BlackSox13

Think I posted this info in the wrong thread. I should have posted it here. http://m.mlb.com/draft/2016/order Sox looking at the 10th and 28th picks in June's draft as of right now.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 04:26 PM) Does them take them out of the OF'er market or do they have $$$ to spend? The Nat's are currently sitting at 101M for 2016 and that's for 11 player + retained contracts but does not include Murphy's impending salary nor arbitration salaries. Contract obligations for '16: http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/washington-nationals/payroll/ Here's a link for the Nat's speculated arbitration salaries for '16 which totals roughly 35M. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/10/proj...s-for-2016.html As of now the Nat's are looking at 135-138M in payroll that does not include Murphy's salary which should easily push them a tick over 150M. Assuming of course the Nat's keep all their arbitration players and sign for the speculated salaries. One thing not included is filling out the roster with league minimum players. Include them and were looking at about 155M in total payroll for '16. Depending on how aggressive their ownership is, they do have room to add a big OF bat and not have to pay a luxury tax. I have no clue if they would do this or not but fwiw their '15 payroll was 146M so I have a difficult time believing they would jump from 146M to around 180M in one off season.

QUOTE (spiderman @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 01:48 PM) The signing of De Aza should never preclude the sighing of a much better player. I understand other issues (budget, team isn't built to contend, etc.), but that seems to be pretty a crazy conclusion to me. The Mets don't seem interested in spending money - only to a point. I think that's the bigger issue than De Aza being signed. De Aza isn't so much of an issue as he is an indication of what the owners are financially looking for in players to fill out their roster. I don't want to say they are being " cheap " , but they are trying to be cost effective while attempting to contend again which will be difficult to do without adding a few big bats in some capacity since they lost two in Cespedes and Murphy. The NLE is pretty weak right now with the Marlins, Phillies and Atlanta rebuilding, now would be a good time for the Mets to own that division if they got a few big bats somehow. I understand though, if the money isn't there then they have no choice but to grab players such as De Aza. I don't blame Mets fans at all for wanting new owners, I would too.

QUOTE (flavum @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 12:29 PM) Phil Rogers on ESPN1000 in a minute...I'm sure he'll try to get Robertson traded again. Ha. Nice going Nostradamus! Here's Rogers' latest write-up. "3. White Sox: Frazier and Lawrie have positioned the Sox to resume their attempts to rekindle their 2005 magic, and it's hard to see them doing that with defensive liabilities Melky Cabrera and Avisail Garcia flanking Eaton. Gordon or Cespedes (one of Abreu's close friends) would be a terrific fit if they could use the DH spot for Cabrera, but Hahn may be reluctant to give up on Adam LaRoche, who is looking like a free-agent bust. He'd have an easier time moving David Robertson than LaRoche but that could open the door to the bullpen troubles of 2014." http://m.mlb.com/news/article/160337758/ma...rs-moves-slowly

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 12:00 PM) http://deadspin.com/its-time-for-the-mets-...o-go-1749456433 Interesting article about the Mets this offseason, and actually the comments are what make it interesting in saying how, outside a move or two, the availability of this off-season isn't a great fit with Mets needs. They're just such an enticing team because they have all that cheap young pitching. Wow, and some Sox fans comp!ain about JR. The owners paying off debt would explain why they aren't spending despite having such cheap young pitching. I really feel for their fans because those five starters are a hell of a foundation to build the team off of and yet the owners aren't doing it. That said, maybe a trade based around Avi for Granderson could make sense for both teams. The Sox get their left handed middle of the order right fielder and the Mets get a right handed and much cheaper right fielder. Seems as though it would be a good fit as long as the Mets weren't expecting top tier talent in return with Avi. Just trying to think outside the box.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 11:54 AM) Not trying to knock anything but been skeptical on rabbit. Said before Sox were in serious talks with reds on catcher then Sox got navarro. Also said that the Heyman thing with sox still heavily involved in talk with Reds for Frazier was cooled off then next day Sox trade for him. The SOX have been talking with the Reds all off season so its possible the Reds wanted too much for their catcher and the Sox moved on. Frazier: Hahn confirmed the Sox were involved talks between the Dodgers and Reds in the busted Chapman trade and after that talks cooled. Hahn also mentioned that the weekend before the Frazier trade talks had cooled between the Sox and Reds due to the Reds not liking the package the Sox were offering. The Monday before the trade, Hahn and the Dodgers GM had been talking and that's when negotiations re-opened between the three teams. The Dodgers package made acquiring Frazier possible. Essentially the Dodgers traded for Frazier because the Reds liked the Dodger offer better and in turn the Dodgers flipped Frazier to the Sox. Given that the trade talks were such a roller coaster ride, its easy to see how raBBit was saying different things but in reality he was updating the roller coaster ride as it was happening. I'm not saying raBBit is always right, nobody is, but he has done a pretty good job of keeping Sox fans informed on the latest and is much more reliable as a source than the usual suspects like Merkin and Hayes.

