OmarComing25

The stats mean virtually nothing because of the sample size and the fact that everyone is just getting warmed up, but new pitches/new approaches I think definitely mean something. Stuff like Turner hitting 94 MPH is notable too.

I'm not one to pay attention to ST stats, but stuff like Avi pulling the ball is encouraging.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 8, 2016 -> 11:08 AM) MLB Trade Rumors ‏@mlbtraderumors 3h3 hours ago Heads up on Eutaw Street: #Orioles reportedly add lefty power bat in Pedro Alvarez. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/03/orio...ro-alvarez.html … The O's are paying Alvarez more than we're paying Jackson.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 08:12 PM) Javier Vazquez really made me mad that year - and every year he was on the Sox. He was very good in 2007. But yeah mostly frustration. Sucks we had to go with him for Game 1 of the ALDS in 2008.

QUOTE (Jose Paniagua @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 03:31 PM) AJax's career long high BABIP is interesting. Implies that, despite offensive faults, he uses his speed to his advantage and 'makes his own luck' Part of that is he manages a high line-drive rate (~24% for his career) and a low FB%, which certainly helps, but even so his BABIP on all three batted ball types runs well above the league-average.

One of the reasons that 2014 Royals team steamrolled through the playoffs was because they went on a surprise homerun barrage in October.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 01:39 PM) Great signing. No multi year commitment and only 5 million is perfect for Jackson. Was worried about doing something like 2 years 15 million but obviously that didn't come to pass. Interesting the Sox apparently weren't the highest bidder but won out on other factors. Hahn did work this offseason. I really don't think any move he made has much downside and the club is now ready to really move into that middle tier where if a few things break right you could see 88 wins. They should really just cut LaRoche but I guess they are hoping for a dead cat bounce and maybe they can unload him on some sucker at the deadline. I really don't see the point in cutting LaRoche. It's not like the guy hasn't produced in years, hell his numbers were looking fine almost two and a half months into the season last year (batting line of .246/.362/.422 on June 10th). It's not like the alternatives are looking a lot better right now, give him 6 weeks against RHP to see if he has a bounceback in him. I'm more confident in him at DH against RHP than I would be with Avi there full-time.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 01:10 PM) The homerun totals for the team should be a boost vs last year but shouldn't be the major point for the sox making the playoffs. Pirates, royals and cards made the playoffs while ranking 23, 24, and 25 for homeruns in all of baseball. Issue is the Sox need to be scoring more runs overall. All AL teams that made the playoffs scored over 700 runs. Sox scored 622. Need to score alot more runs Just because there were a few teams without power that succeeded recently doesn't mean that we shouldn't be focused on increasing power whenever the opportunity arises. There's a strong correlation between homeruns and runs scored, and homeruns and wins. One of the best ways to score more runs overall is to hit more homeruns.

QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 11:52 AM) Peralta out 2-3 months with thumb injury. Bet Cardinals wish Desmond was still on the market. I bet Desmond wishes the same.

@caseyboguslaw Eaton OK with a corner spot? @AdamSpankyEaton I want to win Great answer, Eaton. https://twitter.com/AdamSpankyEaton/status/...640320507740160

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Mar 6, 2016 -> 11:03 PM) Kansas City (would have to be RF though), Detroit (over Maybin/Gose), Cleveland (while Brantley is out)... basically any team but Minnesota. edit- lots of posters beat me to it- I'd say no to Minnesota because Rosario is probably better Regarding Rosario, he and Jackson were equal in value last year, projections are higher on Jackson, Rosario has horrendous plate discipline and uninspiring minor-league numbers, and at least one Fangraphs writer thinks he will tank hard in 2016:

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 07:20 AM) Latest for Laroche was the first half of 2014. And he did nothing last year. No wants to give Avi 600 at bats, but he also isn't past his prime. Laroche on the bench with Avi/Melky leaves us without a late inning defensive outfielder. It's essentially 2 DHs. Now without Laroche one of these guys is going to have to learn to play some first. And of course they're going to have to do some intelligent platooning to maximize this roster The second half of 2014 LaRoche put up a .789 OPS, so your first sentence is just plain not true.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Mar 6, 2016 -> 10:14 PM) Could Austin Jackson start for any other team in our division? Could start for Detroit, Cleveland and KC with Dyson out. Probably Minnesota too.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Mar 6, 2016 -> 10:00 PM) Jackson becomes the 4tg outfielder unless we have another move in the works. I think Garcia stays no matter what No chance Jackson was signed to be the 4th OF.

We could not unreasonably expect a ~.750 OPS from a LaRoche/Avi or LaRoche/Sands platoon at DH, and that would be fine.

Solves the CF problem, and the DH vs. LHP problem, and the cost is extremely reasonable. Great move.

Saw a tweet that Nightengale was on ESPN 1000 and thinks the Sox "have another move up their sleeve" in regards to the OF, but doubts it will be CarGo or Bruce.

LaRoche bomb off a LHP!

I find myself hoping our pitchers don't get any strikeouts this spring so our fielders get as many reps as possible.

This made my day.

Obviously I'd still like another OF, but I do think Sands should be above Avi on the depth chart if we don't get one, he's a much better bet to be a positive WAR player than Avi is.

I've been following Fangraphs writer Tony Blengino's Ball-In-Play series with interest because I love looking at this kind of stuff, and he did LF yesterday. Melky's batted ball profile from 2015 looks pretty good, he hit the ball pretty hard, especially on flyballs and line drives, had the third highest line drive rate among all LF to go along with very low K and pop up rates. The writer thinks he experienced a lot of bad luck last year and is due for a bounceback. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2015-positi...trospective-lf/

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Mar 1, 2016 -> 06:33 PM) I don't know. Maybe Frazier if we threw in another prospect. (and yes, we would have had to bring in another team). Or maybe a better LF or RF. Thompson was no hole in CF. Try again. You would have rather traded Eaton than Thompson? Is that a joke? If Thompson is such a sure thing, then why don't the Dodgers play him or trade him for a piece they could use? I'll never understand why you hate Eaton so much yet love Avi so much. It makes no sense.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Mar 1, 2016 -> 06:19 PM) They likely traded for him to play 3rd; then they work out a deal for Frazier. Sox FO reacts with no real plan; they just aren't creative. I wanted to trade Eaton (to shore up 3rd or some other position) because I think we saw a career offensive year and his defense isn't good and the rest of our OF defense is bad. And we had a more than capable CF on the roster. Eaton + prospect could have brought in a good 3B or whatever. Oh yeah? Which 3B? And now you have opened up a hole at CF. sounds like a real "creative" move. Also you say it's a career year on offense yet Eaton's wRC+ in 2015 (118) was almost exactly the same as his 2014 season (117).

I couldn't possibly care any less about this. What a stupid "controversy".