OmarComing25

QUOTE (Baron @ Jan 7, 2016 -> 09:48 PM) Solid defensively he is not...atleast not anymore If healthy he should at least be solid in LF.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Jan 7, 2016 -> 09:11 PM) Cmon man this is pure toilet dick. Cespedes' agent reportedly said that Yo doesn't like deep dish pizza, won't sign with the Sox unless they offer a minimum of 7 years.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 7, 2016 -> 07:30 PM) Is it better if I naively cheerlead with all my posts that we actually are going to get Cespedes or Upton? You'll notice that most of the mods aren't getting overly optimistic either... So you're on record as being how confident that we sign either or them? You'll notice that many times in the last few weeks I've put forth alternative/Plan B scenarios in anticipation. There's nothing wrong with the fallback options if you can find the right values. That's going to remove some of the sex appeal or marketing sizzle but it's the more pragmatic approach unless the contract terms are reasonable. Usually in FA they're not, as we learned last off-season. PS: In the end, I'm sure every agent like Jay-Z looks at the tv and radio ratings and considers the White Sox 30th place standing in those two categories a positive for their client's endorsement potential. You know there's a middle ground between cheerleading and looking for every reason under the sun that Cespedes/Upton won't sign here, right?

I would be really worried about the Nats, but I just can't see them committing all that money to have Cespedes play CF, and I don't see them moving Harper to CF. Who knows though, they definitely have the cash.

I like this deal for them, Span seems a better fit than Cespedes did.

I still don't see the Tigers as a huge threat given they have no history of willing to go over the tax limit, and any big deal with Cespedes puts them way over for several seasons in a row, with the penalty going up every year. I think we could outbid them if it came down to it.

He also started hitting the ball a lot harder. Hardhit% by year: 2011: 28.8% 2012: 26.2% 2013: 34.1% 2014: 43.3% 2015: 42.3% He led all qualified hitters in hard-hit% this year.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 03:25 PM) Greg, where are you getting $30 million from? The only rumors are the White Sox offered 4/$80 and the Cardinals were roughly in the same ballpark as the Royals but clearly unwilling to go five years. Much like the Heyward situation (Cubs vs. StL), we're talking likely differences of $5-15 million in all likelihood and nothing close to $30 million or the player's association/union really would have had an issue with it for depressing FA salaries. That's well beyond a hometown discount. Where is the source on the rumor that the Sox offered 4/$80?

QUOTE (blackmooncreeping @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 03:10 PM) I think it's not only possible, but more possible than not that we don't land one of the big guys at this point and end up bringing in 2nd tier guy(s). Hopes and fears would officially come crashing down only if Avi is our starting RF come April. And after seeing that KC gave Gordon not only 4 guaranteed years but also threw in a 5th year mutual option, I feel much better that we didn't end up in the mix to sign him. Too many years for my liking, whether we end up with YC or JU in the long run. There are so many OF still available and all of them are better than Avi. If the Sox miss out on the big guys I still highly doubt Avi will be the starting RF.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 02:59 PM) Ooh, the plot thickens. Probably just weren't done creating the pages. Same thing happens with Trevor Hoffman though, weird.

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 02:52 PM) So we're supposed to like at the proposed idea of letting Avi butcher in RF because RH didn't come out and officially say "we need to upgrade RF and shed dead salary like Laroche to do so"? Do you honestly think there's any chance at all the Sox are going to start Avi in RF next season? I'll bet my house that they don't.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 02:53 PM) https://twitter.com/williamnyy23/status/684832975725395970 If you don't wanna click, basically the guy took screenshots of the pages on the HoF website. For Raines and Bagwell they did not exist, and the pages for Piazza and Griffey deny access to the user. Think this pretty well clues us in. Just tried it and I got the denied access page for Raines, Piazza and Griffey but not for Bagwell.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 02:03 PM) Did the Royals actually make the best offer? I stand by the premise of my post. Yes I'd leave 30 million on the table to stay with a team I just won a WS with, where I was totally comfortable with my routine, the way the team does things, the way I like to prepare for games, not having to prove myself to new fans and a new, big city. The reason? Cause I got 18 mil a year for four years from the team I'm comfy with, and that frankly, is enough in my mind. Now if the Royals offer was indeed the best he could have gotten, my bad. If the Royals actually won some sort of bidding war, again, my bad. With all the houses you've lost I doubt you wouldn't take the extra 30 million.

