And assuming we don't sign a type A guy this offseason and we offer arbitration to Uribe and Cabrera, we're at least looking at a late first rounder this year, 2 sandwich picks, a 2nd rounder, and a pick that's either a late first or early 2nd rounder also.

 

It sounds like with the aquisition of Betimet, we aren't going to risk Uribe accepting arbitration, so we won't offer it to him.

It sounds like with the aquisition of Betimet, we aren't going to risk Uribe accepting arbitration, so we won't offer it to him.

IMO, that'd be a huge mistake. Bigger than with Riske.

IMO, that'd be a huge mistake. Bigger than with Riske.

Uribe made what $4M or 5M in 2008? What do you think he'd make realistically if he were to accept arbitration with the Sox?

Uribe made what $4M or 5M in 2008? What do you think he'd make realistically if he were to accept arbitration with the Sox?

For only playing 1/2 a season? I have a lot of difficulty imagining him winning an arbitration case. He'd be at $5 million. At the worst, he's then still reasonable trade bait that we could use to peel off a minor leaguer from some other team. There's enough teams out there with no one left in their infield that he makes a ton of sense (Arizona comes immediately to mind).

I mind that we got a bunch of question marks/busts for Swisher, but I'm not surprised. Last year was terrible for him, so it's pretty much the best deal we probably could've got.

 

Myself, personally, I would've kept Swisher and see if he could bounce back next year. Then again, KW may want to try something different this year, so we'll see.

I see a signing announcement this weekend for us, I really have a good hunch.

I see a signing announcement this weekend for us, I really have a good hunch.

 

I don't.

I see a signing announcement this weekend for us, I really have a good hunch.

Any ideas/info on who? Viciedo? Hudson?

 

Any ideas/info on who? Viciedo? Hudson?

Viciedo. I think they are hammering it out right now.

Uribe made what $4M or 5M in 2008? What do you think he'd make realistically if he were to accept arbitration with the Sox?

 

If he accepts aribtration we don't get a draft pick AND we can only cut his pay by 20%. All of that for maybe 2nd round pick.

During the Swisher trade press conference the only thing KW seemed content with, was having Fields become his starting 3b. He didn't mention anything in regards to 2b, or Cf. Im guessing those are the positions KW will focus hard on next. He seems to also be focusing hard on starting pitching. He mentioned "We need to add more SP depth". Whats next? Nobody knows. Im hoping for one big pre-Turkey Day treat!

 

If he accepts aribtration we don't get a draft pick AND we can only cut his pay by 20%. All of that for maybe 2nd round pick.

Definitely not worth the risk if the Sox don't want Juan. I think people should look at the draft year after year and see how many guys drafted in the first couple of rounds who get million dollar plus signing bonuses and never amount to anything. The Sox would lose arbitration if they tried to cut his salary as well.

Edited November 14, 200817 yr by Dick Allen

Viciedo. I think they are hammering it out right now.

yep. His agent wants a deal done before the weekend ends. The Sox were on top of their list.

If he accepts aribtration we don't get a draft pick AND we can only cut his pay by 20%. All of that for maybe 2nd round pick.

And you can only hope to cut his pay by 20%. Given the fact that he qualified as a Type B player at his position and players rarely receive pay-cuts in arbitration (unless they miss an entire season due to injury; save Joe Crede) Juan would make no less than $4.5M in 2009. If the Sox offered anything from $3.6M to $4.4M in arbitration and Juan submitted a number of $4.75M, I think Juan would win.

 

I still think a team would trade for him though, so if he did accept arb. the Sox wouldn't be stuck with his contract for long.

And you can only hope to cut his pay by 20%. Given the fact that he qualified as a Type B player at his position and players rarely receive pay-cuts in arbitration (unless they miss an entire season due to injury; save Joe Crede) Juan would make no less than $4.5M in 2009. If the Sox offered $3.6 in arbitration and Juan submitted a number of $4.75M, I think Juan would win.

 

I still think a team would trade for him though, so if he did accept arb. the Sox wouldn't be stuck with his contract for long.

 

At worst, there were teams that tried to claim him on waivers last year.

At worst, there were teams that tried to claim him on waivers last year.

If I was a team like the D-backs, Brewers, etc., someone with still a reasonable shot at the playoffs, and I had a hole anywhere in my infield (Assuming Hudson and Durham walk both of those teams do) a 1 year, $4.5 million deal for Uribe would be very nice.

