SCCWS

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Aug 16, 2016 -> 12:19 PM) There are definitely markets that have needs for a baseball team. SLC, UT The Research Triangle, NC San Antonio, TX Las Vegas, NV Indianapolis, IN These markets are all growing at a faster rate than Chicago, and in addition to that have regional sports networks that do not currently have local baseball programming. TV is where the real money is for baseball franchises now, ticket sales are nice, but they are drop in the bucket comparatively. Havana.....................

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 16, 2016 -> 08:29 AM) When he got elected to the Basketball HOF a few months ago, he did several interviews included a 30 minute feature on Comcast. Alzheimer's story is BS. Not necessarily true. The poster said early stages. Not sure how much you know about early dementia but I have been working with patients for close to 20 years. Someone who has early dementia can be perfectly lucid in some areas but will have other parts of their daily routine that they struggle with. For example, it is very common for a dementia patient to sit down and work a crossword puzzle or discuss their childhood yet have no clue what they ate for lunch an hour ago. If Jr was able to do a 30 minute feature he most likely would be in a very early stage if he does have the start of dementia.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Aug 15, 2016 -> 05:23 PM) He made it sound like they might rather patch "other holes" and not trade for Sale so it sounded like starters were excluded based on that comment. No, my point was they are more apt to trade 3 or 4 prospects to fill 2-3 holes. They need some bullpen help and they need another starter. They may be more likely to add someone like Archer that may only cost them 2 of their 2nd tier prospects. It sounds like Ramirez moves to DH, Shaw to 1st . Then they also need a 3B but they have Sandoval coming back and Devers on his way up and Moncada a wildcard. Their catching is also iffy unless Vazquez starts hitting.

I heard yesterday that since the All Star break, Red Sox starting pitching has been ranked 3rd in AL. Their offense and bullpen was in a funk. Their offense certainly tore up AZ this weekend but we will see when they hit the road. Unfortunately Benintendi has been on a tear since he was called up which could inflate his value next winter if he keeps it up. I think DD will trade some of his young talent to patch other holes and not go for the KO w Sale.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Aug 14, 2016 -> 11:14 PM) Sandy Alomar Jr. and Dave Martinez would both be fine. Dave Martinez name has come up for years and he always gets passed over. Tampa Bay even passed over him. There must be some negatives involved.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Aug 12, 2016 -> 11:22 PM) If we're starting Saladino, it should be at SS or 3B. He's not a 2B. Offensively he is not a 3B. With Anderson the SS for now , he is therefore a utility player.

Question to those seeing the Sox on a daily basis. Abreu has been on a tear lately. I wonder how much, if any, has Mourneau helped hitting behind him. Earlier in the year, Melky was hitting well but it didn't seem to help. But it seems to me the arrival of Mourneau seems to coincide w Abreu hitting much better. maybe Abrfeu has just found his groove.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Aug 10, 2016 -> 06:20 PM) Really depends on what they do with Sandoval and Hanley. As of now, I believe they would be sharing the 1B/DH spots with Shaw holding down third until someone else comes up. Unless they add someone from outside the organization for 3B. Moncada or Devers could be at 3rd by 2018 or even 2017. Moncada could also be the DH next year while they figure out if he can play 3B or outfield (if they trade a B). Shaw struggles at 3B.

FWIW----Benintendi is now 8-16 since being brought up from AA.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Aug 9, 2016 -> 01:21 PM) We still have one year of control on Miguel Gonzalez yet. I bet they don't throw Fulmer into the rotation from the get go. Barring a trade our opening day rotation will be Sale, Q, Rodon, Shields and Gonzalez. That's a pretty dang good rotation. That is a great rotation. If we had them this season, we would be playoff bound.........................................

QUOTE (ptatc @ Aug 9, 2016 -> 12:25 PM) Part of the reason he isn't starting is that they need to limit his innings this year. So will he learn more pitching in AAA or the MLB while pitching in relief? The answer is, that's why they get paid what they do. We'll see if they are right. Makes sense on limiting the innings and getting his feet wet w major league hitters. But it might be tough to then try and make him a ML starter in 2017. He may need some portion of next year in AAA as a starter. If he is ticketed for the bullpen next year, then keeping him in the present role makes sense.