I think Cespedes is a bad fit for the Giants, and a quick look at their message boards/forums has their fans thinking the same thing, they all seem to prefer Fowler (though that obviously doesn't mean anything for the FO).

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 11:06 AM) One name that hasn't been talked about much is Denard Span. I know he doesn't have much power, but it seems like he'd be a decent OBP guy. How is his defense? Has been a great defender historically but it tanked after his injury last year.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:37 AM) That's true except that for want of 1 YEAR of a 3 War player they ended up with 0 WAR at multiple positions, when they could have had 1-2 WAR at multiple positions. Frazier deal will be fine IF a)He plays like he's supposed to and b)the Sox firm up LF and RF and DH. But Frazier with 0 WAR in those spots again is counterproductive. Micah wasn't going to be at 2B with Lawrie there (and he wouldn't have beat out Sanchez anyway), so not sure where he would have made an impact. Montas was likely going to be in the minors again for the majority of the season. And Frazier's here for 2 years, not 1.

QUOTE (Sockin @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:36 AM) Sale is a FA in two year as well, isn't he? No, not for another four years, assuming we pick up both team options.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:33 AM) Agreed I don't think the sox are looking for a marginal player to displace are already marginal OFS. One of the big three signing improves the OF significantly by almost a 2 WAR or higher. None of these dudes do that. And forget about Fowler we aren't giving up a pick to the Cubs for Dexter Fowler. The thought itself makes me sick to think about. If we miss out of Cespedes or Upton, I can see us pivoting our interest to Ian Desmond. Then looking at the possible trades we can make to improve the OF and keep our three top 50 picks to restock the farm. Desmond costs a draft pick too.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:32 AM) Just because the Sox are in "win now" doesn't mean they can't win later. Other things should be set up in 2 years. keeping that 3rd pick will help that. Now if they do something like chase Cargo instead of signing a FA, then it likely will mean the window isn't flexible. I think there are other ways to get better besides Cespedes. But that will take creativity which I don't think is in the DNA of this FO or field management (but this board seems to disagree, so we'll see). Ok, so what are your creative suggestions then?

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:53 AM) Late '30s roided up Bonds's numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. There is no validity to those numbers at all. I don't know about that, given that a lot of his peers were also roided up, the fact that Bonds was still so far ahead of them has to mean something.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 08:50 AM) I honestly believe getting Span and a starting pitcher might be the optimal solution. Really just don't want the Sox to settle for Parra. I'm coming along to this line of thinking as well. Span doesn't cost a pick, and in his last full healthy season he was a 4 WAR player. Picking up him (2.2 projected WAR) and someone like Fister (1.4 projected WAR) or Latos (1.8 projected WAR) might be better than just Cespedes (3.1 projected WAR).

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:38 AM) Fister/Latos, Desmond on June 1st and Jackson, Jackson or Parra. Al Central domination. Again, you've never really explained why no team is going to sign Desmond until June, he's going to sign before then.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:37 AM) I was just responding to the comment saying we would still have a LH bat problem after signing Cespedes. Typically LHH don't hit LHP very well. I know I was just adding on to your comment. I agree that the lack of LH bats is a bit overblown.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:33 AM) Cespedes hits RHP better than lefties. I think he was over .300 lasts season against RHP. The splits have been posted before. Abreu has also had a >.900 OPS against RHP last year, hitting LHP was a much bigger problem in 2015.

People are saying it's a discount but isn't it about where people predicted he would sign at? I never thought he was going to get 5 years or $20 million AAV. I also don't think this changes things THAT much for Cespedes/Upton either, it didn't really sound like many teams were in on Gordon besides us and KC.