cabiness42

Interesting that the Mets and Rangers are supposed to be highly analytical organizations but both are in the top 6 in MLB in Sac Bunts. Disdain for the sac bunt is one of the calling cards of analytics.

Gillaspie is pre-arb. He costs virtually nothing to keep and is under team control for 4+ more years. Dunn has an expiring contract. There is nothing similar with their situations. Maybe Gillaspie doesn't work out. Maybe Davidson doesn't work out. If they both work out, then maybe one of them plays 1B or maybe then you trade one of them, but you don't trade Gillaspie now while Davidson is still a huge question mark.

Gillaspie is pre-arb and the Sox are a rebuilding team. Rebuilding teams don't generally trade pre-arb players. I can buy Bekcham and Belisario being shopped.

How long have you been a baseball fan? For most people, it only takes a few years to figure out that veteran players can't be sent down. Maybe the learning curve is slower in Lawrence.

David Phelps ( R ), 1-0, 3.33 vs Chris Sale ( L ), 3-0, 2.30 Full lineups later.

I'll be interested for the first year or two, but after that I'll lose interest.

At Dunn's age I would think going to a contender would be a bigger priority.

DET and CLE tied at 9 in the 10th.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, May 21, 2014 CHICAGO – To welcome ace Chris Sale back to the mound at U.S. Cellular Field this Thursday evening vs. the New York Yankees, and due to popular demand, the Chicago White Sox have expanded the “K Zone For Sale” to include Section 155 for all future Chris Sale starts. “K Zone For Sale” is a new ballpark promotion this season in sections 154 and 155 – for a total of more than 930 seats. When White Sox ace Chris Sale starts at home, fans with tickets in these sections will receive a free K-Zone t-shirt and strikeout card, which can be picked up at the #SoxSocial Lounge before the end of the first inning. “K Zone For Sale” tickets are $20 for most games, with the exception of Family Sundays, when the tickets are $15 (subject to availability). Tickets to White Sox games are available at whitesox.com, the U.S. Cellular Field ticket office and through Ticketmaster.

I just have to ask what people think is the long term solution at SS if Alexei is traded? We have several middle infield prospects that are good with the glove, but I don't see any that have the potential to regularly put up an OPS above .750, which is what Alexei seems to be on track for this year. When Alexei was struggling to get his OPS over .650, yes he was expendable, but I think the Sox really need to wait and see if the new Alexei is the real thing. Abreu-Eaton-Alexei and maybe Viciedo and/or AGarcia figure to be the core of this offense for several years. Finding a catcher and some left handed power (beyond this season) for LF, 1B, or DH are all this team lacks to having a really, really good lineup.

I don't know how you could possibly get fair value for an elite defensive shortstop with an 839 OPS and a reasonable contract through 2016.

No, my point to Greg last year was that the Sox were so bad, one 5-6 WAR player wasn't going to get the Sox into the playoffs, and in fact would have cost the Sox about 2-3 draft positions. This year, a 5-6 WAR player might actually make the difference in getting into the playoffs, but aside from that, Dunn's biggest value is his trade value. So far this year, Seattle has a .597 OPS from the DH position, .664 for the Yankees, .775 for Oakland and .785 for Baltimore. I think people are underestimating what one of these teams might give up to get Dunn.

Given the problems that some QO guys have had finding jobs this past offseason, combined with Dunn's age and shaky past couple seasons, there is ZERO chance he turns down a QO. If a team is offering a good prospect for Dunn, the Sox have to take it, even if they are in the hunt for the WC at the time. Also, remember that the team the Sox trade him to can't make him a QO, so the Sox would not have to give up a pick if they ended up getting him back in free agency.

Can I rank "2014 Draft Pick 1-3" as #1 even if we don't know who he is yet???

OK, I get the Beckham hate, but Gillaspie has an 845 OPS. I don't know what more anybody could possibly expect from him.

Dunn is headed towards being a very valuable trade chip in July. So the question is, how "in it" do the Sox have to be to NOT trade him? IMO, if there is a good offer for Dunn on the table, the Sox have to take it, even if they are within a couple games of a WC spot. I also think the Sox should eat salary if it nets a better prospect.

Well, they do have to play home games at UMinny's field for two years while the new one is being built.

UMinny's new stadium is outdoors.

You said bet the KC-over parlay. Maybe you don't know what a parlay is, but you only win money if both parts win.

No, it's not, but it's still going to be very cold trying to do anything in town aside from being at the game.

I'm getting cold just reading that.

Lineups: Sox: Eaton 8, Beckham 4, Gillaspie 5, Viciedo 9, Dunn 3, Ramirez 6, Konerko DH, De Aza 7, Flowers 2; Rienzo 1 KC: Aoki 9, Escobar 6, Hosmer 3, Butler DH, Gordon 7, Cain 8, Valencia 5, Ciriaco 4, Hayes 2; Ventura 1

Now official, from Sox FB page:

It had #WhiteSox on it

What a bizarre, random number.