If you're a player on the free agent market, and two teams offer you a similar deal, are you more likely to sign with the team coming off a 67 win season or an 81 win season?

 

I think money is the main determinate regardless, but I think it's plainly obvious that the White Sox are a young team that is about to be pretty scary. If I'm a free agent, I can definitely see playoffs and a possible championship on the horizon with a couple tweaks to this team, most notably bullpen and defense.

I can not stand mediocrity. I know we all went over this topic last season around this time as well, but I would rather this team tank the rest of the way, or dominate the rest of the way. I don't want to see a midround draft pick next June.

 

At some point you have to go through mediocrity on the way to success. Once in a great while you get a worst to first, but usually it is a process.

Intentionally tanking the rest of the way would involve trading away Quintana, Beckham, Ramirez, Viciedo, and quite a few other smaller pieces. That's not going to happen.

 

The guys on the field have pride and want to win every game because they're professionals who have a job to do and it pays them well. This team won't tank, they'll likely end up around 78-82 wins, and the 9th-16th spot in the draft.

 

The Sox have screamed .500 team to me all year long. I see no reason for that to change now.

EDIT: sorry wrong thread.

 

K, real thoughts.

 

If we trade Alexei I really do want to see a haul. To be completely honest, I don't think we have the next shortstop in our organization, and to just force a prospect there because, well, they are there, seems shortsighted. Have any of johnson, semein, davidson FORCED their way to the team?

 

I'd rather hang onto Alexei and see if Tim Anderson can hack it defensively. There are worse things than having a veteran shortstop, like having players who aren't real shortstops play there because you'd prefer a top ten draft pick to a top 15.

Edited June 30, 201411 yr by bmags

EDIT: sorry wrong thread.

 

K, real thoughts.

 

If we trade Alexei I really do want to see a haul. To be completely honest, I don't think we have the next shortstop in our organization, and to just force a prospect there because, well, they are there, seems shortsighted. Have any of johnson, semein, davidson FORCED their way to the team?

 

I'd rather hang onto Alexei and see if Tim Anderson can hack it defensively. There are worse things than having a veteran shortstop, like having players who aren't real shortstops play there because you'd prefer a top ten draft pick to a top 15.

 

Like I have said all along, you are in a situation where you don't HAVE to move anyone. Set ridiculous prices, and see what happens. If you feel like one of these middle IF prospects is the real deal, maybe drop the price a bit for Beckham or Alexei. Even if they don't go, having too many middle IFs isn't a bad thing.

 

The only player that is on his last year, and has any worth at all is Dunn. If you can get something for him, go ahead and do it. If he really wants to come back here next year on a much smaller deal, that can be worked out in the off-season.