I agree. I have no problem starting Saladino at SS and batting him 8/9, as long as we can continue to improve the lineup. Still think our top priority should be a high OBP guy for the top of the lineup.
White Sox 2015 Thread
I agree. I have no problem starting Saladino at SS and batting him 8/9, as long as we can continue to improve the lineup. Still think our top priority should be a high OBP guy for the top of the lineup.
I'm a Cubs fan, but I think that Frazier deal was a great one for you guys.
I think the AL Central is a pretty thin at the top of the division, with all the Royals have lost. If you were to add Justin Upton and his career .352 OBP, that would go a long way towards rounding out your lineup and putting the Sox into a position to compete for the division.
I think the AL Central is a pretty thin at the top of the division, with all the Royals have lost. If you were to add Justin Upton and his career .352 OBP, that would go a long way towards rounding out your lineup and putting the Sox into a position to compete for the division.
Upton would be ideal, but I'll settle for a Gordon or Fowler.
I hate you and your criminally talented team
You know what they say... The sun shines on a dog's !!! once every hundred and eight years. Or something like that.
Illinicpa14
- Chicago
I don't know what to think of the trade overall...
I like the pure player swap (I'm not huge into Thompson and after seeing Micah Johnson in the majors and minors another year, not sure he's going to become anything more than an average player ever).
I just can't help but feel this is the same as every year of going half all-in. Although they are improved, I still don't see them making the playoffs short of having a big surprise 4th or 5th starter or a big resurgence by one of the position players. At this point, I feel like they have to get a Justin Upton or Cespedes or it's just another wasted two years, but committing another 100+ million for those guys also doesn't seem great either.
I like the pure player swap (I'm not huge into Thompson and after seeing Micah Johnson in the majors and minors another year, not sure he's going to become anything more than an average player ever).
I just can't help but feel this is the same as every year of going half all-in. Although they are improved, I still don't see them making the playoffs short of having a big surprise 4th or 5th starter or a big resurgence by one of the position players. At this point, I feel like they have to get a Justin Upton or Cespedes or it's just another wasted two years, but committing another 100+ million for those guys also doesn't seem great either.
I'm excited about Erik Johnson. Great piece on him here:
http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/11/24/erik-johnson-white-sox-pitcher-health
In not so good news, Hahn said some troubling things today on Spiegel & Goff. Said if we want to go after a big FA it would take some creativity with payroll - which is BS. We're just cheap. Even more troubling, he said he's hoping it clicks with Avi, and if not looking at the July trade market. :tsk:
Illinicpa14
- Chicago
Do you (or anyone) on here think any of there decisions this year and moving forward are going to be partially based on the baseball we are competing with for fans on the northside? With them looking like a really good team for the next 5-7 years this team is not going to draw ANYTHING (yeah I know we haven't the last 5 years anyway) without a contending product on the field.
ILL in IA
- Iowa City
I will share my interpretation of some of the Hahn interview and what I think his plan is. Go after it in 2016 and 2017 the way we have done it in the past. Sox have Sale, Q, and Abreu locked up for 4 more years? You have the Toddfather for 2. If this team is not in the hunt by the trade deadline in 2017, it will be a huge fire sale that will look to bring in a ton of young talent. Abreu, Sale, Q, and Frazier would bring back a ton in prospects/young cost controlled MLB ready talent. If this is the plan, I can live with this.
Been away, but I like these recent moves. Just by being adequate, we'll have huge upgrades at both 3B and 2B. Just need to add an OF now. Lots of rumors that the Sox are in on Cespedes. I think that would be an ideal move. I like Upton slightly more, but he'll cost more and I think he'll cost a draft pick. He's not that much better. And I think Cespedes is a better defensive OF.
Given the current hoops season, it's time for me to start thinking about baseball.
Given the current hoops season, it's time for me to start thinking about baseball.
Illinicpa14
- Chicago
Pretty sure none of the free agents will cost us the top draft pick with it being a top 10 protected pick (there's been an article or two about this the last week). I think if they sign any of the big name guys left, they lose the extra pick they got for Samardzija signing elsewhere.
Wouldn't mind them giving a guy like Ian Desmond a 1 year deal to upgrade SS (Desmond can try to recoup some of his value lost this past season) and Sanchez gets another year to refine before likely getting a shot at starting although I've heard nothing that this is even an option.
