Castro's good

[Princess Dye]

He should play

 

Any hope of increased playing time?

 

As well as Castro's nice hitting....I believe Cowley said on the Score recently that AJP and the organization are looking to go their separate ways after the year.

[Chet Lemon]

I believe Cowley said on the Score recently that AJP and the organization are looking to go their separate ways after the year.

 

Fine with me, unless he wants to sign a one-year deal for cheap.

[hogan873]

I wonder if he would be nearly as good if he played a lot more. I like him, and I'd be all for some increased playing time.

[Springfield Soxfan]

We need to give Castro a look, if T-Flow is not ready and they are looking to part with AJP, not a bad option.

[NorthSideSox72]

AJ is just starting to hit now, so I wouldn't sit him any more than usual. Definitely been nice to have Castro's bat in that backup slot so far though.

 

[Dick Allen]

Castro was very popular with Mets fans asking he be played more. It turns into a disaster. He's a fine back up and has accepted that role. Maybe he gets a little more playing time if AJ comes back, but making him a regular would likely leave you dissappointed in the results.

[RME JICO]

AJ has been horrible at the plate this year. He is over 100 pts below his career OPS. According to BP (VORP), he is the worst catcher in the Majors with over 250 PAs. That is brutal. His bat alone has probably cost us a game or two. Replace his and Kotsay's ABs with league average players and we are probably tied with the Twins right now. I would love to see Castro get more PT.

[elrockinMT]

Ramon Casro is a real good role/back up catcher. That is his role not starter. If the Sox don't make a valid attempt to resign AJP I think they are making a huge mistake. Tyler Flowers is not ready to assume the role as starting catcher. I would even go far as to say that failing to sign AJ would be as bad if not worse then letting Thome go was

Edited August 22, 2010 by elrockinMT

[ILMOU]

Ramon Casro is a real good role/back up catcher. That is his role not starter. If the Sox don't make a valid attempt to resign AJP I think they are making a huge mistake. Tyler Flowers is not ready to assume the role as starting catcher. I would even go far as to say that failing to sign AJ would be as bad if not worse then letting Thome go was

 

Flowers doesn't deserve to be in MLB based on his performance over a full season at AAA. He shouldn't be in the discussion currently.

 

His suckitude cost us a chance at landing a good lefty bat, and now it will force us to stay with AJP, temporarily - hopefully just one year - and cheap!

[Quin]

AJ/Castro platoon next year?

[T R U]

I hope AJ is gone, ide rather see Flowers up here next season..

[Dick Allen]

I hope AJ is gone, ide rather see Flowers up here next season..

You must enjoy White Sox striking out.

[T R U]

You must enjoy White Sox striking out.

 

I don't really care, at least Flowers has the ability to draw walks.. AJs avg season is about a .320 OBP and like a .740 OPS with very little power.. I don't see any reason why Flowers couldn't match that, for dirt cheap.. Everyone already thinks hes been total dogs*** this season and he still has 20 doubles 2 triples 16 homers and a .771 ops in what most people would consider a terrible season..

[greg775]

He should play

 

Any hope of increased playing time?

 

As well as Castro's nice hitting....I believe Cowley said on the Score recently that AJP and the organization are looking to go their separate ways after the year.

 

You can bank on one thing: He will sign in the Central and he will kick our ass for a couple seasons. It's the Sox way and the Sox jinx.

[Vance Law]

AJ/Castro platoon now (or 2 months ago)

fixed

[MattZakrowski]

Can we even afford to not use Flowers at C? We have to fill 3B, RF (Q should DH), 1B, C, and a few bullpen slots, so we may need a minimum salary young player at a spot or two.

[Balta1701]

Can we even afford to not use Flowers at C? We have to fill 3B, RF (Q should DH), 1B, C, and a few bullpen slots, so we may need a minimum salary young player at a spot or two.

If the Sox hold on to Vizquel (and barring retirement I don't see why they wouldn't)...Viciedo appears to be a legit 1b/DH option (platooning along with Teahen at worst). Konerko ought to be brought back and I think they'll figure out a way to work that out...I think the money is there now that we at least pulled back into the race legitimately...the problem is that we have so many bullpen spots to fill it's not even funny any more. That bullpen has utterly imploded.

[iamshack]

If the Sox hold on to Vizquel (and barring retirement I don't see why they wouldn't)...Viciedo appears to be a legit 1b/DH option (platooning along with Teahen at worst). Konerko ought to be brought back and I think they'll figure out a way to work that out...I think the money is there now that we at least pulled back into the race legitimately...the problem is that we have so many bullpen spots to fill it's not even funny any more. That bullpen has utterly imploded.

You're going to have to replace Jenks and Putz, right?

 

We'll pick up Matt's option, bring back Sergio, Pena, Linebrink and Threets.

 

Then you'll have Sale either in the rotation (hopefully) or out of the pen.

 

That leaves 1 or 2 spots to fill.

 

 

[Balta1701]

You're going to have to replace Jenks and Putz, right?

 

We'll pick up Matt's option, bring back Sergio, Pena, Linebrink and Threets.

 

Then you'll have Sale either in the rotation (hopefully) or out of the pen.

 

That leaves 1 or 2 spots to fill.

Yeah...but it's the 2 hard and expensive spots. You need a Closer and a RH setup man. MAYBE, if we're lucky, Santos fills one of those roles. I'm not sure I'm convinced yet that he's our closer of the next year and beyond. If he's not...then just paying for a slightly better than Jenks closer this year is either a $5-$10 million year job...or it's a $2 million gamble on an injured or old guy like Jenks.

