Frank_Thomas

QUOTE (professa @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 08:28 PM) Agreed. Even 2-3 years down the road look at this potential lineup, even without any free agent signings 1. Adam Eaton, CF 2. Tim Anderson, SS 3. Avisail Garcia, RF 4. Jose Abreu, 1B 5. Courtney Hawkins, LF 6. Dayan Viciedo, DH 7. Alex Jackson, C (Taken with 3rd pick this year) 8. Matt Davidson, 3B ( See him as a .230/.240 guy w/ 20HR/80RBIs, which is obviously better than what we have and at 8 in the order, that pop is nice) 9. Marcus Semien, 2B That's impressive, and if a couple of these guys don't pan out, we can always sign a FA. Really optimistic Rick has done an outstanding job. Has added 4 impact bats since he took over. If you can't get excited about that as a Sox fan, I'm sure the North side of town has room. It's hard to imagine this team looks this good, that quickly. I don't think any of us could have anticipated Hahn's direction. He has killed it this offseason, whether or not all of these trades pan out. He has taken a broken roster and filled it with promise. It will be an exciting spring to get our first glimpses at our new additions and a great 2014 seeing a young roster compete. I have said it before, don't underestimate the impact Steverson brings as the new hitting coach. He comes from Oakland who does an amazing job developing young players. I'm stoked for this season, and there is no doubt there are more moves to come, it's a matter of who we trade or for what. Hopefully a catcher, but with the way Hahn's offseason is playing out, predicting and guessing is pointless. We can only sit back, relax, and strap in.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 08:48 PM) @DHuddy41: Get ready south side, that is an unreal head of hair coming to chi town. Good luck Matty! Welcome to AZ @Areed43 !! They were also talking about Davidson's hair on MLB network. Best in baseball supposedly.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 03:29 PM) Yeah, Viciedo isnt going before De Aza. It would take a monstrous trade package for them to deal him. Thanks Rock, good to hear. Love me some Tank, especially as a part of the Sox Core. I'm really excited for this teams future, amazing what a few months of Rick Hahn magic does. And he's probably not done: From Merkin, quoting The Coop: White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper not talking about closer on Dec. 17. One reason: "I don't think Rick is done."

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 16, 2013 -> 02:03 PM) The way Hahn is doing things I wouldn't be surprised if Viciedo is the next one gone for some type of high ceiling/hasn't been very good yet catcher. I would love Rick to get a young catcher before Spring. I just don't want it to be for Viciedo. Give the kid, he is still a kid and very young a chance to thrive in a new clubhouse. Let him compete with some fellow young players. I think the additions of Garcia and Abreu only help his comfort level and ultimately pushes him to become better. Especially if those two start lighting it up. I would hate to see Viciedo traded, I know I'm I'm the minority here, but I hope to be able to tell the majority I told you so when he becomes a fixture at all-star games.

2014 is sure shaping up to be a fun and exciting year to watch and be a Sox fan. A young core of diverse youngsters with a wide array of tools. Plus the #3 pick in a very interesting Draft class. I love the moves thus far by Rick, aggressive but well thought out. It's clear he had a plan and is slowly checking off the names on his big board. I would love for someone to get a look in his office and see the rest of the names he has on that list.

QUOTE (bear_brian @ Dec 12, 2013 -> 02:23 PM) A few facts about Gordon Beckham last year: 1. Beckham hit .287 vs RH pitchers, but only .195 vs LH. That is the exact opposite of what you would think. 2. Beckham broke the hamate bone in his wrist after the first 7 games of the season. He missed six weeks, came back and through July 22nd had his average well over .300. On that date he re injured the wrist, tearing the ligament away from the bone. He continued to play the rest of the year, but hit .240 in August and a lowly .210 in September. When RV says he was hurt, he is not kidding. I think we need to give this kid a break. If his wrist has healed, there is no reason why he cannot be an above average 2B offensively - better than Semien - and certainly he is already an "A" defensively. There is little doubt in my mind that the Sox are going to commit to him unless somebody knocks them off their feet with an offer. I agree, I for one am definitely not near ready to give up in Gordo. I think he finally puts it together this season, so long as he stays healthy. I do think Seimen will be a decent MLB'er he needs at least another half a season or a whole season to develops in the the minors. We rush Beckham similarly as we have Seimen (quicker even) and I believe that is why it has taken Beckham so long to put it together. Allowing him to jump to the majors without seeing any kind of failure in professional baseball till he reached the Majors effected his psyche and stunted his growth. I think it would be a major mistake trading him away, and I believe whichever team we would trade him to will recover the Beckham we thought we drafted out of college. He's one of my favorites and I want him to become what he should be on the South side not somewhere else. I also think we need give Steverson a chance to work with some of these kids. What he did in Oakland shouldn't get unnoticed for the potential he can bring to our hitters with some work.

