Chicago White Sox

I'm not sure why Saladino is so slept on around here. Dude was an above-average bat the final two months of the season when he got more consistent playing time. Even with some regression offensively, he can still provide plenty of value with his plus defense at 2B or 3B & smart base-running. Ultimately I think he can be a 2 to 3 WAR player with regular playing time, which would be attractive to many teams. To me, the biggest concern with him is health. He's had his share of problems staying on the field.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Mar 14, 2017 -> 12:16 AM) Never go full Greg. POTY

So what's the OF situation going to look like come opening day? Bourjos will most certiantly make the team now (which was already a strong possibility), but this has to create a spot for someone that was previously a long-shot. Liriano makes the most sense IMO given he can play all three positions and is out of options. Engel & May definitely need more minor league seasoning, which also helps Liriano's cause. That only leaves L. Garcia and I think he makes the team as the utility man / 5th OF regardless, so Tilson's situation doesn't really impact him. Not sure there is really anyone else in the mix.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Mar 13, 2017 -> 03:51 PM) Saladino has been our best player this spring Glad the 2B spot is now open for him. He deserves a shot at being regular IMO.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Mar 13, 2017 -> 03:28 PM) I feel like Holland is going to be better than people are giving him credit for, Gonzalez should be decent and Shields is probably going to be a Jekyl and Hyde type of season where he has an equal amount of good and bad outings. Every year people talk about the massive holes in the lineup, but they still have above average players at 1B, SS, 3B, and LF. Depending on what happens in RF, this team could be plus defensively across the diamond. I also think with the team composition you will see the team take a lot of extra bases and really grind on offense more than they have in a long time. I think the bullpen will be improved from last year with Robertson recovered and Jones, Jennings, and a bounceback from Petricka. Or it could all fall apart. But this team reminds me of one of those A's teams that you think should never compete, but ends up in the middle of things in July and fades out after that. Melky is a below average LF, Tilson should be average at best in CF, & Avi is pretty horrendous in RF other than his arm. Now the overall OF defense could change depending where Bourjous (or even Liriano) fits in, but I'm not seeing a plus OF at all. I think we'll pretty strong at SS & 2B and solid at 3B, but overall I think we'll be a below average defensive team.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Mar 13, 2017 -> 02:15 PM) I wouldn't say worried, but I can see this team finishing around .500 depending how long it takes to move Frazier/Cabrera/Quintana. I don't see how this team could possibly finish .500 with a 3/4/5 of Gonzalez/Holland/Shields. Those guys are going to lose a ton of games. On top of that, we have some massive holes in our lineup and what should be a poor defensive OF. I'm not sure in its current state we'll be able to challenge the Padres for worst team in baseball, but we should definitely be a bad team and will get worse when we start dumping some of our productive bats & relievers.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Mar 13, 2017 -> 12:49 PM) I don't. Guys with 60-70 IP per year just aren't as valuable as starters and position players. That's not what GMs said at the deadline based on the prices they paid for elite relievers. Front offices are starting to realize these guys provide much more value their volume-based WAR would suggest. Not all runs/outs are created equal and high leverage ones should be valued accordingly. And pointing out that these guys only get 60 -70 innings a year is completely ignoring their potential use as weapons in the post-season. I feel pretty confident in saying that with even one dominant major league season, Burdi would be able to net a haul that included at least two top 100 pieces. If such a player isn't considered a back-end top 100 prospect, then something is wrong with the ranking process IMO.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Mar 13, 2017 -> 11:39 AM) http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2017-top-100-prospects/ Moncada is at #1, the only one given a 70 FV. #19 Giolito #21 Kopech #28 Lopez #94 Collins #98 Fulmer And Burdi was on his "under consideration" list. I'll keep shouting this, but it's an absolute sin that Burdi doesn't make the cut on these lists IMO. I'll give Fangraphs credit for having him in the "under consideration", but the dude is going to be a high leverage reliever in the majors. If we saw how teams valued those type of relievers at the trade deadline, I think it's time we finally reassess how treat them in minor league rankings.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Mar 13, 2017 -> 12:02 PM) I feel like Torres is the hold up in this deal. Hahn needs to get him back and Cashman is reluctant to throw him in, similar to what happened with Dombroski and Moncada. I don't even think Frazier is acceptable as a headliner for what Hahn wants to get done. Well there was a rumor at one point of the ask being Frazier, Mateo, & Severino. Whether that's true or not I don't know, but there are deals to made without Torres. IMO, Hahn would be absolutely crazy to pass on a Frazier & Rutherford headlined package. And I think an argument could be made for a couple other players being a suitable co-headliner as long as Frazier is in the mix. Hell, the rumored ask is interesting at the very least. Severino was the Yankees #1 prospect and #35 overall just a few years ago and as bmags pointed out earlier Mateo could be an interesting CF idea. If you're scouts are still high on both of those guys, that might be a package worth taking.

