Eminor3rd

I'm not totally certain, as this is totally an emotional thing for me and who knows what my emotions are going to do. But I'm pretty sure I would stay a fan. After all, I've been a Sox fan living outside of Chicago much more often than I've been a Sox fan living IN Chicago, so it won't change how I consume the product. For some reason, I feel like I'd be more likely to stay a fan if they were still called the "White Sox."

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 5, 2016 -> 04:06 PM) I bet people would be shocked that Coghlan had a higher fWAR than Fowler last year. He's a hard platooner though -- literally 0 wRC+ against lefties in 2015

For real though pitchers and catcher report in two weeks. This needs to get done.

What's the format?

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Feb 5, 2016 -> 09:11 AM) It is though kind of. They spent a ton of money on the international market instead of spending it on the roster. They also signed a couple of free agents (Feldman, Hammel) with the intention of trading them. These are things that "rebuilding" teams do. Yes, but those aren't things that you have to tank to be able to do. The Dodgers are doing those things, too.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Feb 3, 2016 -> 12:10 PM) You are coming off the Astros and Cubs both tanking during the most recent CBA, so I'm not sure its a non-issue. Obviously it has worked well for them to accumulate talent to either join their ML rosters or to be used as trade chips to acquire ML assets. It is obviously an issue, I was hoping the Sox could have taken advantage of the system in the impending rebuild after this rebuild fails. People focus on the number one pick, but it is about much more than that, it is about having the financial flexibility in the draft to select top talent in the later rounds of the draft. When the Astros selected Correa and signed him to an underslot deal, they were able to select guys like Lance McCullers and Rio Ruiz later in the draft using the money banked on the Correa deal. Both guys were thought top 30 talents. Then when they selected Aiken, they had deals worked out with Jacob Nix and Mac Marshall, again two really highly thought of guys that were thought to be tough signs. Obviously Aiken not signing hurt that, but they came out ahead when they were able to sign three of the top 10 players in the draft this season re-allocating money from the Aiken pick again. The circumstances that led to the tanking were well underway before the CBA. Neither team is poised to repeat the strategies that got them there. The fact that they nailed a couple draft picks over several years isn't evidence that tanking is a preferred strategy -- I'd argue the fact they have become good despite botching two drafts is actually evidence to the contrary. And that's because the speed of both teams' (and ESPECIALLY the Cubs) turnaround is as much or more due to shrewd trading and international signings (which are not benefits that are enabled by tanking) as it is due to high draft choices.

Great work, Matt. Welcome!

If we go into the season relying on all three of Danks, Turner, and Johnson to be 180+ inning solutions, we are not actually trying to win.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 3, 2016 -> 08:55 PM) Well, it's not like they have any need for Tim Anderson with best prospect in the game there. As far as it being so easy to fill that hole...sure...if you're willing to spend money/increase payroll. Which is why it's not really a good fit. And if you have to fill the RF hole with a trade because you won't spend, how do you fill the SP hole?

Lol Rogers suggested maybe targeting BJ Upton.

Makes absolutely no sense to create a pitching problem for ourselves just to fill a hole that we can fill easily via free agency at no cost in talent.

You guys know that we play non-AL Central teams, too, right?

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Feb 3, 2016 -> 02:04 PM) I'm not positive that Fowler is a better defender than Eaton is. I'm not either. But it seems like he's faster, and Eaton may have a better arm.

"could adopt DH by 2017"

Fowler > Garcia, therefore Fowler improves the defense.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 3, 2016 -> 09:18 AM) Brewers Reds Padres (sort of) Phillies Braves Rockies Interestingly, there's an article out today about the Braves being one of the favorites for Lazarito, fwiw. http://m.mlb.com/news/article/163477810/am...ason-contenders Article about how every team in the AL is basically a postseason contender. Rockies are bad, but they're not tanking. They held onto CarGo, signed Gerardo Parra, and traded a younger OF for two years of a closer. Padres resisted moving any of their starters despite a strong market, signed Alexei Ramirez, added Jon Jay, kept Matt Kemp. And the Phillies, I'd argue, are actually now beginning the climb upward. I can almost guarantee the plan is to begin adding next winter.

