Eminor3rd

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 09:01 AM) The only way I could see packaging Quintana and Robertson together and getting that proposed offer would be the Sox not eating any money on Robertson. If the Sox ate some of Robertson's remaining contract, I would think another piece would be included. Agreed. I hadn't noticed the Heyman report on salary. If that's true, Robertson is much more valuable in a separate deal.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jun 30, 2017 -> 07:14 AM) For both guys? We can't forget that it isn't a given that the Sox will be willing to eat any of Robertson's salary.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Jun 29, 2017 -> 12:54 PM) Why do you think Tucker is overrated? His rates have gone the wrong way with every promotion. He looks like another swing-heavy, questionable approach OF guy with a couple plus tools but nothing plus-plus. I'm not saying he's a bad prospect, but I don't think he's in the same league as those other guys.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 29, 2017 -> 01:49 PM) 14 million? He's thrown out zero runners all year. What a bizarre business is baseball. How did a player this bad get a contract paying him 14 million bucks? It's all ridiculous, folks. It's just money. I hope Jerry throws it away. Sign the guy. I'm very very pissed that myfavorite team is done before July again. This organization blows. Spend spend spend, Jerry. sign him. Thank goodness we won one title in 05 cause we're not winning another until Jerry and his posse sell and we start over. MARK CUBAN save us please. greg I'm starting to actually be concerned for your health. Do you realize you spent exactly 50% of this post to the word bashing the guy as an overpaid chump and the rest of it pleading for us to sign him?

Nah. He's always been controversial on the clubhouse, pitchers don't want to change catchers midseason, wins don't matter for us this years, etc.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jun 29, 2017 -> 12:53 PM) I wonder if the Twins would ever get involved with Quintana. Obviously it is unusual to see divisional trades with major long term pieces, but the Twins would no doubt be interested in Q. They need pitching really bad. Cost control is a huge factor for them. While their farm system is not nearly as exciting as it was a couple years ago, it is still solid, and obviously have a ton of interesting young pieces on the ML squad. I don't know if they have enough positional player talent to pull off a trade for Q without something off their major league roster, though. I would imagine the Sox would have some interest in Max Kepler, even though he isn't a huge OBP guy. Prospects like Nick Gordon (SS), Alex Kirilloff (OF) are both top 100 guys, but Kiriloff is hurt and hasn't played this year (and is also several years away). They also have some interesting LHP. Yeah man, Acuna has HUGE helium. True CF with 70 run and a better bat than everyone thought. This is my pref order: Acuna Jimenez Frazier Verdugo Tucker I highly doubt Acuna or Jimenez are available. I think Frazier might be simply because the Yankees actually have so much high-end OF depth in the upper minors/majors. I think Tucker, like pretty much all of the Astros prospects at the moment, is overrated.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jun 28, 2017 -> 03:31 PM) I've posted this before but I'll post again here. I have a buddy that is good friends with someone close to Braves organization. He told me in the winter that Atlanta was really interested but balked at trading Maitan or Acuna in the deal. I posted all of that here. This guy gets legit Braves info a lot but the White Sox/Quintana stuff always seemed off so I never "run" with it. I've heard heavy pitching packages as the rumored offers with the following names in play: Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Luiz Gohara, Akeel Morris, and Touki Toussant. I don't think Hahn would go for an all pitching package but Rogers and Ofman have both mentioned Braves interest as well as Atlanta Journal Constitution beat guy Dave O'Brien. Just FYI I guess. All that makes perfect sense. I want Acuna SO bad though.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 28, 2017 -> 11:33 AM) He definitely was a Soxtalk whipping boy. People despised him. Glad for him that he's doing well. He'd go into horrendous 1 for 40ish type slumps (Avi is halfway through a doozy now) but he was a likeable player cause of the occasional bombs he'd hit. With the advance of the framing stat for the advanced statniks, he'd be very popular now if he was still with the Sox. Pitch framing had not yet become a big deal until his final year with the Sox. Now he'd be proclaimed acceptable to good by the stat people if he was just starting his Sox career. We were well aware of his framing skill. He was so bad at everything else that it wasn't worth it.

