Chicago White Sox

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 08:06 PM) If the budget Hahn has quoted is anywhere close to true, their budget this year is about $90-$100 million. They're already at that number. Signing Cano would push them well past their quoted budget. Again, you're assuming Abreu's bonus is included is this year's payroll budget, which has yet to be supported by any sort of evidence. Second, if you add Cano you can turn around and deal Beckham and/or Ramirez and clear a decent amount of payroll pretty easily. Third, we don't know how hard (or even realistic) the rumored payroll budgets are. Seems to me that every offseason we start at one number and end up at a much higher number. And quite frankly, I think Reinsdorf just might be willing to increase the payroll to bit if he could land someone like Cano that might sell some tickets.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 07:27 PM) The Yankees are closing in on a seven-year deal with Jacoby Ellsbury, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. "It could happen," someone familiar with the talks told Heyman. It is believed the deal would top Carl Crawford's $142MM, seven-year deal. from mlbtraderumors If this happens, I hope Hahn immedietely calls Cano's agents to express some interest. He would solve so many problems offensively it's not even funny. And quite frankly, given our lack of long-term salary committments, I don't see why we couldn't afford him at $25M/year. Obviously the years would have to make sense, which is the biggest issue with a potential Cano signing, but if the Yankees move on then it can't hurt to at least explore it.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 07:07 PM) Mildly surprised that Salty went at that price and the Sox didn't get him. It either means they didn't like him or they have no money to spend. I'm surprised as well. Perhaps they didn't want to add another player with a high K rate, which is perfectly understandable given who we currently have on the roster. Still, Salty against RHP would have been a tremendous upgrade offensively over Flowers & Phegley and 3/$21M really isn't a lot of money. Hopefully this is a sign that Hahn has something in the works that is a better long-term fit than Salty, and I really hope they aren't planning to go with a cheap stop-gap like Lobaton.

Did that article really say our payroll is expected to be in the mid-to-high $80M's range?

QUOTE (Knuckles @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 09:29 AM) AJ deal is 8.25 mil, that should end all arguments, Sox were not paying that. Yup, we weren't paying a stop-gap that much money. Glad to see A.J. still getting paid well as a 37 year old.

QUOTE (Knuckles @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 09:30 AM) You ever think about changing your display name? Chicago White Sox is so... official. Multiple times, but I do like the simplicity of it and it's easy to remember when I sign in.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 08:03 AM) No surprise. AJ is really good buddies with Big Papi from their Minnesota days. The myth that everyone hates AJ will continue. Some of the battles you fight are classic. Are you really going to argue that A.J. isn't one of the most hated players in all of baseball? Come on man, we all know A.J. is one of your favorite players, but that doesn't mean you can't be objective when discussing him. By all accounts he a douchebag and a s***ty teammate. What did Guillen famously say, "When he's on your team you hate him less". I think that sums of A.J. pretty nicely.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 07:19 AM) AJ isn't a free swinger? That's exactly what I was going to say. For some reason if you acknowledge A.J. is a flawed player (poor defender, free swinger, s***ty teammate) then you're a hater and don't appreciate what he's done for the franchise.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 11:10 PM) We effectively got Daniel Webb and Myles Jaye for Daniel Hudson. Plus half of the package for Youk and most importantly the departure of Mark Teahen.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 10:49 PM) I know, you're right but I have to admit Robin leaves me scratching my head a lot so I guess I can see where AJ would be coming from. AJ does know the game pretty damn well. Don't disagree on that, but he still can't be undermining his manager in front of teammates. It's simply a headache and risk not worth taking on a stop-gap player.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 10:47 PM) Yep. Also, I believe Bucket implied that many of his teammates had issues with him. It was around the time Reed plunked him last year. Part of me would like him just so he could be traded at some point next season and part of me doesn't want that douchebag anywhere near the clubhouse. From a pure numbers standpoint, he might be an ok stop-gap assuming age doesn't finally catch up to him. However, I just think if you're going to add a veteran on a short-term deal he has to be a good clubhouse fit. I don't know if the rumors are even true, but if A.J. was doing what Bucket implied then it's a no-brainer that you don't bring him back IMO.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 10:31 PM) Who cares? This is about the Sox and not Robin. Robin only coaches the players Hahn gives him to coach and that's it. Lol...this is only about what's best for the team. You can't have players openly questioning the manager's decision-making in front of other teammates. It can create rifts in the clubhouse and effect the manager's ability to effectively lead his team.

Didn't Robin have beef with A.J. while he was here? If so, I don't see any way in hell he's coming back.

