Not sure it gives much in the way of an opinion as to who's taken the smarter route this offseason, but this ESPN Phil Rogers piece on the diverging paths of the Cubs (throw money at the problem) and the Sox (Build for the long term) is at least an interesting read.

Rogers is as big a White Sox supporter as there is out there, but he does hit the nail on the head in this article. Sox have a smarter approach than the Cubs.

I think this was a good read. I have always wondered if some MLB teams have a bottomless supply of dollars to spend especially when they give $11M a year to a .500 pitcher? Is their team insurance that good to cover the inflated costs of a player with suspect health? I love Joe Crede and I thought Freddie Garcia was something special, but how can we afford to pay the salaries being demanded for mediocrity, let alone pay for players as good as Joe and Freddie and the sums they may well demand and warant under this system?

It is a very good article. The Sox approach to it makes more sense to me. The Cubs instead went on a spending spree which has been known to back fire.

Rogers, who I generally enjoy reading, appears to have calmed down after his knee jerk column the day after the Garcia trade. Good read.

how was this not mentioned. in rogers column in the trib:

 

"Guillen has said he doesn't foresee using Rob Mackowiak in center field anymore. Barring another move, that means the Sox probably will carry two of the four currently in the center-field picture: incumbent Brian Anderson and challengers Ryan Sweeney, Jerry Owens and Luis Terrero."

 

woot. i am a happy man.

it was mentioned like 2 weeks ago

The best part will be when Soriano tears his ACL scaling the Ivy at Wrigley, and Marquis and Lilly post 4.5+ ERAs. Then, their massive spending will lead to another sub-.500 season and the fans will be right back where they were before.

it was mentioned like 2 weeks ago

And when it was, Gonzales said Guillen "ruled out using utility player Rob Mackowiak in center next season." I like the "ruled out" version better than the "doesn't foresee" one.

 

Ah, found it. For anyone who's interested, here's a transcript of Guillen's comments. The relevant part:

Q. Will you use Mackowiak in center again?

OZZIE GUILLEN: No, I don't want to get fired. I blame myself because I don't blame Mack. I don't think my coaching style -- I don't think we worked with Mackowiak the way we should be working with him in spring training. I think we should play him in third base more, first base a little bit more and second base more and don't just say you are the backup outfielder, I think Mackowiak should be the guy to play everywhere and more at-bats. Just a backup player in center field. And I think Mackowiak the way he swings the bat, he helps us but I don't think -- got go to the outfield just as an emergency.

 

Q. Still need another center fielder though.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Well, you know, I think we expect Brian to play better.

 

Q. So you expect him to play all the games?

OZZIE GUILLEN: Most. Yes. You know, if you don't have an everyday center fielder, your team is not going to be that good. You keep switching center fielders one day after another, then you're not strong enough to win.

The best part will be when Soriano tears his ACL scaling the Ivy at Wrigley, and Marquis and Lilly post 4.5+ ERAs. Then, their massive spending will lead to another sub-.500 season and the fans will be right back where they were before.

 

4.5 eras? Those are improvements!

4.5 eras? Those are improvements!

Well, one must remember that Lilly pitched in the AL. So his bloated ERA "should" go down a bit in the NL, so a 4.5 for him would be terrible. Now Marquis, I don't remember, but he was hurt right? When he was healthy, he was decent. So a 4.5 out of him, healthy, would be bad.

POTM goes to Kenny Williams

 

"Some of these things are unpopular. But you know what would be more unpopular? If we did nothing and got old and got too expensive and then had to go out scrounging for leftover talent and overpaying for mediocre talent."

how was this not mentioned. in rogers column in the trib:

 

"Guillen has said he doesn't foresee using Rob Mackowiak in center field anymore. Barring another move, that means the Sox probably will carry two of the four currently in the center-field picture: incumbent Brian Anderson and challengers Ryan Sweeney, Jerry Owens and Luis Terrero."

 

woot. i am a happy man.

I don't want Jerry Owens or Terrero to be the answers and I don't think a platoon of Sweeney/Anderson would be that bad, especially if Sweeney ocassionally got some AB's in LF as well. It would be a nice way for two young players to help each other develop.

I don't want Jerry Owens or Terrero to be the answers and I don't think a platoon of Sweeney/Anderson would be that bad, especially if Sweeney ocassionally got some AB's in LF as well. It would be a nice way for two young players to help each other develop.

Personally, I think that at his age, giving Ryan Sweeney 250 at bats in the big leagues is a much, much, much worse idea than giving Ryan Sweeney 500 at bats in the minor leagues, not to mention the arbitration issues.

Personally, I think that at his age, giving Ryan Sweeney 250 at bats in the big leagues is a much, much, much worse idea than giving Ryan Sweeney 500 at bats in the minor leagues, not to mention the arbitration issues.

 

So how do you incorporate Sweeney into the big leagues? Do you give him a starting position where he'll get 550 AB's in Chicago? Do you keep him in Charlotte so next year the same scenario is in place? Just how do you do this?

So how do you incorporate Sweeney into the big leagues? Do you give him a starting position where he'll get 550 AB's in Chicago? Do you keep him in Charlotte so next year the same scenario is in place? Just how do you do this?

I keep him in Charlotte for 1 more year, hopefully giving him time to grow up and maybe develop more of a power stroke. If someone were to go down with a serious injury in the OF at midseason, I would consider him my first backup option. I would pencil him into my outfield starting in 2008.

