oldsox

Back to Abreu. My understanding is that Bosox were in the bidding, bur for quite a bit less. They supposedly told him that they would start him at AAA in 2014 and possibly replace Ortiz in 2015. Who knows, maybe he'll need a year in the minors.

This, in the 'Bad Dream' Department..... Abreu signs, is added to the 40 man roster, and starts out in either Birmingham or Charlotte after spring training.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Oct 14, 2013 -> 05:47 PM) Thank you, gentlemen. I have been asserting the importance of having more left handed hitters, especially in our division, for a long time. The idea was largely dismissed as "unimportant". The response was simply; "It doesn't matter from which side of the plate they hit, as long as they are good hitters". I'm glad some agree with the arguments I've been making. It might even be feasible to get a couple of guys who don't have very impressive overall stats, but who really dominate RHP. If they can be platooned vs the occasional LHP, that would work, and such players might be much more affordable. ........just as long as his name is not Adam Dunn.

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Oct 13, 2013 -> 08:42 PM) I would say, more accurately, that he made a number of errors both in the field and on the base paths and that fact seems to have a disproportionate emotional impact on many fans. He was not one of the worst baserunners in baseball. Fangraphs has him as our 3rd best baserunner after Rios and Ramirez. Fangraphs has him as the 25th most valuable baserunner in MLB for 2013. Fans don't get actively angry at Adam Dunn or Paul Konerko for being terribly slow since they can't help it. They can't help it, but it does make Paul Konerko the worst baserunner in baseball, and Adam Dunn the 16th worst. He did have a bad year defensively- made a lot of errors. Players have good and bad years defensively. All of that plus his offense adds up to 2.2 WAR- 3rd best on the team- and all for the bargain basement price of about $2 million. Correct. I remember one year in Robin's career where he stunk it up defensively, then went back to being good on defense the next year. De Aza needs to stay in left more that last season, but then we have Viciedo there, so Robin has a dilemma.

Hopefully, Abreu will have signed with someone by the time Sox have to make a decision about going after Loney. If we don't sign Abreu, Loney represents a big time improvement over 2012-13 at first base, both offensively and defensively. If he's affordable, I say go after him, assuming PK does not come back.

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Oct 12, 2013 -> 02:01 AM) In 900 career PAs against lefties, Keppinger has an OPS of .829. Gillaspie was .738 against righties in his first full season. On paper, the two of them together should form one pretty decent full player. They don't play games on paper, they play them on television (per some TV guy).

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 10, 2013 -> 08:55 PM) They're not going to trade for Danks based the the PREMISE he's going to add 2-4 MPH. He's going to have to prove that he can do that, and, in that case, he might become valuable to the White Sox again as one of the anchors of their rotation. Not sure that Ethier makes us much better...or how he does. Now if we were trading for the equivalent of Andre Ethier and he played 3B, CF, 2B, 1B or catcher, okay. He can probably play First Base, and better than most of our other options there, assumiing PK does not return. Plus, that would keep the slug off the field, except when he strikes out 200 times a year as DH. Ethier makes the team better and more flexible, since he can play outfield, too.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 10, 2013 -> 07:02 PM) Ether right now is not a better player than Dunn was when he was signed. At least not a better hitter. Nonsense. I remember watching Dunn try to play the outfield with Nats in 2010. What a joke. An embarassment. Plus he struck out about 200 times. Then in 2011 he hit .159 for Sox.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 10, 2013 -> 08:01 PM) And their "ace" pitcher. The three players on the major league roster that they needed the most progress from, they didn't get it... That's where a team like the Rays are so amazing....they can take regressions from Price, Hellickson, Luke Scott, Jennings and Joyce, and still make it to the playoffs. Unfortunately, they can't quite afford to cover the depth chart across the board, so they'll always have their limitiations like the early 00's A's and Twins teams. Speaking of the Rays, there is a lot of talk in Florida about Rays trading Price. Even Price was quoted that he expects to be traded.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 10, 2013 -> 12:25 PM) The foundation is already getting some cracks on the northside. This years attendance was as low as it has been since the 90's. If the rebuild staggers, they could see some real changes up there. Media will never allow it. "Lovable Losers" theme song.

Steve Stone thinks Danks will add 2-4 MPH on his fastball in 2014 and be a much better pitcher. Might be right. If Dodgers believe that, then he is very tradable. Ethier would help. He certainly is a better player than Dunn, and all you guys loved it when we signed him for 4 years for about the same $$ Ethier is due thru 2017. Ethier would help the Sox. Maybe Hahn can get more from LA, especially if they sign Cano. If Danks has another bad year in 2014, then he will have no value for rest of his contract. Hahn should find out what kind of value he has now.

