http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...T-joe09.article

 

So of course picking up the paper this morning this is the first thing I turn to because it's all we talk about here sometimes.

 

What would he say? Move Alexei back to 2nd? Becks to SS? Get Figgins for 3rd?

 

Keep Pods, lose Dye? Make Freddie rake the infield between innings?

 

Suprisingly, his two main points were: keep Jenks (?!?!) and a rather cryptic shot at Rios, something about "more work and earlier nights."

 

As far as Jenks goes, I think the consensus here is we should have shipped him at the beginning of THIS season, when he was still at peak value. His contention, though, is that closers are hard to find and Jenks' problem isn't that he's over the hill, it's that he's coming into camp too poorly conditioned (out of shape).

 

As for Rios, though, I'm not sure what the comments about Canada and earlier nights mean. Perhaps somebody here could enlighten me.

 

He's right about Freddy being a steal, though, and if he stays healthy we could have an absolutely dominating rotation next year.

 

Thoughts?

Alex Rios has a notoriously active night life, it's the kind of thing they ignore in a small market like Toronto but is magnified in a place like Chicago. People will look the other way when you're putting up an .800 OPS and hitting the clubs after the game, the same can't be said when you're doing practically nothing at the plate.

So I take it then Cowley's already heard some stuff about Rios's nightlife since he came to Chicago?

 

Presumably not involving Miguel Cabrera?

As far as Jenks goes, I think the consensus here is we should have shipped him at the beginning of THIS season, when he was still at peak value.

 

What's typically left out in this argument is that Bobby was coming off of two very good seasons last winter. Given that context, I imagine that many of the same people would've gone apesh*t last November if Kenny dealt him then.

 

His contention, though, is that closers are hard to find and Jenks' problem isn't that he's over the hill, it's that he's coming into camp too poorly conditioned (out of shape).

 

Maybe, maybe not. Bobby was much worse in '06 than he was this year, and I don't think that his conditioning was a problem in '07 and '08.

 

I agree with Cowley about Rios.

 

Reporters shouldn't do the wink, wink thing.

Tell us about Rios' night life; it's not fair to him or us to just imply it.

He also referred to Freddy as the same way.

This kind of implies Rios has a problem; not fair to just word it the way Joe did.

This was a surprisingly well written article and he makes good arguments, especially for Bobby.

This was a surprisingly well written article and he makes good arguments, especially for Bobby.

 

I have to agree, especially being its Joe Cowley.

Edited October 9, 200916 yr by SoxAce

I love how Cowley has to take pot shot at the players for doing half-assed work, when he has pretty much been mailing in columns for years.

I love how Cowley has to take pot shot at the players for doing half-assed work, when he has pretty much been mailing in columns for years.

OH NO HE DI'INT

I don't see how any MLB reporter who writes as much as Cowley can be assused of mailing it in. The travel alone means he puts in oh, about 80 hours a week of work for his company rather than the traditional 40. Granted the job is "fun."

cowley is a f***ing idiot....yeah lets keep jenks and have even more money tied up. we cannot go and get a bat without trading a big contract first. jenks is most likely to be dealt. no one will trade for rios,kw wont trade peavy, buehrle isnt going anywhere and PK probably won't be dealt either at $12 million. that leaves jenks as the one to go.

If Jenks goes, Thornton is the closer and we have not one reliable set up guy. Hopefully KW can find somebody to fill that role or go with Hudson. I'm not too high on Torres.

Did he really use Chicago tough. Give me a break.

cowley is a f***ing idiot....yeah lets keep jenks and have even more money tied up. we cannot go and get a bat without trading a big contract first. jenks is most likely to be dealt. no one will trade for rios,kw wont trade peavy, buehrle isnt going anywhere and PK probably won't be dealt either at $12 million. that leaves jenks as the one to go.

As much as I don't want to see Bobby to go, I think you're right as we're maxed for payroll right now. I don't think we get much in return but several prospects for Jenks most likely, so this leaves a HUGE void to fill in our bullpen. But, we do need another bat in the middle of the lineup and a leadoff hitter assuming we don't resign Pods.

 

Will be an interesting offseason...

Edited October 9, 200916 yr by JohnCangelosi

I don't see how any MLB reporter who writes as much as Cowley can be assused of mailing it in. The travel alone means he puts in oh, about 80 hours a week of work for his company rather than the traditional 40. Granted the job is "fun."

 

Oh, wah. He gets to be paid for traveling with a pro baseball team. He has it so hard. Now if he would publish an intelligent column every once in a while, that would actually challenge the "mailing it in" part.

Cowley also reads Soxtalk, he wants Figgins, Abreu, Gonzalez or Crawford.

If Joe Cowley were Ken williams, I just might be a Cub fan.

I can't think of any good reasons to keep Bobby Jenks, other than fear that you won't be able to find an adequate replacement in the bridge/setup department for Matt Thornton (which isn't a legitimate excuse). I agree with the rest of what he said though, and it's good to see the mailing it in pot shots at Cowley in this thread as well.

Edited October 10, 200916 yr by whitesoxfan101

Oh, wah. He gets to be paid for traveling with a pro baseball team. He has it so hard. Now if he would publish an intelligent column every once in a while, that would actually challenge the "mailing it in" part.

 

I think a lot of his stuff could be classified as intelligent. And entertaining. Say what you want about his "easy" job. It's still a lot of hours and a lot of travel and dealing with volatile personalities on a daily basis. No matter how you slice it, he probably works 80 to 90 hours a week and gets paid for 40 and how many of us can say that? I like him.

This was a surprisingly well written article and he makes good arguments, especially for Bobby.

 

It makes sense. I'd rather take a chance trading him before the deadline if necessary.

 

This was a surprisingly well written article and he makes good arguments, especially for Bobby.

 

I really didn't get anything out of that article that I haven't seen people write on here...except maybe for Carlos having off-season sessions with Walker (which not sure if that's good or not...but couldn't hurt). Sorry...but the money Figgins will want won't be well spent here IMO. I honestly can't see all that many changes except for maybe trading for Crawford. But Kenny will probably pull something outta his arse that'll surprise everybody. I just can't see where Figgins would play. Jack of all trades...master of none.

 

Rios-CF Rather keep him there.

Not crazy about Figgins as FT 3B.

 

To be honest if this team is serious about contending I could see more of a Brian Roberts addition than Figgins. But that's just me...

I really didn't get anything out of that article that I haven't seen people write on here...except maybe for Carlos having off-season sessions with Walker (which not sure if that's good or not...but couldn't hurt). Sorry...but the money Figgins will want won't be well spent here IMO. I honestly can't see all that many changes except for maybe trading for Crawford. But Kenny will probably pull something outta his arse that'll surprise everybody. I just can't see where Figgins would play. Jack of all trades...master of none.

 

Rios-CF Rather keep him there.

Not crazy about Figgins as FT 3B.

 

To be honest if this team is serious about contending I could see more of a Brian Roberts addition than Figgins. But that's just me...

 

It wouldn't be a white sox offseason without Brian Roberts.

 

It wouldn't be a white sox offseason without Brian Roberts.

 

Ain't that the truth..

Roberts/Figgins ... are they destined to be White Sox as much speculation there always is about them?