oldsox

QUOTE (BaconOnAStick @ Aug 8, 2014 -> 07:01 PM) He's a free agent after next season, the Braves may not be interested in paying him. Who knows. Heyward?? A bit overrated/overpaid.. I would rather continue rolling the dice with Avi.

On the subject of minor league defense, there are some factors that contribute to bad defensive stats: 1. Young players whose skills are improving 2. Minor league coaches. 3. Minor league infields. 4. And lastly, minor league official scorers.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Aug 7, 2014 -> 06:33 PM) Where did you have Hawkins after the year he had last year? Hawkins has rebounded a little bit this year. This is Davidson's first bad year in 6 minor league seasons and a brief MLB stint. You're right about Hawkins. He has rebounded a little bit, as you said. He's hitting around .250, not as many strikeouts, decent extra base hit numbers, good speed, -- he has improved. It'll be interesting to see how he handles AA next year. I don't know what that has to do with my placing Davidson in the bottom half of the top 25. But you said it -- 6, count 'em 6 seasons in pro ball. That's a lot of experience to have this bad of a year. It's not out of the question to see both Davidson and Ravelo as teammates next year at Charlotte. Who do you think will have better numbers? I say Ravelo, who is younger and a better prospect IMO.

Pretty good rankings right down the line -- except for one guy. Davidson. I just don't understand why he is ranked so high after the year he had, like it doesn't count. I can see somewhere in the bottom half of the top 25, but not #7.

QUOTE (Jake @ Aug 6, 2014 -> 11:52 AM) You are way, way, way too low on Marcus Semien. A year ago I would have agreed with you. I think he is pegged correctly.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Aug 6, 2014 -> 01:57 PM) That's just silly. The manager should not be able to stall the umpire until his dugout gives him answer. Once you go out there, it's a challenge. That would be a good rule change.

Cargo had a similar play in Denver 3-4 years ago -- running right into a post at full speed. Cargo was hurt pretty bad, Wrist, I believe.

Rodon, Brewster, Peter......all at W-S.

QUOTE (Jake @ Aug 5, 2014 -> 08:16 PM) Interesting to me that Davidson has walked 7 times in the past 6 games. It's not like he's done anything else well, but it seems less than coincidental that he'd have a collection of walks like that. He'd only had 6 walks in his past 20 games before that. I'm just looking for signs that he's working on something up there. Keep looking. His best year stat-wise was 2010 with South Bend in LowA where he hit .289/16/79/.371/.504.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 5, 2014 -> 07:11 PM) To be frank, given where we are at in the season, if he's healthy and able to play at AAA, then once we think his timing is back and he's capable, its time for him to play with the big league club. without question

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Aug 5, 2014 -> 07:52 PM) Danks does not deserve a spot in the 2015 rotation only reason he will is his contract. Danks ability is just about at DFA level. Kenny Williams likes him.

Much has been said here recently about the 2014 pitching staff. It needs help next year. Free Agency will be discussed in off season, but you can't count on that as a savior for next year. Even though most of Sox better pitching prospects are in lower minors (W-S on down) there are several at Charlotte and Birminghame who will probably be given serious consideration sometime in 2015. Alphabetically, they include Bassitt, Beck, Blough, Bucciferro, Casey, Fuentes, Recchia, Snodgrass, Vance. The following roster pitchers probably don't figure to be in the mix Belisario, Guerra, Jones, Lindstrom, Paulino, Rienzo, Surkamp, Thompson. I didn't include Rodon, only because he is still at W-S. I don't know where I'm going with this, just looking for some positive comments on Sox pitching next year.

