DBAHO

So it's safe to say Beckham's definitely going #1. Alvarez is pretty certain not going to be on the board at #8, and from what I've heard, Aaron Crow is probably top 5, with a guarantee at #7 if he's still on the board. Posey and Skipworth as much as I'd love for either to still be there at #8, probably isn't going to happen. So IMHO, that leaves Smoak, Matusz (least likely, probable top 6), Alonso, Hosmer (really hoping he goes before our pick, KC or Baltimore the most likely), Gordon Beckham, Wallace and Melville as the guys most likely to be there, or round-abouts at #8. Beckham is the interesting one, if he could stay at SS I would certainly pick him. But that isn't likely going to happen (he may not even stay at 2B or 3B). So I think if Smoak is there, the Sox really should go down that route (although I would like Matusz if he's still there). If we take Wallace I'm going to be disappointed.

Interesting choice. I think Thibodeau would have ended up being the better choice. My guess is he maybe goes to Phoenix now, unless they give the job to Tyrone Corbin the Utah assistant coach.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ May 28, 2008 -> 10:47 PM) It's amazing how much the future of this organization looks completely different than it did last year. We have pieces and a few very good ones to build around now. And the key to that IMHO, has been getting the core group of guys younger. Your Floyd's, Danks', Quentin's etc. KW needs to keep doing that from season to season. Guys will who give you edge (both on the field and in the clubhouse), but players who are just about to come into their primes. 1B/DH is a prime area that KW could look to "revitalize" in the off-season.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ May 27, 2008 -> 04:21 PM) You're crazy to think that Crede would sign a 3 year deal, and you're crazier to think that he'd sign a deal for less than $10 mill a year, let alone $7 at the most in your scenario. Boras is his agent, he's almost assuredly going to get to free agency, and he's almost assuredly going to get $10-12 mill per. Crede is one of the last players in major league baseball that I would give a long-term contract to, and he's quite frankly just not that damn good. And in my mind, the Sox don't need a stud to replace Contreras...Buehrle and Vazquez are good, and Floyd and Danks are both looking to be potential #3 starters in the majors with the potential for more. Bring Broadway up and let him throw 180 innings as the 5th starter next season...if he keeps his ERA anywhere around 5.00, he'd be a huge value to the team. Really if Crede ends up getting more than $10M a season, then I want no part of him. Will he get that? I don't know. Yes, Bora$$ is his agent, but he didn't have a good off-season. Kyle Lohse a $10M a season pitcher? Uhh no. Same thing could happen to Crede possibly. Coming off back surgery, and only really 2 seasons of above average offensive production so far. I'm just hoping that somehow Crede would decide to fire him, as Uribe did a few seasons back, but I doubt that's going to happen. As for the 5th starter, I just look at the impact of how much a good rotation has on this team. If there's 1 or 2 weak links, we really struggle. Long - term, I don't know if Broadway has a role with us. I suppose he deserves a chance though, but we'll see what happen.

QUOTE (danman31 @ May 27, 2008 -> 01:02 AM) I don't think Matusz will be there. I've heard his fastball is slower than that. 86-89 sounds closer to what I was told, but who knows. Velocity gets inflated in reports anyway. I've heard very good things about Melville. He pitched in Columbia during the HS season and my buddy knows a Royals scout who watched him pitch that day. Says he really likes his delivery. I'm not big on drafting HSers in the 1st round, but I wouldn't be upset if they took him depending on who was on the board. Also, if Crow or Matusz are available and the Sox don't take them, I'm gonna be pissed. Screw needing position players, take best available. Before this season, I wouldn't have minded taking Melville this season. But his stock has really gone downwards, and although he'll go top 20, I think he's a reach in the top 10 now. But he would still be an excellent pitching prospect. Just not on the same level as Crow or Matusz at this point. Matusz to the O's at #4 is a possibility, but if they decide to go for say Alvarez, then I think there is a real chance of him sliding down to #8.

QUOTE (BearSox @ May 26, 2008 -> 04:48 PM) From all indications, if Alvarez is gone by 3, the Royals no. 2 option is Hosmer, and I could see them willing to shell out 7 million on him. Hey if that happens, that's very good news for us because it'll basically push another top tier guy down to our spot. Alvarez at #2 (the Pirates IIRC) is what needs to happen there.

1. Sure up the bench. I read a stat that we only had 7 BB's and 10 extra base hits for all of our bench players so far. That's something KW could look to address at the deadline. 2. Look for a 2nd baseman. The most obvious one, but I'm hoping either Ramirez continues to hit, or Richar is given an opportunity. I'm basically done with Uribe at this point (even though he is very good defensively, that's not enough). Roberts is the obvious one, but while the O's are semi competitive, I don't think he's going to be dealt. 3. Look for another righty in the pen. MacDougal and Wasserman haven't gotten the job done so far. If you can sure that 6th / 7th inning / spot in our pen up, it'll make it even better. A Heath Bell type of pitcher for example (although I can't remember how he's doing this season). 4. Try to re-sign Crede. Call me crazy, but if you could get a 3 year 15-20M deal for Crede done right now, I'd do that, and try to trade Fields for a stud young pitcher who can replace Contreras in the rotation from the mid - point next season. Other than that, it's basically getting Thome, Konerko and Swisher to produce, and to keep the young arms fresh.

Personally I'll defer to what the group decides as a whole. The Patio Party sounds like fun, and it's something I'd love to do as a 1 time thing in Chicago, but that's just me, most people probably may not want to pay for it possibly?

Ha, Elarton just ain't that good is he.

