elrockinMT

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 17, 2016 -> 05:41 PM) How is this for an opening question... Would you be OK if the White Sox didn't sign another OF, if they used that money instead to go over their 2016 international bonus pool allotment? I would like to give Avisail Garcia the opportunity to play RF in 2016 for the Sox. Let's go after some international talent and also keep our draft picks

A free agent signing seems most likely and Desmond might be the one. ll of this high impact bat talk seems to ignore that maybe Avi Garcia will blossom this year. Lots of good vibes on his attitude and health and instruction with the hitting coach.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 14, 2016 -> 07:28 PM) You are missing the obvious contradiction in terms in this post that not signing guys to bad contracts involves not just spending money to spend money. The Sox are obviously interested in guys, but they aren't going to bid stupid amounts of money to do it. That is exactly how you avoid having the bad contracts you are referencing. But if reference to the original poster who ignored the question, I would love to know exactly how much money the Sox have to spend, because he seems to know. I agree with your stance. The White Sox have spent money on players, who for all intents and purposes looked good. But, I don't think they overpaid at the time. There are beginning to be a number of outlandish contracts and I guess if some team wants to blow their budget on one guy that's their problem. I am glad we haven't operated like that. Sox seem to have done pretty well and I am betting that soon we will see another FA signing or two by the Sox at reasonable terms. Amazing the number of posters that seem to think this team has unlimited resources both financially and within the farm system to throw out there for one player and ovrpay for that one guy too

I saw Heyman on MLB Network and seeing Desmond's stats makes me think he was one of the more consistent SS in baseball and would be a good option for the Sox. I have always thought Saladino would work better in a super sub role in the IF. Heyman believes the Sox need the upgrade at SS more than the OF

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Feb 9, 2016 -> 10:34 PM) Yeah, I guess Charlotte likes him well we do need to fill the roster in Charlotte. Maybe he will be a pleasant surprise

It seems every deal the Sox have made brings out the chirping critics. Stop and think for a moment guys on this deal. We have five starters now and Latos could be #6 or #7. Plus we need a long relief guy. Depth is good thing especially in the pitching area. This is a good move by the Sox. Is he bad in the clubhouse? Probably an exaggeration then anything else. I remember when we had people complaining about signing Jose Abreu

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Feb 2, 2016 -> 06:30 PM) Quentin was one of those players that I followed closely even after he left the Sox. It's a shame how hampered by injuries his career was. When healthy the guy could flat out rake. I agree. The guy hustled all the time and could swing that bat. I remember attending a game in Seattle between the Sox and Mariners and he hit a laser homerun to the left off King Felix.

I am fine with Garcia in right field. Plus I don't see the logic in signing a player to rotate with Laroche at DH. That just seems to be a waste of a roster spot. You can do the rotation between Abreu and Laroche and have someone fill in at 1B on occasion That changes of course if Laroche is traded, but I think thee is a good chance he rebounds in 2016 plus his glove is still gold. Signing another pitcher makes more sense at this point. I am not sure I see Desmond being signed because we want to keep working on talent for the farm system so no way do the Sox want to lose that pick. Same goes with signing Fowler. Who is the 4th or 5th OF'er and do we have someone in the system (other than Shuck)?

Think positive

QUOTE (Sockin @ Jan 30, 2016 -> 06:44 PM) @JJStankevitz: Robin Ventura on Adam LaRoche: "He's gotta go into spring training and earn a job and earn the right to play." #WhiteSox #SoxFest2016 Don't they all? Posturing is what it seems, but I am sure Laroche takes nothing for granted

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 29, 2016 -> 10:23 PM) if the sox never thought of a 3 yr deal with cespy.... then the sox where never in the any discussion, serious discussion with cespy agent in coming to chi. there was never any chatter of the sox and any of cespy people. I had no problem with the Sox not paying the exorbitant salary demands. Cespedes seemed to want to stay with the Mets anyway. If we have money to spend let's see who is still out there as we move closer to ST and maybe pick up a couple solid players albeit not the spectacular splash some want with one big name

QUOTE (Dunt @ Jan 29, 2016 -> 09:35 PM) So they are going 5 on Fowler? I don't think we need Fowler at the expense of a draft pick. Now that might change if the team moved Laroche and Cabrera goes to DH and relief OF. But, I am not sure I am ready to just sign off on Laroche either. Maybe the big three didn't come to the Sox because they wanted to stay where they wee at least in the case of Cespedes and Gordon

Possibly baseball will go bankrupt!? Or he other alternative is the teams have one grossly overpaid contract and 24 A ball player contracts. These figures are outrageous

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 25, 2016 -> 07:41 PM) Young guys are generally looked down upon on here, if they are on the Sox. An equivalent young player on another team is someone the Sox should trade for. And still, Avi had a higher walk rate than Melky. I prefer to think positive. Avi has had one full season under hs belt. He is a talented young player. I said himself towards the end of the season he knew he had to work on hs hitting. I stress that point because too many young players don't pay attention to their hitting coach and can't self assess their weaknesses as ballplayers. We could be in for a pleasant surprise in 2016 with Avi Garcia

almost 400 pages and 6000 posts and I am adding to it. I think we can do just as much to help this team be a winner by signing a player or two to cheaper contracts then pay out the absolutely bank busting salaries that Cespedes, Davis, Upton and Heyward have been signed to. No one player is worth that kind of money. It takes a full 25 player team to win