Also listed as top 6 National prospects who could make a difference in 2014: C Adrian Nieto I’m less convinced about Nieto’s 2013 improvements being permanent than I am about Souza, but the 2008 5th round pick is finally starting to show a more consistent offensive game (.810, .726, .821 OPS’s over the last 3 years after .656, .624 and .544 in his first 3). The switch hitter is still raw behind the plate, but could conceivably surpass Sandy Leon or Jhonatan Solano as the backup catcher if a) the Nats don’t sign a veteran backup this offseason and b) Leon and Solano struggle in the beginning of the 2014 season like they did in 2013. Last one from 2011: Adrian Nieto was drafted out of Herritage High School in the 5th round of the 2008 Draft by the Washington Nationals. As you may or may not remember, Nieto had a teammate by the name of Eric Hosmer who was selected third overall in that draft. Drafted as a catcher, Nieto's value was always forseen as coming from behind the plate. Meaning, if his upside is 15-20 home runs, it will be much more valuable to his team if he does so behind the plate rather than at first base. Well, he is still a catcher and is doing one heck of a job doing so. Here's a quick scouting report... Nieto has tons of upper body strength, but also carries a spare tire. He has been considered as "bad bodied," but for a catcher that isn't the biggest issue one should worry about. He has a plus arm behind the plate, one that scouts have raved about at times, but had an elbow injury not too long ago which was viewed as a possible problem going forward. Regardless, he has a plus arm behind the plate when healthy. He's already shown power early in the season (clubbing two home runs), which was something scouts had really hoped to see from him. He isn't likely to hit more than 20 or so home runs at the highest level, but if he remains at catcher it'll suit his value and the amount of home runs should be plenty. He has fine plate approach, and stays on pitches well. In fact, he's shown the ability to recognize pitches and is much more selective than he was a few years ago. He hits from both sides of the plate and has shown that he can remain doing so. He is a below average runner with well below average speed but he's in better shape in the past. Obviously, this isn't Michael McDade we're talking about, but Nieto does carry a thick body.

Just read on MLBTR the Yanks turned down a Brett Gardner for Brandon Phillips trade. Obviously the money is off but I feel like that's good value for Gardner especially since the Yanks have too many outfielders and need a 2B