Loney made a great play last night in the loss to BoSox. Just one play, but it was big time. Keep in mind Tampa is not a HR hitters park. He'll show more power at the Cell. He is our best shot at 1B, Abreu not coming to Chi. Why would he?

Hahn needs to establish what kind of trade value his pitchers have, and then pull the plug and trade one of them. Probably it's between Q and Code Red. We should be able to improve both third and catcher big time, let Phegley develop as # 2. I think Abreu and McCann are pipe dreams.

Great report; thanks. Did you do the same thing a year ago for the 2012 draft class? If so, could you bring that up, perhaps with a few comments?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 3, 2013 -> 09:30 PM) First, when you sign 16 year olds, they often aren't playing in the US for a couple years. And they sometimes don't even play DSL ball for a year or two. IT takes patience. Second, you have to take DSL performance numbers with a HUGE PILE of salt. They mean almost nothing. Third, spending money does not magically make the system better by itself... but spending many times over as much money, re-vamping your LatAm operations entirely, bringing in experienced guys like Paddy... those things will tend to pay off, and they are indicative of other, smaller changes we don't even see. It will, however, take a couple more years before you really see noticeable and major improvement. It takes time. Wilder did a lot of damage, and frankly, so did KW (whether or not you agree with his overall methods - focusing on LatAm talent in this case). para 1. Then why sign a 16 year old if he can't play for 2 years? Baseball players should play baseball. para 2. Why are DSL stats meaningless? When our 17 yr old DSL shortstop who got a ton of money a year earlier hits .130 in 2013, should I not be skeptical? para 3. Makes a lot of sense.

I wonder why Ravelo was not added to the list. Seems like a perfect candidate, especially compared to Mitchell.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 3, 2013 -> 03:21 PM) The fact that the Sox spent more than $1 million on an amateur international signing is all the more you need to know that things are changing. I think their farm system is going to be top 10-15 in the next 3 years or so. I hope you're right, but we have no idea if that million ++ bucks was spent wisely. I believe only one of those 16 year old Dominican signings in 2012 actually played this year, and he hit way below .200. I never saw anything on the other two. Correct me if I am wrong. The other signing, Mick Zapata, at least offers a bit of hope, because there are plans for him play somewhere in the US in 2014. I just don't see what you see in the int'l signings that makes you think Sox will have a top 10-15 farm system.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Oct 1, 2013 -> 03:49 PM) What do you think of Arenado from the Rockies? That team annually needs pitching. Rockettes don't figure to part with Arenado. The two guys there who are available for pitching are Rutledge and Fowler. Prob Pacheco, also. None would lead the Sox to the playoffs, but they would all play and make the team better.

I have no problem with Phegley as the Number 2 catcher.

Pence for 90 large validates my theory that General Managers are stupid. And I like Pence. They must have a printing press somewhere.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Sep 25, 2013 -> 08:15 AM) 14? What guys do you think will be non-tendered? I have 8, and I'm not even confident about that- Deuente Heath David Purcey Ramon Troncoso Bryan Anderson Paul Konerko Mike McDade Brent Morel Blake Tekotte There are other guys that CAN, but those would really be moves made out of necessity. I agree with your 8 names above. I would add Molina and Mitchell, possibly Axelrod, Castro, Veal. I'm sure Sox will give Mitchell another year, but to me his departure is inevitable. These other players, all pitchers, might be kept only for the Charlotte roster. That does not justify keeping them all on the 40 man roster.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Sep 27, 2013 -> 04:07 PM) Hoping that a lefty college bat is the best player available. Although, if a college pitcher, who'd likely be ready in '15-'16, is the best choice, that would allow more opportunity to trade for such a player. I have a feeling that the Rockies will be shopping Cargo sometime between now and next mid-season, and I hope we make a run at him. I follow the Rockies very closely, Stan, and I gotta ask if you have seen something about their trading Cargo. Not that I wouldn't like to have him with the Sox, even though I am very familiar with his shortcomings. Any trade talk would start with Sale and include other pitchers as well.

QUOTE (Jake @ Sep 27, 2013 -> 09:21 PM) In Mariano's defense, I'm not sure that he foresaw the craziness that would follow him around all year. It's pretty much unprecedented. Only in the 21st century, only for a Yankee There are two people I am really tired of..... Mariano Rivera and Betty White.

Next thing ya know is that Robin will tell us that he expects a big year out of Dunn in 2014.

QUOTE (wallyburger @ Sep 27, 2013 -> 04:30 PM) I am sensing he is too classy to do a never ending Mariano Rivera tour of the league farewell. Glad you said that. I think Mariano was way over the top in his bye bye tour, as was the media. It got to be really nauseating, not that he wasn't a great pitcher. I thought Helton handled his retirement perfectly