GreenSox

QUOTE (Sockin @ Oct 7, 2016 -> 05:00 PM) Buried in Heyman's notes from today is the Sox have offered an extension to Cooper. http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/inside-ba...b-playoff-teams Well of course they have.

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Oct 7, 2016 -> 03:40 AM) And Castro, as one of the best framing catchers in the baseball, and an average catcher bat, would be a big upgrade. Castro hasn't had an OPS> .700 in 4 seasons. Nothing average about his bat. Should have kept Flowers if that's the road the Sox are considering (and I certainly hope it isn't-good catchers who can hit are rare and way overpriced; but no reason to pay premium for one who can't hit).

I think Hahn is definitely going to "go for it". At this point, not only do I think Hahn will "go for it", he will drop his earlier proviso of helping the current team "without hurting the future of the organization". As such, I wouldn't be surprised if any player under 25 were dealt. Look for McCutchen....has 2 years left, off of a terrible year, and I believe that the Pirates will peddle him: 3 qualities that attract and are loved by Hahn. They would be far better of identifying young OF and trading for them...but that takes scouting and talent evaluation skills and trade savvy... Thus the zeal for the "proven" player, even though the proven players that Hahn selects consistently underperform. Personally, I would trade Sale to firm up 3 positions.. I think current team and farm could get better with the right moves.

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Oct 4, 2016 -> 09:33 PM) Look at Sox prospects/young players (position players) before Severson got here and after he got here. Guys like Anderson, Thompson. Look at how Eaton has gotten better each year under him and look at the minors and how better position players are doing here. I don't know that Anderson has really improved; he always was a pretty good hitter. His OPS was low .700s. Right now, he walks too little and Ks to much. Of course, I would like to see him become an .800 OPS hitter, not an Alexei hitter. And I think he has the skills to do that. Yea, that Thompson..... Good point on the vets...they are less likely to take to coaching. Anyway, he seems like a decent coach to me.

The org., not the manager, picks the pitching and hitting coaches. Steverson doesn't seem like a bad coach to me. But if they aren't listening to him, whether his fault or not, I suppose they have to look elsewhere.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 3, 2016 -> 11:21 AM) Speaking of Desmond, he basically was Jimmy Rollins in the second half. He would have helped the first half, but his second half collapse would most assuredly not led the Sox to the playoffs, and Robin would be blamed for a choke. It's hard for me to lament not signing Desmond. He was awful in 2015. It was a wish and a prayer that he would turn it around this year. One good half, bad second half. Looks like a guy Hahn will zero in on this offseason. The mistakes were wasting money on Latos, Rollins, Shields, and the 2 catchers (Hahn managed to downgrade from Flowers). Add all that money up and what do you get?

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Oct 3, 2016 -> 12:34 PM) One of the columnists at the Tribune had this to say this morning and it's also a valid point in my opinion: "The onus is now on Hahn, the architect of this mess. And fortunately for Renteria, Hahn will make sure pitching coach for life Don Cooper is calling the shots on the pitching side. Despite fine seasons by Sale and Jose Quintana, the Sox are 14th in the majors in pitching this year, just as they were last year. They were 20th in 2013, and 27th in 2014. Cooper has never been on the hot seat, for reasons unknown. Sox fans deserve better. They've put up with a lot of nonsense the last few years, and no one seems to take responsibility." Mark That was well-said! Rodon was the #3 pick in the draft...he should be effective. The bullpen has been a bunch of nothing outside of Jones and a high priced free agent. As the article said, Cooper is "pitching coach for life" and Hahn certainly won't change that. And then some people point to improvement in the farm. Then we should expect to see at least rankings in the middle teens after 4 years of Rick Hahn's work. The mid 20s are far more likely. And then the Shields trade - terrible overpay even if Shields had been pitching decently; and when Hahn says such a decline in performance is "unprecedented" he showed a complete lack of awareness about reality. Hahn has the degrees, the looks, and he talks intelligently. But the results say that he's woefully over his head as GM.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Oct 2, 2016 -> 02:19 PM) According to MLB sources White Sox Executive VP of BB opts Ken Williams ,is not stepping down from the post.(Some reports had him leaving) https://twitter.com/MLBBruceLevine/status/782660367738699776 Well that's a douse of cold water. If Ventura is it, nothing is changing.

QUOTE (chisoxt @ Oct 1, 2016 -> 08:22 PM) If true then the dominoes will start to fall into place and a rebuild will commence ....I would not be surprised if Sale was the first to go. I'm not sure why that would necessarily mean a rebuild. Maybe JR is fed up with 2/16...or perhaps just time to move on.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 30, 2016 -> 03:55 PM) Do we have to talk about Carlos Sanchez and Leury Garcia all offseason? Probably - because Rick Hahn will probably squander young assets chasing the next proven veteran who looks to be no better than either of those 2.

