Y2Jimmy0

Rick Hahn was on the McNeil and Spiegel Show this morning. I will try to paraphrase some of it. He was reluctant to say the word "rebuild". However, he made it very clear that this will be a rebuilding situation. He noted that the toughest thing to find during a rebuild is starting pitching and the White Sox have it. He mentioned that his excess of money will be redistributed in the organization in the draft and on the international market. That is a big emphasis going forward. Mentioned that he could sign free agents "if it made sense". He basically said to pay attention to the moves that are made rather than hearing him make some giant proclamation about a rebuild. Made it sound like he wanted to make deals but was basically only offered deals in a salary dump like scenario. He said that twitter and other avenues are so crazy because he saw guys that he offered, were offered, or turned down that was just completely off base. He also said there is a very good chance that he will make waiver trades or deals in the offseason. I loved hearing Rick Hahn this morning. They do still cater to the lowest denominator of the fanbase by not saying the word "rebuild". Smart fans can handle it. I love the direction though and I love the man who is in charge. He is a very smart, articulate guy and he has quite the mess in front of him. I am happy with the direction. I recommend all of you go and find the interview whenever it's posted on McNeil and Spiegel's website.

QUOTE (scs787 @ Aug 1, 2013 -> 12:10 AM) What happened to Mr. Optimism Jake? I guess we'll just agree to disagree on this. I truly believe adding one super star to the mix turns this whole thing around. My little paragraph in my last post just made so much sense to me lol but I guess that's why I've been called quite the optimist on several occasions. BTW Rios is batting .315 vs fastballs this year to go along with the .371 last year...You put him in front of Cano and he'll see A LOT more fastballs thus being an even better hitter. You do realize that Cano is going to get like a 10 year deal for $250 million right? It's just not gonna happen. There will be 2 teams interested: Dodgers and Yankees.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 06:49 PM) Adam has value and actually has been really good the last couple of months. The problem is his value isn't as high as his salary. If he put 6 months together like the last 2 he would be worth it. I would just go into next season with Dunn. He's going to hit 40 homers this year. There's a chance that Dunn has a ton of homers in the 1st half next year and they will be able to get something for him at next year's deadline. I don't think Rios is on next year's team though.

I don't think so. I expect Danks to be a lot better next year. On top of that, after next season Rios and Dunn are definitely gone. Danks at $15 million per isn't too bad at that point and you may be able to actually gets something. I really just don't want to sell low on Danks when his salary isn't really hampering the White Sox in the case of making moves.

QUOTE (HeGone7 @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 04:11 PM) I understand I am likely in the minority here but this is a failure in my eyes on Hahn and the Sox. I am all for getting a fair deal, and that may not be "the best deal", but you cannot fall on your face as we did. 2nd to last in baseball, big contracts on books and players clogging positions you hoped to clear for young guys to audition. I just can't fathom that of all the years we see major players moving for major prospects, this is the year they do not. There is still time to deal some guys in August, and the offseason obviously, but in my eyes things have delayed our recovery time. I get we didn't want garbage or a guy just to have one, but creativity, as we saw with Boston is key in these situations. I can't help but be grossly disappointed and maybe that disappointment is being channeled incorrectly onto Hahn, but where else do we put the blame? Their big contracts aren't killing them though. Next Year's Commitments: Danks $15,750,000, Dunn $15 mil, Rios $13 mil, Ramirez $9.5 mil, Keppinger $4 mil, Sale $3.5 mil, and Lindstrom's $400k buyout. I wanted Rios and Ramirez gone as bad as anyone else but the contracts are definitely not killing the White Sox. That's a total of $60, 4000,000 not including art guys and guys on cost controlled deals. A lot of financial flexibility.

QUOTE (scs787 @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 04:30 PM) Robinson. Cano. The team that gives Cano close to $300 million is going to regret it.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 04:10 PM) A 4-5 of Dunn and Hart could generate more power than most 4-5's in baseball. If one of Garcia or Viciedo takes off were in business. The idea wasn't to knock people out of the park, the idea is to give us a competitive line up with young players playing for their future AND real MLB hitters. Our pitching is good enough to be top 5 in the AL, if our offense is competitive we can surprise teams. I would rather try 3-4 guys who may be a part of the future and be competitive then play a bunch of minor leaguers and waste our pitching. I may sign a couple guys in the offseason for the sole purpose of turning around and trading them for prospects. I don't want to "compete" next year. Trying to be decent and hoping for a break here and there is why the Sox have had 1 playoff appearance and 1 playoff win since 2005. They are not contending next year. I don't want them to finish in 3rd place in the central. If the team is not good enough to win the division then I want them to finish last. Two successive years of top 5 draft picks in each round and shrewd financial and personnel decision making can turn this team around for sustained success starting in 2015 or 2016.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 04:04 PM) Our payroll for the 2014 season is now 61.25 million. Plus 25 million for the new TV deal. Our payroll coming into the 2013 season was 118.9 million. So we would have to tack on 57-58 million to get the same payroll as '13. That doesn't include any of the arbitration players or guys under team control. But yes, they should have a lot of money.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 04:07 PM) If the plan is to compete next year, and I'm not sure it is, I'd go with Granderson. Trade Rios or Viciedo for a 3b piece. Sign AJ and a couple relievers. Still have tons of cash to blow on another nice piece. Still not the best team, but something I can see them doing. I would bet a lot of $$ that AJ will not be back here as long as Robin Ventura is the manager. Pretty sure most people don't want AJ to return. Just give the at-bats to Phegley. Find out what you have.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 03:39 PM) Tell me about him? Well by that quote I meant picking #2 or #3. I'd obviously rather have Rodon. Gatewood is a 6'5 190 LB HS SS from Clovis HS in California. He is committed to USC. He has big power potential, has been compared to Carlos Correa, and may have to move to 3rd base in the future. I have seen him in home run derby's and bp put on huge power displays. I'd be fine with many of the college pitchers or HS bats like Gatewood or Alex Jackson. Obviously, these guys have another season to play and the draft is almost a year away. I have attached a scouting report on Gatewood. http://sbb.scout.com/2/1310090.html

