Chicago White Sox

I like putting Saladino in to run.

Thank god they didn't send him!

Ball four base hit!

Need to CAPITALIZE here.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 16, 2016 -> 09:30 PM) The farm system is bottom ten for sure Bottom five more likely. If Fulmer loses his eligibility, Collins is the only possible top 100 prospect. I do think the system is on the upswing as we're finally producing some Latin prospects and the current draft class looks promising. But there are a ton of guys in full season ball having tough years and very few having having breakouts.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jul 16, 2016 -> 09:14 PM) They will lose if they sell. For maybe a long time. Trading Sale doesnt = winning baseball I know, trading Sale is a scary proposition and I don't disagree with your general sentiments. But wasting Sale's remaining years and having nothing to show for it is even more terrifying IMO and a real possibly. Anyways, I don't want to derail a game thread with rebuilding talk. Let's score some f***ing runs.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jul 16, 2016 -> 09:02 PM) Oh give me a break. Those two directly coincide with each other Come on dude, you're better than this. I want the team to win every single night, but that doesn't mean I can't be objective. We're 4.5 games out of a playoff spot and have some serious holes on our roster with limited chips to fill them. While I'm starting to lean towards selling, it definitely doesn't mean I want them to lose. The two have nothing to do with one another.

4.5 games back for the second wild card. Rick Hahn said he's looking for a bat, but it's a sellers' market which is obviously not good for us. While I think Morneau & Fulmer will help some, I just don't see how we can cut that gap without a major offensive addition and probably another bullpen arm. The system is in really bad shape right now. Spencer Adams is about the only guy other than Fulmer that could be a headliner for an impact player. Unfortunately, his performance this year has probably cooled a lot of teams on him. It really seems like we don't have the muscle to get the pieces we need right now. I'd love for someone make me feel more optimistic about our situation, but I really can't see an argument. Honestly, if it's a sellers' market then we should be selling. Frazier, Melky, Lawrie, Robertson, & Duke all have value and right now is the ideal time to deal them if we want to optimize the returns. The problem with that means the beginning of a rebuild, because you will have decimated your offense and key parts of your bullpen. I really don't want to endure a lengthy rebuild, but I don't see the alternative. Several key guys will be gone after the 2017 season or will need to be extended, which would eat up a lot of our financial flexibility. The next two free agents classes look terrible, forcing us to improve from within or via the trade market. Unfortunately, with a bottom 5 system, that will be difficult to pull off. I love our draft class this year, but it's going to take several years before we bare those fruits and will take several more classes like that before we rebuild our system. We have three years left of control of our single most important asset in Chris Sale. If I felt ownership & the front office would and could do whatever it takes to make us legit playoff contenders, I would say go for it. But after watching them miss on numerous targets this offseason and knowing how difficult it will be to improve the roster over the next years (for the reasons mentioned above), I don't have faith they can pull it off and we will just waste the rest of Sale's years with us. I know this is a hard discussion to have, but I really think it's time to finally consider a full-fledged rebuild.

I have no side in this battle, but Dick Allen is straight ethering Caulfield right now. There's nothing worse than ripping a move in hindsight when you were in favor of it when it took place. Glad that certain posters are being held accountable for their flip-flopping.

No offense, but when your second good month is an OPS barely above .800, that's a bit concerning. I'm not writing off Abreu by any means, but the dude needs to at least put 2015 type numbers or we are f***ed. We really haven't seen much of that player this year and until we do, there's nothing wrong with posters being worried.

This is really pretty simple guys, the team is desperate for a reliever and Fulmer is our best internal option at the moment. I highly doubt this has anything to with showcasing him for a trade and I definitely don't think it means they're writing him off as a starter. It's pretty clear, IMO, that the front office is doing whatever it can to salvage this season. Calling up Fulmer for the pen helps in that regard, even if it's not the best thing for his development.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Jul 15, 2016 -> 07:25 AM) I'm ready to give the journeyman Minor Leaguer, Jason Burgeois a shot. I know that he's 34, but he's always been a capable hitter, and is having a career year. He has? In over 700 major league plate appearances, he has an OPS of .626 and a wRC+ of 76. That doesn't scream "capable" hitter to me.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jul 15, 2016 -> 06:54 AM) I just do not like this for his development at all. He seemed like he was just starting to hit his stride as a starter after struggling most of the year, so now we move him to the pen? It sounds like he hit his stride hit after he abandoned the mechanic changes he was working on. If so, I'm far less concerned about that and more concerned about not getting him enough innings this year if we still plan on him being a starter long-term.

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Jul 15, 2016 -> 05:23 AM) What a nightmare trade for the Dbacks. Atlanta absolutely fleeced them. Inciarte hasn't been very good. Honestly think he was one of the most overhyped players on Soxtalk this offseason. I still like Swanson & Blair and definitely think they will easily win the trade (especially with Miller sucking), but it's not quite the haul people thought it was at first.

