GreenSox

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 31, 2016 -> 10:17 PM) I'm not saying I'm in favor of benching Lawrie, he can actually dial it up and hit really good FB's unlike some of our other bottom of the order hitters. If Ventura's made up his mind before tonight's game that Rollins will play and he already announced it publicly, don't see him going back on that. Could have just as easily said you DH Frazier and play Saladino at 3B but we're in an NL park and definitely need the threat of Todd's power bat in the middle of the line-up. Same thing with sitting Frazier, not when he's leading MLB in homers and Abreu's continuing his disappearing power act. You could also play Tyler in LF, move Eaton to CF (or use Shuck there) and Melky back in RF. Or, instead of all of these contrivances, just play Saladino at Short. not only should Saladino play, Rollins should NOT play, considering that matchup. I don't get the pressing need to play Rollins.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 31, 2016 -> 09:16 PM) How do you not at least have Saladino playing 2B tmrw? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Lawrie has done nothing to deserve getting benched. And Rollins has done nothing to suggest he should start. Maybe Rollins will start moping if he doesn't play...but if he mopes, he goes. Right now, he's still useful as a bat against lefties.

They're both pitching capably as #5s leave them alone and forget Shields.

I like how Lawrie handled that bad call at 2nd; didn't even look at the ump, just signaled the dugout to get on the phone.

Sands hasn't been overly impressive; not sure the reason why a Charlotte guy or 2 couldn't give things a shot. Coats looks like he'd be an upgrade. Either Hayes or Merkin tweeted that they were going to give Delmonico some time in the outfield. From what read and the little I saw of Renaudo, he throws a real straight fastball that major league hitters tattoo. I wonder if they've been able to address that.

Saladino has played his ass off the last 2 seasons; things are now coming together. Looks like Rowand at the plate. Guys who had solid, not great minor league careers and who weren't top prospects aren't necessarily utility players. OPS > .750 and highest batting average on the team.

Worse outing than Latos, Danks or Gonzalez have had. But he is that key age of 34. Nevertheless, move on, Williams.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 30, 2016 -> 05:59 PM) KW at least knew that when you have limited assets or resources available, you put all your chips in with the product on the field rather than investing in the future because 90% of those investments don't pan out (unless you're cash rich and you can throw tons of money at the problem like the Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, etc.) And what are Williams' results with chips all in? 2 playoffs in 16 seasons. And in neither of those 2 did he go "all in" in July. The Griffey trade was in 08 I think, but that was for scraps. In 05 the only move he made was for a utility player. Yes 90% of prospects flame out....of course Williams has a nice percentage of his veterans flaming out. He likes players who are on the downside of their peak, for some reason.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ May 30, 2016 -> 02:47 PM) Thoughts on this move? Has such a move happened at any other time this year? Does Robin know more than the rest of the baseball world? Is he going to single handedly bring bunting back in vogue? bad Ventura has limited skills. It's pure comedy considering one of the 2 hitters who had a chance to knock him in was Shuck.

A new day Another way.

QUOTE (Vance Law @ May 28, 2016 -> 10:38 PM) That salary is what would allow Sox to get him without giving up better players like Anderson. There really isn't a scenario where a 34 year old 3/4 starter nets a top 50 prospect

As others have said, JR needs to do what the Blackhawks apparently did: hire a President (or whatever) that revitalizes the org. Ken Williams isn't coming close to doing a competent job.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ May 30, 2016 -> 10:08 AM) Look at the splits against RHP. It is absurd to ever start Rollins against a RHP Good point: Rollins: .492 Saladino: .757

QUOTE (oldsox @ May 30, 2016 -> 07:53 AM) Coats had another big game for Knights in 5-3 loss. 4 for 5, HR, couple doubles. Average up to .322. OPS well over .900. 3 hits for Delmonico too. His avg up to respectable level (.260s).

