Paul Konerko Returning to White Sox

[Leonard Zelig]

Because the Sox roster now stands at 40 because of the acquisition of Bellisario the Sox are no longer eligible to make a pick in the rule 5 draft. They would have to clear another roster spot 1st.

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?sh...t&p=2900159

[Texsox]

While I am disagreeing with Balta through much of this thread, I do agree with him that there needs to be a reasonable back-up for basically everyone. It isn't good when a manager is forced to play a guy because there are no other options. And that is the single best reason in my mind why the current roster needs work.

[Rowand44]

Apparently the idea of players breaking down if they don't get adequate rest seems to have eluded you.

Serious question: is there data out there that playing 162 games instead of 150 is going to up your chance of injury during the season?

 

With out knowledge of any actual data I bet the increase of injury is almost 0.

[Balta1701]

Serious question: is there data out there that playing 162 games instead of 150 is going to up your chance of injury during the season?

 

With out knowledge of any actual data I bet the increase of injury is almost 0.

I agree, there's no reason to carry a backup 1b on this roster for Abreu when Dunn can be the emergency fill-in. Abreu should be pushed past 150 games this year.

 

Seriously though, compare the two situations. We're so worried about backups for 1b for some reason that we have 4 different guys on the roster who can backup 1b (5 if you count Flowers). And I think that's a great illustration of why I'm still convinced this takes away a bunch of playing time from Abreu and hurts the roster.

[NorthSideSox72]

I agree, there's no reason to carry a backup 1b on this roster for Abreu when Dunn can be the emergency fill-in. Abreu should be pushed past 150 games this year.

 

Seriously though, compare the two situations. We're so worried about backups for 1b for some reason that we have 4 different guys on the roster who can backup 1b (5 if you count Flowers). And I think that's a great illustration of why I'm still convinced this takes away a bunch of playing time from Abreu and hurts the roster.

No one is worried about backup 1B's. That had zero to do with Konerko signing.

 

[Jake]

PK is backup C, Dunn is fourth OF. Problem solved. Carry 14 pitchers

[witesoxfan]

Backup catcher? Starting catcher. Will also play 3B occasionally too

[NorthSideSox72]

PK is backup C, Dunn is fourth OF. Problem solved. Carry 14 pitchers

I would pay to see a game with Konerko catching and Dunn in center field.

 

[harfman77]

I agree, there's no reason to carry a backup 1b on this roster for Abreu when Dunn can be the emergency fill-in. Abreu should be pushed past 150 games this year.

 

Seriously though, compare the two situations. We're so worried about backups for 1b for some reason that we have 4 different guys on the roster who can backup 1b (5 if you count Flowers). And I think that's a great illustration of why I'm still convinced this takes away a bunch of playing time from Abreu and hurts the roster.

 

For a guy who you are depending on being a long term cornerstone of your franchise, he needs to be handled with kid gloves and eased into everything as accommodates and acclimates. If the Sox push him and ruin him as they are prone to do, that is a big investment wasted. This is not a world series team, no need to push anything, just make sure that we are getting a good foundation for the roster for the next six years.

[ChiSox59]

I agree, there's no reason to carry a backup 1b on this roster for Abreu when Dunn can be the emergency fill-in. Abreu should be pushed past 150 games this year.

 

Seriously though, compare the two situations. We're so worried about backups for 1b for some reason that we have 4 different guys on the roster who can backup 1b (5 if you count Flowers). And I think that's a great illustration of why I'm still convinced this takes away a bunch of playing time from Abreu and hurts the roster.

 

You're still b****ing about this? Doesn't your head hurt?

[Rowand44]

For a guy who you are depending on being a long term cornerstone of your franchise, he needs to be handled with kid gloves and eased into everything as accommodates and acclimates. If the Sox push him and ruin him as they are prone to do, that is a big investment wasted. This is not a world series team, no need to push anything, just make sure that we are getting a good foundation for the roster for the next six years.

He's 26, don't handle him with kid gloves. They're not going to ruin him by playing him a lot. Those players that were "ruined" by the Sox were either guys that aren't good players or because the Sox staff has been incompetent, I don't buy for a second that they were failures because the Sox "rushed" them.

[Balta1701]

You're still b****ing about this? Doesn't your head hurt?

If 95,159+ posts doesn't show that "I let things drop when people stop replying to me", I don't know what does.

[harfman77]

He's 26, don't handle him with kid gloves. They're not going to ruin him by playing him a lot. Those players that were "ruined" by the Sox were either guys that aren't good players or because the Sox staff has been incompetent, I don't buy for a second that they were failures because the Sox "rushed" them.

 

I disagree, the Sox are notorious for rushing their hitting prospects and have very little to show for it. The two homegrown prospects that are on the roster are the two that everyone wants replaced. Buddy Bells "challenge assignment" philosophy has yielded very poor results.

 

They can ruin him if they throw him out there and he is overmatched, ease him into it and let him experience success, build his confidence and let him thrive. Bringing him along slowly will not affect the teams playoff chances next season, but may every season after that.

[Chicago White Sox]

I disagree, the Sox are notorious for rushing their hitting prospects and have very little to show for it. The two homegrown prospects that are on the roster are the two that everyone wants replaced. Buddy Bells "challenge assignment" philosophy has yielded very poor results.

 

They can ruin him if they throw him out there and he is overmatched, ease him into it and let him experience success, build his confidence and let him thrive. Bringing him along slowly will not affect the teams playoff chances next season, but may every season after that.

