He'd be the 2nd coolest Orlando we've had...

I almost missed what you meant there.

 

Duque's almost like Papi... i forget he actually has a name.

I thought only Cubs fans were the ones who'd call another grown man Papi.

I wonder what KW has up his sleeve. We are not a better team right now than the end of teh season.

 

you could probably say that about most teams at this point.

Yeah it has been a very interesting offseason to this point. Besides the Yankees and Mets...

He'd be the 2nd coolest Orlando we've had...

 

You're right. Paulo Orlando is awesome.

Getz seems solid for 2b, hitting 9th in the order, with the possibility of being a #2 hitter during the season. Hudson doesn't seem like a fit for the Sox. I don't think Rosenthal is going by any inside information, just guessing here.

Sure it's not ORLANDO Cabrera?

 

Cepeda?

Rosenthal on the Sox off-season

Fox

 

White Sox staying true to youth movement

by Ken Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX.

 

After the White Sox traded Nick Swisher in mid-November, I wrote, "Ken Williams is up to something. ... I don't buy for a second that the 2009 White Sox will go young at three positions — second base, third base and center field."

 

More than a month later, right-hander Javier Vazquez also is gone and right fielder Jermaine Dye could follow. Williams will not rule out signing a veteran free agent if bargains develop. But he continues to emphasize his commitment to youth.

 

"I've got a lot of confidence in our younger guys," Williams told FOXSports.com Friday. "They've earned the opportunity. I'm first going to look that way. That said, if the opportunity presents itself, that obviously makes us better and we can afford, then we'll travel down that road. We're not there yet."

 

Will they get there? Maybe in January, when the market will still be cluttered with players looking for jobs. But for now, the White Sox are not even pursuing free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson, a player who seemingly would be a perfect fit.

 

Instead, the Sox will use some combination of Chris Getz, Brent Lillibridge and Jayson Nix at second. Gordon Beckham, the eighth overall pick out of the University of Georgia in last year's draft, could be the long-term answer.

 

"I love Orlando," Williams said. "But we've got Chris Getz. We've got Brent Lillibridge. And we've got Gordon Beckham coming up behind both of them. It doesn't make any sense for us."

 

Perhaps the White Sox intended to be aggressive in the market, and their plans shifted because of the reeling economy. Williams, however, says the team is merely following its plan.

 

"What we've done this year seems to have caught people by surprise. But it's nothing more than a continuation," Williams said. "Is it different than two years ago when we got (Gavin) Floyd and (John) Danks? Is it different than last year when we got (Alexei) Ramirez and (Carlos) Quentin?

 

"It wasn't so long ago that, at least in Chicago, we were perceived as a team that was getting a little long in the tooth. We've taken some steps not only to infuse some youth and remain competitive, but also to set up ourselves in a nice way going forward."

 

A year ago at this time, the White Sox had no idea whether Ramirez and Quentin would contribute, much less become Rookie of the Year and MVP candidates, respectively. The player to watch next season is third baseman Dayan Viciedo, the 19-year-old Cuban defector who recently agreed to a four-year, $10 million contract.

 

"This young man is special," Williams said. "As I've said, I'm very high on Josh Fields at third base. But at 19 years old, this young man, Viciedo, the sky's the limit on him.

 

"I prefer our guys to come in with a little less hype. Chicago is weighty enough without coming in with increased expectations. All I will say is this: He's got a chance to help us in some capacity in ('09). And he definitely has a chance to be part of our core and in the middle of our lineup in (2010)."

If reports are true that the Sox asked about Roberts, that should make Hudson a possibility. Getting Hudson at a discount, due to durability concerns, on a short term deal [2 yrs at a bigger price with a 3rd yr team option w/ a buyout] might make more sense than trading a #3 SP. The sox would still have Getz / Lillibridge for 2b should Hudson go down--something other potential suitors for Hudson may not have.

 

Hudson isn't the player Roberts is. But it would take less to acquire him. Couple the signing of Hudson with a Dye for Bailey trade, you'd have an OF of Owens in LF, Anderson in CF, and Q in RF. You still leave open the possibility of adding another OF [such as Abreu on a short term deal] of go with the three guys the sox say they want to give a chance-Fields, Anderson and Owens.

 

One strike against signing Hudson to even a short term deal is that he's a Type A free agent and he'd cost picks. The only other Type A from Arizona is Juan Cruz. I'm not sure if it matters who signs Cruz, if it would affect the compensation of the Sox.

Edited January 4, 200917 yr by beck72

One strike against signing Hudson to even a short term deal is that he's a Type A free agent and he'd cost picks. The only other Type A from Arizona is Juan Cruz. I'm not sure if it matters who signs Cruz, if it would affect the compensation of the Sox.

The only way Juan Cruz's status relates to what the sox would lose if they signed Hudson is if the Sox sign them both.

 

If the Sox sign any type A FA other than Cabrera (virtually impossible), they lose their first round pick. No way around it.

Hudson was the guy I wanted this offseason, but I guess if yr gonna make an expenditure next offseason... do it for the right name at the right position.

 

Which means sure fire cf/leadoff and he should be in cohort with the guys in their prime ages.

 

 

 

Others got to this realization already but I'm just now there.