GreenSox

Can't wait for that 720 ops signed til he's 37. Young LF please.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 10, 2014 -> 09:23 AM) Personally I'd trade Sale for a guy with a .614 OBP. OPS- sorry. Those are the OPS that people want to empty the farm for.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 10, 2014 -> 09:11 AM) Or the next Radinsky. That's why they're prospects. In this instance, you do it in a second. However, Rodon cannot be traded. You can't be totally against dealing prospects under any circumstance or else you end up like the Pirates or Royals and wait 20+ years. That's not what made those teams what they are - Those teams would trade every veteran they had with a pulse for prospects. Plenty of teams who win don't trade their top prospects. See the Cardinals in St Louis, e.g. It also helps that teams that do trade them - Boston e.g. - produces a heck of a lot of them. The Sox don't. How many top prospects have been traded aroud MLB in the last year? Darn few. The As didn't get a single one for Donaldson or Shark or Moss. I'm all for trading prospects- for young talent. Not for decliners who are signed until they are 37. Nor for stodgy, unathletic low OBP sluggers that are popular in these parts. People also seem to analyze reputation, and not look at actual numbers....like OPS in the low 600s. Trading Rodon for Will Myers (if it could be done) would be laughably awful. As for Rodon, he's a college pitcher that dominated the lower minors and is good enough for the pen today. He is RAdinsky if EVERYTHING goes wrong. I remember the Sox trading their best prospects for luminaries such as Swisher and Edwin Jackson and Vasquez. That didn't get us anywhere.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 10, 2014 -> 09:01 AM) the #2 hitter is to provide hitting and moving the leadoff hitter over, and yeah it will be nice if he can get on base as well. No he is not there to "move the runner over". Wasting outs in front of the meat of the order to "move that runner over" is a clown-ball. He is there to get on base. Yes, getting a hit is better than a walk. He is there to get on base so that the meat of the order can drive him in. You want someone athletic there who can run the bases, sure.

QUOTE (spiderman @ Dec 10, 2014 -> 08:41 AM) I'm sure a deal around Rodon and Anderson would get TB at least thinking. Wonderful. Trade our next Sale for a .614 OPS. Or is it a .724 OPS. And it doesn't even touch on the key need of LF. The "grass is always greener" is growing like mad.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 10, 2014 -> 08:31 AM) another question, why have an OBP player if he is batting #2? the #2 hitters has a whole different set of mentality to think of. So they can be on base when abreu hits a bomb? What other mentality? Moving this runners over? Please! Damn straight OBP is key for a number 2

Bruce- Hi K, HI salary, low OBP, not good defensively, terrible year last year. Pass.

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Dec 10, 2014 -> 06:34 AM) I know it's a long shot but I would love for the Sox to get back Dustin Ackley in any deal with Seattle. He could be a good left fielder for the Sox, and he wouldn't break the bank. Imagine this line up: Eaton - CF (L) Ramirez - SS Abreu - DH LaRoche - 1B (L) Garcia - RF Gillapse -3B (L) Ackley - LF (L) Flowers - C Johnson - 2B (L) What do you think? Well, I guess Ackley's about the best they can do for Viciedo. Still, he's never achieved so much as a .700 OPS in a full season of play (Viciedo has). He's pretty awful at the plate. Also, Alexei is a bottom of the order hitter...his OBP is inadequate to hit in front of Abreu.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Dec 9, 2014 -> 08:53 PM) On the MLB roster yes, but don't forget the farm system. If they see an opportunity to acquire an all-star outfielder by trading a top prospect, this seems to be the winter to do it. Fortunately, Hahn has consistently said that he won't hurt the real future in pursuit of the present. No moves like renting Upton, please. The world doesn't end in 2015. Top prospects are rarely moved anymore anyway. Teams stockpile them. The last was probably Russell- may have been the only one from last year. Just an athletic outfielder with some on base skills to hit in front of Abreu would help immensely. don't need bunters or base stealers or sluggers. Just someone who can field the position and get on base.

