GreenSox

QUOTE (sammy esposito @ Feb 27, 2014 -> 05:10 PM) Ventura often batted in the #2 SPOT especially in light of one comment the #2 hitter should be the best situational; hitter in the lineup. He's paying Avi quite a compliment. That's what we really don't need - bunting, making outs to the right stuff, and junk like that. Garcia just needs to find the strike zone and hit.

I don't mind him batting second. We don't really have a 2 hole hitter. It might help him see better pitches, and wait for better pitches, which is what he needs to do if he gets some protection. We don't need him trying to slug. Just wait for pitches and make good contact - homers will come.

Isn't Trey Michalczewski a legitimate prospect?

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Feb 26, 2014 -> 02:38 PM) Selling low on Beckham? Do you still think this is just a four season-long slump? The improvement was 103 games of 88 wRC+. Also, if he was recently showed improvement, wouldn't it be selling high? Who are we talking about here...Murphy? I guess that would be okay. I wouldn't do it, but I can see it.

QUOTE (joeynach @ Feb 26, 2014 -> 11:16 PM) Both said in early December 2003 as a prelude to making their for Arod they had a deal in place to send Nomar to the White Sox for Magglio and Brandon McCarthy. That would have been a stupid deal on paper and in reality. I remember the rumors of it and I didn't like it one bit then and cringe when I think about it now. I know Maggs ended up getting hurt, leaving and all. But it was still stupid.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Feb 26, 2014 -> 01:39 PM) I think Murphy is better than any catcher in the Sox org. The Sox have potentially 3 guys that could replace Beckham in the next 1-2 years. Keppinger playing 2B for now would be fine because the Sox are going to be bad this year. The only way to deal Keppinger is by allowing him to play vs LHP, hoping that he hits, and then dealing him. I just don't think organizational depth is a reason to sell low. That was the rationale to give Quentin to the Padres, for example.

It would really be selling low on Beckham (who showed some improvement with the bat) to trade him for one of these backup catchers, none of whom is a top prospect. Keppinger? Fine. It would also hurt our D a lot for Keppinger to play 2B.

I'd like to see Dunn bat 7th or something. Let Abreu clear the bases.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Feb 22, 2014 -> 01:32 PM) Looking at Mitchell, Walker and Thompson stats aside, it's conceivable that any of the three could be a 4th outfielder. They all have speed, defense and a semblance of discipline at the plate. Obviously their contact issues are horrid, but if anyone of these guys could hit .250 in the bigs they belong a 25 man roster. Mitchell is an absolute gazelle in CF. He could feasibly be a late inning, defensive replacement/pinch runner. Walker could be the same type of player but with more speed and lesser but still strong defense. Considering the two abortions of a seasons these guys had last year, it's easy to forget they weren't too far under .800 OPS guys in 2012. I consider 4th outfielder from any of them a failure. Don't really care if they make that or not. If Mitchell looks like a 4th OF, as I suspect he will, give him more time to develop into more. He was a raw college player and had injuries.

I follow C-USA baseball, and HOffman didn't look like a top 5 to me. I know his peripherals are good and he had a great post-college season summer, but I hope to see him put it together this spring (except when he plays the Green Wave).

My main hope is for Thompson to continue to improve and develop and for Hawkins to catch up from what seems like a lost year and get back on track. I suspect we'll see Mitchell look okay - 4th outfielderish.

This team will be a contender if Garcia and Abreu hit like all stars, and Danks pitches like a #3 and Eaton gets on base at a .350+ clip. I hope Dunn gets off to the start suggested above...regardless of where we are in the standings, he should be dealt preferably for low minors prospects with good upsides (we'll never get a top near ML ready prospect for him, so I'll go with low minors with potential).

The Rule 4 draft is 40 rounds, so teams must jettison 40 players from the minors each season. Now some will move to the majors, others will just decided to find a new profession, some AAAA players won't be offered new contracts...but there are still a lot of cuts to be made. Where do most of the cuts come from? Is there a big fallout rate after the summer Rookie League? Or guys who can't get past low A?

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 18, 2014 -> 02:55 PM) I'd personally go with what they have, but if they can find someone available that's worth it for a guy like De Aza or Gillaspie, I have no problem with said move. That's what they could do if available. It's not time to trade real prospects for a catcher yet.

I wouldn't mind him in the pen, working with Coop and getting some middle innings. That will help his development. I certainly wouldn't give up on him as a starter either but major league pen work is good prep for eventual starting. Charlotte would be fine too. I do hope we have a couple of young guys in the pen this year.

Declining veterans while we're trying to rebuild. Good lord. We aren't winning this year, with or without these mediocre available free agents. Build.

I don't want to spend the money, I don't want to lose the pick and I don't want inflated win totals that hurt our draft position next year, because we aren't contending this year. And I don't want inconsistent pitchers paid big salaries.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Feb 12, 2014 -> 01:42 PM) lol If that actually happened it would make DeAza an elite offensive contributor to a ballclub especially when comparing what his defense in LF would be to the average LFer. So then you would want to keep him, not dump him off for players who would be unlikely to ever match that production. No This would be the time to trade him realizing that it's a complete and utter fluke, and the odds of him matching that production ever again are ridiculously small. Giving way Viciedo at that time would just compound the problem. This is exactly what the Sox should be trying to achieve this year with Dunn, Keppinger and De Aza and Ramirez. Dress them up, hope they get hot, and then dump them. Sell high, not low.

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Feb 12, 2014 -> 08:14 AM) DeAza plays LF and leads off. Hits .300, steals 30 bases , hits 25 HR and drives in 75 runs. Hahn then trades Viciedo mid-season for a young catcher. This is the scenario in which you trade De Aza. Sell high.

DA offers pretty compelling examples of our horrendous evaluation of prospects over the years. I did't realize it was that bad. Hopefully, that changes. Money can't overcome poor evaluation.

Sure, trade De Aza or Lindstrom for him. No young players, please. I'd rather Delgado than Arroyo.

Just checking out his stats, when did the injury happen? Looks like he played at the end of the season in 2013. Had a great season in Rookie Ball. Good luck this year.

This thread also shows the need for having a top flight farm system. Every GM makes bad trades or at least no-help/ho-help trade (which is a loss). If you have prospects, the opportunity cost for making a trade is much, much less. I beat on Kenny about some of his trades, but, honestly, he hasn't had a lot of ammo. Red Sox make a lot of bad trades; they trade a lot of prospects. Just rarely notice that they're gone, because they have an unending flow coming in. Hopefully we'll continue to draft better and to be more active internationally.

I don't think he hates young players; but nor do I buy he couldn't rebuild because we were always in it. We were off of a dreadful season when he traded 3 of our top 7 prospects, incl #1, for Nick Swisher. Same year he trades Carter, who wasn't ready, for more ML ready Quentin. Then one day when we are kind of playing mediocre, he trades our 2 top pitching prospects for Edwin Jackson. Then he gives both Jackson and Quentin away in salary dumps. Too much zigging and zagging.

QUOTE (beautox @ Feb 7, 2014 -> 03:10 PM) I think Thompson has a break out year with the bat and the sox sell high on him ala Carter and Aaron Cunningham We sure as hell didn't sell high on Cunningham.