Chicago White Sox

If the market really shrinks on Hamilton due to injury/health concerns, then I could see the White Sox making a play. Hamilton is the exact type of hitter we need and it's not like our system is abundent with left-handed hitting prospects. I seriously doubt it happens, but if $100 million/4 years would get a deal done, then I'd definitely do it. We can always move Rios and some combination of Floyd/Thornton/Crain for salary relief to make the financials work. Plus Konerko's contract is off the books after this season, so long-term this is less of an issue. Having said this, I'd be 100% against against a deal longer than 4 years and even $25 million/year is pushing it in terms of value. I just don't see how we fill our need for an impact left-handed bat without trading the farm and a Hamilton deal would be a risky, yet interesting alternative.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 21, 2012 -> 07:42 PM) As long as they have Mario, Zelda, metroid in their back pocket, Nintendo will continue to play as long as they want. People keep predicting flops, they keep on selling product. The exact reason I got one on launch day. I'd have to buy one eventually to play those 1st party games, so I figured I'd get one now. I do think there is a pretty big base of Nintendo gamers that will always support the company, but Nintendo is not flop proof IMO. The GamePad is pretty cool, but I want to see some truly unique experiences with it and that's going to have to come from Nintendo. 3rd parties are just going to port the s*** out of the system by adding touch screen gimmicks. Nintendo needs a Mario/Zelda/Metroid that does something incredible by next Christmas or the system is going to lose steam fast, especially with new consoles from Microsoft & Sony around the corner. What really scares me though is that it took Nintendo basically the life of the Wii system to create a game that could really showcase the potential of motion gaming (Skyward Sword), so god only knows how long before we see that killer app for the Wii U. Also, without a Wii Sports like title that caters to casual gamers, which Nintendoland won't do well enough IMO, Nintendo will lose a big chunk of their current market share.

How would a Dwayne Wise/Reed Johnson platoon in CF compare to De Aza's overall production? Obviously it's not ideal, but if De Aza can be used to get a young, cost-controlled 3B, then it's something worth considering IMO. I just think that Hahn is going to have to get creative to fill the black hole that is 3B and trading De Aza now would be doing so at his highest value. As for the Wise move itself, I don't see how anyone could complain. He's great 4th OF if used correctly and he came relatively cheap. Solid move by Hahn.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 20, 2012 -> 03:30 PM) Its reality. The core of the Tigers is way better than ours. They are a bigger payroll team, playing in a full ballpark, with an owner who doesn't care about profits. Sure the Sox could win next year, but the reality is that as it stands now, the Tigers are the huge favorites. As it stands, without a legitimate 3B, yes I definitely agree they're the clear favorites. As I said though, we have no idea what Hahn is planning and what he'll be able to accomplish this offseason. A couple big moves could sway things IMO. Also, I don't think Hunter & Martinez are automatic diffrence makers next year and the Tigers pitching staff could feel the effects of an extended playoff run. And let's never forgot how bad the Tigers' defense is. That won't be changing anytime soon and was the biggest reason for our team being able to compete with them last year.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 20, 2012 -> 03:11 PM) Yeah, how'd that work out? We remained in first place until the final few weeks of the season, while you told us for nearly a year we had no chance to win the division. Just because we didn't ultimately win the division, doesn't mean we couldn't have. We were right there the entire season and my point still stands. The off-season has barely started and people can't wait to rule us out for next year already. Welcome to Soxtalk I guess! Why don't we wait and see what Hahn does before we hand the Tigers the 2013 AL Central Champions trophy. The Tigers have added a 37 year old OF and will get back a 34 year old DH coming off a nasty knee injury. IMO, Hunter & Martinez could help them or hurt them. It wouldn't be the first time baseball players have suddenly fallen off a cliff at those ages.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 20, 2012 -> 02:27 PM) No matter what they say, they aren't going to compete next year. Just like we had no chance of competing this year.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Nov 17, 2012 -> 12:10 PM) The Jays still have some talented prospects hanging around. Toronto needs another starting pitcher and relief depth. I wonder if they would do a deal centered around Floyd + Reed for Escobar + Sierra + pitching prospect(s). Picking up Yunel would give the Sox a lot of options. It would 1) help them move Alexei's contract if they could find a taker, 2) it would give them a 3B option just in case other ideas don't work out, and 3) it would give them another trade piece. Sierra would give the Sox more OF depth and would slot in somewhere this year either as a starter or backup depending on how the offseason goes. Unless something has changed, Yunel Escobar won't be on the Blue Jays much longer.

