The other thing that sucks is while Baltimore's not in the Central, a lot of experts were picking them 4th or 5th in the AL East even with Chris Davis.

 

Basically, the competition just got even more fierce for the wild card spots.

 

Other than Oakland, Minnesota (maybe), the Rays (maybe), Angels and Mariners, it's quite difficult to find the bottom team in the AL. It's amazing that it very could well be LA despite having the best player in baseball and only being $20-25 million away from the luxury tax threshold.

The only silver lining I can find with this is that he isn't going back to the Cubs, thus making them weaker.

The only silver lining I can find with this is that he isn't going back to the Cubs, thus making them weaker.

 

Unless Soler puts it all together with a one year reprieve...or Baez steps into Soler's spot and lights it up.

 

On paper, Fowler's the more reliable/predictable option but Soler hitting 7th with little or no pressure might help him to relax. Not to mention the Cubs would have more financial flexibility at the trade deadline.

 

Just depends on Heyward and how well he can handle CF with two defensive liabilities flanking him.

Edited February 18, 201610 yr by caulfield12

The only silver lining I can find with this is that he isn't going back to the Cubs, thus making them weaker.

 

 

Why do you care about that? Him leaving actually helps them. They get their 2nd round pick back and receive a bigger bonus pool.

draft picks or not, the point is to finish this job of fixing this team.

 

the statement of the owners want another WS ..... at what point is the value of that statement, unless it is about "as long as it in the the sox budget"

 

 

It's not the owners. They could sign Fowler if they wanted to. Rick Hahn would rather have 3 top 50 draft picks and $9 million to spread around the draft. You can think that's a dumb decision but it's not a budget question in this case.

Good. Glad we didn't get him.

It looks like Avi will be patrolling RF this year.

It looks like Avi will be patrolling RF this year.

There's still Jackson, and apparently we're looking to trade for an OF

I really think they should just go back to the Dodgers about an Ethier trade and platoon him with Avi. Even that would be a big upgrade for this team. Lineups against LHP and RHP:

 

LHP

 

CF Eaton

LF Melky

1B Abreu

3B Frazier

DH Lawrie

RF Avi

C Navarro

SS Saladino

2B Sanchez

 

RHP

 

CF Eaton

LF Melky

1B Abreu

3B Frazier

RF Ethier

DH LaRoche

2B Lawrie

C Avila

SS Saladino

Edited February 18, 201610 yr by Dunt

It looks like Avi will be patrolling RF this year.

 

He had better improve his play. We only have 2 years left of that "3 year window".

I think some of you are getting a little too upset over not signing Fowler. Other than his OBP he is not that good. His defense is okay but it's not as substantially better than Avi's as you are pretending it is. He was decent last year but for the majority of his career he has been pretty bad. In 2014 he had a far worse year defensively than Avi did last year. He had a whopping -20 DRS in just 959 innings and a UZR/150 of -36.2. By comparison Avi had -11 DRS in 1124 innings and a UZR/150 of -6.9.

 

I think Avi still has a chance to put it all together and I would rather roll the dice with and save the $10 million or so per year and the draft pick. Dexter Fowler is not going to be the difference between this team making and missing the postseason.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles...213-column.html

 

Basically, the Orioles are/were in the same situation the White Sox are in...although the key difference is they have the best record in the AL over the past four years.

 

By bringing back Davis, Wieters, O'Day and now looking to add two more big pieces in addition to Trumbo and Kim...they're also sending a huge signal to Machado in terms of signing him to a huge extension.

 

Payroll for the O's would be around $150 million, pretty close to where the White Sox would have been adding Fowler and Desmond.

Why do you care about that? Him leaving actually helps them. They get their 2nd round pick back and receive a bigger bonus pool.

 

I was hoping they'd trade Soler and bring back Fowler. Soler is the x factor for them in my opinion, as he has the potential to become a dominant offensive force for them in the 6 spot.

