Remind me again why people listen to the Score? Geesh.

Remind me again why people listen to the Score? Geesh.

For a way to get information from MLBTraderumors.com on the radio?

So what's going on?

So what's going on?

The Score reported the Sox had a deal in place for Dotel (2ys, $11 Million), and now that has been brought down to a rumored deal.

For all the MacDougal haters, believe it or not, but Mac probably has the best stuff in the pen, or at least the 2nd best, depending on how Jenks is pitching.

 

Second, if healthy, Dotel will be better then Linebrink, but right now that is a big if. 11 million over 2 years for Dotel would be quite the stupid risk to take so I'm not surprised that this is now just a rumor. If we do sign to a more realistic contract though, I'm all for this move.

I pray this move happens, because that would be a fantastic contract. Short-term contract for one of the better relievers in the league when he's healthy.

I pray this move happens, because that would be a fantastic contract. Short-term contract for one of the better relievers in the league when he's healthy.

Agreed

Agreed

 

For everyone that wants to complain about this deal, look no further than what Gagne got from Milwaukee...

Remind me again why people listen to the Score? Geesh.

It's not like the Score was claiming to have any new information they were just citing the same report from the Dominican Newspaper that all the other news outlets were reporting.

What is, realistic?

 

After this off-season, I really am starting to put less and less stock on what players are making. As you say, "11 million over 2 years would be quite a stupid risk" Why? Because it's too much money? If the Sox are comfortable giving Dotel 5.5 a season, why shouldn't I be. With as bad as the pen was last year, Dotel might be the biggest boom or bust signing on the market, and if the Sox are going to compete this season, they are going to need some guys go BOOM, so why not?

I would love this deal because it's only a 2 year deal. 5.5 is a lot of money for a reliever who has been injured for a while now but it's only a 2 year deal, it's not a contract that would be haunting us for a few years. It would also add more depth to the pen, having Jenks, Linebrink, Thornton, MacDougal, Dotel, Wasserman, Logan, lots of options there.

I would love this deal because it's only a 2 year deal. 5.5 is a lot of money for a reliever who has been injured for a while now but it's only a 2 year deal, it's not a contract that would be haunting us for a few years. It would also add more depth to the pen, having Jenks, Linebrink, Thornton, MacDougal, Dotel, Wasserman, Logan, lots of options there.

 

I would rather overpay in a short term deal than sign any pitcher to a long term deal.

For all the MacDougal haters, believe it or not, but Mac probably has the best stuff in the pen, or at least the 2nd best, depending on how Jenks is pitching.

 

Second, if healthy, Dotel will be better then Linebrink, but right now that is a big if. 11 million over 2 years for Dotel would be quite the stupid risk to take so I'm not surprised that this is now just a rumor. If we do sign to a more realistic contract though, I'm all for this move.

Stuff is nice to have, but it really means diddley if you can't throw a strike. I'm not a MacDougal hater, but if you can't throw strikes, and he couldn't in 2007, you are pretty worthless. If he can't get some sort of control to return, he can be good again. If this Dotel signing happens, it makes the bullpen a lot better. If someone from the Masset, Aardsma, MacDougal group pitches in 2008 like KW hoped they would pitch in 2007, the bullpen becomes one of the strongest in baseball, and then the Sox go from a mediocre at best team to one with a chance.

Edited January 18, 200818 yr by Dick Allen

CL: Jenks

SU: Linebrink

SU: Thornton

SU/MRP: MacDougal

SU/MRP: Dotel

LOOGY: Logan

ROOGY: Wasserman

 

I could live with a pen of that.

CL: Jenks

SU: Linebrink

SU: Thornton

SU/MRP: MacDougal

SU/MRP: Dotel

LOOGY: Logan

ROOGY: Wasserman

 

I could live with a pen of that.

 

I doubt that they keep 7 RPs.

 

 

One thing that hasn't been pointed out yet that I wouldn't be surprised KW has thought about...right now, if we carry a 12 man pitching staff, the obvious candidate to take that last relief spot is one Nick Masset, simply because he's out of options and I doubt Kenny would have much interest in losing him for nothing. Picking up 1 more pitcher essentially removes the last slot Masset could fill as far as I can tell. I'm sure Kenny has at least thought of that fact.

I doubt that they keep 7 RPs.

