Jerksticks

This is the best thing I've read in a while. Makes me want to bet a couple hundred.

QUOTE (HeGone7 @ Feb 13, 2017 -> 06:40 PM) That's another one of those glass half-full vs half-empty type stats. Q has that reputation to an extent, but I think that is mainly just Sox fans who have watched him w/frustration over the years. He has 1 complete game I think for his career, which is what I think people mean. It's a very "Q" type statistic because it just reinforces that he isn't great, but he is consistently good. His extreme's, in this case, like a pitcher who throws a CG or gets bombed before the 4th inning don't exist and he settles in the middle with several "20 out" outings. Similar to the rebuttles to his WAR argument. Which is that, sure "over the last three years he is a top 10 WAR pitcher" but he has never finished top 10 in a season (at least per BR). Once again, it demonstrates that he is very good and consistent but he lacks the upside to be "elite" in the eyes of other organizations. Or it at least gives them ammunition/leverage for negotiating his trade. Someone recently posted that they had potentially 20 guys they'd be willing to take ahead of him and that person was likely correct. Whether we want to ACCEPT it or not is entirely up to you, but there are 20 guys out there that are either already better or have more upside than Q. Most teams, right or wrong, will lean towards the upside at the level where Q is. They can "fix" the flaws for that guy to reach his potential being the logic. So while that is a nice stat, and I, personally, think in today's day-in-age with bullpens this should increase his value to teams. You also mentioned it was Sale + a bunch of guys at 20 in the AL. Depending on what "a bunch" means and how many guys we add from the NL, it may be less important than we think. I'd imagine there is a lot with 19 as well. Which circles us back to the "upside" debate that teams will make there. 1 more out everytime, or the potential to go 9 good ones when it counts. Good points. So how available are these other 20 guys? And in FA they cost around $30M AAV. I wonder how worth it the extra out is.

Lopez's delivery reminds me a lot of Peavy.

"Bregman behind the back scoop to Anderson. Aderson 360 missile to Moncada, to Abreu! HHhhYEEeSSS! The 4-Way tie for last year's MVP just put on a show! The greatest triple play you will ever see! Call your sons and daughters...they're going for back to back to back to back homers for the third time tonight after these messages! Mercy!" Please God. Please

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Feb 12, 2017 -> 08:52 PM) Sounds like an Astros trade is unlikely based on this tweet from MLB Network Radio: LOL. GMs never posture!

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 9, 2017 -> 10:17 PM) No Martes or Tucker is what we heard earlier. Ahh sweet, then we'll take Bregman.

Q is a really good & established MLB top pitcher. Why shouldn't he be able to fetch a really good & established MLB hitter? Oh wait...and he's on a ridiculous contract that every team would love to have? Kyle Tucker is the best hitter he's worth? A kid in A ball? Keep up the good work brother Hahn. No need to cave for Kyle Tucker.

I wonder if the Sox will can his ass too when things start looking up.

I wonder if this is bad news for businesses like Kabbage, OnDeck etc. They have been dominating radio ads like crazy lately. If banks are allowed to lend to small business again will this kind of destroy their niche?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 2, 2017 -> 12:23 AM) Trump doesn't deserve criticism because a Seal died? The same Trump that blasted Hillary over the entire campaign because of Benghazi? And it comes out that he hastily approved the mission after one briefing with very little planning and you want everyone to back off? f*** that, he put lives in danger so he could put a notch on his belt Good Lord man. Sweet delicate, swaddled baby Jesus. You are entitled to your opinion.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 1, 2017 -> 11:41 PM) How can you realistically expect the country (and the media, that Trump and Spicer declared war on) to hit the reset button after the last 16 years, and particularly the tenor of discourse since the Mexicans are rapists and criminals campaign kickoff? It's a verbal version of the Civil War. Everyone has been forced to choose sides. ? A seal is dead. The line needs to be drawn somewhere. Pissing all over the ideals of free speech & tolerance by beating people up and setting s*** on fire is one thing- that's just hypocrisy 101...but using a dead seal as a pawn??? That's too far to me.

