Jones and probably an FA flyer to compete for the job.

 

Thanks for the info, but this kind of stuff makes me crazy.

 

Why do we need to bring in a veteran? Give the job to Jones and let him run with it. Why waste money on a position that doesn't matter in a year that doesn't matter?

 

Sign a veteran catcher if you must.

 

End of rant.

I see no reason to get a veteran reliever, at least not a RH one, at this point. I'd rather go in with some combination of Jones (who a year-plus in now), Lindstrom (who IS a vet), Webb, Petricka, Rienzo and the low level FA pickups we already made. If some of those flop and by some miracle the team is competing mid-season, they can acquire a reliever having a good year. If not, re-evaluate next offseason.

 

The team DOES need at least one good lefty reliever though, and that may have to be an FA.

 

I think Kenny is still involved and this is exactly what he wanted to do for a few years -- they have talked about how JR had forbade him from doing a rebuild like this.

I disagree in the idea that just because the Sox are not going to compete, they do not need a bullpen. I think it becomes disheartening to lose games especially those that the team should win, because of a crap bullpen. I ma not saying to trade or sign a $10M closer but guys like Lidstrom and Crain are good pieces to have out there. Winning is a good thing even if you are young. Experienced pen guys can also help younger guys figure it out which mostly likely helped Jones and Reed. Crain makes a ton of sense in that regard.

I disagree in the idea that just because the Sox are not going to compete, they do not need a bullpen. I think it becomes disheartening to lose games especially those that the team should win, because of a crap bullpen. I ma not saying to trade or sign a $10M closer but guys like Lidstrom and Crain are good pieces to have out there. Winning is a good thing even if you are young. Experienced pen guys can also help younger guys figure it out which mostly likely helped Jones and Reed. Crain makes a ton of sense in that regard.

If the White Sox were to sign Crain...which young guys would they have in the bullpen?

 

Jones (3rd year)

Belisario (5th year and in his 30's)

Lindstrom

Hypothetical signee

2 lefties

Maybe 1 rookie out of Rienzo, Johnson, Petricka, and Webb.

 

The lefties might still be kids, fine, but if you add another righty it suddenly becomes very hard to have more than 1 kid around.

 

A veteran lefty would make a lot of sense to me unless they have more confidence in Veal/Leesman/SantosRod than I do right now.

Santiago was too erratic to be a "core" guy for my two cents. That could have changed, but just something about those types of pitchers, it seems they usually don't settle into a dependable type pitcher. They turn into Edwin Jackson's and Javy Vazquez's.

 

Edwin and Javy always had stellar peripherals. Santiago is like the opposite of that.

Give me Eric O'Flaherty!!!

 

Didnt he already sign back with the Braves?

If Charlie Leesman is on the MLB roster to start next season I will be livid. That guy does not throw strikes.

 

It's entirely possible he was nervous in his first big league call up and was generally uncomfortable on the mound. He did not exhibit great control in the minors, but it was adequate.

 

Still, I think you'll see the Sox bring in a bunch of other lefties too.

FWIW, Keith Law and Dave Cameron both love this trade for us. Jason Parks does not.

 

Keith Law loving a White Sox trade? *gasp

Also worth throwing out there for those who don't think Rick Hahn is his own man... What part of this last six months has seemed like Kenny Williams at all?

 

The Paulino signing. LOL.

Thank you Rick!!!

 

Was hoping the Sox could grab this guy somehow last week during the winter meetings. Fits right in with the other guys that are under long term control. Simply awesome!

Wow.. This was a great move!! I was skeptical at first but Hahn has really won me over these past 6 months. If he can bring over the catcher of the future next...then I am going to give him a hug at Soxfest.

 

He committed to get younger and he has truly done that w/o giving up Sale or Q. Good work Rick!

Adam Eaton ‏@AdamSpankyEaton 2h

 

Matty D!!! Welcome to The South Side brother. #WhiteSoxNation

 

Adam Eaton ‏@AdamSpankyEaton 2h

 

Don't worry guys. I'll get him on twitter! #SouthSide

Keith Law loving a White Sox trade? *gasp

 

He also really liked the Adam Eaton trade. Despite what this board thinks, Keith Law does not have a vendetta against the White Sox.

Hahn gettin' it done. A lot of new faces on the south side this coming season and we may not be done yet.

 

I'll tell you what. I'm really getting excited about going to spring training!! Hope to do about a week down there.

Edited December 16, 201312 yr by BigEdWalsh

He also really liked the Adam Eaton trade. Despite what this board thinks, Keith Law does not have a vendetta against the White Sox.

His comments on the Eaton trade were closer to a backhanded compliment or him just being woefully unaware.

I feel like Law was more of a Kenny hater than a White Sox hater but I'm sure Wite will correct me on that.

I feel like Law was more of a Kenny hater than a White Sox hater but I'm sure Wite will correct me on that.

 

Trust me, I was a huge KW supporter at the time, but can you really blame Law in retrospect? The World Series was amazing, but from '06-'11 Kenny put this franchise in a pretty bad state for what amounted to 0 playoff series wins. Kenny had some pretty horrible moves in that stretch.

The Sox are trading all their high character guys this off season

 

Good return though, very surprising.

 

What is Kevin Towers doing??

The Sox are trading all their high character guys this off season

 

Good return though, very surprising.

 

What is Kevin Towers doing??

 

I agree. Trumbo really doesn't fit them...and he decides not to make a move and hold onto his specs last year at deadline. Who knows. All I can say I'm incredibly stoked about the addition of Eaton and Davidson!!!

Rob Neyer is one guy who doesn't like the trade for the SOX. Just dogged Davidson, basically only considering him a 1B, which makes no sense with Abreu - who he didn't mention.

Trust me, I was a huge KW supporter at the time, but can you really blame Law in retrospect? The World Series was amazing, but from '06-'11 Kenny put this franchise in a pretty bad state for what amounted to 0 playoff series wins. Kenny had some pretty horrible moves in that stretch.

I feel like the problem with Law was he basically always said Kenny's moves were bad, and so when he nailed a team or two in the middle of the decade laws critiques missed, but when Kenny's success rate dropped below 50% late in his term suddenly Laws rate on Whire Sox Evans got better. If there's a 50 50 shot and you almost always say "terrible move", for a while anyone will look bad and anyone will look good.

Rob Neyer is one guy who doesn't like the trade for the SOX. Just dogged Davidson, basically only considering him a 1B, which makes no sense with Abreu - who he didn't mention.

If his bat plays well enough he could be a 1b, he will get several years to improve at 3b and we won't be terrifically mad if we have to move him. He's here to hit, put Alexei Ramirez next to him for a couple years and let Alexwi cover the ground while he's learning.

 

Semien and Davidson might be a pretty poor defensive left side though if it winds up that way.

No reason to think Semien will be a bad defender

The Sox are trading all their high character guys this off season

 

Good return though, very surprising.

 

What is Kevin Towers doing??

He's trying to win now without sabotaging himself long term with FA contracts. I don't know whether they have a win now roster, but if the think they do, they're filling holes with solid, established MLB guys.

 

They're exactly the type of team the white sox should be taking advantage of right now. For the past decade we've been the team on the other side of that deal, trying to put a winner out there right now without signing a big money FA