GreenSox

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 17, 2016 -> 10:04 AM) Show me how many #26 overall draft picks contributed more than a decent relief pitcher the last 24 years. Nate Jones is about a half a season away from matching all of their WAR totals combined. But keep thinking they should have drafted a first ballot HOFer there. Besides, relievers values are only going higher. The point is that you don't draft CEILING relief pitchers in the first round. You hope for better...some will work out and others won't. I they don't work out as starters then they can be reliever. Your logic would field a 60 win team...let's use our first round picks for guys were confident can be relievers and utility infielders...whoopee! What the Sox lack are impact players. These players must usually be drafted or signed internationally. Williams and Hahn have done a particularly poor job at org building. And let's be honest. Burdi was drafted to help the pen THIS year; Now that even Williams, Hahn and their Ouiji Board have to realize the Sox aren't in it, it's time to develop him as a starter.

If Williams/Hahn insist on drafting players in the first round to fill relief roles, I have no problem starting the clock. But poor organizational building, including stuff such as this, is why the Sox are where they are organizationally and with the major league team: hopelessly non-competitive when trying to win.

Todd Frazier is a joke. the bad Dunn with a glove.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 12, 2016 -> 06:49 PM) Might start seeing a little more Narvaez. Don't know why we haven't been already.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Aug 8, 2016 -> 04:32 PM) Word is that the Pirates may look at moving McCutcheon in a salary dump over the winter. The Sox don't have a lot in the tank as far as prospects go, but could move Burdi and Fulmer for him. For one year of McCutheon who is having a bad year? 2 first round draft choices is not a "salary dump"

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Aug 11, 2016 -> 08:27 PM) Maybe not, but spending big money on a mediocre player in Reddick or a old dh in Encarnacion doesn't excite me with everything that is coming off the books after 2017. Oh lord, now they're going to accuse me of posting under two names.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 11, 2016 -> 02:14 PM) If he truly does possess three plus pitches, why wouldn't they at least attempt to turn him into a starter? Instead, they will rush him to the big leagues to replace Robertson for yet another supposed "all in" year? Logical. Great question. And I suspect the answer is because the Sox have a desperate GM who truly is ending year 2 of his 3 year window and doesn't have the 2 years it will take to turn him into a ML starter.

Is it true that he was waived and claimed (but Sox pulled him back)?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 10, 2016 -> 07:18 PM) Four of last five save opportunities blown (by the bullpen overall)...now leading the entire AL with 21 blown saves. Bring on Burdi. At the very least, DFA Albers and let Kahnle, Ynoa and Turner give it a try. Ranaudo too, why not... I liked Ranaudo's start. Like to see more. Agree there's no point in keeping Albers around. They gave Turner a try last night...I'll say this, Turner's still not a good reliever -yet- but he's massively improved from where he was as a starter. They are keeping Robertson around because he's still their 2nd to best reliever. But I would let him go for free on waivers and invest the savings elsewhere next year.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 10, 2016 -> 07:15 PM) The return for Lawrie will give you the equivalent of a Hellickson or Miguel Gonzalez. At any rate, he's not worth any more now than a year ago. And the only reason to do that is if you're supremely confident in Saladino being an everyday 2b. At least as confident as I am in Lawrie, which admittedly, isn't supreme. Saladino can play more positions. He's a better player, imo. I'll take a year of the way Hellickson has pitched this year for a year of Lawrie. Give me Sale, Q and 3 Hellickson's and that rotation is fine.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Aug 10, 2016 -> 07:06 PM) Why in earth would you get rid of Lawrie? Let alone for a rental #4? Why not? He's an average player and Saladino's just as good. Lawrie is a rent himself. Trade from excess.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 10, 2016 -> 01:46 PM) That's not correct. Steverson came from Oakland. He emphasizes good ABs and getting on base. It hasn't translated because you need hitters that have good ABs and get on base. I think that covers it.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Aug 10, 2016 -> 06:19 PM) You do know that the 3 year thing was nonsense, right? Doesn't really need to be mentioned anymore I think the Sox are actually honoring it. One more go in 2017 (which would be year 3). They've got 3 significant expiring contracts in 2017: Lawrie, Frazier, Melky. If it doesn't work, they get dumped in July. They key will be finding a C, CF, SP and another hitter without the encumbrance of a long-term contract or, hopefully, dumping prospects. Can probably get a C, maybe a hitter (that's why I suggested Puig).

Here's my quick fix. Get Puig out of the Dodgers. The price should be cheap, but a lot of teams will think it's cheap, which may make it fairly expensive. Sign Jason Castro to a 1 year contract. Trade Lawrie for like a #4 rent-a- starter. Saladino's just as good, if not better. Re-sign Morneau. Pray that Fulmer and Buri can be effective bullpen pitchers. Not sure what to about CF. Need more pop than Jackson.