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 30, 2016 -> 09:37 AM) And we're really not going to give Saladino more chances to play at least 4-5 times per week with how good he's looked recently? Hmmmmm.... Saladino playing regularly is a big negatory. Saladino OPS: .670 Rollins: .631 The defensive difference speaks for itself. Hmm, indeed. And people think I make this stuff up.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 29, 2016 -> 08:45 PM) http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/colum...529-column.html He also gave a vote of confidence to Drake. He's best at pitching.

QUOTE (soxforlife05 @ May 29, 2016 -> 06:33 PM) I don't even want to give up Tatis Jr. Just give them EJ if we are taking on all that salary. It's basically a salary dump for them. That's a fair deal. EJ's on the outs anyway. You can't give up serious prospects for this guy.

This is true to an extent; but they are also mentally damaged right now. and I know I'm a broken record, but the lack of development of young pitching is part of the problem because it requires band aid after band aid when you can't put a guy from the org in there.

Cooper gets too much of a pass. A lot of input into strategic and player personnel decisions. An org guy (i.e. Williams guy), not a RV guy Thornton was a decade ago.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 29, 2016 -> 12:38 PM) They already signed Alexei Ramirez from the Sox, which hasn't panned out. At any rate, that Anderson trade must have had $10-20 million AT LEAST coming along with it to POSSIBLY justify giving up Anderson. There is no justification for giving up Anderson for Shields. He's a dependable innings eater. But his WHIP is also .10 ticks above where it was when he last pitched in the AL. Shields is salary dump stuff. And if Williams thinks that the lack of a starter is what ails this team he has his head in the sand. This team is a headcase. No dumping of prospects for band aids is changing that.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 29, 2016 -> 09:34 AM) Shakes off a loss like that? They've had two straight weeks of losses like that and haven't shaken off s***. I don't know how you shake it off, other than this is about the 3rd or 4th meltdown in the last 3 weeks so perhaps they have been numbed to the effects, and have only one way to go after hitting rock bottom.. I know I have...when the Sox blow, say, a 2 run lead in the 9th I usually feel sick to my stomach. Not yesterday...used to it.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ May 29, 2016 -> 08:41 AM) While I agree with your underlying point, I'm not sure any team can just shake off a loss like yesterday's. The team needs to string together a few wins to truly to get rid of the bad taste yesterday's loss has certainly left in everyone's mouths. A win today would obviously help though and you can't ask for more than Sale on the mound. You're right...but I wonder if they ever shook off the Texas meltdown. That's when this all began. Yesterday's was monumental...happens once a decade. The Texas-type meltdown happens fairly regularly. For sure, the team hasn't been the same since game 2 in Texas. I remember Ozzie's FIRST game as manager....opening game in 2004. KC scored 6 in the bottom of the 9th to beat us. Ozzie publicly put it all on his back....blamed himself for putting Marte (who got no one out) in a bad position. Sox won game 2. I thought that Ozzie's plus skill early on WAS the clubhouse. But not in the happy summer camp sense.

QUOTE (southside hitman @ May 28, 2016 -> 02:27 PM) Keith Law's second mock as the Sox passing on Corey Ray for Blake Rutherford. He had this to say… I've also heard Rutherford being someone the teams with large bonus pools might try to get to slide into the sandwich round or high second round." He's a top 10 talent. How will teams get him to slide into the sandwich/2nd round? I get the theory of some of this...you reach in the first round, but sign the reach below slot. That gives you money to pay above slot in later rounds to guys who have to be overpaid to entice them to go pro instead of college (like Adams). Not sure how it applies to Rutherford.

As for the "good in the clubhouse" stuff, we'll find out today. A team shakes off a loss like that if they have a good clubhouse leader. Sale is pitching today....shouldn't be any problem. Being good in the clubhouse does not mean running a summer holiday camp where everyone is happy and lazy because there is no accountability.

QUOTE (gosoxgo2005 @ May 28, 2016 -> 07:32 PM) If this is the actual package you absolutely do it. Expensive, yes. But shields is a good pitcher. If shields is your 3-4 starter that's a good rotation. 1.3 WHIP against NL competition. 34 years old Nowhere near what he once was...i.e. another decliner. ON the hook for 2 years after this with a little less than $60 million owed. How does that warrant any substantive package of players?