During the Swisher trade press conference the only thing KW seemed content with, was having Fields become his starting 3b. He didn't mention anything in regards to 2b, or Cf. Im guessing those are the positions KW will focus hard on next. He seems to also be focusing hard on starting pitching. He mentioned "We need to add more SP depth". Whats next? Nobody knows. Im hoping for one big pre-Turkey Day treat!

 

He could be sincere when he says Fields will be the 3rd baseman next year, but it doesn't mean they aren't trying to sign Viciedo. Viciedo will be 20 next season, so there wouldn't be a rush to bring him up. Maybe Fields and Getz have good, but not great seasons and have some trade value a year from now to make room for Viciedo and Beckham.

 

As far as next moves...CF for sure. I'm liking that Vazquez to St. Louis for Colby Rasmus rumor. Kenny should make that happen.

 

He could be sincere when he says Fields will be the 3rd baseman next year, but it doesn't mean they aren't trying to sign Viciedo. Viciedo will be 20 next season, so there wouldn't be a rush to bring him up. Maybe Fields and Getz have good, but not great seasons and have some trade value a year from now to make room for Viciedo and Beckham.

 

As far as next moves...CF for sure. I'm liking that Vazquez to St. Louis for Colby Rasmus rumor. Kenny should make that happen.

 

there is nothing validating this right? cuz i've heard nothing about this. st louis isn't that retarded.

Shhhh you're making sense.

 

No seriously, we need to trade guys with value and keep the guys that suck, so the team will not suck

more accurately, we need to trade the guys due for a decline in value in 2009 and keep the guys due for an increase in production and value in 2009. if you think the 2008 version of nick swisher is what to expect over the life of his contract, yeah he sucks and the trade was fine. no idea why anyone would think that though. his 2008 line-drive rates/BABIP and pre-2008 numbers all suggest .219 isn't his normal performance level and that he'll bounce back next year. even 25 more points of average (and i think he is a .244 career hitter, IIRC) would make swish a pretty useful player.

 

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KW's earned a lotta credit with me so i ain't worked up about this, but my first impression is that this is a bad trade. those minor-league arms we got are a joke, and it's absurd that anyone in this thread would compare their acquisition to those of danks or floyd (i liked both those deals immediately, btw). floyd and danks were both drafted near the top of the 1st round (not in the sandwich round). compare their minor-league strikeout rates to marquez's. they had stuff, even if peeps were down on em. marquez struck out 33 guys in 80 freaking innings in AAA last year. oh, but he's a groundballer and built for the cell, right? his minor-league GB% is just barely over 50%, and he allowed 12 HR in those 80 innings last year. that's in the minor leagues; what'll happen in the bigs, in the cell? and there's nothing especially intriguing in any recent scouting report either. dude's way closer to nick massett as a prospect than floyd or danks or garland. i hope i'm wrong and that the sox see something no one else does, and i'll happily eat crow if he turns into anything better than an OK 5th starter, but it's tough to imagine from looking at the guy.

there is nothing validating this right? cuz i've heard nothing about this. st louis isn't that retarded.

It's not a rumor, it was just Mark Gonzales throwing a name out there because he's not familiar with the Cardinals.

I loved the attitude OC brought.

"Stats first?"

 

He got punked by Balfour in the big show as well.

Viciedo. I think they are hammering it out right now.

I'm 99% sure they'll sign Viciedo, I said that yesterday. However, I think the big move is to sign Furcal.

It's not a rumor, it was just Mark Gonzales throwing a name out there because he's not familiar with the Cardinals.

I think the real question is how many times are you going to be forced to type this?

It will be interesting if they do trade Fields before the 2009 season starts...do other teams perceive his value to be higher than Nick Swisher, and by how much?

 

I think it's got to be pretty close...with a slight edge to Fields. Although certainly debate-worthy.

Remember, on paper it looked like he lost both the BMAC deal and the Freddy deal.

 

Not to most whitesox fans, while some really liked B-Mac here Danks was just as good a pitching prospect and threw from the left side and Massett had ability to make an impact out of bp. Ive always been a Danks fan partly because a good friend of mine is a Rangers fan so knew about their system. As for the Freddy deal everyone knew he had nothing left and getting any return was a success, not to mention Gio has always been one of my favorite wsox prospects and I was a big Floyd fan.