Nothing wrong with bringing back Flowers at $950k. First, he creates some leverage for Hahn to use in trade talks for a legit catching upgrade by being able to say "we have two young catchers we believe in". Second, assuming Hahn can find a LH catcher, Flowers can push Phelgey for the backup spot and potentially provide the organization some depth at the position if he wins the job. Worst case scenario, at that salary he should be moveable in spring training and basically cost us nothing.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 08:20 PM) I did include "hold him til the deadline" in there as well. And people are drooling over extra first round picks these days. And teams should be drooling over 25 year old, left-handed starters with 5 years of team control and coming off a 3.7 WAR season. But a late 1st round draft is almost as valuable.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 07:59 PM) Then the Padres won't trade him. If they can't get something like that, they will hold him to the deadline and see if he has a big first half in a contract year or just take the draft pick next offseason. So it's either a Jose Quintana type return or simply taking a draft pick? That's a pretty wide range of outcomes for there to be no potential middle ground.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 03:00 PM) I'm not saying he's not good -- just that the perception is that his price is "sky high," and given all the factors I mentioned combined with the fact that the Padres lose additional leverage since they are clearly unable to extend him, I think his ultimate price will be much more reasonable than everyone seems to be predicting right now. 100% agree with everything you've said in this thread. Headley has value and won't come cheap, but we're talking about one year of a very good 3B at slightly below market rate and likely a 1st/2nd round pick. Teams won't be trading an established major league starter with 5 years of team control for him. GMs simply aren't as stupid as they used to be (Dayton Moore notwithstanding). Cost controlled talent is valued at an all-time right now.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 1, 2013 -> 10:59 PM) Source material usually is better, I'm not surprised. It seems like most of the characters killed in the comic during this battle were killed, save But his character really hasn't gotten an opportunity Agree with you on source material in general. Unfortunately, this particular part of the comics just felt much more game-changing IMO. Probably because there were a lot more characters killed in the prison attack and some of them were a lot more important in the comics than the TV show.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 1, 2013 -> 11:29 PM) Finally an ACTUAL trade rumor to talk about! Of course this is just part of David Schoenfield's 3-team trade ideas, and not based on anything of substance...but.... In one of his hypotheticals, he has the Sox trading Chris Sale and Addison Reed for Jorge Soler, Gary Sanchez, CJ Edwards, Zoilo Almonte, and Vidal Nuno. For those who may not be prospect heads, those would be the Cubs #3 and #5 prospects, and the Yankees #1, #6, and unranked (Nuno). That wouldn't be a terrible haul for Sale, but I also don't think it's one that needs to be made unless the Sox are getting a ace-type prospect back in the package, like Archie Bradley or Dylan Bundy or Taijuan Walker. Obviously that's a nice collection of hitters, but CJ Edwards is the only good pitching prospects in that scenario, and he only just made it to A+ last year. I would never do that deal straight-up for Sale let alone include Reed in it. IMO, you have to be blown away to trade Sale and that's not enough.

Not really a spoiler, but I think the comic book version of tonight's episode was so much better.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Nov 30, 2013 -> 10:06 PM) Cano asking for 9 years, 260 now. Still an impossible signing. I know I'll get flamed for this, but I'd seriously consider jumping into the Cano market IF the Yankees move on and sign a different major free agent instead. IMO, the only way Cano gets an insane deal is if the Yankees essentially bid against themselves, which is what Cano's agents are clearly pushing for night now. Take them out of the bidding process and you have a completely different market for him. Still unlikely we'd be able to pull off a deal, but I at least hope Hahn would be talking to Cano's agents.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 30, 2013 -> 04:42 PM) Let's get 90 from Abreu and Viciedo next year and we'll pull that off with ease. Lol...and I thought I was an optimist. We should all be happy with 60 HRs from the two of them next year. I mean, only 11 guys in baseball had 30 or more HRs last year. You're really going to be in for a world of disappointment if you think 90 is a realistic number.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Nov 27, 2013 -> 09:45 PM) 4/$49, $12 a year, $1 mill buyout with $13 mill option. Actually a really nice deal for the Twins. Considering Carlos Silva got this same exact deal 5 years ago, I would definitely say it's a nice deal for the Twins in this free agent environment.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Nov 26, 2013 -> 12:16 PM) Myth: JR is a good owner. QUOTE (Marty34 @ Nov 26, 2013 -> 01:08 PM) I don't hate ownership, never said that. So you like bad owners?

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Nov 26, 2013 -> 12:16 PM) Myth: JR is a good owner. Why are you a season ticket holder if you hate ownership so much?