QUOTE (steveno89 @ Mar 13, 2017 -> 12:00 PM) I've been saying, a full season in Charlotte would do him a ton of good He would have less pressure and would be fully ready when called up sometime in 2018 He is very much like a young Robinson Cano, but with significantly more speed. Be patient and he can blossom into a franchise player for the Sox I never understand the need to set these timelines. The player will dictate when he is ready. Maybe that's two months in AAA, maybe it's an entire year. When you're dealing with prospects of Moncada's caliber, sometimes the light bulb will just suddenly click. And once he's no longer being challenged in the minors, it makes sense for him to complete his development at the major league level.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 13, 2017 -> 11:47 AM) With 40+ stolen bases. Yup, the fact this kid can draw walks & hit for power in addition to steal bases at an elite level is why he's so special in the first place. And outside of a high K rate in AA, nothing this kid has done stastically in the minors should be considered anything but super impressive. We're talking about a 21 year old two years removed from Cuba here. With a bit more seasoning, this kid is most likely going to be a monster. A rough spring training where is most likely pressing should not change things a bit.

QUOTE (Soha @ Mar 13, 2017 -> 11:35 AM) I'm not going to lie, I thought we'd see a little more from Moncada than we've seen thus far this spring. He is young, but being the #2 ranked prospect and the headliner for Chris Sale - I was hoping to get wowed a bit this spring. Part of it for me was wanting to see what made him such a huge prospect. His numbers don't really stand out in the minors like some of the other blue chip type prospects' numbers do. He didn't tear up any leagues like Kris Bryant, Austin Meadows or Benintendi have. So what exactly made him this monster prospect and when will it start to show it's face? Again, I know he's 21 and we need to be patient. Just saying I have a tinge of concern, that's all. No offense, but what the f*** are you talking about it? As a middle infielder, he put up a .923 & .910 OPS in A+ & AA respectively. That's the definition of dominating. Pretty much the same results or better than Benintendi or Meadows. Bryant is an absolute freak and if you're expecting his level offense then you'll be dissapointed no matter what.

Regardless of Vegas as a potential fit, no teams are relocating before the A's & Rays. Those are the two franchises that really need to be addressed.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Mar 12, 2017 -> 09:30 PM) Actually, I'm blacked out from a lot of those markets. But you know everything, so... You completely missed his point. He's saying a Las Vegas team won't be able to get a regional TV deal that covers Northern AZ, UT, ID, OR, & Inland CA because those areas are already part of other teams' existing territories. The fact you are blacked out of six different teams' markets only supports his point and shows how little value broadcast rights would be for a MLB team in Las Vegas.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Mar 12, 2017 -> 03:52 PM) Tilson back in a walking boot. Obviously it's not his fault, but this kid is blowing the opportunity of a lifetime.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 12, 2017 -> 02:45 PM) The White Sox have a rather long lease and make money every season. There are several other teams that cannot say the same thing. Every 6 months we get the Sox moving posts. They aren't leaving. Put it to rest. It's crazy this keeps coming up. Maybe when the lease is up it will be a different story, but even then I don't see MLB allowing an original AL team in a major market with solid revenue to move. But that's a long time from now, so no need to speculate.

