Or that he can be an "ace".

Not starting another thread yet, but if the Sox were to try to sign Danks to a multi-year contract now (if they were resigned to the fact that Buehrle was gone), what sort of contract gets it done? He's young and has shown that he COULD be an ace. Could the Sox even afford him at this point?

If we've gotten to this point, I'd imagine we'd need to be in the range of 5+ years and >$75 million.

 

If he gets to the FA market healthy and has a decent year this year, he'd be looking at Lackey-level money, which was 5 years, $82.5 mil when signed.

Not starting another thread yet, but if the Sox were to try to sign Danks to a multi-year contract now (if they were resigned to the fact that Buehrle was gone), what sort of contract gets it done? He's young and has shown that he COULD be an ace. Could the Sox even afford him at this point?

I think he'll look for 5 or 6 years, and if I'm the Sox I don't do that for Danks. I still think he's a greater than average injury risk, and is prone to inconsistency and dead arm periods.

 

I think he'll look for 5 or 6 years, and if I'm the Sox I don't do that for Danks. I still think he's a greater than average injury risk, and is prone to inconsistency and dead arm periods.

I wouldn't do 5-6 years for him either, but I have to challenge you on one claim...why do you conclude that D1 is a "Greater than average injury risk"? He's a guy who came up to the big leagues very early and has regularly just come out and pitched. He's never built up the number of innings we'd really like, but that's more a function of him never learning how to put a hitter away quickly than it is him missing starts. He pulled an oblique this year and that was the first year since 07 where he didn't start 32-33 games, and a "pulled oblique" doesn't strike me as the sort of injury I'd call "recurrent".

I wouldn't do 5-6 years for him either, but I have to challenge you on one claim...why do you conclude that D1 is a "Greater than average injury risk"? He's a guy who came up to the big leagues very early and has regularly just come out and pitched. He's never built up the number of innings we'd really like, but that's more a function of him never learning how to put a hitter away quickly than it is him missing starts. He pulled an oblique this year and that was the first year since 07 where he didn't start 32-33 games, and a "pulled oblique" doesn't strike me as the sort of injury I'd call "recurrent".

Every year he has one or two dead arm periods, his few injuries have been minor but related to muscle strain, and his delivery looks high-effort to me. I'm no doctor, I could be wrong, I hope I am... but I'd suspect he's got a greater risk of a pitching-related injury.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,1028358.story

 

2. As was pointed out by Jim Margalus on the website South Side Sox, the White Sox did not protect John Danks’ younger brother, center fielder Jordan Danks, when they set the 40-man roster last Friday. A non-roster invitee to spring training a year ago, he’s steadily slid down Baseball America’s prospect rankings and is in danger of being left out of the top 30 entirely entering 2012. He’s a top defensive outfielder with top-of-the-order speed but hasn’t really hit since he was in A-ball. In his second full season at Triple-A Charlotte, he made incremental progress as a hitter – his OPS increased to .770 from .685 in 2010 -- but regressed badly at the end of the season, striking out 51 times in his last 101 at-bats. He struck out 150-plus times for the second season in a row. The Sox had plenty of room on their roster for another Danks but because of his troubles hitting (.257-14-65 with 57 walks and 155 strikeouts) added only two pitchers – lefty Charlie Leesman and retread right-hander Duente Heath. Margalus wonders if the lack of love for one Danks says anything about Kenny Williams’ plan to trade the other Danks rather than risking him leaving as a free agent after the season or signing him to a long-term contract. I would be heavily in favor of trading John Danks if it meant the Sox would have a chance to hang onto Mark Buehrle, but he’s become one of the most attractive free agents on the market. It’s difficult but not impossible to imagine Williams deciding to open next season without both Buehrle and Danks. Chris Sale takes one of those spots and Jake Peavy really should be healthy next season (really, he should).