royoung

Well I'd say that would rule out Desmond. There is your Saladino insurance and your Tim Anderson mentor.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 10:49 AM) Robin Leyer is 95-97, T98 with the fastball. Tanner Mendonca hits upper 90's but I think they slowed him down when they re-tooled him. Daniel Webb was there, but again was a slow-down project of sorts. New signee Josh Wall has hit 100 and was often upper 90's, but that was earlier in his career and I have no idea if he's there now. Then there are a bunch of guys more mid-90's. I knew you would jump in NorthSide . That is a great point that many relievers have the ability to throw upper 90's but with detriment to their command. It may be likely that the White Sox re-tool him and he instead will become a 95-97 type guy. My point is you can't teach velocity and reining a guy like Kahnle has some exciting possibilities than aren't available to most other pitchers.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 10:25 AM) Mr. Cleto says hi. There are actually a ton of relievers now consistently hitting 96-98...not nearly so rare as a decade ago. Command is the caveat of course. If Kahnle had good command to go along with his velocity there is no way we would of gotten him for a low level prospect. The White Sox must of saw something in his mechanics that they felt OK about potentially fixing. Off the top of my head, we have four pitchers in the entire organization that can consistently sit upper 90's. Kahnle, Cleto, Nate Jones, and I saw Brad Goldberg hitting 98 and 99 when I scouted him in August. That was new for Goldberg and a pretty exciting development for his status as a prospect.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 09:58 AM) He's 28 so regular free agent. He will be when he is cleared by MLB. I haven't seen an update saying he has officially been cleared, but I assume since he has a showcase tomorrow it should happen soon.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Feb 21, 2016 -> 03:39 PM) Orioles have fowler on radar as is known but are looking at a variety of players, including pedro alvarez https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/701517661369294848 Well that doesn't sound like a sure thing...

Yadiel Hernandez's showcase is tomorrow. I am really interested to see if the Sox will be in attendance.

QUOTE (LDF @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 02:17 AM) i don't mean to jump in here, but for me, the signing is to reinforce the idea of making a trade in the future with a pen pitchers being included in a pkg or maybe insurance for the pen. Either via trade or just depth for inevitable injuries/under performance, it is always a smart idea to have as many live arms you can. If you look at our options if something happens to our incumbent LOOGY's Jenning/Duke, the Lamb trade makes a lot of sense. As for Kahnle, there just isn't that many humans who can hit the upper 90's consistently. Coop will fix em'

QUOTE (3GamesToLove @ Feb 22, 2016 -> 07:46 AM) Getting married this July--but we're not going to do a full/big honeymoon until summer 2017. Neither of us are beach people at all and are more into cultural sights...we've narrowed it down to two options: Quebec or the Pacific Northwest. Any thoughts? Obviously not your typical honeymoon destination so anyone who's travelled there in general would be appreciated. We're also looking at just doing a couple of days to get away for a "mini-moon" this summer. We were thinking of Galena, or Lake Geneva...something not too far away from Northern IL. Any other suggestions there? Galena is really nice but very touristy. Lodging I would recommend Eagle Ridge Resort, which is about 10 minutes outside of Galena and quieter and much more scenic. Eagle Ridge has a spa, hiking trails, balloon rides, a pool etc etc. There also is a ski resort close by called Chesnut that does summer activities as well, segway tours, riverboat cruises, and zip lining to name a few. However, the main attraction is the downtown main street of Galena itself, as it has a wonderful selection of shops and restaurants where you can easily spend a day just exploring. A couple places I would highly recommend is Blaum Brothers Distillery (free tour and tasting), Galena Brewing Company, Fritz and Frites, and the Log Cabin.

QUOTE (bmags @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 03:43 PM) This whole "used as leverage" thing I think is weak rationalizing. If we knew the sox truly offered more, then they were used as leverage. If we were just offering "deals" that were comparable or less than what they received, than they chose us because we didn't offer the best deal, not because we were used. If Sox offered 3/90 for Cespedes, he would have signed here. If we offered 4/90 for Gordon (what we all thought he'd get pre-offseason), you'd have Gordon in LF. But just because they went back to their teams does not mean that their FA was an illusion like Lebron to MIA. Do you believe Gordon or Cespedes would of signed with the Sox if they would of matched the respective offers they accepted from their incumbent clubs?

QUOTE (bmags @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 03:43 PM) This whole "used as leverage" thing I think is weak rationalizing. If we knew the sox truly offered more, then they were used as leverage. If we were just offering "deals" that were comparable or less than what they received, than they chose us because we didn't offer the best deal, not because we were used. If Sox offered 3/90 for Cespedes, he would have signed here. If we offered 4/90 for Gordon (what we all thought he'd get pre-offseason), you'd have Gordon in LF. But just because they went back to their teams does not mean that their FA was an illusion like Lebron to MIA. That is a fair and accurate point. What you described would of required the Sox to pay above (the current, not projected) market for a player they may or may not been all that excited about. I am not saying it was the right or wrong move, but they were clearly committed to only offering what they felt comfortable with.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 18, 2016 -> 02:54 PM) I think many took those KW comments out of context. He wasn't throwing Hahn under a bus, he was saying he was still gathering information. The reality is they didn't pay much of a price to upgrade at cather. Lawrie didn't cost much. Frazier cost some prospects, but considering the lack of 3B in MLB, it wasn't a really high price to pay. Latos at $3 million was nothing. Jones will be farther from surgery and around on day 1. They have paid a minimal price for their upgrades. I can understand why they didn't sing Gordon or Cespedes or Upton. Those guys went places where if the Sox matched those contracts, they were staying there. In Upton's case, Detroit probably would have gone as high as it had to go. Gordon wasn't leaving KC unless the Sox offer was significantly better, and Cespedes would probably have cost at least $30 million for the 2016 season. If Fowler gets 3/$45 million, I can accept them not signing him. But if it is 2/$25 million or something like that, I'm sorry, that is something you cannot pass up if you are going for it and don't want to waste Sale/Abreu etc. prime years. I agree with this. It sounded like Gordon and Cespedes just used the Sox/others as leverage to get the deal they wanted from their incumbent clubs. We would of been outbid by Mike Ilitch for Upton and perhaps the Sox don't see Fowler and his lackluster splits against RHP's as a worthy investment. The reality for a team like the White Sox that strongly values financial flexibility is any kind of major free agent signing is going to have to be a perfect fit. A good example is Jose Abreu. They acted aggressively and decisively in his pursuit, outbidding several other clubs.