I'm going to be fine with whatever they get for Frazier, especially because I doubt they'll eat any salary.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 27, 2017 -> 05:55 PM) People are going to be very disappointed with the return. Yep, lol.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 26, 2017 -> 07:54 PM) All I can say is I agree. The draft is a ridiculous crapshoot. The best way to win is sign guys like Abreu and (hopefully) Robert. I'm in favor of that cause I could give a s*** about how much money Jerry spends since the chairman and his peeps do not care about us spending 9 bucks for a hot dog and whatever it costs to park at a game. Add to signing guys like Robert SMART drafting when your pick comes up as well as FREE AGENCY, you know, signing guys who have already done it and proven they can do it. You can't change people's minds. Draft-niks won't admit it, but they are part of the sports cliche -- you know, the one that always is more interested in future names than current ones. I won't change my opinion; they won't change theirs. So be it. But there are so many busts out there who are deemed "prospects." You so clearly don't follow baseball.

Who cares?

Even if you think he's turned a corner, he's going to see some major BABIP regression. The current .417 BABIP version of Garcia has been good for a 147 wRC+, which is comfortably star level, if a tick or two short of superstar level. If you think he might match his career BABIP going forward (which is somewhat generous but certainly possible) of .335, and he maintains his drastically increased 22% HR/FB rate, you're probably looking at a ~125 wRC+ -- which, as a corner outfielder, is nothing to shake a stick at, but it's not a star unless it's attached to a good defender. If the BABIP comes down to career AND the HR rate comes back to Earth, however, you're probably looking at more of a league average player. And while that's a splendid outcome for Avi's career at this point, I don't know that it's something you take for 2.5 years if you have the chance to sell much higher now. I think that, even if you accept that he's become a legitimate big leaguer, all signs still point to a ton of regression. If we were close to contention, I think you stockpile that type of guy, but if we'd have to extend him and hope he staves off decline in order to see his contribution on our next winner, I think it makes sense to sell high if you can. That doesn't mean any team is going to want to BUY high, but I think if the opportunity arises, it's the right move for the Sox.

QUOTE (StrykerSox @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 03:30 PM) I am truly saddened that Greg's "Convert to TA to being a catcher so he can be a Sal Perez style star with low OBP and 70 RBIs" post was allowed to be deleted without notice. In light of that situation, I'm more concerned about SoxTalk than I am about Tim. My POTY nomination.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 12:53 PM) Never thought of that. You guys almost need a locker somewhere by the field, but I'd guess space is limited as well. I'd hate to work in soaked shoes and socks all day. Do minor league teams pay the interns? Do they pay people for real hours worked? I can only imagine putting in 80-100 hours a week on a homestand and not getting paid or paid for 40. Everywhere I've worked, we've paid our interns. But it never USED to be that way -- labor laws are changing everything. Now, we are just under strict orders to make sure we don't let them past 40 hours so they are owed overtime. We full-timers are, of course, salaried, and not eligible for overtime. But, we all know what we signed up for. Lots of people get out when they start families, for example. QUOTE (DestroyBaseball @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 01:35 PM) It varies according to team. Some teams don't pay interns at all, some pay them like regular employees, some pay them starting from gameday employee report time, even if they've been there longer. It's all about experience and building a network at that point in a career anyway. I was extremely lucky to get an internship that covered my rent. And thanks for the positive response, everyone! Homestands in the minors can feel like these isolated dreamlike bubbles of time where everything blends together because of sleep deprivation and stress (eminor3d, sounds like you know this), and rainy days within those homestands feel like another isolated bubble in themselves. It's an experience. I think the thing I love most about it is how tightly knit the office becomes. The job simply makes NO sense on paper -- and as I'm sure you can attest, can be really hard to explain to other people. "Wait you work HOW much? And you don't get overtime?" I always appreciate the camraderie that arises from being around the only people that actually understand why you do it. Getting ready for an 8-gamer starting on Monday, lol. Earlier this season, I was shocked to find out we were shooting fireworks on a Tuesday night, only to find out that I was wrong and it was actually Friday.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 01:04 PM) Powerhouse? The cubs are barely a .500 team. /green They just won a World Series, and they're set to be the favorites in their division for the foreseeable future. I think that's literally everything you can ask for your team to give you.