But that is a draft pick. Coupled with the extra money, it's not worth it IMO.
And I don't like the Desomond idea. I like YOUR idea, but I doubt you can get him for only 1 year. I think we'll go with Saladino at SS, and I'm OK with that. Especially if we can get one extra OF.
Illiniwek06
- N of I-80
Gordon back to the Royals - $72M/4 years. 4 teams chasing 3 OFs.
If we're unwilling to give Gordon 4/72, I doubt we land a big FA outfielder, which is a huge mistake.
In other news, we are now one of only 5 teams in MLB to have not given a $70m contract.
Imagine being Chris Sale in the prime of his career on an insane discount sitting idly as the front office refuses to build a serious contender with the available payroll. It's a damn shame.
In other news, we are now one of only 5 teams in MLB to have not given a $70m contract.
Imagine being Chris Sale in the prime of his career on an insane discount sitting idly as the front office refuses to build a serious contender with the available payroll. It's a damn shame.
This is a great post. If I were Sale, I'd be quite angry. As a fan I'm angry. Rarely do you get a pitcher of his caliber, and to not capitalize on the chance to put him out there in Game 1 of a playoff serious is indefensible.
To make matters worse, Abreu and Quintana are also on very team-friendly contracts. Honestly, with those three producing at the levels they are, for the money they receive, we should be at the top of the league. Of course we have bad contracts to deal with as well, which is a burden given our revenue. However, when you trade youth for Frazier and Lawrie, you need to add at least one more piece so that you reap the value from those trades. There is no honor in finishing 0.500 and out of the playoffs. Either go for it, or build. This half-hearted stuff does not work.
Then again, maybe they'll get Cespedes.
In other news, Griffey and Piazza are in. I'd ask who the idiots are that did not vote for Griffey, but the same could have been said for R. Johnson, and Maddux in past years. There is just no logical excuse to vote against them.
There actually is one this year. There's a fairly significant backlog of players on the ballot and you can only vote for 10 of them. So let say you think 11 of the candidates are HoF worthy. You know Griffey doesn't need your vote to make it in, but maybe your #11 guy needs your vote to stay on the ballot another year. Then you might not vote for Griffey, knowing that he's heading in whether you vote for him or not.
That said, those who didn't vote for Griffey probably didn't put that much thought into it.
Soxfreak64
- Bloomington
Would be big. I'd take him on anything 4 years or less, maybe for 5 too.
Bob Christiansen
- 4th & Chalmers, a few years ago...Now? Weeki Wach
Hi guys, back. Got a time out for a month. Like what's going on with the Sox so far...but definitely more work to be done. Saw I'm some site we're projected to finish second in the central...but not nearly enough Ws to geta WC. You guys see anything like that?
Fangraphs.com's WAR projections have the Sox 2nd in the Central about 5 games behind the Indians. But that's only good for 7th in the Wild Card race.
After re-signing Gordon, the Royals have krept back to a game and a half behind the Sox in these projections.
As wide open as the AL Central appears to be, I'm surprised the Sox aren't making a bigger push.
A WBBM source says we're flirting with the idea of 4 years for Upton and Cespedes, but still unlikely to budge off our witless commitment to 3, which neither of those two will go for.
Illiniwek06
- N of I-80
Alexei to Padres on a one year deal.
http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/former-white-sox-shortstop-alexei-ramirez-headed-padres
http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/former-white-sox-shortstop-alexei-ramirez-headed-padres
What are the White Sox doing? It seems like they've gone halfway towards addressing the problems on the team. Laurie and Frazier fills two of the three holes in the infield and the Avila/Navarro combo at catcher should be a pretty potent one.
If they were to sign two of the three of Ian Desmond, Dexter Fowler/Austin Jackson (basically the same guy), and Pedro Alvarez (all of whom should be available on a one or two year contract for relatively cheap) they'd be a pretty solid team up and down the lineup.
As it is, they look like they're in a bunch with the Royals and Tigers, vying for second behind a not-all-that-great Indians team.
If they were to sign two of the three of Ian Desmond, Dexter Fowler/Austin Jackson (basically the same guy), and Pedro Alvarez (all of whom should be available on a one or two year contract for relatively cheap) they'd be a pretty solid team up and down the lineup.
As it is, they look like they're in a bunch with the Royals and Tigers, vying for second behind a not-all-that-great Indians team.