 

Infante is starting to appear like a plausible option...but even then...I have very little confidence in that bullpen. It really, really needs a rock solid RHP somewhere in it.

 

Sale absolutely needs to be in Hudson's role from this year. Somewhere in the upper minors and ready to go on short notice if/when one of the starters goes down. We don't have anyone else to do that role.

[kitekrazy]

I think they keep AJ because of how he handles the staff.

[iamshack]

Yeah...but it's the 2 hard and expensive spots. You need a Closer and a RH setup man. MAYBE, if we're lucky, Santos fills one of those roles. I'm not sure I'm convinced yet that he's our closer of the next year and beyond. If he's not...then just paying for a slightly better than Jenks closer this year is either a $5-$10 million year job...or it's a $2 million gamble on an injured or old guy like Jenks.

 

Infante is starting to appear like a plausible option...but even then...I have very little confidence in that bullpen. It really, really needs a rock solid RHP somewhere in it.

 

Sale absolutely needs to be in Hudson's role from this year. Somewhere in the upper minors and ready to go on short notice if/when one of the starters goes down. We don't have anyone else to do that role.

Santos is your RH setup man, and you offer Putz $6-7 million to be the closer. If he turns it down, you're going to have to look to make a trade or give the job to Matt and replace him with Sale.

 

I don't think we can afford to have Sale in Charlotte to serve some "backup/6th starter" role. This kid has too good of stuff and this team will be too maxed out financially to have a talent like that sitting "on call" in Charlotte.

 

There will be options. No need to try and figure it all out now on the account of AJ.

[Balta1701]

Santos is your RH setup man, and you offer Putz $6-7 million to be the closer.

Frankly, I have to say...ugh. Putz at closer seems to me to be just asking for a breakdown middle of next season. A closer you can't use 2 days in a row? That's as bad as a closer you can't pitch in the afternoon.

I don't think we can afford to have Sale in Charlotte to serve some "backup/6th starter" role. This kid has too good of stuff and this team will be too maxed out financially to have a talent like that sitting "on call" in Charlotte.

This is the classic dilemma with a guy like him...he's worth a ton more long term as a starting pitcher throwing 200 innings than he is working short term in the bullpen pitching 50 innings...but the thing between him and being a #1 starter is command of all of his offspeed stuff, and he's never going to get that working 50 innings out of the pen. All he needs in the pen is to throw the fastball for a strike and to throw the curveball somewhere other than the backstop because the first and second guy to see it will still have to swing.

 

Sale's already in the 150 innings range with his arm thanks to the cape cod league and college. If you cut him back to 50 innings next year, it'll take 2 or 3 years to get him back where he's a legit, 200 inning a year starter. After the AFL this year, he'll be right there.

 

Unless the team thinks his arm just will never handle starting and he'll go Liriano on the team...he has to be starting in the minors next year.

[iamshack]

Frankly, I have to say...ugh. Putz at closer seems to me to be just asking for a breakdown middle of next season. A closer you can't use 2 days in a row? That's as bad as a closer you can't pitch in the afternoon.

This is the classic dilemma with a guy like him...he's worth a ton more long term as a starting pitcher throwing 200 innings than he is working short term in the bullpen pitching 50 innings...but the thing between him and being a #1 starter is command of all of his offspeed stuff, and he's never going to get that working 50 innings out of the pen. All he needs in the pen is to throw the fastball for a strike and to throw the curveball somewhere other than the backstop because the first and second guy to see it will still have to swing.

 

Sale's already in the 150 innings range with his arm thanks to the cape cod league and college. If you cut him back to 50 innings next year, it'll take 2 or 3 years to get him back where he's a legit, 200 inning a year starter. After the AFL this year, he'll be right there.

 

Unless the team thinks his arm just will never handle starting and he'll go Liriano on the team...he has to be starting in the minors next year.

Give Putz a break. He's a year removed from elbow surgery.

 

Why would you start Sale in the minors instead of just letting him turn it loose in Chicago? Limit his innings a bit and skip some starts when you can.

[Balta1701]

Give Putz a break. He's a year removed from elbow surgery.

 

Why would you start Sale in the minors instead of just letting him turn it loose in Chicago? Limit his innings a bit and skip some starts when you can.

Elbow surgery for bone spurs though...that's not the Tommy John, that's the kind of thing you can recover from over a period of months, not years. He shouldn't be feeling the effects of that right now.

 

Limiting Sale's innings isn't a good selling point to me. If Sale is going to be a very good big league pitcher...then the thing we want to do is maximize the number of innings we get from him as a starter in the bigs. This year really doesn't count much because he came up well after the time that he'd lose an arbitration year.

[MattZakrowski]

If the Sox hold on to Vizquel (and barring retirement I don't see why they wouldn't)...Viciedo appears to be a legit 1b/DH option (platooning along with Teahen at worst). Konerko ought to be brought back and I think they'll figure out a way to work that out...I think the money is there now that we at least pulled back into the race legitimately...the problem is that we have so many bullpen spots to fill it's not even funny any more. That bullpen has utterly imploded.

 

Vizquel is a ticking father time-bomb, and Viciedo's still not patient enough to avoid being exploited. I'm okay with Dayan at 1st if it means we can get a real impact RF or 3B

(nobody in particular in mind).