I was just about to post this. "The signing of Alejandro De Aza seemed to pretty well close the door on Cespedes, and sources say the Mets' foray into the Cespedes market was brief. And now it is over. (It may have been over for a while.)" http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer/jon-he...y-of-now-sought So, the Mets are looking for a RH outfielder eh? To the Mets I say, can we interest you in Avi Garcia?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 10:47 AM) The problem is at the break you won't have access to those players, and if you do, it will cost you players AND the contract, instead of just the contract. I'm thinking the same thing and its not like the Sox farm is stocked with enough talent to afford the hit of trading for a big bat mid-season. Seems to be alot of mis-direction going on in the media. Sox writers seem to be leaning towards the Sox not making a move while the national writers are saying the Sox are in on signing one of the free agents. Smoke and mirrors. What Hayes says only makes sense if the Sox go for it with the team as is due to payroll constraints and feel they will get rebounds from certain players and should the team flop they become sellers at the deadline. I have a hard time buying into this train of thought and feel the Sox will get an OF bat. I haven't ruled out the possibility of the Sox getting that bat by means of a trade since the surplus of outfielders makes it a buyers market right now. I think it's cheaper to find a bat via trade now then it will be during the season.

QUOTE (Real @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 05:35 AM) 46 and 2. because TOOL. This ^

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 12:15 AM) 1st you assume Fulmer is ready in '17 . Let's say he is. Garza goes to long relief . That way it's guaranteed he won't reach the goals he needs to to get that 2018 contract . It's doubtful he accomplishes it anyway since he's already behind on the number of starts he would need to make in order for it to vest along with some health goals he could not meet too If they sign one of the Big 3 the budget is shot but not by too much the 1st year from what I proposed. So might as well just sign someone like Jackson because the SP depth sucks anyway. Probably will be plenty of FA's who end up taking 1 year deals. To be honest, were both making assumptions. I am assuming Fulmer will be ready for '17 but you're assuming the Brewers would be interested in taking on both contracts in Danks and LaRoche. You're also assuming Garza will be better for the Sox and if he isn't the SOX rotation will be down graded by such a trade which is not good for a team trying to be a contender. Do the Sox really need to spend 13M for a long reliever in Garza if Fulmer is ready in '17? Just my opinion but I would much rather have the contracts of Danks and LaRoche for one more season than Garza's contract for 2-3 more. I still think a better option would be to look into trading Danks for some lower minor league depth and sign Jackson on the cheap. I doubt Jackson would be any worse than Garza. Plus, Jackson can probably be had for a cheap one year deal so the risk is much less than Garza in both the short and long term.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 06:28 PM) yeah you most definitely say that. or i could say, that since they, the pirates turn down hahn, they still needed to address their 1b position. "3:54pm: The Pirates announced that they have signed catcher/first baseman/outfielder John Jaso to a two-year contract. The ACES client will serve as the club’s left-handed half of a first-base platoon, pairing with Mike Morse and/or Jason Rogers to handle those duties." http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/12/pira...-john-jaso.html Time to give up the ghost about LaRoche to Pitt. Ain't happening.

Speaking of Kim. I found these two videos of Stephens that were taken by her. Well done Kim. Stephens warming up. Stephens pitching to one hitter. That's a pretty nice curve ball Stephens has.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 07:53 PM) NO, NO, NO!!!! I will be extremely upset if the Sox give Gordon a 5 year/$100 million or more deal. I know the Sox desperately need a middle of the order bat but if that's truely what Gordon is seeking then f*** him! If the Sox can scrounge up 20M annually then spend another 5M or so and sign Upton or Cespedes. Please Rick, don't sign this clown for that kind of money.

"The Royals have been told by Alex Gordon‘s camp that they have “no chance” to re-sign their franchise cornerstone as things currently stand, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Gordon’s camp is seeking a contract that will pay him upwards of $20MM per season, and Heyman hears that Kansas City has only offered four years, noting that Jim Bowden reported at ESPN that the annual value of said offer is believed to be in the $12-13MM range." http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/12/roya...lex-gordon.html If that's the case, then I really hope the Sox go for Upton or Cespedes. Imo, Gordon isn't worth 20M+ annually for 5 years or more. f*** that!

f***, I'm tired of having the slowest game of pong ever played going on in my head. I never thought the Sox would legitimately be in on any of the three but since the rumors came out my preference has been Cespedes. Now the Gordon rumors have surfaced and while I'd be happy with him, he has always been third on my list primarily due to his age. Now I'm thinking, if the Sox are going to spend that much money then go for broke and make a strong push for Upton. Man, I'm so confused.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 07:21 PM) a nice complete pov. good job. Thank you kindly. QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 07:24 PM) I could not agree more with these posts. The Sox would be plain stupid to pay LaRoche $13 million to play ELSEWHERE next year. Their only logical choice is to keep him and hope he rebounds, even just a little bit. If he doesn't, he's gone after the season anyway. Exactly. Us Sox fans have endured a bad John Danks for how many seasons now? One more season, possibly less, of LaRoche won't kill us. Who knows? In a strange twist of irony we may happy he's on the team come July/August. Baseball is a crazy sport sometimes.