It likely won't be right away, but Fulmer should be a weapon out of the pen this season. Having a second legit guy from the right side for the 7th & 8th innings will be huge.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jul 13, 2016 -> 12:16 PM) I think you can make real and fair criticisms on the organization's ability to properly recognize talent and put that talent in the best position to succeed. But it's difficult to argue that the current team isn't moving in the right direction, albeit slowly. I agree with your general premise, but I'm not sure how well it applies to the Sox's current situation. We have a bottom five farm system and are about to hit two consecutive poor free agent classes. We have three key hitters that will hit free agency after next season. Meanwhile, we have three to four years of control on most of our core assets. That may seem like a lot of time, but when you're only making "gradual" improvements, you're real window of opportunity will be very short. IMO, given how much organizational value is tied up into our core, we definitely need to pick a direction. Either fill the holes around them so you can be a legit playoff contender or convert these assets into other sources of value while it's still an option. The worst thing we can do right now is hold our ground for the next couple years and wait for the system to replenish itself. Half-assing it is exactly why we've had a long playoff drought while still having a s***ty farm system.

QUOTE (Deadpool @ Jul 13, 2016 -> 06:50 AM) We are still in a Cubs thread. Talking about THE CUBS. You haven't met me, you don't know anything about me, and my fandom is none of your business. The fact that the Cubs are more compelling has nothing to do with the White Sox. And how appropriate is it that the most pathetic bully on soxtalk is literally named "Chicago White Sox"? It's like JR hired you to troll the Cubs discussion. Except, JR wouldn't do that because JR doesn't care about the Cubs because he's not delusional. Lol...I'm a bully now for calling out a poster who claims an NL team would be better off without home field advantage for no logical reason? You can't be serious right? Go ahead and talk about the Cubs as much as your little heart likes. But once you start being unobjective and letting your Cubs fandom get in the way, you're going to get called out, especially when you're doing it on a Sox message board. So either toughen up or stop making stupid arguments. If that bothers you, maybe the internet just isn't for you.

QUOTE (Deadpool @ Jul 13, 2016 -> 12:30 AM) Seriously, why would a team like the Cubs EVER want to bat their pitcher? Every game they bench a top prospect because they have to let the pitcher bat. Lol dude...you are a compete joke. Maybe because it means they're playing at home, which to anyone who actually follows sports knows provides a competative advantage. Or maybe because if their pitcher is batting, it means their AL counterpart is losing a more important hitter from their lineup or weakening a defensive position. But you're right, Javier Baez is better than Davis Ortiz or Edwin Encarcion. The only good news from this implosion is it has proven you're a Cubs fan once and for all. It's long been speculated, but you toned down your completely biased Cubs views for a while when you switched your name from AustinSox to Deadpool. But arguing against home field advantage and then being a total dick to fellow Sox fans when you get called out is the final nail in the coffin.

QUOTE (Deadpool @ Jul 12, 2016 -> 10:29 PM) You're right, because if the NL loses, the Cubs get a DH to bolster their lineup for an extra game in the World Series. That's assuming a lot, of course. The Cubs couldn't really lose this game. Wow...just a terrible post. Maybe you should start trolling Red Sox & Blue Jays message boards with this nonsense and see how quickly you get ripped apart.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jul 12, 2016 -> 08:17 AM) It was Bruce Miles, not Levine. He kind of mentioned it offhand, like "So what if Frazier got traded?", as if he had heard something and was throwing it out there. They are gonna ask Levine when he calls in today Thanks for clarifying. Will be interesting to see what Levine has to say on this.

I didn't hear what Bruce had to say, but Mulley & Hanley are saying he discussed Todd Frazier rumors. If anyone heard the interview, please add the details. And I apologize if I'm totally off-base here.

Awesome interview, one of the best draft-related ones I've ever read. Great job raBBit.

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Jul 11, 2016 -> 08:22 AM) I just don't think that would bring back much. Maybe Robertson and Duke but Frazier just creates a hole for next year and we wouldn't get much in return since he's really not having a great year besides HRs. Melky might bring something too is Sox will take on some money for a good prospect. Besides that would just be the core and guys gone after this year who have sucked anyway. If you trade these guys, you're definitely punting 2017 and probably 2018. But if we lose Frazier, Melky, & Lawrie after next year, are you really any worse off? Also, I expect this to be a seller's market and we'd have some of the more attractive chips available. A guy like Frazier isn't having a great year, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be one of the best power bats on the trade market. There are going to be very few perfect players (if any) available.

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Jul 11, 2016 -> 07:35 AM) Sox should be aiming at the division. Wild Card is looking so much tougher and even though they're out 7 games Cleveland has really cooled off. With that said I don't even know who they would sell off that would bring any value besides the core guys. Might as well stand pat. If I'm selling, I'm immediately putting Frazier, Melky, Lawrie, Robertson, & Duke on the market. All of them should have some value and aren't long-term guys. I'd also consider moving Quintana, but would have to blown away to make a deal. Point is we actually have a lot of tradable assets that could help replenish the system. The major league team would be pretty awful if you moved all or most of those guys, but I think it puts you in better spot by 2018 than losing all these guys to free agency.

4.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot at the break. With the way Toronto & Red Sox are playing right now, I'm feeling less optimistic about our chances. Honestly, I'm starting to lean towards selling, but obviously you give it a couple of weeks before you make any significant moves, buy or sell.