Dodgers aren't going to want depth pieces. They've got TONS of depth. They're going to want prospects.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Feb 3, 2016 -> 10:30 AM) The link (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/02/white-sox-andre-ethier-dodgers-trade.html) made my heart skip a beat when the page didn't load the first time Haha sorry

Phil Rogers has now made this MLBTR official: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/02/whit...gers-trade.html

Since the most recent CBA, tanking in baseball is a non-issue. There are maybe four teams tanking this year, and all of them look like they'll got a shot to compete within 2-3 seasons. The only team that looks like it'll run into that problem in the foreseeable future is the Tigers.

QUOTE (bmags @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 02:21 PM) Here's my main point, I don't necessarily care about full rebuild. But upon being confronted with this tremendous sellers market for pitching, I wish they would have taken advantage. If there is a situation where ML assets are being undervalued, I want us to take advantage. If there is a situation where pitching assetss are being overvalued and we are not clear contenders, I want us to take advantage. I just can't get out of my head the question of whether we were closer to the playoffs trading Q for a haul than doing what we are doing now, with little left in the tank to acquire through anything but FA money, which we apparently have a strict budget on. The only reason that I disagree with you is because I saw an equally fortuitous buyer's market for the types of hitters we needed, and I think that, when given roughly equal opportunities, the team should default towards winning. But yes, if we weren't in the position to buy low on Frazier/Lawrie and one fo the corner OFs we missed, I'd agree 100%. That's what I mean by evaluating context, and it's also one of the reasons you can't make plans for four or five years out.

I've said it before: the "scorched Earth" rebuild is a relic from a different era -- an era where the League did way less to ensure parity, where the rich teams spent literally ten times more on payroll than the poor ones, and the amateur player draft was a free market. A true-talent .500 team is currently a contender in any given year, so every team has a shot. Profits have never been higher, so the resources to improve are there. Hard-slotting in the draft substantial reduces team's ability to re-allocate financial resources directly to future talent acquisition, and the IFA rules are following suit soon, so the benefit from failure has been drastically reduced. The rise in injuries has made the promise of future performance a riskier bet than ever before. That doesn't mean we should constantly splurge, but it does mean that we can never consider ourselves more than a year or two from contention. That means constantly stockpiling assets with surplus present and future value, and capitalizing on opportunity by flexing the financial muscle when the market/league situation indicate it is smart to do so. If every transaction makes sense in the context it was presented, than success is bound to come. The Hahn regime has been acting just like I described ALL THE WAY UP TO this year's corner OF situation, where they have (thusfar) inexplicably refused to capitalize on an opportunity to take advantage of a soft market to drastically improve the team's talent level over the next three seasons.

The Dodgers are pretty clearly prioritizing depth and have yet to indicate they care about their payroll levels at all. They've got surplus OF, IF, and SP. I don't think they're worried about Ethier's playing time, and I don't think they're too desperate to rid themselves of his contract. I'd be shocked if he weren't available, but I'm betting that it'll either cost us a decent prospect or to take the entirety of the contract off their hands. Otherwise, they'll just keep him and have a good platoon piece. Given that, Fowler is younger, less injury prone, and the cost of a comp-round pick is probably similar to what Ethier would draw anyway.

I've always thought Guyer was underrated and should get a chance to start full-time.

QUOTE (Jose Paniagua @ Feb 1, 2016 -> 12:04 PM) Phil RogersVerified account ‏@philgrogers Not clear if there's a match but #WhiteSox are exploring #Dodgers Andre Ethier. His 2.7 WAR in '15 would be 4th best in their lineup. Welp, that's another possible OF upgrade off the table.