I hope all you Flowers boosters are right. I'd love to eat crow on this one and see Flowers excell at Catcher for the Sox for many years to come. But I don't see any sense in getting rid of AJ just to save a few million bucks just because Flowers has been hot for a couple of weeks in Charlotte after struggling for the first couple of months.

 

Gordon Beckham was supposed to be the savior and we've watched him struggle to adjust in the big leagues. And we've seen Brian Anderson, Joe Borchard, Josh Fields, etc., fall flat on their faces in the majors after tearing up the minor leagues. I'm not too anxious on seeing AJ dumped just to go through that again.

 

I'm by no means a Flowers booster. AJP has been absolutely nothing special this season, and you have to worry about him getting older. There's been no one that rips on our development and inability to produce young players more than me, but with the ways things look, if guys like Beckham/Viciedo/Flowers/Hudson all don't pan out, this organization is screwed.

But major league pitching might.

 

He did homer off of Stammen yesterday, who's been in the majors all season.

He did homer off of Stammen yesterday, who's been in the majors all season.

That's why they sent him down!

Even if the power doesn’t completely translate, you’ve still got a guy with a better approach to the plate then AJ, more power, and the actual ability to throw out base runners. If we’re not going to reward people who perform in the minors, because we’re afraid of failure, we might as well abolish the minor league system. There’s no argument here.

Sure strikes out a lot though. Maybe he needs more time in the minor leagues before he tries to hit major league pitching. I know it's a novel approach but maybe it makes a little sense rather than trading away AJ for some crap just to save $4M and then watching Flowers flounder away at the big league level.

 

And if scouts from other teams think he's as good as you say, maybe it would be better to re-sign AJ and trade Flowers while his value is so high.

 

Sure lets resign AJ for 3 or 4 years because aging catchers find the fountain of youth and get better post 34 years old. Happens all the time. I think people forget that without magical pharmaceuticals most people age normally and eventually have declining skills due to age progression. It might not happen next year, but eventually age will catch up with all players.

 

 

 

I voted yes, but looks like AJ's rights kick in at midnight so he won't be traded this weekend.

 

Any chance AJ comes back next year on a cheap two year deal to split C/DH duties with Flowers?

Every once in a while you do get lucky with these trades. I hear the Indians got a nice little catching prospect for a 34 year old, soon to be free agent third baseman around the deadline in 2008.

They also got 4 what appear to be stiffs for a Cy Young type that same year.

Any chance AJ comes back next year on a cheap two year deal to split C/DH duties with Flowers?

AJ is not going to come back here to split duties with Tyler Flowers. He's not the mentoring type. I suspect if we resign AJ, Tyler will be traded. And then we can all cross our fingers that Phegley or Miguel Gonzalez meets the Ozzie stamp of approval.

I don't think that matters to a lot of people. There's a mentality that if you weren't here in 2005, you have nothing to offer this organization in the future..

 

I think it's more that people are comfortable with established MLB veterans as opposed to the unknown of MiLB players. Some of this is due to the lack of production from the players coming up from our system. It makes people gun shy.

 

I, personally, believe you need 1-2 people from your system each year to come up a learn in the MLB.

I, personally, believe you need 1-2 people from your system each year to come up a learn in the MLB.

Especially when you have $68M committed to 10 players in 2011 (one being Viciedo) and 4 others in their 2nd or 3rd year of arbitration. You need a steady stream of cheap young talent each year otherwise either the payroll gets out of control or you find yourself with numerous glaring holes on opening day because you had to go cheap.

If we deal AJ tonight, we'll have two left-handed hitters in our lineup (Pierre, and Teahen/Kotsay)

 

This is something that I have been wanting the Sox FO to do something about the last 3-4 years at least, get some g-d left-handed bats in the lineup

That's why they sent him down!

 

By your logic we should never ever callup someone from AAA because even if they are having success its only against minor league pitchers......

AJ is not going to come back here to split duties with Tyler Flowers. He's not the mentoring type. I suspect if we resign AJ, Tyler will be traded. And then we can all cross our fingers that Phegley or Miguel Gonzalez meets the Ozzie stamp of approval.