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 03:19 PM) I'm already looking forward to following Rondon and Beede's starts next year. I actually want Jacob Gatewood if I can have anyone at this point.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 03:01 PM) Says a lot about you. I don't see any way in which the White Sox compete next year. I would expect Rios will get moved in the offseason. May be an August trade or two as well. This is a rebuild. Yes they have good pitching. Where are the position players though? Who are going to be the position players on the White Sox the next time the team is good? Those guys are not here and they really aren't in the system either. However, if the White Sox lose close to 100 games they are much closer to a World Series than if they were to finish barely under .500 somehow. Being really really bad is not always the worst thing.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 10:09 AM) I havent heard anything legit surrounding trade talks for him. However that may change with that fireballer from Boston. That guy has future closer written all over him. Why would he matter? I think Webb could end up being a better closer than Reed actually.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 09:11 AM) Exactly... hopefully Hahn is willing to offer the cash to bring in a guy like Hansen or Polanco. If i'm Pittsburgh and the White Sox offered $10 million and Alex Rios for Alen Hansen and a lower prospect, i'm saying yes. The city of Pittsburgh is desperate for a winner and RF is there blackhole. All they would have to pay is $7 million between the rest of this season AND all of next season. They might be able to pull Alex Dickerson from Pirates system. No way they are getting Hanson or Polanco or someone like that.

I saw someone 1,000 pages ago mention that Montas was the Red Sox 36th ranked prospect. That may be true but Baseball America had him at #22 in the system in the preseason.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 08:19 AM) How is that much better than this year's line up? Dick, do you really think they are competing next year after yesterday's trade? Not likely. The other pieces of the deal were all guys in A ball. They are rebuilding. And it is the right move.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jul 31, 2013 -> 07:55 AM) Yeah Peter Gammons redeemed. The genius of the Red Sox has been restored, at least for the day. To be able to fleece not one, but two teams is impressive. Who was far and away the best prospect we got from them? ... Brandon Jacobs! Oh s*** but that was for the mediocre 38 year reliever, not best starting pitcher out there. Heck Jacobs was even more well though than Iglesias before he started hanging around David Ortiz suspiciously often. Good for the Red Sox. Would now much prefer them to win it all compared to most other AL contenders. Jacobs isn't a better prospect than Garcia.

I think Rios gets traded to Pittsburgh today. The Sox most likely want to move Rios so that they can play Avisail Garcia in RF immediately. The White Sox only owe $59 million to 7 players next year including Rios. After taking Garcia, dumping $20 million, and getting 3 prospects from A ball, it is very evident that the White Sox are rebuilding. It just doesn't make sense that Alex Rios would be on this team by the time they play tonight.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 30, 2013 -> 05:42 PM) 5/10 I think everyone is aware of PK's 5/10 rights. Nobody said he'd go to Texas. He may want to though.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 30, 2013 -> 05:13 PM) Adam Dunn is so much more dangerous than PK at the plate now. Adam Dunn has always been more dangerous at the plate than Paul Konerko. There is this fallacy on this board that Konerko was better than Dunn. The last 2 seasons before this one, sure. Never before that though.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 30, 2013 -> 05:12 PM) Why not? It's not like he's got an Adam Dunn batting average. He still gets hits. He is one of those trade deadline signees that MIGHT help a team win it all. PK is a lot worse than Adam Dunn right now. Dunn has 25 homers. Konerko is hitting under .240 with 7 homers. Stop trolling people.

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Jul 30, 2013 -> 05:11 PM) Steve Gilbert ‏@SteveGilbertMLB 1m My colleague @brianmctaggart reports that #Dbacks are believed to be among frontrunners for RHP Bud Norris. Retweeted by Buster Olney Not buying this. Why would they trade Ian Kennedy to acquire Bud Norris? Bud Norris is meher than meh.

Why would Texas want Konerko? Paulie is awful. I'd make the deal just to see Andy Wilkins the rest of the year.

Obviously everything is fluid but it sounds like if Kennedy gets traded the Dbacks will trade for Peavy. I would take back Kubel in the deal if Sox still got a nice prospect package.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jul 30, 2013 -> 02:16 PM) Alejandro de Aza CF, Alexei Ramirez SS, Alex Rios RF, Adam Dunn 1B, Paul Konerko DH, Conor Gillaspie 3B, Dayan Viciedo LF, Gordon Beckham 2B, Josh Phegley C, (Andre Rienzo P) Big Keppinger trade coming. Is it weird that Gillaspie is facing the LHP? Maybe Keppinger is getting traded. I have not been watching the games. Not sure if Robin regularly plays Conor against LHP