QUOTE (WBWSF @ Mar 12, 2017 -> 09:33 AM) The White Sox have no intention of signing anybody who adds to their payroll. The main objective for the organization is to have one of the lowest if not lowest payrolls entering the 2018 season. I figure their payroll next season (2018) will be around $50 million dollars. Forbes magazine said that the White Sox franchise gross about $250 million dollars. 2018 will be a very profitable year for JR even though it will be a disaster on the field. Good god dude, it's called a rebuild. They aren't trying to be cheap, there's simply no reason to waste money on a player who is unlikely to bring anything back meaningful come the trade deadline.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Mar 11, 2017 -> 03:03 PM) There are so many different ways to solve puzzles, and the open world let's you just do things whatever way you want. I really like the side quest adventure log, I'm gonna try as hard as I can to 100% the game. As part of my bundle I got the strategy guide, and it is a beast, 353 pages Is there place within the game where you can see your overall progress? I would love to 100% this game, but I'm a little worried that after 20 hours I'm only like 5% complete.

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Mar 11, 2017 -> 06:21 AM) Just played it last night on WiiU, love it and didn't want to stop lol. I immediately changed the x and b buttons, still a little getting used to since i don't usually use the wii u gamepad but overall the game is beautiful. Also i hate roaming at night, i just sit by the fire and wait it out. I've probably put in close to 15 hours before really starting the main missions (except for the Great Plateau stuff). The world is just so cool & interesting that I've just kept going off in my own direction. And the crazy part is I've only explored 25% of the map, this world is f***ing gigantic and not in a overly intimidating way. Also, for any fathers with young children on this board, I can't recommend the Switch enough. I literally got my Switch days before having twins and this thing has been a life saver. My ability to play PS4 or any home console for that matter is very limited due to work & parenting responsibilities. But when my 3 year old son is watching Trolls or Secret Life of Pets for the millionth time, I can get in an hour or two in of a legit 3D Zelda game. I can't express enough how f***ing awesome that is.

QUOTE (ewokpelts @ Mar 11, 2017 -> 11:13 AM) Seems miller was low balling them. The calculated risk Is that a short term deal may net them a bigger deal down the line. AND they have an opportunity to grow the Latin fan base at the same time. I know craft drinkers are happy with this as more taps will be formloxal and regional brands. The problem is the vast majority of fans still prefer a standard light beer. Glad they're expanding the craft beer selection and I'll dabble here and there, but my go to has always been Miller Lite at a Sox game. I've been drinking four or five a game for the last 12 years or so. For me, this change sucks balls because Bud Light is f***ing disgusting. And based on it's popularity in Chicago, most Sox fans probably agree. I think the common Sox fan will not be happy about this.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 10, 2017 -> 09:34 PM) Black Unicorn to Green Bay. No doubt that he is gonna kill it up there. Minimum 250 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 2 games vs the Bears The Packers get Martellus for basically the same contract we gave Sims. I get that we would never bring back Bennett, but that just shows you how ridiculous the Sims contract really is.

Well this thread officially jinxed his no-hitter...

Quintana will be pitching in the WBC very shortly for those interested. Hopefully a lot of teams will be scouting.

QUOTE (Jake @ Mar 10, 2017 -> 01:10 PM) I'm afraid the buyer would move the team. Zero chance of that happening. What city is more attractive than Chicago? And there are other franchises that MLB would look to relocate than an original AL team that is middle of the pack in terms of revenue. Just isn't happening, not anytime soon at least.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 10, 2017 -> 12:46 PM) I can assure you that as of a few years ago, Lip's info is incorrect. Michael Reinsdorf wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps with the White Sox. And if JR did die, he would be running things until he didn't want to. Maybe he will think his plate is full with the Bulls. I do know he would have at least slightly different approach if he ran the White Sox. Different approach from his father or different approach from how he runs the Bulls? Would you mind elaborating?