Honestly, I want to see Hector as the #5 starter and Flowers as our regular catcher. Use Floyd or Quintana to help fill the need at 3B or get a left-handed bat (ideally both). If Santiago falters so be it, we'd at least have Axelrod as insurance, but I really think Santiago has legitimate #3 starter potential. And I have no problem letting A.J. walk, as Flowers is already the superior defensive catcher and I think his bat will greatly improve with regular playing time, while A.J.'s is due for some serious regression. I actually think Flowers could be a more valuable player next year, before even accounting for salary.

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Nov 15, 2012 -> 02:24 PM) I think if it were to happen it would have already...its been 6 or 7 years since he failed a drug test. The guy was only 20 years old experiencing extended time away from his family for the first time. First, Hamilton has a full-fledged babysitter with him at all times during the season. I'm guessing that's prevented some relapses over the past few years and it's going to be interesting to see what becomes of him when major league baseball no longer has a need for him. As for your second point, how was his situation that much different than most college freshmen (minus the $)? Maybe he was babied/restricted by his parents more than other kids growing up, but that doesn't excuse stupid decision-making that led to drug addiction. The onus falls on him and him alone.

Moving De Aza makes perfect sense IMO if you can use him to fill the need at 3B. His value is at an all-time high given his expected production vs his expected salary over the next three years. Four of our top 10 prospects are CFs plus we have Danks & Takate as plan Cs. If we move De Aza, we only need a stop-gap for a year, maybe two at the most. Sounds like CF is a need we could posibbly fill in free agency and at least much easier in the trade market than 3B. While I think De Aza is a very solid player, GMs overvalue leadoff hitters IMO and I think we'd get a great return on him, especially if that player can fill the gaping hole that is 3B.

I know I'm late to the party, but this is a fantastic move. A 1-2-3 of Sale, Peavy, & Danks, if healthy, can be one of the best in baseball over the next two or three seasons. I don't see how anyone could complain about the years or annual amount, as Peavy would have gotten way more in free agency and replacing him would have been a complete nightmare. With picking up Floyd's option, we actually have some SP depth for 2013 and could afford to trade an arm if the right deal came along. If I were GM, I'm out there shopping Quintana for a young, cost-controlled 3B. My guess is there won't be a match out there, but I'd have no problem having Santiago as our #5 starter next year if need be. Regardless, our SP is a great spot at this point.

This website blows my mind at times. Moustakas put up a 3.5 WAR as a 23 year old this past season. I'm not sure if people realize how bad the 3B position has gotten in recent years, but that's f***ing incredible. Sure, his offense wasn't spectacular, but again, he just turned 24 years old and has only had about 1 2/3 full seasons in the pros. Considering he was the 9th ranked prospect in all of bassball in 2011, I'm going to go out on a limb and say he will get better with the bat over the next few years. And even if he doesn't, he's already one of the better all-around 3B in baseball and is under team control for the next 5 years. Thinking we can get him for Floyd or some borderline prospects is pure insanity. If I were Hahn and the Royals expressed any willingness to trade Moustakas, I'd immedietely offer up Quintana and cross my fingers. Unfortunately, I think they'd want a more proven, cost-controlled SP if they were to consider moving him and I personally can't comprehend why they'd want to trade him in the first place.

Sign or develop a legitimate superstar, preferably one with some personality (and not another Albert Belle). Us diehard fans appreciate the A.J.'s & Konerko's of this world, but a lot of casual fans need that big name to get excited and support a team. You'll have to overpay for a star in the short-run given the quality of our farm system, but you could develop some long-term fan interest by doing so. Think of how many people on this site are Sox fans because of Frank Thomas alone.

f*** a Ray!