QUOTE (Big Hurtin @ Feb 1, 2017 -> 10:23 PM) http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trum...o-idUSKBN15G5RX "U.S. military officials told Reuters that Trump approved his first covert counterterrorism operation without sufficient intelligence, ground support or adequate backup preparations. As a result, three officials said, the attacking SEAL team found itself dropping onto a reinforced al Qaeda base defended by landmines, snipers, and a larger than expected contingent of heavily armed Islamist extremists." I understand bashing Trump for things but reporting like this makes me sick. One of our best just died trying to gather intelligence to help the free world. Running a story purely to insinuate incompetence is a disgrace to the dead operator, his family & all the special operators risking their lives. Everyone knows that US special operations are probably the most thoroughly planned missions in the history of all things being planned. They don't go unless they think it will work, bottom line. To write an article making it sound like Trump is just recklessly sending in SEAL teams & using the death of a special operator to further a political beef is beyond dishonorable. Sorry but f***. that. s***.

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Jan 28, 2017 -> 09:29 PM) Hansen could jump too. For sure. Hansen has the potential to go from off the list all the way to #1 if he crushes the A balls. Wonder if that's ever happened.

On a more positive note, at least the Sox scouted a young kid correctly. Who is the scout that found him and coerced him into signing with the Sox? Pay that man to keep doing his job. Unless Tatis flames out...then rake him over a long bed of coals and smash his testicles.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jan 20, 2017 -> 02:42 PM) No, the answer is "great President". He's in the second tier of presidents that follow the first tier of Washington, Lincoln and FDR. Nobel Peace Prize Nelson Mandela Mother Teresa Medecins Sans Frontieres MLK Jr. Barack Obama Arguably a candidate for a 2nd peace prize for the humanitarian effort in Syria. 100s of thousands of lives saved. I say top tier for sure.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jan 20, 2017 -> 08:22 PM) Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man. And if you arent even willing to consider the idea that the offers the Sox have received arent good enough to trade Q now, there is really no point in discussing because neither of us know the offers. The hardest thing for people to understand, who do not negotiate deals regularly, is why patience is so important. Yes. That last sentence is key. Appearing eager or desperate would cost me money in the real world every day. Every damn day. The problem for Hahn is that he's shown he doesn't plan on competing in 2017 by trading Sale & Eaton. So other GMs smell blood in the water right now, January 20th. But that all changes the minute a team feels the pressure to need a TOR starter on a cheap contract. They will have to cave. It's not an IF but a WHEN. Patience Sox fans. This is how all deals in all industries are done. If you have the rare, coveted supply the demand will find you, always.

"Jose Quintana traded for Kyle Tucker and some other prospects" sounds like the worst headline I could ever read. What a laughing Stock Hahn would be to the other GMs. Absolute laughing stock.

QUOTE (JenksIsMyHero @ Jan 20, 2017 -> 09:15 AM) I like to think of the positive. Today is one of the greatest spectacles in human history. The peaceful transfer of power. Absolutely. Everyone should just kiss the sweet American earth today. We got it good. Reeeeeal good.

It would be cool if one day being a teacher was something you did after your main career was over. Like after you acquire wisdom from living in the world for many decades. Kids would benefit so much more if teaching was more voluntary from older, wiser people. Right now you have all these fall-down-blackout-drunk sluts from s***ty state schools becoming teachers at 22 who burn the candle at both ends. I know that is a HUGE & RIDICULOUS rambling generalization but we all know plenty of these ladies. And I get it, we need too many of them to probably ever weed out the junk. But maybe one day there will be the following headlines during a teachers' strike: "10,000 55-70 yr. old Chicagoans volunteer to teach for the rest of the year while teachers' union forces teachers to strike." "After 1 day of 'The Replacements'- Chicago kids are more interested in school than ever before!" "Kids gaining wisdom & role models at school for the first time ever new study finds." "Ambition discovered at local highschool. Thought to have gone extinct decades ago." "Life lessons, successes & failures, woven into english class at local school. Attendance skyrockets." Boom. Pension problem fixed in Jerksticks' Dreamland. No longer a job, but a way to give back once your nest empties.

What about Dahl, Rodgers, Mundell from the Rockies? Impressive but not quite proven rookie with some past injury issues. Top draft pick in A ball. First base prospect in A ball who just set an MiLB record with 59 doubles. Nice mix of floor and ceiling for Allstar Q.