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 11, 2013 -> 10:55 PM) Chris Cotillo ‏@ChrisCotillo 13m Source: Very good chance of #WhiteSox starting Adrian Nieto in the Rule 5 draft tomorrow. Found a couple scouting reports, tool away a few things. From what I gather the guy has the tools to be a good catcher. Has been working on fielding which has stalled his growth at the plate. He was suspended in 2011 , when it looked like he was turning it on (surprise, surprise). Overall not too impressed but you get what you can get in a shotty market for catcher. He is very young however, and is ranked as the 23rd beat prospect for the Nationals. Comparisons: Gregg Zaun, Johnny Estada 2013 Scouting Report: A former Aflac All-American and long-time teammate of Eric Hosmer, Nieto has an impressive skillset for a catcher. When the Nationals selected him in the 5th round of the ’08 Draft, many considered Nieto to be the premier switch-hitting catcher in the nation. And though he’s flown under the radar thus far in to his pro career, he’s steadily improved with every promotion and appears poised for a breakout season. Because he’s a catcher, Nieto has been forced to focus on developing his fielding, while many other prospects are able to go almost full speed ahead on their work in the cage. As a result, he’s still a little bit raw for a guy that just turned 23. But, he’s come along steadily over the past few seasons. After hitting .302/.397/.462 in the New York Penn League in 2010, he’s held his own in the South Atlantic League over the past couple of years, totaling a .256 batting average and .739 OPS. Nieto’s two best tools are his power and arm strength. He hits well from both sides of the plate, and he has the juice to drive the ball out to all fields. In batting practice, while batting left-handed, he shows plus homerun power to right field, but he’s also learning to drive outside pitches the other way. His aggressive approach is the only thing standing in the way of bringing more power in to games, and he’s done a nice job of exercising a more disciplined approach recently. Defensively, Nieto has a strong, accurate arm and hes posted pop times in the 1.8-1.9 second range throughout last season. His receiving is improving to a solid level, and while he still has trouble handling hard breaking pitches to his arm side, he looks like he’ll be able to stick at catcher moving forward. Brief History: Adrian Nieto's future has never been certain. At the age of 4 his parents had to decide whether or not to take their young son from the shores of the communist nation of Cuba to a new life in the United States. Thirteen hours into the trip the Nieto's found themselves in a 60 year old raft overloaded with 20 people. The group was lost in the ocean, dehydrated and starving. They had to decide whether or not to give up on their quest for freedom. Minutes before turning back to Cuba and what may have been an equally certain death, the group was rescued by the U.S Coast Guard, and taken to Guantanamo Bay. Held captive in the very same center that today holds the worlds most dangerous terrorists, the Nieto's had no idea what the future had in store for them, or their 4 year old son Adrian. The Nieto's were lucky, they were allowed to go to the states and live with their existing family in southern Florida. The family made a home for itself. Adrian grew up and attended American Heritage high school alongside future top 10 pick Eric Hosmer. Nietomade his name on the national scene when he hit .381 with four homers and 27 RBI as a sophomore, earning AFLAC All-American honors. His junior year would however leave his future once again in uncertainty. He injured his elbow and knee and could not compile a full season. Scouts began to worry, teammates began to outshine him, and his draft stock began to fall. Before his injury he had committed to Southern Florida, but after he inexplicably decomimitted, confusing and concerning scouts. Nieto put time into his rehab and was able to bounce back his senior year by batting .373 with 21 extra base hits, leading his team to a state championship. Uncommitted to any school, Nieto turned his attention to the draft. Rumor had it that Nieto was late first, early second round talent. However a much different, much worse rumor was also swirling around. It was assumed by many clubs that Nieto and the Baltimore Orioles had some sort of under the table deal that would stop him from signing with any club except the birds. This caused the promising young catcher to plummet in the draft, until the Washington Nationals took him in the 5th round. Nieto signed with the club no problem and looks forward to being a part of the teams future. He expressed his excitement in a great interview with MASN's Kristen Hudak: "I'm really looking forward to being on the Major League team, hopefully soon, and making them a winner and a contender every year -- bringing them that first championship for all the fans up there because like I said they are really supportive and they deserve that. I really want to be part of that first championship team up there." "You're never going to forget your first Spring Training. I'm really looking forward to it, to becoming a better baseball player and to make progress, getting closer toward my ultimate dream of becoming a Major Leaguer. (I) just need to get better, every year get a little bit better and try to be one of the best at my position." Nieto also appears to be a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. He spoke about his baseball influences: "My favorite baseball player is Pudge Rodriguez. But the guy I really look up to is Derek Jeter, because he's such a big role model, not only on the field but off the field. And he's never really had any problems off the field with controversy or anything like that. He just does everything right. I look up to him because of that. And I want to be like that too. I want to be team captain one day. He's got his own charity too and that's something I would like to have. That's sort of the guy I look up to. My favorite player is Pudge, but I really want to be more of a person or role model like Derek Jeter." While Nieto's optimism is refreshing, he is still a good ways away from the majors. He is sound defensively behind the plate, and even with the arm injury his arm is still very strong. His true potential is still yet to be seen, however, as he has not had much experience against professional competition. Playing in 8 games with the Gulf Coast Nationals he went 5/23 with 3 doubles and no homers.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 02:12 PM) The Rowand worshippers are gonna nut when they see Eaton play. Too late...

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 02:02 PM) @nickpiecoro Source says the three-team deal is done. Dbacks will be getting Trumbo and two players to be named later, Eaton to White Sox, Skaggs and Santiago to Angels. Well not as exciting as a Eaton/Kendrick trade. But I'm happy all the same, thing we got a perfect piece for this team. Him for Sanitago I'm okay with. I'm excited about Eatons potential and look forward to his grindy-ness

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 01:58 PM) He just learned additional players may or may not be exchanged? What a scoop. You really have to be an insider to come up with that. Hey I'll take it, we've been sitting on our hands waiting for a pulse of a rumor from our beloved. I'll take anything lol, and it gives hope Howie or Conger may be included with other pieces. I'm holding out hope RH is pigbacking Kendrick and Conger and they are working out what exactly the deal will be.