 

Phegley has basically no shot of ever being a major leaguer

AJ is not going to come back here to split duties with Tyler Flowers. He's not the mentoring type. I suspect if we resign AJ, Tyler will be traded.

 

This has about zero chance of happening. And the fact that AJ gets sand in his snatch over sharing a clubhouse with Flowers makes me not want him on this team in 2011.

 

If we deal AJ tonight, we'll have two left-handed hitters in our lineup (Pierre, and Teahen/Kotsay)

 

This is something that I have been wanting the Sox FO to do something about the last 3-4 years at least, get some g-d left-handed bats in the lineup

 

Having left handers in the lineup is far overrated. You can worry about having too many lefties, but not worry about too many righties.

But I don't see any sense in getting rid of AJ just to save a few million bucks just because Flowers has been hot for a couple of weeks in Charlotte after struggling for the first couple of months.

 

Flowers absolutely tore the cover off the ball in 18 April games. He didn't struggle at all offensively to start the season. After altering his swing per Greg Walker's advice in May, Flowers stated in an interview the swing change didn't work for him and went back to his old swing in June. In 9 June games thus far, Flowers has an OPS over 1.200. I have very little concern in his offensive ability. This isn't a guy who's enjoying a temporary hot streak. He's been a beast with the bat his entire professional career

Flowers absolutely tore the cover off the ball in 18 April games. He didn't struggle at all offensively to start the season. After altering his swing per Greg Walker's advice in May, Flowers stated in an interview the swing change didn't work for him and went back to his old swing in June. In 9 June games thus far, Flowers has an OPS over 1.200. I have very little concern in his offensive ability. This isn't a guy who's enjoying a temporary hot streak. He's been a beast with the bat his entire professional career

 

Do you by any chance have a link to that interview?

Link

 

"At the point where I've tried doing it their way this last month, sadly enough the numbers speak for themselves, and that way doesn't totally work," Flowers said. "I have to go back to the old me. I have to go back to my style of hitting, while implementing the little things Walk [White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker] and Kenny talked about.

Thanks!

By your logic we should never ever callup someone from AAA because even if they are having success its only against minor league pitchers......

Flowers is currently hitting .230 with 68 strikeouts in 202 plate appearances - against AAA pitching. By my logic he hasn't shown he's quite ready to be promoted to the major leagues at the expense of dumping AJ.

Flowers hit a ball so far in Mobile that the umps couldn't tell if it was fair or foul. He would hit balls in batting practice over the giant centerfield speaker at Regions Park. That would be 500 feet. If you're concerned about him not panning out, consider that the White Sox didn't draft him to begin with.

Flowers absolutely tore the cover off the ball in 18 April games. He didn't struggle at all offensively to start the season. After altering his swing per Greg Walker's advice in May, Flowers stated in an interview the swing change didn't work for him and went back to his old swing in June. In 9 June games thus far, Flowers has an OPS over 1.200. I have very little concern in his offensive ability. This isn't a guy who's enjoying a temporary hot streak. He's been a beast with the bat his entire professional career

 

Yep.

 

Flowers in April: .323/.432/.613/1.045

Flowers in May (change of swing): .122/.215/.280/.496

Flowers in June (back to old swing): .333/.429/.800/1.229 (30 ABs)

Yep.

 

Flowers in April: .323/.432/.613/1.045

Flowers in May (change of swing): .122/.215/.280/.496

Flowers in June (back to old swing): .333/.429/.800/1.229 (30 ABs)

 

Which only makes one think, why would they try to f*** with his swing if it was obviously working?

 

I'm no hitting coach but is there a chance HIS swing won't hit Major League pitching and that's why they wanted him to change it? If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Ryan Sweeney recently complained about how the Sox always used to try to make him change his swing.

Ryan Sweeney recently complained about how the Sox always used to try to make him change his swing.

 

Maybe that is why Gordon Beckham has been a mental headcase because of the changes.