Eminor3rd

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 05:15 PM) Send him down and convert him into a reliever. Bring me another Sergio Santos!

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 03:51 PM) I agree with you aside from the bothering to move Avi part. His value is basically nothing right now. He actually had some success with the Sox in 2013 and 2014. He'd always succeeded. 2015 was his first full season and his first opportunity to have it proven to him that there's a lot he's not good at. Presumably he's working his ass off on all of this things. I'd give him one more chance this year in AAA or part-time OF/DH to see what happens. Not because I assume it will work out, but because he's currently not worth anything in trade. I realize it's $2.3 million, but whatever. I just don't think it's a matter of going to the minors and working on stuff -- I think he's toast because he can't see the ball well enough. At this point, there may be SOMEONE who wants to gamble SOMETHING on him, but by this time next year he'll just be a DFA candidate. I'd rather get a live arm and $2m off the books now. But I see where you're coming from.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 20, 2015 -> 12:56 AM) I love Greinke and I have heard from multiple people close to the Dodgers that he has been their leader (and one of the few). Supposedly keeps things very loose. Kind of like Maddux a bit in that he's a big jokester, etc. He can be a dick to the media though but when he is, its usually pretty funny. I also agree with your other points though and I would also point out that in general the Dodgers are a mess. They cleaned a lot up this past year but they still have major issues in that clubhouse and Puig definitely doesn't feel the love. I think a change of scenery could do him well and I'd be all over a deal. I think the upside is worth it. Would love the Dodgers young catcher and Puig for Q, but probably not realistic. Same, Greinke is one of my favorite non-Sox players. Love reading his interviews. Seems like a weird, but really straight-up dude.

QUOTE (jasonxctf @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 01:34 PM) What was Trayce's wRC/WAR for the last 2 months of the season? That's kind of my point. In small sample sizes, the guy was gangbusters for the first 30 or so at bats. Then he dropped off dramatically. I'm sure Avi's wrc/war was great for the first month or two of the season when he was hitting above .300 too in 155AB's. But nobody is arguing that Trayce's value comes from his ability to put up a 144 wRC+. Trayce is better because he's a good defender and baserunner, and no worse with the bat than Avi, whereas Avi is bad at literally everything except throwing.

QUOTE (bmags @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 12:15 PM) Does trayce signal youth movement or d movement? I think the latter. It just signals trying to get better wherever you can manage it.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 11:51 AM) LOL, I thought of you right when I saw this "news." Sucks to say I told you so on Avi... All I've ever wanted for Christmas was to be wrong about Avisail Garcia

QUOTE (jasonxctf @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 01:13 PM) I like Avi... I also like Trayce. Found the below to be interesting. Avi in 2013 w/Sox .304 5HR, 21RBI. 161AB Trayce in 2015 w/Sox .295 5HR, 16RBI in 122AB Trayce also hit .234 in September and .231 in October. Those 2 months, reflected 90 of his 122 AB's of the season. (nearly 74%) Avi in 2013 w/ Sox 111 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR Trayce in 2015 w/ Sox 144 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR And that also ignores the part of 2013 where Avi was with the Tigers, in which he managed to be sub-replacement level alongside a 73 wRC+

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 12:17 PM) Everyone is so set on having Thompson replace Avi full time next year, but what if Thompson struggles too? Then what? Then we have a bad hitter who plays good defense instead of a bad hitter who plays bad defense. The REAL plan should be to move Avi and then try to upgrade over Thompson the rest of the offseason, falling back on Thompson if necessary.

Dang, this is "MLBTR Legit" http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/11/whit...ail-garcia.html Moving Avisail Garcia and allowing Thompson to replace him would be a remarkable piece of evidence that the front office is being intellectually honest with itself. That's the s*** I want to see -- be ready to cut bait and change course when the evidence suggests you should.

QUOTE (3GamesToLove @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 09:44 AM) Also, there is the fact that Mark Trumbo is already a right-handed Mark Trumbo, and Schwarber is left-handed. Never skirt the REAL issue

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 10:09 AM) Has anyone said he wasn't? I believe this post implied it: QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 09:27 AM) WAR is a cumulative stat, so you can't compare Walker's to Sanchez's or Johnson's because they didn't get as much playing time. Sanchez's war was negative because of his atrocious home/first half hitting. He seemed to figure it out by the end of the year. If given a full season, I think he could put up a positive WAR. I should have quoted it, my bad.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 11:17 AM) HE HAS AN OPTION!!!! I want to DFA him anyway! (Half-joking)

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 11:13 AM) Garcia has tons of talent. It just isn't being realized, either due to poor development by the Sox and/or poor attitude/work ethic by the player. That's not something that would have been evident when the trade was made. He can't see pitches well enough to recognize where they will go or what they will do. Not being aware of that, despite 2000PA in professional baseball, is a scouting failure IMO.

They should be open to DFA'-ing him.

Walker is WAY better than both Sanchez and Johnson. It's fine to say you don't want to give up the assets to get him, but let's not pretend it wouldn't be a substantial upgrade.

I don't support this because given Quintana's below-market contract, I think the Sox would lose value in any trade that doesn't also involve players on below-market contracts. You can shuffle wins from SP to 3B or whatever, but that position player is likely going to consume more financial resources than Quintana would, thus making it harder to fill the void that still exists because you just created it by moving Quintana. Before anyone says, "THAT'S WHY YOU ASK FOR EVERY TEAM'S TWO BEST PLAYERS AND BEST PROSPECTS QUINTANA IS WORTH MROE THAN SALE TBH," everyone would be in favor of trading Quintana for some stupid, lopsided, fire-able overpay, but that's not realistically going to happen, so it doesn't belong in a logical discussion. If that boons falls into our laps, fine, but that can't be a part of "the plan."

QUOTE (shysocks @ Nov 18, 2015 -> 12:10 PM) Such foul language in the thread title! Lol I giggled too.

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Nov 18, 2015 -> 11:42 AM) then you say, "We have plans A, B, C, and D in place, depending how things evolve." I think that's pretty much exactly what he's trying to say.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-white-s...-jose-quintana/

This idea that our front office is unprepared is such a stupid narrative. Anyone who has worked in any business at all knows that when you are depending on making investments where costs and availability are not certain, you have to have several backup plans and you have to be resigned to the fact that you will need to make a quick decision when the information finally gets to you. I mean, think about all of the questions you'd have for the WS front office regarding who they should acquire or who they should trade. Now, how many of those answers are anything other than "it depends"? Should they trade Chris Sale? Depends on the return they could get and depends on the direction of the team which depends on the outcomes of other deals which depend on the costs that are attached to those deals which depends on what other teams decide to do when given the exact same problem under the same circumstances at the same time. There are a billion ways to skin the cat, and almost NONE of the requisite information to choose the best way is even available yet.

I was a Montas believer until I saw a good bit of his very straight fastball. That pitch with average/below-average control just doesn't play several times through the batting order. Developing either (1) above average control or (2) a substantial amount of movement on his fastball are each very tall orders. They are possible, and I'd of course like to see them try, but they are not likely.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Nov 15, 2015 -> 12:50 PM) Anyone else find it a little odd he didn't receive a QO? He's on the fence about playing and seems like he would have been a guy that would have declined (don't think its all about the money at this point for him). Kind of reminds me of A.J. Burnett a few years ago when he was on the fence of retiring and Pirates thought he would retire and they didn't offer a QO and then signed a deal with Philadelphia. Pretty sure you don't get a pick unless the guy signs. Zero teams are signing Buerhle to lose a draft pick.

Thanks for the update! I've been riding the sad, sad Engel train for a while now, hopefully it's finally picking up speed.