Eminor3rd

QUOTE (scs787 @ Oct 22, 2013 -> 01:40 PM) The Tigers already had big contracts like Verlander and Cabrera who were making big money though. The Sox have a team friendly Sale contract and potentially "cheap" JD Abreu deal as the only long term investments. And a WHOLE bunches of deep holes to fill without much help coming from the farm.

This says that the White Sox are "among teams that could be looking for a 3B upgrade"

QUOTE (scs787 @ Oct 22, 2013 -> 11:59 AM) There's only been 3 of them in history, Ryan Howard(Who won a WS 2 years before the contract and then got bit by the injury bug), King Felix, and ARod so you can't really pull from that. And why aren't the Sox really in position to do so? Like I said in an earlier post, adding Canos 25M this year puts the payroll at 90M. Next year they have Dunns 15M coming off the books, the following year they have Lexi/Keppingers 14M coming of the books, the year after that they have Danks 14 or whatever coming off the books. If they keep the payroll around 120M every year I think they could absolutely be in the position to field a good team. Because when teams give those contracts, they are borrowing from their future to help their present. They are willing to be in trouble later to put themselves over the edge now. This is the opposite position that the White Sox are in.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Oct 22, 2013 -> 10:22 AM) If the Reds gave us 3-4 million dollars a year for the duration of Phillips contract I would take him. Plus talent? Gonna cost you a pitcher and prospect, most likely.

QUOTE (Jake @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 06:45 PM) You don't spend just because you feel bad if you don't spend $X. Our available money will determine how much we can spend, but not how much we will. Hahn isn't going to hand out/take on crap contracts just to make sure we hit our budget ceiling. It just gives him the flexibility to spend the maximum appropriate amount on a given player. This!

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 03:37 PM) But...if the opening day payroll comes in around $100 million...the people who have been screaming for years that the Sox are cheap will actually have a point for once. (That number chosen because they also get over $10 million to spend on kids next year...that would bring them roughly to the total amount they spent last year when you account for the trades...and they get the extra TV money on top of that). What's the point though? That payroll was cut a year after one the highest payrolls in franchise history led to 99 losses and a decline in attendance for the 7th straight year? It would be ridiculous to expect payroll to increase immediately.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 03:28 PM) Doesn't mean it will ever be invested into players though. Right, exactly. I'm just saying this is Jerry and his investors' money -- they aren't going to spend it just for the sake of spending it.

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 03:12 PM) According to Fangraphs, his UZR through 5,000 innings so far is -40.6, that is in the range of horrific defender. And his pedestrian offense could actually be beneficiary of the Coors effect. The only reasonable OF candidate I would want from the NL West is Parra and Chris Denorfia. Even the fan reports only show above average rating for his speed and first step. I'm not saying he ISN'T good because I haven't seen him out there, but I'm not seeing anything online to indicate it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 03:18 PM) But he's got a point on one thing...they saved over $10 million in salary this year on a team that started at $118 million. They're getting an extra $25 million in TV money. Including the Arb guys, we're at $80 million right now...so this team's cash position right now, after signing Abreu and assuming arb guys...is $50 million improved on last year. Yeah but money doesn't disappear if they don't spend it.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 02:58 PM) I don't think they'll sit on all of extra $25M from the TV contract. They have money, they don't have enough good players. You think they're going to add $50m+ in 2014 payroll over the offseason though?

QUOTE (iamshack @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 02:50 PM) He may not be better than Cabrera, but he has a chance to be as good as Cabrera. Forgot that one

Hawk is gonna sell Abreu so hard. "I tell ya, Stony, this kid has a chance to be a MONSTER. The sound it makes off this kid's bat... I say the best three right-handed hitters we've seen over the last twenty years are TheBigHurtFrankThomas, Manny Ramirez, and Miguel Cabrera -- this guy has a chance to be as good as ALL OF EM." "I don't know about the other league, but the three liveliest bats in this league are Cespedes, Viciedo, and Abreu -- and we got TWO OF EM"

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 02:26 PM) I' think they'll bump payroll up short-term. Why and how? Our 2013 opening day payroll was like $118m or something

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 02:20 PM) For all the complaining people did about De Aza striking out, Fowler strikes out more often. It would also appear that he struggles just as much as De Aza does in CF. He is also more expensive and is a free agent at the end of the year. This seems like it would be a poor move. Gets on base a lot though. Sexy 13% career walk rate/.365 OBP. But yeah, from what I understand, his defense limits his value. I'd like him if he wasn't a pending free agent. Not sure what kind of contract he'd command.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 01:51 PM) And that still doesn't convince me that it will still help sell tickets unless Abreu helps win ball games. I agree.