2 declining veterans and a 4 year contract for a 34 year old. Sheesh Probably 25 teams can take their best case scenario, add 3 veterans and think "We could contend" But they can't. There are no quick fixes anymore. The game has changed. You either acquire and develop young talent or you don't.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Aug 9, 2016 -> 09:29 PM) That's really tough to do in the year they are drafted especially for a guy who was in the pen in college. He may follow the sale path where they think his stuff is good enough to get MLB hitters out now but he just needs to get stretched out in the off season over the next couple of years. If that's what they're doing, then fantastic. If he's as advanced as Sale was and can move into the rotation after some time in the pen, then Hahn made the pick of the year. But if he used a pick the top 26 pick for a bullpen pitcher, then Hahn completely botched this entire situation of having 3 top 40 picks. I'm still not sure of the point of rushing him up, except that that's what Rick Hahn does. It really is feeling like 2017 is Hahn's last stand, and there will be carnage in terms of Sox assets if it doesn't work (and even if it does).

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ Aug 10, 2016 -> 08:50 AM) I'm thinking he will be traded before the end of the year. In the offseason, they'll have to outbid the competition which usually doesn't turn out too well. That's obviously what they should do. He's the best hitter on the team, by a wide margin.

I realize that Rick Hahn reached for Burdi to put in this year's pen, but even Rick Hahn has to admit that the season is over. He's a top 30 pick; you don't use that on relief pitchers, first try. Work him to start. I suppose Rick Hahn is getting him ready for next season's pen so he can howl at the moon and "go for it" again. A top 30 pick for the bullpen.

Twins have more young talent than the Sox do...and have a much better record since mid-may as well. They took a step back this year; but they'll be better next year.

QUOTE (Buehrlesque @ Aug 7, 2016 -> 04:48 PM) I never understood this line of thinking. First off, it overvalues one comp pick, and is inconsistent with the other go-for-it moves. But in any case, signing players to one-year deals, which both Desmond and Fowler settled for, means you can just extend the QO next year and get the pick right back. If you believed these players were going to be good, which the Sox obviously did since they pursued them, it's a simple case of deferring the draft pick one year. How could that possibly have been more important? And you still have #10 and #49. I can see the argument that the risk is too great if you're giving up your only first rounder. But the Sox were perfectly set up to take advantage of the market, and unequivocally failed. Deferral makes sense in win-now mode anyway. As it is, Sox used the comp pick primarily to help the current roster (although it didn't work out that way). Sox front office has no finesse...they don't understand value or markets.

I'd like to see what the Sox scouting reports said re his 10 run debacle in Seattle. I mean Rick Hahn did have his scouts actually watching him pitch, didn't he? Another Hahn effort that sets the organization back....and he overpaid, as always, even if Shields pitched okay. JR has eaten the following Rick Hahn contracts: Latos, Keppinger, Rollins, Bonifacio and now it will have to be Shields. He also at KW's Danks contract. Hard to criticize JR. But it's also hard to see how he doesn't address the mess his VP and GM have created.

QUOTE (TheFutureIsNear @ Aug 7, 2016 -> 12:24 PM) Now see THIS would be a post to jump down someone's throat for, not mine. If Timmy has Alexei's career, but a few years longer of prime because of age, I would consider Anderson wildly successful. He actually has a lot of developing to do before I would feel comfortable projecting him as good as Alexei was....both offensively and defensively. Alexei was no worse than a top 6/7 SS in all of baseball from '08-'14. We should all be crossing our fingers Anderson turns into Ramirez actually. Yea, I fail to properly venerate Alexei Ramirez. Yea yea. Heck half this board wanted him back this season for $10 million. Alexei was not good on offense. He made one all star team. I want Sox top prospects to be able to hit...and not just hit decently "for a shortstop." If they don't, I am disappointed. Players aren't picked high in the first round with the expectation that they will have a .307 OBP, like Alexei has.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Aug 6, 2016 -> 12:32 PM) PiratesVerified account ‏@Pirates 57m57 minutes ago The #Pirates today traded RHP Arquimedes Caminero to the #Mariners for a player to be named later. How did Caminero get through waivers? Tommy Stokke ‏@StokkeTommy 10m10 minutes ago Source: #Marlins acquire #Braves Hunter Cervenka. 51 retweets 18 likes Cervenka's a decent reliever as well. Another scrapheap pickup by the Braves they turned into younger prospects. I wish one of these Sox back end relievers would straighten up for weeks so that he could be moved.

He probably is a ceiling backup, and if Narvaez becomes a legitimate backup catcher, that would be pretty good. If the Sox are hiding him, I'm not sure who from, except perhaps from themselves. Let teams get the read on him and the Sox will find out what they have. Still don't see a downside to giving him the most pt the rest of the way. The key to a backup catcher, anyway, is the ability to handle the position defensively.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Aug 7, 2016 -> 09:39 AM) Carlos Gomez is a year removed from being an elite player. I actually think he'd be a great move on a one year deal with an option. Two years removed. And a stark removal it has been. .600 OPS this season. In 10 major league seasons, he's had 2 very good years (none elite) and 1 okay year. The other 7 he's done nothing. He's the kind of guy to pickup in a stopgap year while rebuilding. If he has a good season, sell him in July. And just to get Castro out of the way, he's had 1 good year in 6.