough right handers, I'm sure it would be pretty easy to find 300 at bats for Alejandro. If he does have value and is moved, I think the Sox would be right back in the market for a similar player, so might as well keep DeAza. The last "needs" are obviously a LH hitting catcher and then just throwing money at the rotation/bullpen if Hahn feels like it. I'd feel like the offseason was a win if Rick could add a young catcher with at least some upside, not just a placeholder.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 4, 2013 -> 09:29 AM) So now you are saying things that aren't true. Please look at his splits from last year. Now look at the other 15 years he played in the league.

Reinsdorf is desperate for a fan-base that will support a lovable loser. I could "tolerate" this if PK was a lefty masher... but unfortunately his splits are even. I see very few scenarios where this works out for Paulie and/or the WSox.

I got to thinking that the Tigers have to be interested in Headley now....

I'd guess 6/90 is the # for Headley, especially if he got it this off season. He'd be a HUGE upgrade for this team. I'm of the opinion that if you have a pitcher like Chris Sale, you have to at least field a team that projects for .500 or better. Over-achieve a bit, get in the playoffs and you never know what could happen because you have one of the best pitchers in the game. I'd happily give up a cheap young reliever and roll the dice in the bullpen this season in exchange for a difference maker, switch hitter, above average defender, in his prime.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that there is "growing sentiment" that Chase Headley will be traded this offseason. What would it take? So many clubs have a need at 3B. Would Semien & Reed be enough, to get a "window" to extend him?

With how much the Tigers had to give up for Iglesias, hopefully it means Hahn can get something more than a lotto ticket for Alexei. Middle infielders appear to be esssspensssive this deadline.

Peter Bourjos! Do it!

i'd like to see the Sox add Stephen Drew to this infield.... plug him in against RH SP for whichever Keppinger/Alexei/Beckham has the worst matchup and/or is struggling.

I like the move if Hahn adds another LH infielder that can platoon with Keppinger and Beckham. Gordon and Jeff have both been around the AL long enough to where they have some history against most pitchers they will face. Add someone that hits right handed pitching and then play the matchups. Keppinger won't fair well if he plays 150 games at 3B for the Sox next year. But let him start against lefties and pick his spots against right handers and he will be successful at the plate. Defense might be different story.

I wasn't sure if this belonged in non-whitesox baseball talk or here in slam, feel free to move if not appropriate. Over the years I have taken an interest to the "performance enhanicing drug" debate. A decade ago I was bad d1 athelete, in a non-major sport, and I still saw how rampant drug use was. I went to a small d1 school and lived in dorms with athletes from all sports, where only a very minute percentage had even a pipe dream of playing their sport proffesionally. For example, one of my buddies entered college as a undersized TE from the suburbs, and left four years later, 125lbs worth of pure muscle heavier, as an oversized defensive lineman, with legitimate hopes of being drafted in the NFL. So, now years later I cringe everytime someone on a forum or a radio show speculates something along the lines of: "50% of pro athletes are using steroids", or when people make statements like: "he or she definitely didn't use steroids, I'm sure of it"... because I feel that while some athletes choose to use more than others, and use different drugs than others.... That the number is virtually 100% of the NFL, 100% of the MLB, and 100% of the NBA players, have used some form of a performance enhancing drug that either was currently illegal or banned, or they used one that wasn't but they knew that it would eventually become illegal. And then I could go on a tirade on how it is comical that some have been labeled "cheaters" and some haven't, and the Hall of Fame debate etc. but we have all heard that crap and most are very tired of it. So, that brings me to this story I found today on Reuters today via Yahoo: http://news.yahoo.com/one-20-youth-used-st...-052014145.html The headline says 1 in 20 middle and high school students in a survey of around 3000 (in Minnnesota of all places) have admitted to using steroids. But the story (and yahoo's front page headline) reads that it is actually as many as 1 in 10 (5% to 10% is what is actually says, which I don't really get, they either did or didn't) that admitted to using. Which is downright nuts... even for someone like me that thinks that even the waterboy is juicing. Pure speculation here but it gets even crazier when you consider: -The survey apparently spoke to both girls and boys (one could assume the extreme majority of users were boys). -The survey spoke both to middle schoolers and high schools (one could assume that if it the survey was just limited to high schoolers, the numbers would be higher; when I was in 7th grade I didn't have money for candy bar let alone drugs). -The survey seems to have spoke to both those involved in sports and those who were not (you could assume numbers would have been higher if they just spoke to athletes). -Another possiblity, but maybe a stretch, would be that the "sporting culture" is not as demanding in Minnesota as it is in other areas, and that would lead to even less use in the surveyed area, than if the survey was from an area where a much greater percentage of students go on to play sports at a higher level. -You could also assume that those survyed that did not admit to using, that had actually used, would most likely outnumber those that claimed to have used, but actually had not. So, taking all of my speculative (but fair IMHO) theories into consideration, I think it wouldn't be insane to say that maybe even 50% of male, high school, athletes in this survey group have used anabolic steroids. So, if close to half of high schoolers are using performance enhanicing drugs, what percentage of professional atheletes, who have millions of dollars at stake, are using? Still "50%"? LOL.