QUOTE (CyAcosta41 @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 08:56 PM) You're not alone -- others have mentioned worrying about Rick overplaying his hand. I don't get the concern. At least I don't get it quite yet. It's 18-January; we've got roughly 75 days until the Sox open up on 3-April. Other than rumor, speculation, and possibly team spread leaks, we've got exactly zero hard evidence of who has offered what. But what we know for a certainty is that Q is currently the top available arm by far -- durable, consistent, professional, and by all of the generally accepted metrics a top 10-20 starter for the past four years in ALL OF BASEBALL. If that wasn't enough, he's under control for four years on an absolutely killer contract that provides near unheard of surplus value. Why the concern that Rick is OVERplaying his hand (when it's only 18-January)? Why not give the 2016/2017 version of Rick Hahn ... the dude who has shown his bona fides this year ... the guy who is clearly having an MVP offseason ... the benefit of the doubt? For the time being, why not assume that Rick Hahn is simply PLAYING his hand (not overplaying it ... playing it intelligently and with skill)? For the moment and arguably through the end of spring training, the Sox have ALL the leverage. Given what has transpired thus far this offseason, why take the risk of leaving "money on the table" by accepting the best deal now when the best deal later can very well be superior. I understand some concerns of a long-term hold and an overall shift in leverage when other top pitchers are available, but it sure looks like through 3-April there is one top dog, and we've got him. At worse, some close variation of deals that are available now will still be available on the last day of spring training (or the first day of spring training, take your pick). But Rick has no idea whether another 30-75 days of waiting will ratchet up the pressure on at least one potential trade partner such that they lap the field. I think he's playing his cards masterfully! Spot on. The overplaying his hand theory should be reconsidered. That assumes Rick is out there shopping Q like he NEEDS to trade him, like he's sitting at the poker table. Rick is not sitting at the poker table. Rick hosts poker night and a seat at his table is expensive. The other GMs are playing cards, not Rick. Nowhere has Rick said "I'm trying to trade Quintana to complete my rebuild." You're all acting like he has- think about that. Rick doesn't have to trade Q. Thankfully he has a big set of balls.

I totally sympathize with the get it done crowd. We all want to rip the bandaid off and start over with all the prospects ASAP. It sucks waiting for Christmas when you're a kid too. Trust in Santa Hahn- he's been marvelous.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 02:29 PM) That's a good question to ask for all those so worried Q won't be worth anything if the Sox don't trade him in the next 24 hours. How much ddi the ultimate package for Sale and/or Eaton deteriorate by the White Sox not trading either of them a year sooner? I am with you, Sale's, I am not guessing much if anything at all, and Eaton's certainly went up. There is a limit on what teams will give up. TOR guys with 4 years or even 3 years of cheap control are hardly ever traded. One reason is because either teams don't have the prospects, or they have to give up so many. Q is in that boat. He will be at just about max price if they wait another year as long as he performs and is healthy. Yep. Agreed. Look at the hauls for Miller & Chapman. And those guys aren't exactly cheap by any means.

Another simple way of looking at the contract. Starting pitching prices are going to keep inflating the next few years. Most teams will be priced out. Q's will stay static. Not every team can buy a championship like the cubs. Just think of how creative our front office has had to be the last 15 years. Always a piece or two short, betting on bargain veterans having bouncebacks, all due to financial restraints. Our biggest contract is still 66M and we play in Chicago. Trust me when I say there will always be plenty of teams willing to back the prospect truck up to get Q, so waiting for that truck is fine. Every team needs a 5-6 WAR LH SP in his prime at $10M, especially teams like us and the Pitates. Value won't be going down at all if we wait into the season. I bet it goes up. Think about all the tight races that will be happening in May/June. Each one of those GMs AND owners knows that any team could snatch up Q at any moment. Value through the roof. "s*** what if they get Quintana they might pull away. What if we got Quintana? Call Hahn offer Bregman, I want to go for this sucker this year!" I'm fine waiting until the pressure of being in races starts hitting some clubs. I predict a Mid-May to Mid-June trade and might prefer that.

Sounds like a deep package you guys are drooling over. What are the odds that package satisfies us fans for the long haul. Who would you bet to be the Allstar that comes closest to mathing Q-level WAR?