Eminor3rd

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Apr 2, 2015 -> 08:26 AM) That Dodgers payroll is just ridiculous. You only have to go down to #9 on the list to find a payroll that's less than half of the Dodgers.

Chris Cwik is a White Sox fan, FWIW

I hadn't realized how high the Royals have crept up.

Lol, was wondering who would be the first to do something like this.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 31, 2015 -> 06:07 PM) I think so. They point out of the obvious flaws in the team (4-5 guys)....possibilities for regression from Abreu and reasons for that, and also how much of the line-up's hopes are pinned on Avisail Garcia being a 20-80-20 SB guy....another example, Eaton also had very high BABIP, and low walk rates, not unlike Abreu (around 8%)...so both need to pick up their walk rates to the 12-15% range to compensate for expected falls in BABIP/returns to normative numbers. Concerns about Gillaspie's late season fade and platoon splits, the catcher's spot and Micah Johnson's ability to make an immediate impact. A bit about the bullpen....not much analysis yet of the impact of Petricka being on the DL, and who will step up to take his place, whether it's Putnam, Guerra, Albers, Leon, etc. Crain I guess had that shoulder setback but should contribute as early as May or June. Thanks for the TL;DR, I can't bring myself to deal with slideshow articles

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 31, 2015 -> 09:21 AM) http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2408778...-season-preview Very comprehensive preview...best ive seen. Wait, what? Bleacher Report? Best preview you've seen?

Omg season please just start.

80-82. I don't believe in Avisail Garcia, I don't believe in the back end of the rotation, and I have to predict that a couple guys get hurt just because usually a couple guys get hurt. If those things happen, the team has some real holes. That said, I'm absolutely hopeful for an awesome season, and even if the team jumps from 60-something wins to 80 wins, it'll still be a very positive thing. A playoff appearance very much COULD happen. But I think it's less than 50% that the team makes the playoffs, so my my best guess seems a little negative.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 27, 2015 -> 01:04 PM) No. They pull a few guys from minor league camp for every game to get them a few AB's in a real game, but they are still in minor league camp. For example you may still see Hawkins play in an ST game. If you look at the stats, there are a dozen or more prospects and minor leaguers who have played in a game so far, that were never in big camp. Ah

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 27, 2015 -> 11:47 AM) Actually, he has said he has a responsibility to the Player's Association. Yeah I'll believe the hometown discount narrative when I see it. It just doesn't make a lot of sense for either player or team to get this thing done without hitting free agency. We need to see what we have before going out a limb, and by the time we see that, Jeff is going to have no reason not to see other offers anyway. Of course, I made a similar logic-based argument about how there was no way we were going to trade for him in the first place, and I was obviously dead wrong. So, who knows. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Hey there, DeMichelle is still in camp!

Ok I'm tired of Spring Training now. Bring the season plz.

Going over this made me feel even better than I did before. Aside from Semien, we really lost nothing of substantial consequence. It was straight upgrades all over the board. I don't know if this year will be the year, but I'll be damned if I thought we'd be able to get this much better this fast while mortgaging so little of the future.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 27, 2015 -> 08:54 AM) Since you can retro the DL 10 days in spring training, start the season with Sale on the DL, and have 8 relievers. The typical long man then won't be needed. Just another guy who could give you 2 innings in a pinch. I don't understand people who would give JR and RH a standing ovation if they waived John Danks, yet have no problem with Brad Penny taking the mound for the White Sox. The guy hasn't been good since Alexei Ramirez left Cuba. If he were lights out this spring, I maybe could understand a spot start, but he has a 6.89 ERA and a 1.787 WHIP. I don't necessarily like Brad Penny in particular, but I do like the idea of having a veteran who could be an adequate swingman. Those guys are hard to come by because, if they're any good, someone will usually give them a full-time rotation spot. FWIW, I'd be just as happy if that swingman was John Danks, but his velocity isn't touching the mid-90's in relief and I'm guessing he's not late enough into his career to accept a role like that willingly.

Penny/Guerra. I actually really like the idea of Penny being able to take spot starts and also serve as a middle reliever. If not Penny, Albers in that slot.

More evidence that Erik Johnson isn't real.

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 26, 2015 -> 08:29 AM) It's just not the time to do this yet. Do something else. He's a pending free agent. When is the right time? Maybe they'll do a Mayan Quetzalcoatl headdress giveaway, too.

This is not a dig on Quintana, this is an attempt to get fans excited about the new star pitcher we got. And they want to give you a hat so you'll come to the game. I cannot fathom being upset about it.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Mar 25, 2015 -> 02:32 PM) If it says Johnson is in the lineup, it should say "Beckham 6" right? Yeah, something is fishy there.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Mar 25, 2015 -> 02:33 PM) Fangraph's positional rankings are so stupid. (I realize this isn't the link in the OP's post) Like all they do is tally up projected WAR and then call that the rank. Ok, well I could do that in my spare time using their projections. Goodness at least try and add some playing time reality checks for some of the projections. They have the Sox getting 300 PA at 3B from Beckham, Bonifacio and Beckham. OK then. If there is one skill Conor has shown other than a decent hit tool it's health. I'd feel pretty good putting the over under at 500 PA for him. He's also shown an ability to be useless against lefties. I'm assuming that they're assuming he'll get platooned pretty hard, especially considering that his 2014 was really more of a good first half than it was a good year.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Mar 25, 2015 -> 02:17 PM) I don't see how anyone could be upset with this. It's a $20 lower deck seat, you get a crappy hat, I see people still wearing crappy hats from giveaways 10 years ago. It should draw some more people to the park. Seriously, I applaud them for doing anything like this. We can't both complain that the stadium is boring and then also get mad when they throw out ideas like this. This particular idea may not be gold, but I'm glad that they're willing to do it anyway.

Puig and Fernandez are the best players, so them.

Lol Danks literally throws behind Adames

It's just hard to justify giving up on a guy who costs nothing after 250 PA in the Majors. I don't think his upside is tremendous, but 70 runners that can play all over the field only need to hit a little to be rather useful, and his contact rates aren't so bad as to believe he can't do just that.

I feel like every pitch Danks has thrown so far has been letter-high.