So....

 

1) The writing might very well be on the wall with the Alexei Ramirez Era

 

2) Beckham more than likely WON'T be shifted as an experiment to SS

 

3) Avisail Garcia goes to his more natural position of RF

 

4) Semien ends up being the top minor league candidate at either 2B/3B but not probably not SS

I seriously doubt they're penciling this kid in for a starting role next year. I'd imagine he starts off as a utility infielder and maybe even is optioned to Charlotte a couple times.

 

Garcia goes to RF this year, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if next year, they ran an OF left to right of De Aza, Garcia, Viciedo out there until it didn't work. That would be the best setup for all 3 guys, supposedly.

Does it frustrate any of you guys who see other teams fans who think that Kenny Williams is still the GM? It may just be me...

Does it frustrate any of you guys who see other teams fans who think that Kenny Williams is still the GM? It may just be me...

 

Nah, I don't mind. People think Theo Epstein is the Cubs' GM too.

 

But, if it's a journalist, then it's a problem.

Edited August 9, 201312 yr by witesoxfan

Nah, I don't mind. People think Theo Epstein is the Cubs' GM too.

Only in title is Theo not the Cubs GM.

You have to take this in context - he was a 20 year old who started his career at High-A going 14 for 40 with 2 triples, 2 doubles, and 7 walks. He got promoted to AA and proceeded to hit .285. Again, prior to the 2011 season. His true hit tool began to surface the following year when he put up a .554 OPS over the course of the full AAA season.

 

I think he has a fascination with him, but I don't think that shows bias.

 

 

So, essentially, more likely Eduardo Escobar-ish than Ozuna in terms of his hit tool, it seems.

 

Still, young for his league and the potential to earn a starting position and get out of the shadows of Profar, Kinsler and Andrus has to be exciting for him. He'll get a true opportunity, seemingly, and that's all you can ask for, whether your name is Tyler Flowers, Josh Phegley or Jordan Danks.

The Sox may not have Garcia on their roster the rest of the way. He's likely a PTBNL because he's already on Texas's major league roster. He'll have to pass through waivers to the Sox to be traded. It's possible the Astros could be nice and just let him through, we don't know yet.

I always thought there was a rule that a PTBNL could not be someone that played in the same league as the team to which he is being traded during the current season.

You have to take this in context - he was a 20 year old who started his career at High-A going 14 for 40 with 2 triples, 2 doubles, and 7 walks. He got promoted to AA and proceeded to hit .285. Again, prior to the 2011 season. His true hit tool began to surface the following year when he put up a .554 OPS over the course of the full AAA season.

 

I think he has a fascination with him, but I don't think that shows bias.

At the very least, I was seriously impressed when I looked at the numbers and found that Garcia had decently outhit Iglesias through the minors. Iglesias takes slightly more walks and has moderately fewer strikeouts, but Garcia has definitely put up much more extra base power and definitely has a more developed stolen base game.

Greg, don't get TOO excited yet.

 

This particular Garcia's much more likely to end up a super utility, jack of all trades, Ozuna/Grebeck type of player for us than a legit starter.

 

Of course, they said the same things about Alexei when he was signed...or even that he might factor in as a CFer, as you remember.

 

The main thing this does is pave the way for the Avisail Garcia Era to begin in RF and it makes it MUCH more unlikely that Gordon Beckham is going to be shifted to SS as a late season experiment (assuming Alexei is the next domino to fall...)

Beckham will not be shifted to SS.This was never an option. If the Sox thought he could play there with his bat pottential early in his career, he would be there.

Man, I can't get excited about this.

Me neither.

 

I'm glad everyone is drinking the cool-aid now but with the way we're going, I fear the best case scenario is either a rebuilt team that maybe becomes competitive a long ways down the road, or some reincarnation of our recent strategy of retooling that accomplishes nothing more than the previous few teams have.

 

I'm just not a fan of selling off these guys for nothing when we'll probably just resign similar players.

 

This talk of Morales makes me ill.

Edited August 9, 201312 yr by iamshack

Me neither.

 

I'm glad everyone is drinking the cool-aid now but with the way we're going, I fear the best case scenario is either a rebuilt team that maybe becomes competitive a long ways down the road, or some reincarnation of our recent strategy of retooling that accomplishes nothing more than the previous few teams have.

 

I'm just not a fan of selling off these guys for nothing when we'll probably just resign similar players.

 

This talk of Morales makes me ill.

 

My problem is that so little of this money we're saving can go into the draft/int'l market. Which, ironically, is part of Reinsdorf's legacy.

Beckham will not be shifted to SS.This was never an option. If the Sox thought he could play there with his bat pottential early in his career, he would be there.

so why did they work him at SS during ST this year and occasionally during the season during infield practice?

At the very least, I was seriously impressed when I looked at the numbers and found that Garcia had decently outhit Iglesias through the minors. Iglesias takes slightly more walks and has moderately fewer strikeouts, but Garcia has definitely put up much more extra base power and definitely has a more developed stolen base game.

I was too. I am genuinely really happy with this return. You get a guy who legitimately has a chance to be a solid contributor for your franchise. There's not much more you can ask for.