Just watched KWs interview, pre recorded from this am but be was fairly confident that an "exiting" trade was happening for a "player" the fan base would gravitate to. He was busting Rosenthals balls about dogging the sox and responding to Rosenthals saying his goal this week is to break a white sox deal and go to KWs room and pull a Mohammed Ali by standing over Kenny and asking him to say his name. KW responded by saying he better get working on breaking the trade or he would be the one finding Rosenthals later pulling the Mohammed Ali. As they went to break Kenny said he had to get to work and KR said ya "on some exciting deal" in which KW said ya just wait you'll see. Again KW emphasized "Exciting" trade, clear died when Harold Renoylds misspoke and hell be waiting for the "big" Whitesox trade later. KW corrected him and said not big, exciting. Also Renoylds seems to think we are trading Sale this week and told Rosenthal he needs to break the story. Take it for what it's worth

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 01:44 PM) Im hearing the same thing, Pujols and Dunn are both in it Ban this man

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 01:44 PM) Im hearing the same thing, Pujols and Dunn are both in it Dick. Lol

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 01:40 PM) I don't mind that set-up, but I have a feeling that it will be Eaton (L) Alexei ® Dunn (L) JDA ® Avi ® Just to keep consistent w/ the L-R-L-R at the top of the order, and I think maybe the hope is that JDA will get Adam Dunn more fastballs to hit, assuming JDA becomes a feared enough hitter. Really like how this is coming along, still a work in progress. Of we can add Joe Buck into that as a platoon and fingers crossed getting Howie in this deal. I'd be getting really happy and our team would be pretty close to competing.

QUOTE (Baron @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 01:40 PM) Now people are just making stuff up with the Albert Pujols involvement in the deal......rumor Why do that to us man!! Any tweets? Killing me if that's true I'd go crazy

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 01:38 PM) Maximize Santiago value in deal while he is wanted win for the Sox. 2nd that

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 01:36 PM) There is a report now that the player the Dbacks would get from the Angels would have to pass through the Rule-5 draft on Thursday, which means this deal may not even get finalized for another 2 days. That blows. I hope that doesn't stop Hahn from making other moves now because he has to make sure this one goes through. I blame te topic change for making us wait even longer for a trade to happen. I too hope we can get Howie somehow as well.