Maddon helped the Cubs win 6 extra games or so. Savvy trades for Rizzo, Arieta, Hendricks, Russell and a closer nabbed in Rule V were worth a lot more wins. And not a "proven veteran" among them, Kenny Williams.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Sep 29, 2016 -> 03:37 PM) I for one want a scrub down of the front office before this team makes moves and the coaching staff (minus MAYBE Herm Schneider). That makes two of us. It's hard to blame the budget when Hahn had no problem encumbering with the Sox with an albatross Shields contract. And then he squandered about $15 million in now dead money on veterans on their last legs that he and KW so dearly love. Their budget is probably higher than it should be, given the revenue. What the FO needs is some basic competence, if not some real skill.

Unfortunately this would mean that williams and Hahn will be back (a new FO would not retain Ventura). More years of Williams and Hahn clownshows is the real problem.

QUOTE (flavum @ Sep 25, 2016 -> 03:06 PM) It would be so White Sox if they come home and go 7-0 for 81-81. Leave 'em thinking you're close to competing. I think that's what this entire "play the starters basically every game in September" farce has been about. Fluffed up record plus injuries excuse = another chance for great team builders Williams and Hahn.

Excellent job with clinching-prevention while the Sox were in town. Now the Sox step way down in class. Let's see if they can hit .500 with a 9 gamer to close the season.

I know I keep asking the same question, but why isn't Coats getting Sept at bats so the Sox can at least get some feeling about what he has? I would think Rick Hahn has a pretty good read on Avi at this point.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Sep 23, 2016 -> 07:54 AM) You make it sound so easy. Who is available in free agency that is a high power and high obp threat that the Sox can realistically sign? Before answering just remember that 6/$68 million is the biggest contraft they've given out. No it's not easy, but you have to build a team. It takes some time. Hahn and Williams are either incapable or unwilling. Every year it's the same thing out of Rick Hahn....do a bunch of half measures, semi-plug some holes, but really fill nothing. Hahn will do the obvious, but nothing imaginative. The team looks pretty good on paper IF everything goes right. Then we get the Rolodex of Hahn's excuses. How about making a trade...like the one that got Eaton here in the first place. Oh, that's right, Rick Hahn stopped making those trades, preferring the Melkys, Samardzijas and Fraziers. But putting Eaton in CF when he transformed himself in RF is just inane. The excuse is injuries, as if Putnam and Petricka and Jackson are difference-makers. The injuries that really hurt the org. were Davidson and Tilson.

I think all of your stuff is really good. I read every feature story. I don't read all (or most) of the daily recaps just because I like checking the box scores myself. Others probably enjoy them regularly. I too prefer MiLB link- full box scores for both teams and I can check out oppositions. But the again if it's not linked I can just open it myself.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 23, 2016 -> 12:55 PM) Um, talent? How is that not obvious. Yep.

QUOTE (Black_Jack29 @ Sep 22, 2016 -> 03:42 PM) Or get a RF with power and move Eaton back to CF. And then the Sox would have a mediocre CF. Yes Eaton doesn't have ideal RF power but it's his best position ( probably would be good in left too). The gaping HR hole is the easiest to plug- DH. Get a real DH and OBP and defense from CF and the Sox are much better. No reason to downgrade the defense again.

no Bevington was not a better manager than Ventura.

It's also a bullpen that has really 1 7th-9th inning arm (maybe 2); a rotation that has 2 studs and up and down Rodon, a #5 in Gonzalez and is clearly an arm short, and with no depth. What former all-star that another team is trying to dump will Rick and Kenny fall for this offseason?

Just play the bench. It is September...late September. Going through the motions from front office to dugout. And I pitch counts may be meaningless (although I think they do matter) but they also serve no purpose. Why take the chance in meaningless games? The front office apparently had its reasons (as they did nothing to stop them and Ventura has been pitching sale to high counts the last month).

QUOTE (Dunt @ Sep 21, 2016 -> 09:32 AM) Willful ignorance is never a good look. Neither is groupthink. Compare his historical RF defensive numbers to his CF and then get back to me about the concept of "Willful ignorance".

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Sep 21, 2016 -> 08:49 AM) No, not just in right field. Overall. He is on pace for 6-6.2 WAR this season. That is well above All-Star level, borderline MVP caliber. The reason his WAR is 5.7 instead of the usual solid 3.7 is because of his defense....as a right fielder.