OmarComing25

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 12:18 PM) "We want to invest in a full rebuild..." "No, we can't do that because the players we bring up suck (and will be worse than our current players), our minor league preparation sucks, we can't do anything but identify pitchers and Cubans in the first place." "Guess we have to keep investing in aging and expensive free agents and wait for their contracts to become albatrosses...to the point where we have to sell them off for 50 cents on the dollar." "Hmmm...." "Well, we've got Sale, Quintana, Rodon, Abreu, Robertson, Eaton, Garcia, Fulmer...how can you possibly blow up that core when you've got two superstars and possibly another along with two future All-Stars???" "Must be something missing from the equation. Gee, what could it be?" "Let's just ride things out with Flowers, Alexei, Danks, Sanchez, Cabrera....they can't be THIS bad forever. Look at the back of their baseball cards, those numbers mean something." "Look at our winning percentage and attendance since our annual second half collapse in 2010. That means something as well." Crickets. Cue soundtrack to "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round" So what is the solution then? I don't envy Hahn.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 11:11 AM) I don't have any problem with what Hahn said. Worse mistake we can make is act in a panic mode. We have good players with proven track records who just haven't met expectations. Doesn't mean they won't. Hate to be in a rebuilding mode every year because we aren't undefeated I agree about the panic mode. Some fans want to blow it up but that would mean selling low on a lot of guys. I don't want another Nick Swisher scenario. You have to hope that some guys rebound before you trade them, though that ship unfortunately might have sailed already with Alexei.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 11:58 AM) and you know this how??? Because Sale is a top 3 pitcher in a baseball and has a very team friendly contract, probably a top 3 contract in baseball as well. He's also only 26 years old and left-handed, and is under team control for 5 seasons including this one. You don't trade that for unproven minor leaguers, I don't care if they're all top 10 on BA's hot list. You need to get some proven major league talent for that kind of value, and at that point it becomes too much for other teams to give up.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 09:38 AM) Really? You want to see guys who hit worse than Carlos Sanchez? No I was thinking more along the lines of giving Erik Johnson a shot and giving Junior Guerra more innings. I don't really want to see Davidson strike out 50% of the time.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 09:51 AM) They are trading him so this is moot, but there is no way you trade Sale for just prospects. There would have to be a successful young cost controlled major league player or 2 coming back. Well right, you need guaranteed, proven major league talent if you're trading Sale, there's too much risk with just prospects, even if they're all top-20 guys.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 09:47 AM) We're talking a teams top 3 or 4 prospects AT least. To be honest you can ask for any teams best player for Chris Sale because he is that damn good. But those top 3 or 4 prospects would have to be very good prospects, which limits the teams that could do it. Who would be willing to do it, and who are those players?

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 09:36 AM) Would you rather improve your overall team by trading away a great pitcher OR watch a losing team over the next 3-4 seasons with a really great pitcher? You can get a Kings Ransom if you trade Sale. What's an example of a Kings Ransom that a team would actually be willing to part with to get Sale?

QUOTE (shipps @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 09:26 AM) I love Sale but there is no way in hell the Cubs would be willing to part with those players. They are the absolute core players to the future of that teams lineup. Do you think they would want to trade those guys just so they can have Sale and be as bad as the Sox? Yeah, which is exactly why it doesn't make sense to trade Sale. To get equal value, teams are going to have give up a package that doesn't make sense for them. If the Astros wanted them, then they'd have to give us a big portion of their future as well.

I don't even know how to fix this mess at this point. I'm rooting for us to lose a bit more over the next couple weeks so the young guys get a chance to play and we can see what we have.

If the Cubs want Sale the conversation starts with Bryant, and it would have to be more than just him too. Russell/Schwarber plus two others (and the two others better be damn good as well) sounds a little intriguing, but I'd still 95% say no.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jun 17, 2015 -> 07:30 PM) Yeah, whatever. By 2017, it's going to be like the movie Rookie of the Year except it's real life. You'd agree if it were anybody but the Cubs. Hah, even a lot of koolaid drinking Cub fans would think you're being very optimistic.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jun 17, 2015 -> 07:01 PM) Man, it's over when this all comes together. I see a Blackhawks-like run. Heh man you love making bold statements no matter the sport, right? This is baseball, even if you're the best team that kind of run is immensely more difficult to accomplish than it would be in other sports. They're beating up on a s***ty pitcher and suddenly that's enough to make them the next dynasty.

The Cardinals are obviously way in the wrong here but the way it happened is comical. Change your passwords you idiot.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 10:29 PM) Send down Rodon while we're at it. Nah just tell him to throw the changeup more, the pressure to win for the major league team is now pretty much gone.

QUOTE (Friend of Nordhagen @ Jun 16, 2015 -> 01:08 PM) The "Pump Up Schwarber Trade Value" tour has begun. He's only here to DH, then going back down to Triple A -- because he has no position. They're probably going to stick him in LF, right?

Bryant now leads baseball in BABIP, I keep waiting for it to fall but it keeps going up.

I agree that Johnson has earned another shot. Season is pretty much over, time to see what we have in him.

So Arrieta has been lit up by all AL teams he's faced this year. He really is just an NL guy.

It's just so maddening that our offense is so bad when it was above average last year, and that was with Avi hurt all year and De Aza and Viciedo getting a lot of playing time. Literally everyone except Avi (who is slumping lately) has taken a big step back this season compared to 2014. The frustrating thing is that if all our guys were even 90% of what they were last season our offense wouldn't be that bad. Did everyone just play over their head last year? I don't think so. But I thought we'd be seeing some positive regression by now and we haven't.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 15, 2015 -> 11:59 AM) The last thing the Sox need is the future Adam Dunn. He might have mostly sucked with us but for like 8 straight years he was a lock to give you 40 HR, 100 BB, and a .900 OPS. You wouldn't take that?

The return would have to be 4 top 50 prospects minimum, with two of those in the top 20. Even then I'd hate it. Please no.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 15, 2015 -> 08:49 AM) The same reason the majority of NL players that came to the White Sox have been disappointments... They do seem to do quite well in finding guys who suck in the AL but suddenly pitch like Cy Young contenders in the NL.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 14, 2015 -> 10:14 PM) Frazier hits top of fence in center. You could see the magic escape coming with the Reds AAA hitters coming up. Cubs have a giant horse shoe up their ass. Not to mention that nearly all their moves this past offseason have worked out while nearly all of ours have blown up in our face. I still don't understand how Hammel is doing so well for them, he got pounded in Oakland last year.

And the Blue Jays are going to win 11 straight. Wow.

I kind of want the Pirates to kick our ass now because 1) we should be sellers and that might be what finally convinces Hahn that this team is going nowhere and 2) f*** the Cubs.