Do the Sox have until midnight tonight to pick up his option ? Does anyone know the specifics ? I would appreciate someone posting it if you do. Thanks.

Edited November 7, 200718 yr by WHITESOXRANDY

With the age of our team and the thiness of our minor league system, Gio would be one of the last players I would trade. He is one of the few guys we have that looks like a major league prospect.

I'd be worried about Tejada with the Mitchell report coming out, and possible suspensions that could come from it.

With the age of our team and the thiness of our minor league system, Gio would be one of the last players I would trade. He is one of the few guys we have that looks like a major league prospect.

 

When the Sox extended Buehrle's contract, Gio became our biggest trade chip. It wouldn't shock me at all if he's traded in the next few months. Assuming Danks can stay in the majors, we have our 2 lefty starters. Gio's the type of guys who's minor league numbers look better than he really is, IMO.

Good for Kenny for staying away from Tejada. He is in such a decline, and it is probably due to the drug testing from the sounds of it.

I should just save this post in Word, because I use it every few weeks, but I still believe the Sox view Gio as a trade chip, and not as a future starter for the club. The Sox seem to know what works for Gio, and know he has value on the market. I will not be shocked IN THE LEAST to see Gio moved, and won't really have too much of a problem if they get value. Just don't sell him for scraps.

yeah i agree with you...KW has traded away alot of prospects for quite a bit of major league talent that has helped us significantly...so i will accept the fact that our farm system is abysmally bad....however its times like now, when our major league team 1.) stinks, 2.) is getting old, that we need to rely on guys to develop.....which is why fields and danks i believe are so criticial to this teams success in about 2 years....that said, its also a joke that we arent refilling our system through the draft like we should....

I should just save this post in Word, because I use it every few weeks, but I still believe the Sox view Gio as a trade chip, and not as a future starter for the club. The Sox seem to know what works for Gio, and know he has value on the market. I will not be shocked IN THE LEAST to see Gio moved, and won't really have too much of a problem if they get value. Just don't sell him for scraps.

 

Looks like we were both pretty right on Gio.

Will you ever look past batting average?

 

Eckstein sucks and will be a rip off.

 

.363 /.350 /.356 OBP in the last 3 years.

 

OBP is a more important skill than AVG. The Sox can afford his low SLG if he gets on base enough for the boppers. A .350 OBP isn't the be-all, end-all of OBP, but it's a lot better than that put up by Owens/Podsednik/Erstad last year. And his SLG isn't that lower than Uribe's slugging, even with Uribe's 20 dingers.

 

The question is whether he can play 150 games per season and whether he will decline over the next 2-3 years the Sox sign him for. He's a rip off at $15 million per year, but he's pretty good at $6-7 million.

I am not impressed with Eckstein, who is showing his age as much as Uribe is showing his waistline. Defensively you don't get a heck of a lot better than Uribe. Not too say we can't do better, but the pickings are slim.

Gio talks surprise me some. The team seemed so high on him and he showed good poise in his September call up. I sometimes question KW's take on young players.

Gio talks surprise me some. The team seemed so high on him and he showed good poise in his September call up. I sometimes question KW's take on young players.

you mean the poise showed in the september callup he didnt get?

he showed good poise in his September call up.

????????? He was never called up.

Good for Kenny for staying away from Tejada. He is in such a decline, and it is probably due to the drug testing from the sounds of it.

Shouldn't a decline encompass more than 1 season?

Gio talks surprise me some. The team seemed so high on him and he showed good poise in his September call up. I sometimes question KW's take on young players.

 

I think the fact that he spent all year in Birmingham tells you the Sox intend to move him. They didn't want him exposed in AAA (where his HR problems would likely resurface in the Charlotte bandbox). They kept him in a pitcher's park to maintain his value rather than push him to the next level.

.363 /.350 /.356 OBP in the last 3 years.

 

OBP is a more important skill than AVG. The Sox can afford his low SLG if he gets on base enough for the boppers. A .350 OBP isn't the be-all, end-all of OBP, but it's a lot better than that put up by Owens/Podsednik/Erstad last year. And his SLG isn't that lower than Uribe's slugging, even with Uribe's 20 dingers.

 

The question is whether he can play 150 games per season and whether he will decline over the next 2-3 years the Sox sign him for. He's a rip off at $15 million per year, but he's pretty good at $6-7 million.

Also keep in mind the division in which he was putting up those numbers, the worst in the game. His last 2 years in the American league were less than impressive and a .350 OBP only means so much when you can't do ANYTHING else. He doesn't even steal bases.

 

If the Sox do sign Eckstein they better have a good backup plan because he's starting to hit the DL for large chunks of games at a time. He missed about 40 games in '06 and about 2 full months last year. Watching Andy Gonzalez man SS for all of June and July is going to be unbearable.

I think the fact that he spent all year in Birmingham tells you the Sox intend to move him. They didn't want him exposed in AAA (where his HR problems would likely resurface in the Charlotte bandbox). They kept him in a pitcher's park to maintain his value rather than push him to the next level.

 

Very good point.

I'd be worried about Tejada with the Mitchell report coming out, and possible suspensions that could come from it.

 

 

What does that have to do with Tejada? He only won the HR derby at the ASG a few years ago and has slowly seen his power decline since? What's so suspicious?

Levine reported that the Sox are still looking at trade possibilities (Everett, Hu, Aybar, etc.), but they will pick up the option if no trade is worked out.

Levine reported that the Sox are still looking at trade possibilities (Everett, Hu, Aybar, etc.), but they will pick up the option if no trade is worked out.

 

I'm shocked at the lack of speculation around Furcal. He really seems as perfect a fit as Toby Hall was when the Dodgers released him.

 

I assume they know something we don't.

Shouldn't a decline encompass more than 1 season?

 

From 2004 to 2007

 

HRs 34-26-24-18

 

SLG .534-.515-.498-.442

 

OPS+ 131-128-126-109

 

I'd call that a trend.

Levine reported that the Sox are still looking at trade possibilities (Everett, Hu, Aybar, etc.), but they will pick up the option if no trade is worked out.

Makes sense. After that contract Vizquel got, it's really hard to justify letting Juan walk, even as a trade chip. If we threw in $2 million of his contract it seems like someone might actually take him if Vizquel set the going rate.

OH DEAR GOD THEY PICKED UP THE OPTION

 

according to espn 1000

 

im going to kill myself.

OH DEAR GOD THEY PICKED UP THE OPTION

 

according to espn 1000

 

im going to kill myself.

I appreciate the passion but don't understand the freakout.

They really had no choice if they didn't trade for another SS.

There was no viable in-house alternative.

From 2004 to 2007

 

HRs 34-26-24-18

 

SLG .534-.515-.498-.442

 

OPS+ 131-128-126-109

 

I'd call that a trend.

2004 was a peak, if you look at it the few years previous were nothing close to '04. His numbers from '02 are almost identical to '06 while '01 and '03 are pretty damn similar to '07. That looks a whole lot more like an inconsistent hitter than a red flag for steroids.

 

Since 2000:

 

111, 109, 128, 111, 131, 128, 126, 109

 

There's no consistency to these numbers, '05 and '06 were two of the best seasons of his career. If his '08 season is anything like his '07 then yeah there's probably something very wrong with him but as of right now there's no real pattern of decline.

OH DEAR GOD THEY PICKED UP THE OPTION

 

according to espn 1000

 

im going to kill myself.

 

More of that low OBP, high strikeouts, and overweightness that we call slurpieball.

 

 

Edited November 7, 200718 yr by southsideirish71