John Danks is the 7th worst contract in baseball

[The Ultimate Champion]

If you remade that list as the worst deals with the best chances of turning around, then Danks would rank highly in a good way IMO. Hahn said he thinks Danks learned to be more of a pitcher last year and said he was looking forward to Danks' season because even if he's not 100% back to form, the things Danks learned last year should help him collect results regardless.

[spiderman]

Even if John Danks never rebounds from his shoulder surgery and continues to be just a pedestrian talent, I would argue that every off-season, with free agency, there are probably 2-3 guys signed to huge, ridiculous money that teams willl regret almost immediately and at dollars that will dwarf John Danks. My guess is that Danks may be servicable at best - maybe a #3 or #4 starter, but certainly not worth his deal so it's obviously a bad contract for the White Sox, but is Robinson Cano at 30 years or so, with probably 3-4 good years remaining, a contract Seatlle will look back at as being worth it if he's bad for the majority of his deal making twice as much as Danks?

[LittleHurt05]

Contraditions aside, name any players out there who are worth say 14 million dollars a year over three, four or five years? How many more of these contracts are we going to see when after one year of the multi year deal teams are clamoring to get rid of said players? And yes, as long as teams are paying out the wazoo, I figure my team might as well get in on the fray. Now would I prefer all teams to stop this nonsense en masse? Of course.

 

As far as Mark, if you've got to pay somebody exorbitant money, it might as well be him because I stand by my statement he's a player and he's a coach. He's a GREAT EXAMPLE for all young pitchers and might teach them a thing or two about avoiding the DL (Sale? Nate?).

 

Anytime you can pay a coach $37 million for two seasons, you have to do it right? And teams waste too much time studying pitch counts and inning limits or talking to doctors, the key to injury prevention is listening to Mark Buehrle.

[JohnCangelosi]

I've heard from multiple sources that historically, players that have undergone Tommy John surgery have performed much better in their second year back. I'm hoping this is the case, cuz John Danks is the s***

Except Danks didn't have TJ surgery. It was surgery on his shoulder, not elbow. He should be 100% recovered this year one would hope, however.

[Swingandalongonetoleft]

The thing is, if he pitches anywhere close to pre-injury John Danks, that deal is a steal.

 

In other words, "bad contracts" realistically can't be avoided.

[Balta1701]

In other words, "bad contracts" realistically can't be avoided.

They can...if you're willing to not be competitive for several years.

[southsider2k5]

They can...if you're willing to not be competitive for several years.

 

and not keep any players you develop.

[Feeky Magee]

Does anyone know what the rebound rates are for the type of surgery Danks had? With TJ, it's supposed to be one rebound year after your time out, is this similar?

[Balta1701]

Does anyone know what the rebound rates are for the type of surgery Danks had? With TJ, it's supposed to be one rebound year after your time out, is this similar?

No, because literally only like 1-2 pitchers have had this surgery before and 0 have done so at Danks's age.

[ptatc]

No, because literally only like 1-2 pitchers have had this surgery before and 0 have done so at Danks's age.

Pretty much. Although there were some positive results last year with his increased endurance and not needing to miss time due to "soreness" It's a good sign that the surgeon tightened up the capsule enough to create stability but not enough to limit motion and create imbalances.

It will be interesting to see if his fastball is back. The capsule may be too tight to allow the motion for it. It may need more time to stretch out if this is the case.

[Eminor3rd]

Does anyone know what the rebound rates are for the type of surgery Danks had? With TJ, it's supposed to be one rebound year after your time out, is this similar?

 

Elbows are very fixable, usually. Shoulders tend to be major, career-ending problems.

[kitekrazy]

In other words, "bad contracts" realistically can't be avoided.

 

Not as long as you believe a players union really has power.

 

[ScottyDo]

Not as long as you believe a players union really has power.

Jayson Werth did not get 7/$126M because of the players union.

[peppers312]

one thing i cannot stand about baseball writers is that they will nit-pick ANYTHING to get some content. Danks was a VERY solid pitcher from 2008-2010 for the White Sox. sure, the White Sox are on the hook for a HUGE amount of money that could have been spent elsewhere but, like someone else said, if he can come close to the pitcher he was the value of this contract might not be all that bad in the end. he sounded optimistic in the ESPN article over the weekend, so i'm going to be as well. his velocity was WAY down last year, but he was ahead in the count a lot of the time, he just had to force pitches and couldn't really close the door on guys like he had in the past. i think if he can gain some of that velocity maybe we'll see the Johnny Danks that helped this team get to the playoffs in 2008.

[southsider2k5]

Danks feels healthy for the first time since 2012.

 

http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/danks-...first-time-2012

[bmags]

Spring Training Everyone Is Awesome Article

 

http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/danks-...first-time-2012

 

FIFY

[Steve9347]

FIFY

[ILMOU]

 

Yeah, it's nothing but sunshine and lollipops til the 31st.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Stan Bahnsen

[southsider2k5]

FIFY

 

Speaking of meme's that could die...