Garza has good stuff and I just cannot understand how he's become so bad. The problems I see with the Danks for Garza idea are 1) the Sox would be paying him for at least the '16/'17 seasons and possibly '18 and 2) assuming EJ sticks in the rotation, Danks becoming a FA after '16 opens a spot for Fulmer in '17 but if the Sox have Garza they have to try and figure out how to move him to create room for Fulmer. If Garza doesn't improve, he will be difficult to move in a trade, just like Danks has been the last few years. With the way the cost of starting pitching has escalated, Danks is worth pretty close to his '16 salary. One idea could be to trade Danks for perhaps a few low level minor leaguers and try to sign Edwin Jackson on the cheap. I'm not a fan of Jackson by any means but he can be had for relatively cheap which allows the Sox to take the savings and use it towards a FA bat. Jackson seemed to work well with Cooper so it could work, in theory. Not something I would bet the house on, just an idea.

I agree with DA. If it takes eating more than half of LaRoche's contract, then just keep LaRoche and hope for the best. If money is so tight that the Sox need that tid bit of savings then they shouldnt be in the market for 100M players in the first place. 3-5M in savings is not much when were talking about players that are seeking 20M+ annually. Another way of looking at LaRoche is that he was so bad in '15 its hard to imagine him not rebounding to some extent in '16. Even if the Sox utilize LaRoche in a bench role he can provide some potential late inning pop as a PH and or 1B defensive replacement. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, LaRoche batting in a lineup that now has Frazier and Lawrie to go with Abreu will help LaRoche in some way. It's a stretch but a possibility. DA is right, let's see what kind of ST LaRoche has and go from there.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 06:00 PM) i don't know what is a savings would be with these org when they are talking about millions of dollars being saved. yeah, i was talking about laroche to the pirates along with 3-5 mil and a prospect pitcher to sweeten the pot. no matter what, laroche can play good defense at 1b and it will save the pirates from rushing their 1b prospects. The Pirates signed John Jaso today which confirms their lack of interest in LaRoche.

QUOTE (shipps @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 04:36 PM) Although Hahn has shopped La Roche I still think he values the guy waaaaaay more than people on soxtalk values him. Maybe to a fault but I think Hahn probably thinks there is still some value in a left handed power hitting veteran either for this current team or with what the return he expects for sending LaRoche to another team. Hahn did offer 8M/LaRoche to the Pirates and they said no. I think Hahn realizes LaRoche has no value, its the media that took off with it because trading LaRoche is the most obvious move but the media failed to realize its also the most difficult if not impossible move. I mean seriously, look at LaRoche's numbers/salary and the " Hahn is shopping LaRoche" line the media ran with. Hahn isn't "shopping LaRoche", Hahn is looking for a dumpster team to drop Sox hot garbage on to. There never was a market for a 36 year old power hitter that's set to make 13M and only hit 12 HR last season. I would like to be wrong on this but it does not seem there are GM's dumb enough to trade for LaRoche. All we can do is hope he can somewhat bounce back a bit in whatever role the Sox put him in.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 04:27 PM) At the same time that he introduces Avila, Navarro, Frazier, Lawrie, and Cespedes. So it was Sands that Hahn was waiting for all this time, NICE!!!

"4:03pm: FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reports that Jaso will be guaranteed a total of $8MM over the life of the deal (Twitter link). Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that Jaso will earn $4MM in each season of the contract." Smart move by the Pirates. As for LaRoche. I think what happens is he spends ST fighting for the DH spot and if he loses he will be used in a bench role. It is what it is.

When is Hahn supposed to hold the press conference to introduce Sands?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 09:21 AM) Except Atlanta had no desire for Tomas at all...they're talking about moving Hector Olivera, their own Cuban acquired from LA, to LF. I would have forgotten about Miller and searched for a trade involving Tomas and then looked into signing Leake who was willing to sign with AZ. I think it comes down to Stewart setting his sights on Miller and nothing was going to stop him. We've seen this before.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 09:16 AM) It may also mean among the teams bidding that they are more expensive. That could very well be. Teams are probably looking at the second tier as more cost effective options. QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 09:17 AM) I don't get the fascination with Parra. His defensive metrics have trended down quickly the past couple of years, he has no power, and he was awful with the Orioles. Whoever signs him will regret it. Initially I liked the idea of Parra but I've backed off after seeing his trend and how bad he was in Baltimore. Parra is why I'm more open to the idea of the Sox potentially signing Gordon despite his age, not that I'm counting on the Sox signing him.