 

The only scenario where I would start Sweeney off in the big leagues next year, barring an injury, would be if JD were traded for a big package which made the whole team better for many years (which I still wouldn't rule out).

I keep him in Charlotte for 1 more year, hopefully giving him time to grow up and maybe develop more of a power stroke. If someone were to go down with a serious injury in the OF at midseason, I would consider him my first backup option. I would pencil him into my outfield starting in 2008.

 

The only scenario where I would start Sweeney off in the big leagues next year, barring an injury, would be if JD were traded for a big package which made the whole team better for many years (which I still wouldn't rule out).

 

So IF someone goes down with an injusry or IF we losew Dye next offseason, then you bring up Sweeney? How can a guy ever get a chance to prove himself as being big league ready unless there is some disaster?

So IF someone goes down with an injusry or IF we losew Dye next offseason, then you bring up Sweeney? How can a guy ever get a chance to prove himself as being big league ready unless there is some disaster?

I don't have a problem with giving him a chance in the big leagues, I just think that it would be better off for everyone involved to wait another season on him. The kid's only 21 years old right now, he'll be 22 in February. There is nothing wrong with letting him wait until he's 23 to reach the big leagues, especially given that the Sox have been watching him gradually develop a power stroke while they've had him.

 

There is no reason to rush him. He may be better than Podsednik, but he's hopefully not going to be that much better, and he may be better than Anderson, but especially in 200 at bats, he's not going to be that much better, and just being able to take another year and get ready to move up will probably be the best thing even for his career, let alone the team.

 

He can earn a spot in 2008 by having a good 2007 at AAA. And even If we don't lose JD after 2007, well, then he looks like an idea LF candidate or trade bait.

I don't have a problem with giving him a chance in the big leagues, I just think that it would be better off for everyone involved to wait another season on him. The kid's only 21 years old right now, he'll be 22 in February. There is nothing wrong with letting him wait until he's 23 to reach the big leagues, especially given that the Sox have been watching him gradually develop a power stroke while they've had him.

 

There is no reason to rush him. He may be better than Podsednik, but he's hopefully not going to be that much better, and he may be better than Anderson, but especially in 200 at bats, he's not going to be that much better, and just being able to take another year and get ready to move up will probably be the best thing even for his career, let alone the team.

 

He can earn a spot in 2008 by having a good 2007 at AAA. And even If we don't lose JD after 2007, well, then he looks like an idea LF candidate or trade bait.

 

Okay. Legit points there. It's just on this site, I see so many that don't want to give a rookie a chance with a 'World Series calibre' club and others that think it'll 'hinder their progress' to have them get 300 big league at bats. I just wonder how a kid gets a chance. But, your logic here is solid.

I keep him in Charlotte for 1 more year, hopefully giving him time to grow up and maybe develop more of a power stroke. If someone were to go down with a serious injury in the OF at midseason, I would consider him my first backup option. I would pencil him into my outfield starting in 2008.

 

The only scenario where I would start Sweeney off in the big leagues next year, barring an injury, would be if JD were traded for a big package which made the whole team better for many years (which I still wouldn't rule out).

And in 08 we would be screwed..we'd have on Dye and no Pods adn who knows what happens with Anderson (even if he did pan out he'd still just have one good season) and we'd be throwing in another green rookie. That has the makings of an absolute disaster. But if we give him some 300 Ab's at the major league level this year we'd have at least an idea of how he's going to handle himself and he'll be much more prepared if we deem him ready/worthy of being a starter in 08.

 

I'm not a fan of just handing rookies starting jobs, I prefer finding creative ways to get them ab's and give them a slower maturation process that I think is better for long term success.

i guessed i missed ozzies comments or just forgot about them.

The best part will be when Soriano tears his ACL scaling the Ivy at Wrigley, and Marquis and Lilly post 4.5+ ERAs. Then, their massive spending will lead to another sub-.500 season and the fans will be right back where they were before.

It has to be almost a given that Lilly's ERA goes down a little. AL east to NL central itself should help him out a bunch.

 

I keep him in Charlotte for 1 more year, hopefully giving him time to grow up and maybe develop more of a power stroke. If someone were to go down with a serious injury in the OF at midseason, I would consider him my first backup option. I would pencil him into my outfield starting in 2008.

Agree 100%. I watched him come up and look better than a prospect has for awhile to me, and i think we need to take great care in his development.

I don't have a problem with giving him a chance in the big leagues, I just think that it would be better off for everyone involved to wait another season on him. The kid's only 21 years old right now, he'll be 22 in February. There is nothing wrong with letting him wait until he's 23 to reach the big leagues, especially given that the Sox have been watching him gradually develop a power stroke while they've had him.

 

There is no reason to rush him. He may be better than Podsednik, but he's hopefully not going to be that much better, and he may be better than Anderson, but especially in 200 at bats, he's not going to be that much better, and just being able to take another year and get ready to move up will probably be the best thing even for his career, let alone the team.

 

He can earn a spot in 2008 by having a good 2007 at AAA. And even If we don't lose JD after 2007, well, then he looks like an idea LF candidate or trade bait.

Dye is a given, as a veteran Podsednik is a sure bet and Ozuna will be on the team. Baring another move, the other two spots should go to who ever is playing the best baseball among BA, Sweeney, Terrero and Owens -regardless to age or contract. And not just spring training, if one guy, and I include Podsednik, struggles during the year then bring up the next one. If a productive rotation hasn't emerged by the fourth of July then pay the price and go outside and get somebody. This isn't the instructional league.