QUOTE (turnin' two @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 12:12 PM) Didn't mean to do that, called out that he adds a lot offensively. With that said, Belt's career high OPS (868) is lower than Abreu's career avg (872). Now Belt had a better OPS last year, spurred on by over 100 BBs and over 40 2B. But it is dangerous to measure Belt by last year as he had career bests in H, 2B, 3B, BB (by a super wide margin), RBI, OBP and OPS. He has also had number fluctuate between OPSs of .755-.868. He is also in the midst of a pretty poor season currently. I will take the steadiness and production of Abreu anyday. Ahh yes, but you haven't considered park factors. If you use wRC+ (which includes park factors), you'll see Belt as a career 127 and Abreu as a career 136. Still better, but a much smaller difference, and one that is almost certainly erased by defense. I'm not arguing for getting rid of Abreu, just sayin'

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 01:06 PM) None of the rebuild talk makes sense so if you want to stay on the board you have to endure. Personally I think rebuilding is a great crutch for the front office. No matter how bad things get the employees can just tell the owner and fans, "We're in a rebuild. It will all pay off someday." Man, the Sixers did the world a disservice by making tanking and rebuilding a sports term. It used to be if you were quietly rebuilding (Pirates, Royals, etc) you were derided and mocked and chastised and probably had to go through 2-3 general managers and managers before the alleged rebuilding finally paid off with a division title. At least you got properly mocked publicly for having to rebuild in the first place. Now it's cool for the advanced statniks to rebuild ... even though we have a thread on here wanting to trade Avi and a thread on here bemoaning how our ss of the future looks average at best. Rebuilding ... thanks Sixers for making it cool. NOT. Greg, how can you POSSIBLY hold this worldview having JUST witnessed the Cubs and Astros turn from total embarrassments into powerhouses by following this exact process? I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but do you literally only pay attention to the White Sox and Royals? Also, are you actually just angry that we "statniks" are trying to find a way to enjoy our team during this period? Is THAT what this is about? You are upset because we aren't acting miserable? Tell me that isn't it greg, because that is some of the most childish s*** I've ever heard.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 12:57 PM) Great article. The first time this happened to me and I soaked four pairs of shoes would be my signal to find thigh high yellow boots and some sort of raingear to purchase. People might laugh at me but after they get their shoes and socks soaked and are sitting there in misery all day and night they'd follow me to Wal Mart and buy their own yellow boots. I'm assuming these minor league teams pay their interns very little and don't have to pay them from working 7:30 am. til 11 p.m. Excellent fun article and my admiration to the author for working all day and night and getting soaking wet in the process. Fewer of us end up with the rain boots than you'd think -- the problem is that we all have other ballpark tasks during the game, so we have to wear stuff than can arguably be ruined but also retain the barest sense of professionalism. It is a paradox, indeed.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 09:07 AM) I don't disagree with your first sentence, but I don't know how well it would go over in NY if they are in a tight race with Boston and they just half-ass it because they are afraid to move a prospect. Not saying I disagree with Eminor and that Cashman will go on tilt or something, but if there is an opportunity, I have to think he won't be afraid to move a few pieces, even from their top tiers, to try and make some noise in the Postseason. Yeah, I think he'll add a starter, I just don't think he's going to make the type of deal that's going to cost him 5-6 prospects like a Quintana + Abreu type of thing.

He'll improve. I've always felt he's going to be more of a league average player with a few above average seasons at peak rather than any kind of star. I don't see any reason to be down on him based on this year, though.

QUOTE (harkness @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 07:24 AM) I agree with much of this post... but the defense Is that sarcasm about the defense? Hosmer won the gold glove at 1B 3 straight years... No offense, my friend, but the Gold Glove award being a joke is one of the only things that ALL baseball fans, from all eras and walks of life, can agree upon.

QUOTE (striker @ Jun 22, 2017 -> 04:12 AM) Thoughts on Q + Abreu to Yankees? It would gut their minors but they are facing a 40 man crunch soon. Something like Frazier, Fowler, Andujar, Floria, Austin, Adams Everything I've heard from Cashman suggests he is NOT going to gut the minors. Doesn't mean he won't make a trade, but he isn't going to turn around and give back everything he stole over the past couple years.

Lol, yes. I can vouch for every word of this. All facts.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 21, 2017 -> 01:09 PM) I really feel like that ship sailed with JR's check to Luis Robert and MLB's tax fund. Exactly. That was WAY out of character for JR. Not just something he hasn't done, but something he's actively lobbied against. We basically HAVE to take that as evidence that Rick Hahn sold it hard, and that JR is definitely willing to go off the deep end if Hahn makes a good enough case. But the immediate trade for marginal amounts of international bonus salary relief and the slight underslot reaches in the first couple rounds of the draft, IMO, are evidence that JR insisted that Hahn borrow from one place to support another. And if that's true, I'm totally cool with it -- both from JR (who just dropped a chunk of money on something he doesn't personally like) and Hahn (who correctly assessed that this was a draft in which it was worth it to punt a bit to get Robert, who is a much better prospect than anyone available anyway).