As the worst off-season for any of my favorite teams ever in the 20 some years I have been old enough to follow pro sports, I have never seen a worse, or maybe less exciting is a better way to put it, off-season as far as changes goes than this one for our sox. No additions (sorry Dan Johnson, Adam Dunn outhit ya last year), get rid of Buehrle, Quentin, and Santos, 3 of the players I actually still liked on this team for a 3 pitching prospects (although 2 of them do excite me a little I'll admit in Castro and Molina).

 

The board is stale with no new info and old topics.

 

I live in Tempe and am ready for spring training to start so let's talk roster spot competitions.

 

There are more knowledgeable people on this board then I when it comes to the Sox minor leaguers (why I come to this board mainly) so enlighten the rest of us of the competitions and spots open for spring training so we know what to look for....

Edited February 3, 201214 yr by rowand's rowdies

Well, first, there are the three or four open bullpen slots. Reed is probably in, but beyond that there is a list of 10 to 12 guys vying for those spots. That might be fun to watch. There was a thread in here a while back with a list of those.

 

Then there's the bench. Flowers and Lillibridge are in, but then you've got Ozzie Martinez, Tyler Kuhn, Dan Johnson, and a few others vying for 2-3 spots there.

 

And Humber is probably in the rotation, but there is an outside chance for others.

 

Here is the NRI list:

 

RHP Brian Bruney

LHP Leyson Septimo

LHP Eric Stults

C Damaso Espino

C Hector Gimenez

3B Dallas McPherson

SS Ray Olmedo

OF Delwyn Young

OF Jared Mitchell

OF Jordan Danks

OF Brandon Short

OF Trayce Thompson

RHP Jacob Petricka

RHP Brian Omogrosso

C Michael Blanke

C Josh Phegley

1B Jim Gallagher

2B Tyler Kuhn

 

Maybe Kuhn to fill the Vizquel spot? Not knowing Robin makes it a bit harder for me to pick a "surprise"

that's a real sad group of candidates.. It is going to be a long year.

that's a real sad group of candidates.. It is going to be a long year.

Non roster invites do not really have anything to do with the expected quality of a team's year.

Looking over the roster, it seems that there will probably be about 4 guys on the team this year who weren't on the team for at least part of last year. That's fewer than I expected, but is it still a lot?

that's a real sad group of candidates.. It is going to be a long year.

 

If that list is so bad, who do other teams have on their non-roster invite list that are so much better?

Yeah. I mean it's a NRI list. There aren't going to be good established players on it.

Non roster invites do not really have anything to do with the expected quality of a team's year.

 

The 40 man roster isn't exactly screaming World Series title.

I think Tyler Kuhn may make the bench. He'd be my surprise pick I guess.

 

The 40 man roster isn't exactly screaming World Series title.

Depends on if 80% of it underperforms like we saw last year.

Depends on if 80% of it underperforms like we saw last year.

 

It would take about 80% overperforming + some luck for it to be worthy of world series consideration.

I'm gonna guess Eric Stults surprises us by winning a bullpen spot.

here is the 40 man roster and non roster invitees for every MLB team

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_curre...ll_team_rosters

here is the 40 man roster and non roster invitees for every MLB team

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_curre...ll_team_rosters

 

And what other team's NRI list isn't filled with garbage just like the White Sox?

And what other team's NRI list isn't filled with garbage just like the White Sox?

 

several teams has a few key MLB players on it, that has a chance of making the rosters.

 

The Sox have about 25 players in the whole damn organization, that are worth anything.

 

I'd rather have Pierre, Cameron on our roster instead of Young

 

Edited February 3, 201214 yr by SOXOBAMA

several teams has a few key MLB players on it, that has a chance of making the rosters.

 

The Sox have about 25 players in the whole damn organization, that are worth anything.

 

I'd rather have Pierre, Cameron on our roster instead of Young

 

If having Juan Pierre invited to spring training gives you more hope going into the season, than that's your business. To each their own I guess.

I'd rather have Pierre, Cameron on our roster instead of Young

Is Death an option?

Non roster invites do not really have anything to do with the expected quality of a team's year.

 

Was Loaiza a Non-Roster Invitee in 2003? For some reason I thought he was. And if he was it definitely was a pleasant surprise in an unpleasant year.

Was Loaiza a Non-Roster Invitee in 2003? For some reason I thought he was. And if he was it definitely was a pleasant surprise in an unpleasant year.

Occasionally they work out, but you can't say that the team is doomed, DOOMED because of the NRI's.

If having Juan Pierre invited to spring training gives you more hope going into the season, than that's your business. To each their own I guess.

 

That definitely qualifies as b****ing just for the hell of it.

Dan Johnson will make the roster as a surprise. Nobody else really available to backup at 3B and he provides a left-handed power bat.

 

Looking over the roster, it seems that there will probably be about 4 guys on the team this year who weren't on the team for at least part of last year. That's fewer than I expected, but is it still a lot?

 

Fewer than I expected too but it makes sense with the contracts. Sold high on Santos and sold probably as high as we could on Quentin. Job well done in my book.

 

But next year we hopefully get to sell higher on Peavy, sell Rios somehow hopefully, and AJ will come off the books.

 

That'll give us a pretty high turnover over a 2-3 year stretch counting Morel, De Aza, Lilli, Viciedo, Flowers and Bacon. Add to that these new pitchers sliding into spots. If our kids start panning out we could be young n stocked for a long time.

 

Not ready to send KW to the firey furnaces yet. Let's all just hope Ozzie was holding everyone back and now we are fixed.

Edited February 3, 201214 yr by Jerksticks

Fewer than I expected too but it makes sense with the contracts. Sold high on Santos and sold probably as high as we could on Quentin. Job well done in my book.

 

But next year we hopefully get to sell higher on Peavy, sell Rios somehow hopefully, and AJ will come off the books.

peavy's contract is up after the $17 million he makes this year and a $4 million buyout. He could win a cy young and it'd still be a mistake to pick up his option. The only selling that happens on him is maybe at the deadline.