He and Danks are about our only cards left to play. Not exactly trumps though.

LF is next. See how the young guys play out at 2nd. Or Alexei for Gordon.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Dec 9, 2014 -> 03:49 PM) We know that isn't true. Otherwise they wouldn't have been an awful pen last year. Cute the reality is that there were 3 decent pitchers in the pen and they not only had to handle high leverage, but also closer and to take care of the starters 3, 4 and 5 who couldn't get past the 6th inning. 2 of those 3 were extremely inexperienced and one a rookie. There wasn't a lefty of any ability to bring in so often the lefty wasn't brought in.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Dec 9, 2014 -> 03:49 PM) Hope Jeff signs long term this summer. Winter

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Dec 9, 2014 -> 03:52 PM) I dunno man. Our cheap window is the next 3-5 years. I think 5 years of Shark is worth those lottery ticket assets. We have a bonafide RH asset at the top of the rotation now. Perhaps trading for a different RH starter would have been better, but I think the story is too good here. And I think it's better to try to win a World Series the next few years than wait on Semien Bassit & Ravelo to contribute while wasting JA & CS's primes. The window has always been now, except to the national baseball media. That's why I'm not really upset. The As really didn't get any lottery tickets, except for Ravelo. No high potential guys in the bunch. They got useful players and ML ready players in Bassit, Semien and perhaps Phegley. I just would have used those useful players for another year and let Hahn make some more sly trades and move Alexei. As for 5 years of Shark, it's certainly possible - the Sox seem to love him and they know he will cost money. So they should be ready to pay. Which is why I don't think we see much more spending this year. I would like a sly Hahn trade for a LF though.

Here's a nice take on the situation. I think it's from a Giants perspective. Highlights some of the good work Hahn has done (such as getting Eaton and Gillaspie). http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/12/9/7358...-josh-donaldson

Robertson is obviously the closer, with and Duke, Petricka, Guerra and Putnam in high leverage situations. Don't need this X is the 7th inning guy, y is the 8th inning guy nonsense. Use them as the situation begs. All can handle high leverage action. I wasn't as down on the pen as most were, and this is a pretty darn strong pen, I must say.

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Dec 9, 2014 -> 12:54 PM) Infante apparently is being made available No The Royals can keep him and his 34 year old declining .632 OBP. sorry, ops.

QUOTE (soxfan49 @ Dec 9, 2014 -> 03:03 PM) These guys you're speaking of were practically nobodies in a system that is horrible. That's simply false. Nothing to worry about...just don't think the Sox made the best use of assets for the longer vision (1-5 years) of the team.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Dec 9, 2014 -> 10:36 AM) We still have to significantly upgrade the defense. If we are going to build our team around the strength of pitching, we can't continue to ignore defense. Our team defense is just as bad today as it was when we started the off-season. That has to be addressed. Hanh / Kenny have to make another move and at a minimum we need a quality outfielder. Ideal scenario you get a quality outfielder and 3B and at that point, I say you are even favorites or close to even favorites. However, I doubt we have resources do to that. This They are going after the luxuries before they have the necessities built. And you can't support this staff with another year of clown defense.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Dec 9, 2014 -> 10:52 AM) Sanchez (if he's not the starting 2B) or Saladino. Then who is the second baseman?

The Sox didn't give up anything really special; but they shouldn't for 1 year of a player. They also didn't give up a bunch of chumps either. Ravelo is a high OBP guy that will be able to play 1B for some teams (who have power elsewhere). Semien is a nice infielder. Bassit was really improving. I wouldn't have done this deal for 1 year of Shark. But they've certainly done worse trades. The pitcher they got back is the type they've been loading up on - high K, but no control.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Dec 9, 2014 -> 07:49 AM) Yeah, something is telling me we intend on competing. Competing is not dependent on Alexei. It is dependent on better defense and a LF.

What is the plus Don't understand this at all

Perhaps let him develop? Nothing wrong with some depth.

I guess the pursuit of Alexei wasn't all that aggressive