QUOTE (Bruce_Blixton @ Sep 7, 2012 -> 12:10 PM) That's an absurdly low ranking for Saladino, I know a lot of people have soured on him after this year because he didn't hit for power but he was top 10 in walks, runs and stolen bases in the Southern League. He also hit leadoff for most of the season which I think impacted his entire approach at the plate to be more patient and work the count like a good leadoff hitter is supposed to do. I still have faith in him and hope they actually push him to start in Charlotte next year. Saladino actually led the Southern League in walks when he was promoted to AAA.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 7, 2012 -> 08:23 AM) Bizarro. Leesman at 3? Him, Snodgress, Petricka, Marinez, K Smith, Saladino and Brennan all way too high (and I'm saying that as a bigger fan of Smith and Brennan than most in here). I disagree about Snodgress. The scouting reports at the time he was draft described great stuff but poor command. A month or so into the season at low A, something clicked and he looked like a completely different pitcher. The numbers at Winston-Salem are extremely impressive and I think him and Johnson are by far our best pitching prospects at the moment.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Sep 7, 2012 -> 12:37 PM) Almora's contact rate is impressive. His power is not. He's not a comp for Hawkins at all. I'm not saying they are the same type of player, but they are both high-school OFs drafted in the first round of this year's draft. It's only natural to compare the development of the two of them. Not sure who else you would compare Hawkins to at this point.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 7, 2012 -> 11:46 AM) Guys like Almora who have early big hype will stay on the list longer than they should in some cases, because the same people who hyped them are the same ones who influence the list. Also, there is just the practicality that it is very difficult to track and analyze so many prospects in baseball with any real depth of knowledge, so the big names just tend to do better in these lists, even if there are indications they aren't living up to expectations. Plus add in the team/system perception I noted before too. I agree with everything you just said, but I don't see how BA could justify including Almora and not Hawkins. Maybe neither makes it, but Almora is doing just ok in short-season ball, while Hawkins destroyed the ball in regular A and is currently doing a damn fine job in the playoffs for an A+ team. IMO, Almora should be Hawkins' comp and right now Hawkins looks like the better prospect. I hope BA would follow a similar logic, but Almora is definitely the bigger name and will probably get the benefit of the doubt like you said.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Sep 7, 2012 -> 08:32 AM) So based on his performance does Hawkins crack BA's Top 100? You gotta think he kinda has to I could be wrong, but I feel like it's very rare for a team to have zero Top 100 prospects (BA's list). Therefore, I think either Hawkins or Thompson has to make it and based on his play at A/A+ I think Hawkins is the better prospect. How many high-schoolers have jumped off to a start like this in recent years? He's also having a much superior year than Almora.

QUOTE (Jake @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 10:37 PM) Congrats Balta, you made the WORST POST EVER! Sometimes you got to be a dick to make a point, but in all honesty, I can't comprehend how one could chear against their team over this. If the entire team had committed some god awful act, then sure I'd probably root against them. But over one guy using steroids or some other banned substance? No way in hell, not when every other team likely has their own guys doing some form of cheating.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 10:37 PM) Don't crucify the guys who have gotten caught, because they are simply the unlucky/careless ones. Oh ok, just didn't know what you meant.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 08:13 PM) Ok I'll say it. If this is true I don't want to make the playoffs this year. Worst post ever. You have no idea who is or isn't using steroids across the league, yet you want to punish 24 innocent (as far as we know) people for a bad decision made by one teammate. I've never quite understood your position on steroids.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 10:26 PM) There are a lot of very naive people in this thread, sadly. Please explain.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 07:33 PM) Yes. .873 OPS with home games in Petco is not bad. No one is saying it is, but he's still only played 77 games. He's not a full-time player and he would not be our best hitter for that reason alone. It's quite clear that you're still looking for reasons to bash KW and this attempt is even bad for your standards.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 07:28 PM) 77 games, what's your point? Did you not just imply Quentin would be our best hitter had KW held on to him?