[ILMOU]

Spring training performance is generally completely worthless, but...

 

it would be good to hear positive reports and numbers that reflect an increase in velocity from Danks today.

[Whitey]

Spring training performance is generally completely worthless, but...

 

it would be good to hear positive reports and numbers that reflect an increase in velocity from Danks today.

 

From the Sun Times:

 

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Three scoreless innings for John Danks look nice in the box score, but the White Sox left-hander was especially pleased with how most everything looked in his first Cactus League start Thursday.

 

Danks allowed one hit and two walks and struck out two Mariners. He used all four of his pitches, touched 90-91 mph with his two-seam fastball and threw it “without humping it up there.’’

 

In other words, free and easy.

 

“I don’t know what the [velocity] numbers were, but I was able to change speeds with four pitches,’’ Danks said. “The curveball is always a tough pitch out here [in dry Arizona air]; I had trouble getting it over the plate. I was real pleased with the cutter, the fastball had some life on it and the changeup was where it’s always been.’’

 

Danks had shoulder surgery in August 2012. His 2013 season is essentially viewed as a recovery year, and he is feeling more like his old self this spring, which is encouraging for a rotation that needs an effective 200-inning pitcher to go with Chris Sale and Jose Quintana.

 

“[Pitching coach Don Cooper] and I have talked about that,’’ Danks said. “I welcome the challenge of being a seven-plus-inning guy night in, night out, pitching 200-plus innings and giving us a chance to win. You’re only as good as your pitching [as a team], and I’m kind of the swingman, I guess. I welcome that. I’m expecting a good year. I’m going to work hard at it, and I feel like I’m where I need to be at this point.’’

 

Danks said the biggest difference for him this spring is command of his cutter.

 

“We actually worked on throwing it to both sides of the plate, and that was effective,’’ he said. “It was around the zone, had a sharp break on it. That’s where I expected to be. Keep on improving, but I’m pleased with how it was so far.’’

 

For all of the talk about Danks’ fastball being down a tick or two last season, the improving life in his arm means just as much to his cutter.

 

“It’s just strengthening, being able to get my arm where it needs to be and have enough behind [the cutter] to spin it right and make it move,’’ Danks said. “Last year, I had trouble spinning it, and it was backing up on me and getting hit. This year, I’m able to drive the ball where I want, and that was proved by being able to throw it to both sides of the plate with the sharp break on it.’’

 

Because he’s a year and a half removed from shoulder surgery, Danks’ velocity has become something of a talking point. Even he admits to jumping out of his shoes every now and then to record a speed-gun reading that looks better on his man card.

 

He didn’t Thursday. Besides, it does him no good. Cooper knows that Danks was a 90-92 mph guy before surgery, and he said a little less velocity had little or nothing to do with his career-high rate of home runs allowed and that 4.75 ERA.

 

Danks said it always comes down to “throwing the ball where you’re trying to throw it,’’ and he had problems there.

 

“Three-quarters of my homers last year were balls I was trying to throw away that cut back or was trying to get in and didn’t get in far enough — and obviously were up,’’ Danks said.

 

Danks might be feeling stronger, but Cooper is still “proceeding without being worried about John’s velocity.’’

 

“It’s going to be what it’s going to be,’’ Cooper said. ‘‘If he gets it back, great, but he still has to locate. You’ve still got to be able to pitch, change speeds and locate.’’

[southsider2k5]

That is really good news. Danks big problem last year was he had no speed differential on his stuff last years. Hitters could just sit in the middle and easily adjust to up or down. If he has some slack to his change, it makes his fastball much harder to hit. If John Danks is even 2011 John Danks, let alone 2008 to 2010, this team is a LOT better instantly. If we get back Retro-Danks, we gain a Tanaka-level without paying anywhere near that price.

[ptatc]

That is really good news. Danks big problem last year was he had no speed differential on his stuff last years. Hitters could just sit in the middle and easily adjust to up or down. If he has some slack to his change, it makes his fastball much harder to hit. If John Danks is even 2011 John Danks, let alone 2008 to 2010, this team is a LOT better instantly. If we get back Retro-Danks, we gain a Tanaka-level without paying anywhere near that price.

That's part of it. However, like he said in the article I think it was more that he couldn't generate the spin on the cutter to get it what he wanted it to do consistently. I'm not sure if it was arm speed or learning his "new shoulder." If he gets that back, he will be fine.

[southsider2k5]

Scott Merkin ‏@scottmerkin 32m

 

General consensus from scouts on John Danks: Better than expected, and that's a good thing

[LittleHurt05]

Scott Merkin ‏@scottmerkin 32m General consensus from scouts on John Danks: Better than expected, and that's a good thing

 

Obviously the regular season hasn't started yet, but I have felt like Danks has been so quickly written off due to this one injury. He is just turning 29, I still don't see why he can't live up to most of his contract value.