Despite Ozzie's total lack of bullpen use in the past 3 years, there have been several times that they've employed a 7 man bullpen, and it's been especially useful with Ozzie's focus on the L/L/R/R matchup game. With Gavin Floyd, John Danks, and Jose Contreras in the rotation, there is a strong argument for keeping a 7 man bullpen, especially if you could consider one of those pitchers to be a long relief man.

If they use the 7 man BP to keep Masset, that's about the only reason I'd see.

 

Dotel and Linebrink are far better than the jokers they've been throwing out there lately.

 

I now see a report on Chisox.Com that this signing has not come to pass. The way things go around here with the Sox I would guess he signs with some other team now that we are the "front runner"

I now see a report on Chisox.Com that this signing has not come to pass. The way things go around here with the Sox I would guess he signs with some other team now that we are the "front runner"

 

That's probably right.

SO San Francisco signs him out fromunder us now?

A strong bullpen is crucial this year. We are going to need to to bail out our 3,4,5 pitchers who could all post 5+ ERA's. With a seemingly weak rotation after Buehrle and Vazquez this is huge. IF this is KW way of allowing Danks and Flloyd to develop at the big league level then he sure is weird. Anyway, not a bad signing, a bit risky, but a good bullpen is crucial.

A strong bullpen is crucial this year. We are going to need to to bail out our 3,4,5 pitchers who could all post 5+ ERA's. With a seemingly weak rotation after Buehrle and Vazquez this is huge. IF this is KW way of allowing Danks and Flloyd to develop at the big league level then he sure is weird. Anyway, not a bad signing, a bit risky, but a good bullpen is crucial.

No matter what, we're starting from a good place in that we have right now one of the best closer's in baseball. That helps.

 

Beyond that...we have what looks to be a pair of very young, potentially very effective LOOGY/ROOGY's in Loogyn and Wasserman. And we've got the veteran thrown in as Linebrink, who, even if he has a bad season, should still hopefully be decent.

 

The wild card right now appears to be Thornton and MMac. If those 2 have decent seasons, then regardless of what happens in teh 7th spot then we have a very good bullpen. If those 2 struggle as they did in 07, then we'd have to really strike gold with Linebrink or with the 7th man for us to have a very good bullpen.

No matter what, we're starting from a good place in that we have right now one of the best closer's in baseball. That helps.

 

Beyond that...we have what looks to be a pair of very young, potentially very effective LOOGY/ROOGY's in Loogyn and Wasserman. And we've got the veteran thrown in as Linebrink, who, even if he has a bad season, should still hopefully be decent.

 

The wild card right now appears to be Thornton and MMac. If those 2 have decent seasons, then regardless of what happens in teh 7th spot then we have a very good bullpen. If those 2 struggle as they did in 07, then we'd have to really strike gold with Linebrink or with the 7th man for us to have a very good bullpen.

The bullpen was horrible with all the names you mentioned minus Linebrink. The White Sox still need more pitching or some of their guys to suddenly find some magic potion that will allow them to throw strikes.

Oh yeah, he's DEFINATELY signing somwhere else now that the initial report has been denied.....

The bullpen was horrible with all the names you mentioned minus Linebrink. The White Sox still need more pitching or some of their guys to suddenly find some magic potion that will allow them to throw strikes.

Simply stating that the bullpen was horrible with those guys ignores the reality of last year's bullpen. It was horrible to start the year with Sisco and Masset performing poorly while at the same time Thornton and MMac blew up or got hurt. Logan performed very well last year in his role, unless you have a problem with lefties putting up a .584 OPS against him, and if you do, then I'm sure you'll be angry with the .430 OPS that righties put up against Wasserman. Logan and Wasserman IIRC didn't even start the year in that bullpen. And the role that Linebrink is now supposed to fill didn't really have anyone in it except for the whole Prinz/Bukvich disaster once MMac got hurt.

 

Just saying that the Sox bullpen was horrible last year ignores the fact that it did improve as the year went by, and it ignores the fact that some of the guys in it (MMac, Thornton) have performed before. You can disagree with specific issues or simply say that I'm wrong to think that last year will be the bottom for Thornton and MacDougal, but the simple fact that last year's bullpen stank proves virtually nothing about how a bullpen where 1/2 the guys weren't there to start last season will perform.