Why wouldn't they send him back to AAA and let him start there then bring him up in Sept and let him get a few starts. Shields and Gonzo could be tradeable pieces in the offseason so the Sox may be better leaving them iin the rotation and hope they look at least average over the next 4-6 weeks.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 7, 2016 -> 03:03 AM) Rodon was excellent. Shoulda got a win. Robin handled the bullpen well. Those are the only relievers, actually, that stand a chance. Anderson got a walk! And should have had two! Another one of those great victories. The team on occasion plays well like this. Tomorrow they'll probably suck. Such are the White Sox. Good win tonight though. No question about that. Good crowd as well.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Aug 6, 2016 -> 01:43 PM) They will be the #1 and #2 pitchers available this offseason and it's not close. It's going to take a lot. Why would they trade them for less than that? Lets pretend that barstoolDave's info was accurate. Boston offered Benintendi, Kopech, one of Brian Johnson or Trey Ball and a PTBNL. Lets say the PTBNL was Swihart. Would you have traded Q for Benintendi, Swihart, Ball, and Kopech? Not necessarily. They are only available if Hahn can find a trading partner. If his demands are unrealistic, then they will return next year. If Hahn says he wants X and every GM says no thanks, then maybe Hahn has overrated their demands. I doubt anyone but the respective FO know what offers were made. Boston Globe writer speculated it was 4 of 5 Andrew Benintendi, Yoan Moncada, Blake Swihart, Michael Kopech, Rafael Devers for Sale. To your question I would have taken Benintendi, Kopech, Devers and Vazquez for Q. I would not want Swihart. Not sure if Boston does that.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Aug 6, 2016 -> 04:35 PM) Jim: I've been told by two independent sources that JR does not want to do this and have posted such on the site. Take it for whatever you think it is worth. The sources are good ones I can assure you. Add in Buster Olney's comments about the issues with the Sox chain of command and I think it's clear to me anyway that the front office is not unified on a plan forward and remember JR has the final word. I think they badly need a rebuild but I just don't see JR at his age approving that to say nothing of Kenny's "go for it" attitude. We'll see. Add in the DD comment that he never heard back from Hahn after Friday and I think it is pretty obvious that Hahn was not aggressively shopping.

QUOTE (Baron @ Aug 6, 2016 -> 11:36 AM) Rick Hahn may think there are going to be more suitors. But that doesnt mean the price will be met. Heyman in his last article posted pretty much the same thing from another front office executive. Just because there is more people doesnt make your price any less ridiculous. Does anyone honestly think their price is going to be met? Or that they actually want someone to meet that price? I actually think they dont want their price to be met so they can keep on going in their dream world where they can just add a few veterans and compete. Agree. I think from DD comments, Sale was definitely not for sale. I also think he will not be "tradeable" in the winter as well unless he has another meltdown. Not sure about Q but I think he will be back next year as well. I can see them flipping Melky or Frazier for someone comparable to appear they are involved.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 6, 2016 -> 04:08 AM) We've had so many bad relievers the past few seasons it's hard to believe. I don't follow all teams closely but I assume all lousy teams have some incredibly bad pitchers in the bullpen. I don't know how players don't have higher batting averages than they do with all this crap taking the mound nowadays. And fourth and fifth starters? Some of them are so so bad. Actually if you look around baseball, there are about 50 guys who float from team to team as bullpen non-closer guys. They are kind of like .250 hitters. Some years they hit .225 and some .275. Some of them are former closers ( i.e. Reed, Nathan, Uehara etc) that teams hope will return to their old form. Some are young guys filling a role while teams are deciding if they are starters or relievers. There is the lefty group who go for years pitching very limited innings but at key times. Then you have the long relievers who are the 6th starter or more likely just a mop up guy. there are some very good relievers but it is also a crap shoot with a lot of them.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Aug 4, 2016 -> 08:28 PM) Comments from last week? The Red Sox had been in talks with the White Sox last week about their disgruntled ace, but when the whirlwind of the non-waiver trade deadline began spinning on Monday, the Red Sox had other things to worry about. The trade deadline passed at 4 p.m. ET and Sale was still on the White Sox. Later in the evening, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said he hadn’t made contact with the White Sox since Friday. http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/clubhouse_ There was also reports on Boston WEEI from New England sportswriters that JR would not approve any trade for Sale hence the end of talks on Friday.

QUOTE (soxforlife05 @ Aug 4, 2016 -> 07:26 PM) The only thing I'm hoping for is for Sale and Q to dominate and keep that trade value as high as possible. Also, progression of the young guys. No, that will convince the front office that Q should not be traded. Sale will not be traded based on the comments from last week.