Wilkins, for openers.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 4, 2014 -> 05:50 PM) I'm sure not seeing anything like that. It seems like the more hind was sighted, the more opinion changed. I remember one guy who has been against this from day one and that is Oldsox who mentions it with every single blown save. Not exactly true, Southsider. I have been more likely to opine when you and your buddy support the trade ad nauseum and/or point out how flawed Reed is, or when you put Davidson near the head of Sox prospect list. I am not in the habit or originating threads on the subject, but I do respond. If Peticka or anyone else comes in and blows a save this week, I don't plan on coming to Soxtalk and bring up Reed. But since you asked, I'm done with the subject.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Aug 3, 2014 -> 08:22 PM) Even if Matt Davidson never plays a single game for the White Sox, that still can't be considered a bad trade. As a rebuilding team that is not contending, you can get a top 100 prospect for a mediocre closer? You make that trade every single time. Well, we disagree here, Hurt. First, Reed is not just a mediocre closer. 40 saves last year, 26 so far this year. He is a solid right handed relief pitcher who has paid his dues. He might not be an all star, but he is not exactly a hobo who just showed up on your street corner either. He is good enough to make virtually every major league roster, especially the White Sox roster. He is a big step up from mediocre. Second, whoever listed Davidson as a top 100 prospect had a figment in his newton. That rating was a joke. His stats this year prove it. Third, with the emergence of Abreu, Eaton, and Gilaspie and the improved play of Alexei and the continued excellence of Sale and Q, this perhaps could have been a (wild card) contending team. Reed would have helped. As Dick Allen said, Bad Trade.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Aug 3, 2014 -> 08:47 PM) Yup, people love ripping the trade in hindsight, but no one knew Conor Gillaspie would be this good. At the time getting a top 100 prospect that played 3B for an average at best closer was the right move. Our organization was preparing to retool with a small chance of winning in 2014 and had nothing in our system to help us anytime soon at the position. While I agree with Dick Allen that some posters hyped up his Reno stats way too much, he's still an incredibly talented prospect and had to the ability to be an above average contributor at a major position of need for us. The trade was a no-brainer regardless if Davidson develops or not. No hindsight here. On the original thread announcing the trade, I said I didn't like it (day after the trade cuz I wanted to think about it before posting). As I posted elsewhere, I called a couple of pals in Phoenix who follow the Dbacks and asked them about it, and they said the team did not like Davidson after a significant cup of coffee, blah blah blah. I was quickly criticized, and I don't know if anyone else here agreed with me or not. Now some do.

4-5 days ago I made a simple, one sentence, non-combative statement saying that Sox trading Addison Reed didn't help the bullpen, or if he were still here it would be better, or something like that, and I was promptly villified by 3-4 posters, 2 of whom are mods, basically insinuating that I don't know what I'm talking about, calling me a troll and that our bullpen is fine without him, even telling us what the Sox bullpen ERA is vs Reed's ERA, etc. etc. as if his 26 saves are irrelevant to the discussion, or words to that effect. The fact is the Sox bullpen imploded this weekend, and Reed had a scoreless inning today with 3 K's, not that that makes any difference. I still say Reed would have helped this team this year. A lot.

Every team is going to have a few tough losses in a long season. RV mostly made ther right calls last night, especially on the bullpen side of things. just didn't work out this time. Not his fault Eaton got thrown out at second for the last out of the 8th. If I were to criticize Robin for last night, it would center around not using Sierra, other than as a pinch runner right before Eaton's out at second. Sierra is good defensivly and is hot, so play him, but if he were in the game, he prob would have been in right field, so the botched play by ADA in left in the 8th would not have been changed. Not Robin's fault ADA botched the play. It not only lost the game, it made Belly's numbers look worse than what they would have looked. The key plays were ADA's in left and Eaton's out at second and the fact that Suzuki got another big hit in the clutch. For the most part, other than Sierra riding the pine, RV had the Sox set up to succeed, not fail.

Great article, Northsider. You guys do good work. I hope you're right about Wilkins getting a call-up in September. He is not yet on the 40 man roster; hopefully that changes. Brewster was one of the Sox final signers from this years draft, not counting Rodon, of course. Since he pitched at Maryland, I bet he and Rodon competed against each other a few times. Now they're together at Winston-Salem. Thanks again.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 31, 2014 -> 03:54 PM) ERA+ 96, -0.3 WAR, That's a pretty small difference in ERA's, not where you can make a judgment on that stat alone. I do know that Reed has 26 saves for a lousy team, and that he is/was clearly better at closing than either Lindstrom or Belasario. Those two guys are much better set up men than closers, so it follows that if Reed were not traded. he would have been closing and those two guys would have been in their proper places in the bullpen, and just maybe we wouldn't have had to pitch Paulino at all, and voila the Sox are several games better. Does not seem very complicated. Better closing + better set up performances = a few more wins.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 31, 2014 -> 03:27 PM) This team is so weird. It seems like whenever I'm watching or paying attention, they are putting together a nice run or a win streak and they're in every game, yet they're 3 games below .500. Again, it's weird, but this team feels like it should be 5-7 games over .500 right now instead. They would be if the hadn't traded Addison Reed.

QUOTE (Capn12 @ Jul 31, 2014 -> 03:23 PM) Eaton is so grindy..thanks again Arizona. Ariz got Trumbo in that deal, right? A real stinker for them.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 30, 2014 -> 06:42 PM) Davidson now at least 3 for his last 38 with no homers. Hard to get excited about a prospect that has hit under .200 in 3 out of 4 months this year. Two of us here feel that way. He obviously has another month at Charlotte, and then will most likely be btought up in September, and we'll all be able to see him for at least a few games.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 29, 2014 -> 03:40 PM) Just an FYI, we do have a preliminary list ready. Regarding the time line, I think we're going to hold off on it until after the deadline in case the Sox make any additions that will need to be added. I bet you guys will never guess who's #1 99.9999% certain.

Hawk used to say, "I love to watch Ray run." I love to watch Eaton run. First to home, who is faster?