Another scouting report: Eaton was drafted in the 19th round of the 2010 draft out of Miami-Ohio, which was somewhat shocking to him as he expected to go somewhere around the 4th or 5th round according to some. Eaton was so upset about dropping so far he briefly considered going back to college for his senior season. Thankfully for the Dbacks he changed his mind and signed rather quickly to get going on his professional career.While it has been challenging enough for Eaton to overcome the negative stereotypes of being just 5-8, he hasn't had the best of luck by missing out on showcase opportunities throughout his early career. After a breakout junior season in high school in which he hit .486 and was named to numerous Ohio all-star lists, a bulging disk in his back limited him his senior season and he had to settle for an offer from Miami-Ohio instead of some of the bigger-name programs. He suffered a similar fate in college after an outstanding sophomore season at Miami. He was scheduled to play in the prestigious wood-bat Cape Cod league but he was the victim of a car accident that wiped out his entire summer season. A monster junior year at Miami still had plenty of buzz being generated about this scrappy little hitting machine from Ohio. The Dbacks invited Eaton to a pre-draft camp and he turned some heads within the organization. But the consensus inside headquarters was that they could wait on drafting him. Little did they know they could wait until the 19th round. Early Minor League Career The left-handed hitting Eaton came out of college hitting and he hasn't hit a single bump in the road since signing in June of 2010. Eaton was sent off to Missoula to begin his career and mutilated opposing pitchers to the tune of a ridiculous .385/.500/.585 Avg/OBP/SLG line with 14 doubles, 4 triples and 7 homers in 230 AB. He skipped Low-A and was sent directly to Visalia his second season and didn't miss a beat by posting a .332/.455/.492 line in the first half of the season. The Dbacks felt the need to challenge Eaton further by moving him all the way to AA Mobile at the break and once again Eaton just kept hitting. In addition to his prodigious On Base totals Eaton also displayed plenty of speed by playing CF and swiping 54 bases his first two years. He also flashes some pop for a little guy with a strong, wrist-y swing that allows him to elevate some balls. Eaton started the 2012 season in Mobile but after Chris Young went down and A.J. Pollock was called up to the big leagues Eaton was promoted to Reno to take over center field. It is no surprise what Eaton has done in the hitting-favored PCL. He's been flirting with .400 since arriving in Reno and it's a rare day Eaton doesn't have multiple hits. Pollock's return to Reno has relegated Eaton to LF but through Saturday he's hitting.397 and has swiped 15 bases. His home run totals are starting to abate but he's on a current pace that would produce 50+ doubles and around 50 SB with a mind-boggling .460 OBP. It's official. Eaton will get his chance to play in the Major Leagues and it may be sooner than later. His production is probably what convinced the Dbacks they could afford to trade Colin Cowgill. The Upside Eaton projects as a top of the order guy who can get on base, doesn't strike out a lot, can steal a base and play some quality outfield with excellent range and a good arm. Those kinds of guys don't grow on trees. Some might equate him to Colin Cowgill and thus be a little leery about whether he can duplicate these feats at the highest level. While Eaton's Reno numbers are in some ways similar to Cowgill's, the big difference is that Eaton performed at a much higher level on the way up than Cowgill ever did. Cowgill likely has a hair more pop than Eaton and their defensive abilities are eerily similar, but Eaton has demonstrated on base skills equal or greater than some of the better top of the order guys in the game as they were coming up. He hasn't shown a single blip on the screen as he's progressed which suggests he can do it in the majors as well. While some may have been rightly concerned that Cowgill was a product of the PCL in regards to his advancement as a prospect, the same cannot be said of Eaton because he's done it every step of the way. The one player on the Dbacks roster who Eaton should be compared to is Gerardo Parra as that's the first person for whom he would be a potential replacement. And if Minor League comparisons are what matters then there's no comparison. Parra's minor league career doesn't come close to Eaton's. Based on their comparative minor league production Eaton should be a much better player than Parra. The one difference may be that not many have the same cannon for an arm that Parra has. Eaton has some similar characteristics to Parra. He's fiery like Parra. He's scrappy like Parra. He's a good teammate like Parra. While I'm aware that the vast majority of Snakepitters are Parra lovers, I'm not one of those. I don't dislike him. I just don't think he's anything special and is a bit of a knucklehead on the field at times. This is an area I think Eaton would surpass Parra. One other interesting stat about Eaton? He can handle lefties. He's hitting .447 against them this year. I would have really liked to see what Eaton could have done with a full season at Mobile where the bulk of the future major league pitchers are prepping. His half-season numbers are good enough to suggest he can hit against anyone. But it is the one level where his stats were least human and not gaudy beyond belief. The best-case scenario for Eaton is he projects as a leadoff or number 2 hitter who can post a solid .350 OBP with a handful of homers, 25-30 doubles and 20-30 SB while playing a serviceable CF or a really good left or right field. If he learns to add some additional power to his stroke and get into that 10-15 HR range and become an above average center fielder, he has fringe all-star potential. The Downside A guy like Eaton does have some downside risk. If he can't stick in CF then you're strictly buying his bat to play left or right field. And without a little more power production that's going to be more difficult to swallow. We've already seen what the club thinks about left fielders that don't have much power with Parra. After posting a career year and earning a Gold Glove the team went out and got a full-time replacement in Jason Kubel. While I think Eaton has a little more to offer than Parra that's still an unknown at this point. Plus the team already has a CF of the future in A.J. Pollock. So it doesn't seem likely that Eaton is the team's long-term plan to patrol center. That doesn't mean Eaton can't force his way into that spot but that's that much better he'll have to be. Scouts do like his swing a lot and he does have some power elements to it. His current production in Reno (a power friendly league) is not providing much evidence that is going to happen. But he's certainly more than a slapper as he hits the ball with authority and is a line drive machine. If you're looking for major league comps you might be thinking Kenny Lofton or Juan Pierre. Eaton does have the speed to steal some bases but he's not quite in their league. Conversely he hits the ball with more authority than either of those and his minor league prowess vastly exceeds their production; and he has a better outfield arm than both. Some might argue he's been the beneficiary of a couple of incredibly high BABIP years as both his Missoula season and his Reno season to date were well over .400. But that's what hitting lots of line drives will do for you. There's probably some who wish he had been converted to second base some years ago but that ship has clearly already sailed. He's an outfielder. Too bad. Those kinds of numbers coming up for a second baseman would have some drooling on themselves. I don't have a lot of data regarding his CF skills other than a few scouting reports that say he's a good but not great center fielder. And a couple of others that even say it's very questionable that he can stay at CF. It's also telling that Pollock is the default choice between the two. But Eaton at least has the tools in terms of speed and his arm is probably above average for the position. He could possibly be coached up in that regard. Another question about Eaton is whether his base-stealing skills will play at the highest level. He hasn't put up gaudy numbers on that front in the minors though they are still a significant plus. But once he comes up against pitchers and catchers dedicated to stopping the running game will he still be a factor? All these things considered it seems at worst Eaton could be a very good 4th outfielder. He can play center field in a pinch (a la Parra), he can play all three positions, he can pinch run and pinch hit, and he can be used in double switches with anyone. He'd also be a better than replacement outfielder if one of the stars goes down. Conclusion Eaton has an awful lot going for him. All the evidence points to him being a good major league player with plenty of upside. One has to like his ceiling more than they would be concerned about his floor. He's a hard worker who plays with a lot of fire and energy and would be sure to become a fan favorite. Those kinds of players rub off on teams and become extremely valuable. If Eaton comes close to reaching his ceiling he'll be the team's leadoff hitter for years to come. If he plays closer to his floor, he'll become a clone of Gerardo Parra, which isn't the worst thing. The Diamondbacks have to feel fortunate to have Eaton. If not for his bad luck early on missing out on some showcase opportunities Eaton might be a very highly rated prospect just waiting for the call. He's had to earn everything he's gotten which has probably made him a better baseball player who is on the cusp of becoming an impact player for the Diamondbacks. The bigger question is how does he fit in with the current team? Do they trade Young? Do they let him languish in Reno for another year while Upton, Young and Kubel man the outfield? Do they trade Parra so Eaton can at least be the 4th outfielder? Or do they trade Eaton because there's no room at the inn? The problem is that Eaton is ready now. On many another team Eaton would already be in the show. He's just waiting for his chance. With both Pollock and Eaton nearly ready, finding outfielders for the near future is not one of the team's bigger problems.