I would add another option. For whatever reason, the FO took the trade deadline off. I am sure there will be talk of waiver deals for the rest of the month. But what about the manager. I would assume Robin or the FO will decide to end this after the season. But as I have posted a couple of times over the last few months, why wait?? Renteria would be a name the comes up when/if robin leaves. Why not test drive him now during a period where games will matter, at least to many of the opponents. Obviously, my suggestion would make no sense if the FO has come to the conclusion that Renteria would not be a candidate.

QUOTE (Black_Jack29 @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 06:40 PM) I don't see how Betts and Bradley are all that different in value. Betts is younger than Bradley and can also play CF. If Dombrowski isn't willing to give up his two best prospects in a deal for Sale, I think that one of the "B" outfielders needs to be part of the package. If DD isn't amenable to either of those scenarios, I don't see how trading Sale to the Red Sox benefits the White Sox. The importance of centerfield. Betts can and did play center field for Boston. But Bradley forced the move to RF. Bradley may have the most best/accurate arm from CF in baseball. Betts may be a little better offensively but he is not the CF Bradley is. He is a good RF. He also has a Fenway swing and as you state is younger. If Moncada and Benintendi are ML ready after this year, they might be tempted to move Betts + for Q. Seems like rumors in Boston was Sale was really not for sale and won't be in the winter.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 06:09 PM) Honestly, it feels like they didn't do anything at the trade deadline because neither Williams nor Hahn will man up and take responsibility for the failure of the last two offseasons. Probably both were scrambling around to stake out the opposite position of the other, and neither wanted to go to JR, so pretty much nothing got done. Surprise!!! It doesn't make any sense not to have gotten together a MONTH AGO and started trading assets like Robertson, Cabrera and Frazier. If this front office could only for ONCE get on the same freaking page and go to JR collectively and tell him they screwed up and the only way out of it is to do XYZ, then there would at least be a glimmer of hope. Then JR can decide whether to keep both of them or fire both of them. Instead, it's like Ozzie vs. KW where it feels like they're positioning for one to survive the other and have total control. In the offseason, we can get Betts or Bradley, Jr., or Bogaerts for Sale. Great. The team is in exactly the same position it was...unless Rodon or Fulmer decide to impersonate Cy Young contenders. We needed to make the kind of move that would bring in 2-3 potential starters offensively...or 2-3 future starting pitchers, like the proposed trade with the Dodgers. This was the PERFECT time to strike like the Yankees did and load up on prospects who will be coming up in 2017-18 and no later than 2019. Even the Pirates sold off, because they know they have the core in place (other than McCutcheon) for the next 3-4 years and won't gamble it all for another wild card game. Brewers, Padres, everyone ended up looking better than us. But excellent, we have another outfield version of Carlos Sanchez or Micah Johnson to entertain us for the next couple of months in Tilson. And we get to see how Dan Jennings does in high leverage situations. Oh, boy. A couple of thoughts: 1. We are not getting Bradley or Bogaerts for Sale. They are All-Stars playing prime positions. Betts + some prospect package is very doable. 2. Kudos to the Yankees for getting a bunch of prospects but that does not mean their coming up will improve them. Prospects are still a crap shoot. But the yankees gave up relief pitching which is often a crap shoot in itself. 3. I think the FO screwd up not getting something for Robertson, Shields or Gonzo since there seemed to be a market for pitching.

QUOTE (Black_Jack29 @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 12:03 PM) The Cubs have been the most popular team in Chicago since the mid-80s. Win or lose, they have fans. Same goes for the Red Sox in the Northeast. Their fan base hasn't changed much since 2004. Wrong. The Red Sox have become a corporate boom since the late 90's. With corporations buying up blocks of box and grandstand sections, the average fan is forced to compete for the non-season ticket seats. That has driven up demand and price and was the reason they got creative adding seats instead of building a new stadium.

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 12:59 PM) Definitely a showcase by Boston for Sale. Not at all. They have a hole in LF due to injuries. I posted yesterday that several Boston media people said several sources indicated Sale was never really on the market because of JR. That would concur w DD saying he had no contact since Friday w Hahn. Now if Moncada ends up in LF instead of 3B and Ben. has his struggles, then maybe for Q next winter.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 08:41 AM) Yea our organization doesn't know a thing about absurd rush jobs right? No it is a rush. He has no time at AAA, 200+ AB in AA and he has to play a left field that has challenges. But ironically he passed Rusney Castillo who was at AAA.