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 56m56 minutes ago Showcase in Mexico City on Tuesday for three more Cuban players - OF Yadiel Hernandez, 28; 1B/3B Yanio Perez, 20; SS Alejandro Rivera, 20. I've never heard of the younger two, but would love it if the Sox signed Hernandez.

QUOTE (LDF @ Feb 17, 2016 -> 10:34 AM) i really like that list you assembled, but i still think EJ will be on the team, maybe starting in the pen. if, and i mean if that happens, looking for your opinion, whose sport will he take?? with ref to the list above. Putnam? He had a down year last year However, he still had a 11.8 K/9 rate and is projected to have a 3.76 ERA in 2016 (according to B/R). The Sox have a solid bullpen and I think all those guys have value which leads me to believe either a member of the current bullpen or EJ will be dealt before Opening Day. Johnson absolutely tore up Charlotte last year and has nothing left to prove there.

If the Sox intend to trade for an OF upgrade and don't intent to deal Anderson or Fulmer, they would have to deal from their pitching depth. Sox will carry 12 pitchers, so I numbered viable guys for reference. Rotation 1. Sale 2. Q 3. Rodon 4. Latos 5. Danks Bullpen 6. Robertson 7. Petricka 8. Duke 9. Jennings 10. Albers 11. Jones 12. Putnam So potential trade chips or depth to step in for any of the above guys... Johnson, Turner, Beck, Kahnle, and Webb. Three guys who could potentially start and two who might be useful bullpen pieces. Just hypothetically, I wonder how valuable a Erik Johnson/Spencer Adams package would be to a team looking to get younger? With the cost of starting pitching skyrocketing, those two have a lot of years of control.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 17, 2016 -> 07:45 AM) Yes, and no nibbles, which was expected. He's an arm to keep an eye on, sure, but I agree Top 10 is a big stretch. So a guy who all 30 teams passed on is our #8 prospect?

Additionally, he says that Jacob May, Jhoandro Alfaro, and Jordan Stephens were the next three who just missed. Missing someone? Law was as high as anyone on Courtney Hawkins when he was drafted, but he apparently didn't make his top 13.

http://espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post?id=4736 Keith Law has some surprises in his top 10. It is behind paywall, so I'll summarize for those who can't access it. 1. Anderson 2. Fulmer 3. Adams 4. Michalczewski 5. Guerrero 6. Danish 7. Zangari 8. Leyer 9. Engel 10. Adolfo Leyer is the big shocker here as he didn't even make FutureSox top 30. Law notes that he is a "power-armed reliever" who has a good change-up. He was very complimentary of Zangari, saying he has "huge" upside.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-best-tr...016-off-season/ Fangraph's Dave Cameron ranked the ten transactions of the off-season he liked the most. The White Sox trade for Todd Frazier ranks second only behind the heist of the decade aka the Shelby Miller trade.

I would take him on a pillow deal, one year with an option for the 2nd. I guess I wouldn't be furious with a two year deal, but any longer then that and I think it doesn't make sense.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Feb 12, 2016 -> 08:48 AM) Yeah, I don't get the wording about prospects in these Bruce tweets. Cinci should be giving him away for free. Heyman is again being used for leverage by one organization/agent or another.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/sto...sed-top-100-mlb Carson Fulmer makes the "Just missed" list of ten names just outside his top 100. The write up doesn't say anything he hasn't trumpeted before, citing the reason he missed the top 100 because he has a "very violent" delivery and "works too much out of the zone" to be a big league starter.

QUOTE (shakes @ Feb 11, 2016 -> 09:54 AM) I'm not sure Boras is a huge impediment at this point. Jackson is going to need a job and the market is clearly defining what he is worth. Boras is very good at getting high end free agents better contracts than they deserve, but he isn't some wizard that will get a guy like Jackson a huge overpay. Jackson has his pros/cons but I think overall he makes the Sox a better team. I haven't kept up but aren't there a couple of Cuban defectors that are becoming available soon? Anyone heard if there are legit options there that can help now? I'd love to see them add Yadiel Hernandez. Just turned 28, LH, and in six years has never had an OBP under .400. However, he isn't yet declared a FA and doesn't have a showcase until February 23rd. So he likely won't be ready for Opening Day.

Also, what a testament to the work he has put in that he would be an "above average" SS right now.

That actually sounds just about right for Anderson. I really hope Sox don't rush him and give him a full year to continue to develop his plate discipline and approach.

I'm apathetic to Fowler at this point. He would be a clear upgrade defensively in RF but with his poor splits against RHP I think he is destined to disappoint in the AL Central. I think a better course of action would be acquiring a left-handed bat that Garcia could spell occasionally against LHP. Reddick, Ethier, Inciarte, Markakis, all come to mind as guys who mash righties and could be available with varying degrees of difficulty to acquire. EDIT: With that being said, if he's available anywhere near 2/20 it should be done. But I don't believe he is.