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 10:46 PM) Now if you will excuse me, I have to go complain about the $10,000 I never have gotten for sharing that powerball ticket picture. Let me know how that works out. I have a potential lawsuit against Bill Gates too

Cost of ther extra innings package is down maybe? Ability to just follow one team instead of paying for all games maybe? I am lost on this issue as I didn't even know there was a lawsuit going on

I wonder just what this means to folks like me living 1000 miles away and watching DirecTV with the sports package.? (Associated Press report) (1-20-16) Just as a trial was to begin, Major League Baseball and a group of its fans who had sued reached agreement Tuesday to expand the menu of online packages for televised games and lower prices. The deal came weeks after baseball's lawyers said for the first time the league was going to let fans buy single-team online TV packages. In the past, viewers who didn't live in their favored teams' home markets had to buy access to every televised MLB game included in the national plan. Lawyers for fans who filed the class action lawsuit in 2012 said MLB will offer unbundled Internet packages for the next five years, including single-team packages for $84.99 next season. They said that's a 23 percent drop from the cheapest version previously available. The deal also calls for the cost of a league-wide package to drop to $109.99. The agreement provides other options to cable subscribers to regional sports broadcast networks. The league will let a subscriber buy access to a visiting team's broadcast online. MLB also agreed to provide live local team broadcasts over the Internet for cable subscribers by the start of the 2017 season. WGN at Wrigley Field The Cubs and WGN-TV have had a broadcast partnership that dates back to 1948. In most instances, a subscription to a team's cable outlet is necessary to view games online, though the agreement contemplates eventually enabling some fans to watch games online without traditional cable subscriptions. "We believe this settlement brings significant change to the sports broadcasting landscape," said Ned Diver, a plaintiffs' lawyer. "It is a big win for baseball fans." Major League Baseball confirmed the settlement but said it could not comment further because "the process remains ongoing." NBC Sports Regional Networks said in a statement it was pleased with the deal. The trial had been scheduled to start Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, though officials indicated last week a settlement was likely. Recently, MLB's lawyers said they would change their sport's packages similar to what the National Hockey League undertook when it settled its side of the lawsuit last year. The NHL also agreed to let fans buy single-team packages. In 2013, U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled baseball could not use its antitrust exemption as a defense. The lawsuit had said that the leagues' clubs and some television broadcast entities colluded to eliminate competition in the airing of games on the Internet and on television. Baseball had defended a decades-old system of regional television contracts designed to protect each baseball team's area from competitors. More recently, baseball has multiplied options for fans so they could view games on various electronic devices. "Make no mistake, this mission is not altruistic," baseball's lawyers said in court papers. "Baseball faces fierce competition, including from other sports offerings and an increasing slate of non-sports entertainment and leisure options." Diver, the plaintiffs' lawyer, had argued that dividing the country into geographic territories for each team had strengthened baseball's monopoly and permitted it to overcharge fans. Associated Press

not signing Cespedes might be the best move we make at least on a long term deal. I know over the 337 some pages of posts we have mentioned his friendship with Abreu a few times, and maybe Jose could have a positive influence on Cespedes, but in the end it's all about the money. I kind of think lower prices free agents might be better for out team. Desmond and Jackson or Fowler might be better additions. I would be happy with Cespedes in a Sox uniform on a fair contract, but I won't cry if he isn't with us. Kind of interesting though that the team management is pretty tight lipped about things where it appears there is all kinds of info leaked out to analysts by other teams on their efforts. In our case it's all about how close of a relationship Abreu and Cespedes might have

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 01:21 AM) Coops track record speaks for himself. He is that way with the players and it is why it works so well and he's fully entitled to his opinion of the fans. And from my conversations with Coop, I always appreciated the fact that he was a straight shooter. I also think he's very fan friendly (in the sense that he'll talk to fans a ton during spring training and throw balls to kids, etc). I agree with your depiction. I just personally think loyalty to a team is the right thing and apparently so does Cooper. I think folks on Soxtalk know I tend to speak up for the Sox and the individual players. I can accept others have their own opinions though.

Signing Desmond is interesting. Saladino to a super sub role. Cespedes most likely costs too much

There are always two side to the issue and then your personal one. So we should line up a duke it out I guess. However, I choose to be positive. The season is not over because we haven't bankrupted the team spending on out of control free agent contracts. It is very unusual that one player does it all for a team fighting for the championship. The hot stove isn't over yet and the season has yet to begin.

227 pages of endless speculation. Here's one more: The Sox will go four years on Cespedes for a bit of a cut in salary. He signs for $70M total. The Sox hope that teaming him with Abreu brings out the best in Yoenis. excuse me: 228 pages and counting LOL

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Jan 15, 2016 -> 05:14 PM) Should just DFA him.. bet no one else would try him in the majors this year... this guy was what, the 2nd worst player in baseball last season? You don't DFA a 24 year old with the talent Avi has. You work with him in hopes he produces. Plus you show me someone we have waiting in our system that is ready to take his place. And the Sox are not going to pay a free agent $20 plus million to play in Chicago

He has battled injuries which has impeded his development. Actually only one full year of experience. Based on his own comments last year I see an real possibility he improves. I have to believe it is one reason the Sox have been treading carefully in the OF free agent market. The front office knows Avisail Garcia has talent. Can he break out is obviously the question