Some reports out that Fowler is seeking 3/45

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles...0217-story.html

There's still Jackson, and apparently we're looking to trade for an OF

They have been saying this for like two months now. I highly doubt something happens before ST or even the regular season. And Jackson is a serviceable OF, but not a game changer. I'm not sad about Fowler going to the O's because I feel he is above average and serviceable but not a game changer. The White Sox need another power hitter in the lineup OR somebody with a very high OBP to help balance the lineup. I like Fowler's OBP, but it wasn't worth losing a 1st round pick over IMO.

 

Who is available via trade? It looks like the market has dried up. Hence my concern with another full season of Avi out in RF botching routine pop ups.

Edited February 18, 201610 yr by GreatScott82

Who is available via trade? It looks like the market has dried up. Hence my concern with another full season of Avi out in RF botching routine pop ups.

 

And that they have no serviceable replacement for him if he gets hurt again.

I really dont think this is the back breaker that people are thinking it is. Do i want Avi in right this season? No, not really. But I dont really feel like Fowler is the glue

 

I do think the team is incomplete, but I dont think they are done.

I really think they should just go back to the Dodgers about an Ethier trade and platoon him with Avi. Even that would be a big upgrade for this team.

 

The Dodgers need him as insurance for Puig, Pederson and Crawford. He was their best all-around outfielder the second half of the season.

 

Plus, he's very expensive...and aging. Too much to pay for a platoon bat.

I was hoping they'd trade Soler and bring back Fowler. Soler is the x factor for them in my opinion, as he has the potential to become a dominant offensive force for them in the 6 spot.

 

They might be better off with him hitting 7th ahead of Russell and after Montero.

 

Take all the pressure off and let him relax.

I really dont think this is the back breaker that people are thinking it is. Do i want Avi in right this season? No, not really. But I dont really feel like Fowler is the glue

 

I do think the team is incomplete, but I dont think they are done.

 

This.

 

I'm shocked at the negative reaction to this.

The Dodgers need him as insurance for Puig, Pederson and Crawford. He was their best all-around outfielder the second half of the season.

 

Plus, he's very expensive...and aging. Too much to pay for a platoon bat.

 

They have insurance in the 10 other outfielders they currently have

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles...213-column.html

 

Basically, the Orioles are/were in the same situation the White Sox are in...although the key difference is they have the best record in the AL over the past four years.

 

By bringing back Davis, Wieters, O'Day and now looking to add two more big pieces in addition to Trumbo and Kim...they're also sending a huge signal to Machado in terms of signing him to a huge extension.

 

Payroll for the O's would be around $150 million, pretty close to where the White Sox would have been adding Fowler and Desmond.

 

 

Their pitching blows though and their system is bad.

The Dodgers need him as insurance for Puig, Pederson and Crawford. He was their best all-around outfielder the second half of the season.

 

Plus, he's very expensive...and aging. Too much to pay for a platoon bat.

 

They don't need Ethier. The Dodgers also have Thompson, Van Slyke, and Hernandez out there.

 

One of them has to go.

 

I wonder what the asking price for Puig is.

Edited February 18, 201610 yr by SoxPride18

They don't need Ethier. The Dodgers also have Thompson, Van Slyke, and Hernandez out there.

 

One of them has to go.

 

I wonder what the asking price for Puig is.

 

Would you trust those three if you're Friedman?

 

Probably more than Avi, but how likely are the Dodgers to subsidize his salary and create a parallel hole at the same time?

 

Better to eat even more of Crawford's deal, probably.

Edited February 18, 201610 yr by caulfield12

This.

 

I'm shocked at the negative reaction to this.

 

 

Probably for the fact some just really want a move for an OF'er to be made. All off season we have been linked to every OF'er on the market. They all have signed elsewhere. At 1 point no one wanted Fowler but the fact he was the last one left makes it sting to some more. I didn't want him but he would have been a nice corner defender that gets on base at a high clip. He would fit nicely. I do hope we sign someone but I for one am not upset with losing out on the Fowler race. (Well reportedly losing out on the Fowler race).