QUOTE (ewokpelts @ Nov 5, 2012 -> 09:16 PM) They have games on weekends too. Nice post.

I attended 10 games in 2012. My reason for not attending more? I live in the VERY far south suburbs right off I-55. On a good night I can be to the Cell in 40 minutes. On a bad night it can take 120 minutes. The unexpected traffic tie-ups have forced me to turn going to a game into a major production. I can no longer get off work, grab the family and roll to a game on a Tuesday night with work/school on Wednesday morning. I've gotta take off work early, the kid's schedule needs to be cleared the next day etc. I know that "traffic" always will happen, and always has, but I just do not think it used to be this bad and especially this unpredictable.

Who do you guys think is more available or more likely to be dealt: David Wright or Chase Headley?

Haven't posted in awhile and felt the need to come out of retirement to say: Baseball is a big part of my life. I watch a great deal of games all across the league, and I cannot stand Hawk. For all of the previously mentioned reasons in every other previous Hawk thread, ever. BUT My three year old son LOVES him. Well, he doesn't know he loves Hawk, but he sure as hell loves: " (Insert Hawkism here)". In fact I imagine 90% of his takeaway from baseball right now is thanks to Harrelson. And I am grateful. Grateful enough to support putting up with him for another half a dozen years. I will speculate that Hawk is good for a large percentage of White Sox game TV viewers, many of whom may think they dislike Hawk but wouldn't watch as much without him; and Harreslon is definitely a positive for the very casual fan that management is surely trying to reach.

Floyd's option is valuable... there just isn't many 29 year old, proven, american league starting pitchers that are available for one year contracts under ten million bucks.

DFA! DFA! DFA!

Seems like Stephen Drew might be available in the coming months. KW has at the very least a working relationship with both the Diamondbacks and Towers. Drew would be a very nice rental. The Sox really could use a left handed hitting third baseman. Drew is a slightly below average defensive shortstop. With how poorly 3B is being currently being defended, and even if there is a learning curve for Stephen, I would speculate that you would get at least average defense from him at third. Not to mention that if Alexei continues to struggle, or if Gordon relapses, it wouldn't hurt to have a solid lefty to platoon with any of the three underachieving (offensively) infielders. Between the three of them (Beckham, Ramirez, Morel), at least one of them is downright lost at the plate... at all times. Drew already plays in a hitter friendly park so there wouldn't be much of a bump by playing home games at the Cell, pretty much a neutral move. It does not appear that there will be much 3B help available at the deadline and I am of the opinion that Orlando Hudson is not the answer. Hudson couldn't cut the mustard as a platooned second basemen, in a pitchers park, in the national league; there is no way, shape, or form that he should be a corner infielder in the American league. The only real interesting name that I could even say has the slightest chance of being moved is Pedro Alvarez, but I am not sure the White Sox even have enough available to net Pedro. Other names that could become available: Ian Stewart (nice fit 2b/3b, left handed, if only he didn't suck) Kevin Youkillis (Unlikely to be moved) Wilson Betemit (Sox already have two or three designated hitters) Omar Vizquel (love the dude, but Morel can already play great D at 3b and provide a 650 OPS) Brandon Inge (slightly interesting but not a real platoon option, and his ceiling isn't much higher than Morel's floor) None are even better than 50/50 to be dealt, nor are they that exciting. I am not sure what the asking price is or will be for Drew, but I feel he would be a very nice addition.

To answer everyone's questions/comments... - Where would he play? Like I said, there is there is no room for him because Paulie and Dunn have Dayan blocked from 1B/DH. I guess the wheels falling off for Alejandro would be the most likely scenario that would lead to an opening but I am not rooting against De Aza. - Who would we give up for him? I have no real idea what his value is, but for the sake of argument I'll wildly speculate that any of our relievers and a very young prospect would likely do it. The Angels do not have much room for improvement on their major league roster. - "He doesn't have the pop for US Cellular". I am of the belief that if he ever comes around as an actual major league hitter he will have close to 20 HR pop. I guess what I am saying is that if the kid can make it as an everyday player, he'll have some pop. He is not Juan Pierre as someone claimed earlier. Also, I will also wildly speculate that the line drive hitter or the "warning track power" kind of guy is the precisely the player that will receive the most benefit from playing 81 on the southside. A small sample size here for sure, but KW has missed so far with the big OBP/OPS free agents he has acquired. - "He has sucked thus far". Yep, got it, I understand. Start your own "if Evan Longoria was ever available he would be a great asset", or "If KW could only acquire Justin Upton, now that'd be somtin" threads. His 2011 season wasn't overly impressive, but again, it is not often when a player that has the chance to put up a 20/.280/.850, 30 steals and gold glove outfield season... is available still under team control. Generally, young players that are available are very flawed, and it is usually their defense that is in question. This kid does all the little things right and it is just a question if he can be an everyday hitter. If the price tag is big, it would be a pretty risky acquisition, but for me it is a risk worth taking.