Could you honestly imagine our bullpen pitching 5 scoreless innings of relief (let's hopefully make it 6) last season? Biggest difference on this team right now IMHO.

Day off, and it's a beautiful day as well.

And yet that average is getting higher, and he's on pace for a career high in OPS and HR's this season. Chris Young is a quality player, no if's or buts. But so is Javier Vazquez of course.

Except that Young 11HR's and .826 OPS would look pretty good also. If we still had Young, we wouldn't have Quentin or Swisher possibly. But we got a dependable workhorse in our rotation, and both teams are doing well this season, so it's really and always has been a win - win.

It's unfortunate that something like this will come up, but that's the nature of the business. Because Carlos is doing so well, and people haven't really seen this from him before, there's going to be questions asked. But, if people actually did their research and saw that he had crushed minor league pitching, and did well in the majors before he hurt his shoulder, they would know, that Carlos Quentin is a very talented baseball player who basically only needed a chance. He's hitting in a perfect ballpark, and he's excelling because of it.

There's basically a set top 9 in my mind right now. The 2 Beckham's, Crow, Alvarez, Smoak, Alonso, Posey, Skipworth and Matusz. Hosmer would make it a top 10 on talent, but who is going to pay $7M for a high school first baseman? I certainly don't see the Sox picking him, but maybe a team like the O's would. So I will be annoyed if we end up picking Tim Melville or Brett Wallace, who we have been linked with a bit. I would love to get either Posey or Skipworth, but I think both will be off the board before we pick. So I'm actually going against the trend, and I'll say we'll pick Brian Matusz if he's still on the board. He's got 3 good pitches, and although his fastball is only in the 87-92 range (although it'll get to 94 on occasions), it's his secondary stuff which has scouts excited. Danks I certainly can't see lasting until the 3rd round, he's a 2nd round talent IMHO.

CARLOS f***ING QUENTIN!!!!!!!! Oh what a stud. Great game by Jose also.

So watched the CL Final? I only saw the penalty shootout, and it was basically the perfect one for me. Ronaldo missing with his stupid stutter step run - up, John Terry missing to win the game, and then Chelsea not winning.

Keep the streak alive. Big game though, and kind of a statement game IMHO. Cleveland have had MB's # for a long, long time now, he always seems to struggle against them. This could be the type of game, where if they could get to him again, it could wake their lineup a bit out of their slumber. MB needs a good outing tonight. Pitched well against San Francisco, but it's San Francisco.

Just on your posts ranger; 1 - Rose is rated a better prospect than CP3 and Williams coming out of college. Livingstone came straight out of HS, and only because of the knee injury, he's not going to be as good as his potential unfortunately. He's a more explosive version of Williams you could argue, and because of his size, he should be a dominating PG at the NBA level. 2 - Marvin Williams was always going to take time, but it shows the risk at taking players who aren't ready to contribute straight away. 3 - Deng, Hinrich and Thomas would probably be the deal for Melo. Sign and trade with Gordon for something, and you've got a lineup of Rose, Hughes, Melo, Gooden and Noah which looks pretty good. 4 - I think the Bulls would draft a big with the 6th, and that alone would be more valuable than Thomas, for the Bulls' needs, but that's JMHO. Getting Lee, who's an active hustle guy off the bench, only sweetens the deal, and the Bulls can always do with another big.

The Bulls would have to give up Deng and Thomas at least (probably more) if they wanted Melo also. How do people feel about David Lee and the 6th for Tyrus Thomas FWIW?

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ May 22, 2008 -> 09:59 AM) I'm not disagreeing, but what you said doesn't really address the big thing everyone's worried about with Rose. The Hornets don't just have Paul, they have Paul and West. The Jazz don't just have Williams, they have Williams and Boozer. Why is the Paul/Williams side more important than the West/Boozer side? Again, I'm split on this. But I do think it's a legit question. Probably because of the system both teams play in. CP3 has more creativity to do what he wants, and David West is basically an excellent jump shooter playing at PF. Without CP3, he just would not be as good. He's so good at the pick and roll, Paul, that so many times he'll either lob it to Chandler, take a little floater, or kick it back out to West from 18 feet out. Williams makes Boozer a better player also. The thing is, Boozer and West can't create their own shots. Williams and Paul do it for them. A good PG makes everyone around you better. Do you think Atlanta wishes they took Paul or Williams, instead of Marvin Williams right now?

The Bulls should take Rose. Look at the impact CP3 and Deron Williams have had on New Orleans and Utah respectively. Beasley will become a very good player, but will he make his whole team better, as much as Rose? What to do with Kirk Hinrich then? My guess is, the Bulls will try to trade him, to a team such as the Knicks, Bucks or my best bet the Los Angeles Clippers, for an expiring contract and maybe a 1st. Does Rose make the Bulls better? Absolutely? They'll be a playoff team next season, especially if they hire Tom Thibodeau as coach, who I'm a big fan of. But I don't think they're a top 4 team. They're not better than Boston or Detroit, Orlando has a better offensive team and Dwight Howard in the middle, and Cleveland can use their expiring contracts to go put a star player next to LeBron. The Bulls also need more size IMHO. If they could somehow get a top 6-7 pick by trading either Hinrich or Gordon, use that on Lopez if he's there, and they'll be a better team for it.

Richar still probably deserves an opportunity. But if Ramirez can keep hitting, maybe Uribe won't be the starter for much longer?

If either Posey or Skipworth falls to #8, that's the route I would go. Smoak or Brian Matusz as the backup options.

Someone took a photo of me on the keg stand, so I am trying to get that right now. And in Rand McNally, people were hats on their feet.