Yes. I want the Sox to try to contend next year, not suck again like this year just so they can get another top 5 pick in 2015. I don't want them to sign any of these guys to ridiculous contracts, but I do want them to try to acquire a couple of free agents to make the team competitive again.

 

I know Morneau supposedly hates the Sox, but if they somehow acquired a guy like him to play 1B and got McCann to catch split some time at DH/1B, and they can piece together a bullpen, they can easily be contenders again next year and still be in a position to continue to retool and improve more for 2015.

 

They'll be competitive quicker by not signing these guys next year.

scratch out easily from "can easily be contenders again next year" and I'll agree...IT'S POSSIBLE, but certainly not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination

 

even with "bad" Verlander and closer problems and Peralta-Gate, nobody's going to touch the Tigers again

 

There's still a pretty low ceiling for the offense next year, even with the addition of McCann and Morneau. Once they traded Rios, it signaled to me that 2014 is a rebuilding year as well.

They'll be competitive quicker by not signing these guys next year.

 

So if it was Gillaspie/Keppinger at 3B (if they can't dump Keppinger), Beckham at SS, Semien at 2B, Viciedo/Dunn/Wilkins at 1B, Flowers/Phegley catching....DeAza in LF, Ethier or Upton in CF and Avisail Garcia in RF, that would make them more competitive quicker?

 

HOW?

Edited August 12, 201312 yr by caulfield12

So if it was Gillaspie/Keppinger at 3B (if they can't dump Keppinger), Beckham at SS, Semien at 2B, Viciedo/Dunn/Wilkins at 1B, Flowers/Phegley catching....DeAza in LF, Ethier or Upton in CF and Avisail Garcia in RF, that would make them more competitive quicker?

 

HOW?

 

That's an awful team too.

They'll be competitive quicker by not signing these guys next year.

 

This^ is the major point. The team is bad, and we have no choice but to eat it for a while to rebuild a core. Fortunately, it doesn't look like it's going to take more than a season or two, but if we refuse to suck it up, we're just going to be middling pretenders in the mean time and push the real window out even further.

scratch out easily from "can easily be contenders again next year" and I'll agree...IT'S POSSIBLE, but certainly not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination

 

even with "bad" Verlander and closer problems and Peralta-Gate, nobody's going to touch the Tigers again

 

We had a good nucleus in 05 and didn't do squat ever again. Suddenly the Tigers are going to continue to win the division every year. WTF? Why don't their talented pitchers suddenly suck a year or two? Why doesn't Miggy pull a Pujols? Disappointing that we are the laughing stock of this division. Head to head we struggle against all division teams. Get your act together, White Sox.

As long as Balta is in charge of fundamentals and Josh Phegley improvements in 2014 Spring Training, things will go quite smoothly.

 

It's an EVEN numbered year, after all.

This isn't a star trek movie.

This^ is the major point. The team is bad, and we have no choice but to eat it for a while to rebuild a core. Fortunately, it doesn't look like it's going to take more than a season or two, but if we refuse to suck it up, we're just going to be middling pretenders in the mean time and push the real window out even further.

 

Ding ding ding. I'm starting to glaze over the posts suggesting we sign McCann/Ellsbury/Choo. It's not going to happen. If the Sox chase anyone it will be a tier below the names previously mentioned. They will likely make some inoffensive, smart, feasible, short-term signings on players who have a chance to help and can be flipped at the deadline for something of value. This would expedite the rebuilding process in a sense and possibly add a player or two to the core if they get lucky.

Edited August 12, 201312 yr by DirtySox

I just realized that we officially acquired Garcia.

 

Thanks Astros for not being dicks!

I just realized that we officially acquired Garcia.

 

Thanks Astros for not being dicks!

 

Rotoworld had indicated that he cleared waivers, though really you only have to clear the Astros. Still, when it's not a player who is necessarily going to change the tides of your franchise and there's a trade involved, I think there's a gentleman's agreement to some degree about to just let them pass through. At the end of the day, it comes down to sportsmanship.

Rotoworld had indicated that he cleared waivers, though really you only have to clear the Astros. Still, when it's not a player who is necessarily going to change the tides of your franchise and there's a trade involved, I think there's a gentleman's agreement to some degree about to just let them pass through. At the end of the day, it comes down to sportsmanship.

 

Not to mention maintain a strong business relationship. If you claim him just to be a dick, other GMs will hold that over you when dealing with you in the future.