I'm guessing they extend Quintana and sign some short termers, there just aren't a lot of good fits for big time stuff. I put $80-90m

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 01:25 PM) Do people really think this move is gonna help sell tickets? Your average fan will probably have never even heard of Abreu. Until the franchise spends millions marketing it.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 20, 2013 -> 03:54 PM) Even then, everyone has been consistently saying Despaigne (played in Mexico recently, on loan) and Cepeda were more exciting/better raw tools/bat speed/light tower power. I feel like instead of McGwire, Bonds, Ryan Howard or Miggy Cabrera or one of those comps...he'll be more like a RH version of Fred McGriff. From what I understand, Despaigne specifically was a super hitchy swing that scouts have felt only works on low level pitching.Could be getting that mixed up with someone else.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 11:49 AM) Yeah, I don't have a problem with Salty, but I think his price will be driven up by this catcher's market. Very possible if it's true that BOS, NYY, CHC, and TEX are all going to be in the McCann hunt.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 11:47 AM) Would you rather spend $10-12 million a year on McCann for the next 6 years or $12-14 on AJ for the next two? I'd MUCH rather have McCann in that scenario. The prob is it's going to be more like $18m

QUOTE (iamshack @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 11:44 AM) Well I guess that depends on whether you believe we have anyone that can develop into the long-term solution at C. Given the beating catchers take, I think it's foolish to acquire an above-average or elite one via FA. You've either got to develop one yourself, or go with a marginal veteran at a reasonable price. I don't think Phegley or Flowers is the answer, and I don't want to spend what it is going to take to sign McCann, given his age. So sign a marginal stopgap and draft a few this year and next and hope one can stick. Well, that's why I started that Saltalamacchia thread. He's 28, good defensively, and might only cost $8m or so a year. That's a guy we can live with for 5 years even if his bat isn't quite as good as it was this year. If it comes down to AJ, I'd almost rather sign Geovany Soto in case he bounces back because he's young enough thaty we might extend him.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 11:18 AM) AJ Pierzysnki is going to be a great value for whoever signs him. The fact that he is a lefthanded and plays a position we suck at... QUOTE (iamshack @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 11:19 AM) I honestly think AJ would bring back a sense of focus that we lost last year. I know you quants don't really believe in that stuff so much, but I just think he keeps people on their toes, he knows how to play the game, and he brings some accountability that we are desperately lacking both from our manager and in terms of player leadership. I agree with all of this. The problem is that he's old, and we need to be developing a long-term solution at C to be ready when the team is competitive. If we signed AJ, it would essentially be kicking the can down the road. We'd get a decent year out of him but we'd have the same hole to fill as before, and without having given at bats to anyone who might fill it. I'm not saying Flowers/Phegley are the answer, but if we're not going to get someone else, they need at bats to try to get better.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 11:11 AM) Bringing back AJ for a year wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. The catcher experiment failed last year, and I am not sure that it would be much better next year. I would phrase it just like that -- wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. But if it comes to that and it isn't after we've already added at least 3 more upgrades, I'd rather save that money and put it into player dev or international signing penalties or something. Signing AJ only makes sense if he's the final stopgap in an offseason where we unexpectedly got competitive right away.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 21, 2013 -> 08:53 AM) Either of those would be an interesting option, but I would definitely think Lawrie makes sense as a guy we could target. They definitely have a strong need for pitching, and the fact that the Sox can send a tolerable player or two back who can cover 3b for them cheaply in Gillaspie so that it's not creating a mighty hole in their roster could be a key in making it work. I'm not sure why SEA or TOR would be motivated to trade those guys at all. TOR needs pitching, but they can come across that much easier than another 3B.

Brandon Webb?!