 

 

so why did they work him at SS during ST this year and occasionally during the season during infield practice?

Because who else is going to play there if Alexei gets hurt...Keppinger's D has been terrible.

The Sox may not have Garcia on their roster the rest of the way. He's likely a PTBNL because he's already on Texas's major league roster. He'll have to pass through waivers to the Sox to be traded. It's possible the Astros could be nice and just let him through, we don't know yet.

 

This is not good. L. Garcia sounds like a legit prospect. I'd think the Astros would claim him. Why not? Another cheap body in the system??

Me neither.

 

I'm glad everyone is drinking the cool-aid now but with the way we're going, I fear the best case scenario is either a rebuilt team that maybe becomes competitive a long ways down the road, or some reincarnation of our recent strategy of retooling that accomplishes nothing more than the previous few teams have.

 

I'm just not a fan of selling off these guys for nothing when we'll probably just resign similar players.

 

This talk of Morales makes me ill.

 

Agreed. Trading affordable and average starters for potential UTILs when we don't need salary relief is not exciting. RF was one of the few positions I would say is not urgent we get more production from. Now we need more production than we are getting from...every position beside DH?

so why did they work him at SS during ST this year and occasionally during the season during infield practice?

Because we've had no backup or emergency SS at times.

This is not good. L. Garcia sounds like a legit prospect. I'd think the Astros would claim him. Why not? Another cheap body in the system??

 

Because the Rangers would just pull him back then and we wouldn't get him until the season is over. The Astros will know that he's on waivers because of the trade to us, it would just be a dick move and a waste of everyone's time to claim him knowing there's no chance to get him.

Me neither.

 

I'm glad everyone is drinking the cool-aid now but with the way we're going, I fear the best case scenario is either a rebuilt team that maybe becomes competitive a long ways down the road, or some reincarnation of our recent strategy of retooling that accomplishes nothing more than the previous few teams have.

 

I'm just not a fan of selling off these guys for nothing when we'll probably just resign similar players.

 

This talk of Morales makes me ill.

Morales is a great fit because seriously, who would he be blocking? Andy Wilkins? Paul Konerko's corpse on a 1 year deal?

Me neither.

 

I'm glad everyone is drinking the cool-aid now but with the way we're going, I fear the best case scenario is either a rebuilt team that maybe becomes competitive a long ways down the road, or some reincarnation of our recent strategy of retooling that accomplishes nothing more than the previous few teams have.

 

I'm just not a fan of selling off these guys for nothing when we'll probably just resign similar players.

 

This talk of Morales makes me ill.

 

Morales will be short-term. I don't foresee the organization extending long-term offers to anybody during free agency this year. Sign him to a 2-3 year deal worth $10-11 mill a year and an option attached to the end, and it's a perfectly harmless deal. The only player he'd be "blocking" is Andy Wilkins.

Morales is a great fit because seriously, who would he be blocking? Andy Wilkins? Paul Konerko's corpse on a 1 year deal?

 

Viciedo to DH/1B with Dunn opens up a slot in the OF.

Morales will be short-term. I don't foresee the organization extending long-term offers to anybody during free agency this year. Sign him to a 2-3 year deal worth $10-11 mill a year and an option attached to the end, and it's a perfectly harmless deal. The only player he'd be "blocking" is Andy Wilkins.

And if somehow Wilkins gets hot, then Morales is still eminently tradeable on that kind of deal or can move to the DH spot and take it over for Dunn.

Viciedo to DH/1B with Dunn opens up a slot in the OF.

Who do we need that OF slot for now?

 

If Rios wasn't moved I'd have thought that was an option yes, but who is going to take the starting OF slot from Viciedo now unless we sign someone? Jordan Danks? Blake Tekotte?

 

Trayce might force one of the OF's out of the way at some point but he's not nearly there yet.

My problem is that so little of this money we're saving can go into the draft/int'l market. Which, ironically, is part of Reinsdorf's legacy.

Right, which is why you need to get the prospects by giving up the cash in trades instead, which they seem unwilling to do.

 

This is not altogether surprising; these assets we're moving aren't incredibly valuable. Which means you hold on to them if you seek to compete in the short-term, or, alternatively, if you seek to rebuild, you must trade your current assets of value, which we are also apparently unwilling to do.

 

It just looks like we'll be stuck in the middle again with this approach.

Morales will be short-term. I don't foresee the organization extending long-term offers to anybody during free agency this year. Sign him to a 2-3 year deal worth $10-11 mill a year and an option attached to the end, and it's a perfectly harmless deal. The only player he'd be "blocking" is Andy Wilkins.

But what is the point of doing that? We trade one guy to sign another so we can get Leury Garcia?

 

 

Who do we need that OF slot for now?

 

If Rios wasn't moved I'd have thought that was an option yes, but who is going to take the starting OF slot from Viciedo now unless we sign someone? Jordan Danks? Blake Tekotte?

 

Trayce might force one of the OF's out of the way at some point but he's not nearly there yet.

 

That's what it looks like at this moment, but we're talking about all of next year.