This isn't your typical rookie, he's a 26 year old that's faced major league pitching in the WBC and has had success. I'm fine with him getting the occasional day off to clear his mind if he's in a slump or something, but otherwise he should be starting 150 games between 1B & DH. If he needs to make adjustments, then getting a lot of at-bats and getting them consistently is exactly what he'll need to speed up his development.

[Vance Law]

Abreu should be pushed past 150 games this year.

 

But Alexei will suffer a certain injury if he continues to play 156 games or more like he has the past four years?? That is the sum total of your argument for why signing Konerko is somehow the worst thing ever. It would be foolish to not waste a roster spot on a backup shortstop who will not play at all is your argument. A backup shortstop who doesn't play is more valuable than a platooner who'll perhaps start 40 or 50 games. As support for this you've offered no reasonable quantitative projections/estimates/analysis because there is none.

 

The White Sox signing Konerko as their 25th man will be a low-cost marginal upgrade on their DH situation (if nothing further happens). The overreactions to this non-event are beyond silly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Balta1701]

The White Sox signing Konerko as their 25th man will be a low-cost marginal upgrade on their DH situation (if nothing further happens)

And a marginal downgrade on their bench/roster.

[claydude14]

When I first heard about this, I was all <_>

 

After reading all 37 pages (over the past 3 days at my own pace) I was doing a lot of this

 

I've settled in at

 

I don't mind a bench of Keps/Garcia/Backup C/Konerko.

 

I didn't get to see Konerko at my "I only visit the Cell when they are terrible" visit last summer (2007, 2013 being my Chicago experiences; have been to Cleveland/Toronto/Boston/NY/Detroit due to my location), so since I get the chance to see him in Toronto or Cleveland next year I'm actually

 

I don't think this move hurts as much as some people hate it, like it's been said, we are upgrading the DH spot. If somehow the White Sox are somehow contending for a Wild Card by the trade deadline, I'm sure a few minor tweaks will be made. Cleveland made the Wild Card last year, and I wasn't terribly impressed with that team. Contenders as I see it divisionally/Wild Cardly: The whole AL East (but they have to all play eachother 18 games), Detroit/KC/maybe Cleveland/maybe us(if it's a 2012 season where everything goes right), Texas/Oakland/Seattle/LAA in the same boat as us and Cleveland with a solid maybe. Sure that's a lot of teams in the fray (I apparently only count out Houston and Minnesota), but if everyone beats up on everyone, who knows. I'm an optimist. Time for more drinks

[Dick Allen]

But Alexei will suffer a certain injury if he continues to play 156 games or more like he has the past four years?? That is the sum total of your argument for why signing Konerko is somehow the worst thing ever. It would be foolish to not waste a roster spot on a backup shortstop who will not play at all is your argument. A backup shortstop who doesn't play is more valuable than a platooner who'll perhaps start 40 or 50 games. As support for this you've offered no reasonable quantitative projections/estimates/analysis because there is none.

 

The White Sox signing Konerko as their 25th man will be a low-cost marginal upgrade on their DH situation (if nothing further happens). The overreactions to this non-event are beyond silly.

Exactly. I don't even know how anyone can conclude it downgrades a bench that featured Angel Sanchez, Blake Tekotte and Tyler Greene. White Sox pinch hitters hit .177 with 3 RBI in 2013.

 

I also don't understand how anyone can conclude the White Sox won't have another guy who can play SS on the roster.

[Vance Law]

And a marginal downgrade on their bench/roster.

 

So add up the two things and see what you come up with. Assign a value to Konerko taking those at bats from Dunn. Assign a value to a backup SS who starts 5 games. Subtract B from A. If the result is not somehow a big negative, then the overreaction on this board has been, as I said, beyond silly.

 

 

[Heads22]

When I first heard about this, I was all <_>

 

After reading all 37 pages (over the past 3 days at my own pace) I was doing a lot of this

 

I've settled in at

 

I don't mind a bench of Keps/Garcia/Backup C/Konerko.

 

I didn't get to see Konerko at my "I only visit the Cell when they are terrible" visit last summer (2007, 2013 being my Chicago experiences; have been to Cleveland/Toronto/Boston/NY/Detroit due to my location), so since I get the chance to see him in Toronto or Cleveland next year I'm actually

 

I don't think this move hurts as much as some people hate it, like it's been said, we are upgrading the DH spot. If somehow the White Sox are somehow contending for a Wild Card by the trade deadline, I'm sure a few minor tweaks will be made. Cleveland made the Wild Card last year, and I wasn't terribly impressed with that team. Contenders as I see it divisionally/Wild Cardly: The whole AL East (but they have to all play eachother 18 games), Detroit/KC/maybe Cleveland/maybe us(if it's a 2012 season where everything goes right), Texas/Oakland/Seattle/LAA in the same boat as us and Cleveland with a solid maybe. Sure that's a lot of teams in the fray (I apparently only count out Houston and Minnesota), but if everyone beats up on everyone, who knows. I'm an optimist. Time for more drinks

 

Uhh, Avisail isn't coming off the bench.

[southsider2k5]

Uhh, Avisail isn't coming off the bench.

 

I am sure he is talking about Leury.

[Heads22]

I am sure he is talking about Leury.

 

Whoops

[claydude14]

Yep Leury you owe a Konerko thread drink :

 

Man now I'm thinking about a drinking game for this thread but it'd be too easy we'd all get too drunk and by this page we'd all somehow agree with Greg and talk ourselves into Kong somehow being the 1B starter lol

Edited December 7, 2013 by ROC Sox Fan

[Texsox]

 

Who is being marketed?