I'm still holding out hope for Howie, or Conger now that he has been mentioned. I just don't see how LA gets Santiago, Skaggs, and Cahill. AZ get Trumbo plus 2 prospects and we get Eaton. Something is coming back, it's a matter of what and how significant. Howie or conger would be a hell of a deal, and I would be beyond excited

QUOTE (flavum @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 12:47 PM) When Nightengale speaks, I listen. He's the best. Sure is, when he tweets something he is 100% before and when he does it usually happens. He is about as reliable as a writer can be these days with twitter, texts, and all that which GMa use to generate interest and whatever.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 12:42 PM) We better hope other teams do because we are trading one of our SP's at some point and frankly if its him im not upset whatsoever. Hey Rock, you Hearing any other whispers out there other than this, or abouth this?

QUOTE (Jose Paniagua @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 12:36 PM) People really getting this upset over Eaton's '13? That mediocre 250 major league at bats is the only reason we're in this discussion. Otherwise he wouldnt be available. He tore up the minors, gives our defense much needed improvement. Patient at the plate doubles machine. These were the things we wanted. This. Period.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Dec 10, 2013 -> 12:36 PM) This Eaton guy sounds a lot like "settling" I disagree, I see the Sox buying low and selling high. Eaton is going to turn out to be a great addition, I really like the guy. And I'll go on the record and see him being the next Pedroia. Has the chip the build and sprays all over the field. We are selling high on Hector and let's face it, the guy walks a lot of people and once again I trust this team and their assessments of SPs. They have more than earned the benefit of the doubt. That being said, I do hope we get more than Eaton but would be okay if we didn't. Just less enthuised. Either Kendrick or Conger would work for me especially since we are throwing in a "good" prospect on top.