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QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ May 17, 2015 -> 08:25 PM) Well, you really don't want to be paying a guy $14.5M to be your 5th starter, but it's too late to worry about that now and just hope he keeps it going. That ship has definitely sailed. He's going to be paid a ton of money whether he's pitching well or not, so we should just do what you said and hope for the best. If he can keep us in the game and give our offense a shot to win us the game, that's just a bonus. And even better if he's our #5 instead of our #4a or #4b.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 20, 2015 -> 02:39 PM) Agreed. It seems a bit premature, but that seems to be the way MLB works nowadays, no complaints. It's how it works if you don't want to have to pay $200M for a player. Not saying Eaton would ever attain that level of play, but if you lock up your young players before they hit their prime and take some risk on them, they're MUCH more likely to take a discount and the guaranteed wealth. Brilliant signing by the Sox, on one of the best leadoff hitters in the AL. If he can improve on his SB ability, he can take that next step to being one of the top leadoff guys in the game.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Mar 18, 2015 -> 05:33 PM) If Penny's the leading candidate for 5th starter, who is the 4th starter? The guy making $16M a year, lol

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 24, 2015 -> 01:24 PM) The problem is first getting to the playoffs. With one of the best 1-2-3 punches in all of baseball in our rotation, an improved offense, and what figures to be a much-improved bullpen, I'll say we have as good a chance as anyone in the AL at playing meaningful games in October. Especially if Rodon is added to the mix at any point and produces like we're hoping he will.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 27, 2015 -> 03:12 PM) I don't think anybody is even giving you that for John Danks. The Cubs got Tommy La Stella. Tommy La Stella is a cheap, average-ish player. You still have to give something of value to get that value, and I'm just not sure we see that with Danks. Well they weren't the most effective innings, but John threw 193 of them last year and didn't miss a start. You could do a lot worse from a #5 starter. I think he'll be better this year, maybe shave a half run per game off his ERA, and that should allow the Sox to unload him if they pay some of his contract. Though at that point, a #5 starter who takes the ball every 5th day and gives the team an ERA in the 4.25 range isn't a terrible thing to have, even at his salary. These days, anyway.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 26, 2015 -> 02:50 PM) and Derrick Jeter would invite you to his HOF party... but you aren't cool enough. Derek*

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 26, 2015 -> 01:53 PM) Patrick Kane laughs in your general direction. As does Babe Ruth. You know, if he were alive.

Yep, Nate has a big arm. Let's hope he can come back healthy, could be a very solid addition to what could very well be an already solid bullpen by the time he's ready.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 16, 2015 -> 06:29 PM) http://i.imgur.com/lLBXsuK.png I thought this was the closest thing to accurate out there right now...compared to all the stats-oriented sites. Sox at 82 wins, Cubs at 81....Tigers at 86 1/2, Royals 83 and Indians 81. Twins at 68 1/2. Btw, the Astros have a lot of work to do to face the Cubs in the 2017 World Series, still at only 73 1/2. Can't say that I would be supremely disappointed (because it would be another big improvement record-wise) but it depends if most of those wins come in the 2nd half when the team's too far out, or the record is even better and someone runs away with it and guys like Samardzija are dealt (or maybe there's an injury in the pitching staff, Ramirez or OF, etc.) Probably it's setting up to feel more like 2012, except with a lot more optimism for the future as opposed to feeling the results that year were kind of fluky with all the rookie pitchers overperforming until the end. That's why they play the games, though. It's a loooong season, and as we've seen before in sports, ANYTHING can happen. The Sox have question marks just like every other team in baseball, so let's get out there and see what happens. If they can manage to stay healthy, I like their chances at being competitive day in and day out. That's all you can ask for as a fan.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 8, 2015 -> 06:26 PM) You're right. Your opinion is most certainly more accurate than unbiased statistics. Are you familiar with BABIP? The only thing that matters is winning and losing. When the Sox brought in that loser, they usually lost. And sure, BABIP goes up a lot when you suck s*** and allow line drives all over the field.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 8, 2015 -> 05:58 PM) Sorry, it was a 1 WARP according to BP. He had a 3.57 FIP and a 9.1 VORP, making him our third most valuable pitcher last season. He had a .339 BABIP. He was unlucky. The guy got SHELLED almost every time I suffered through watching him try to pitch. He really, really, really sucked badly, and if you're going to bring in some geek new age "stats" to try to convince anyone that he was "unlucky" instead of downright F'ing awful, you're wasting your time. He sucked. So bad. And there's no arguing it. 3rd most valuable pitcher LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE (Reddy @ Feb 8, 2015 -> 08:07 AM) I have no idea about runners, but I'm sure that there are MORE people with faster times now, than at any other point in history. Additionally, you're right! The elbow CAN'T handle it! That's why 33% of pitchers in baseball had TJ surgery last year! The difference is that most of them will come back stronger than before! Meaning there are MORE good pitchers now, than at any other time in history. Just like runners. Usually your posts are so logical and well thought out. I'm surprised. Lol, they did? Do you mean there was a 33% increase?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 7, 2015 -> 10:23 PM) I remember how Liriano looked when he came into the league in 06. He made Johan look less than spectacular. Chris Sale does that all the bloody time, and Sale isn't the best pitcher in the league. All other things equal, he just might be. What do you think his numbers would be if he pitched half his games at Dodger Stadium or Petco and faced the NL West half the time?

QUOTE (Stev-o @ Jan 29, 2015 -> 05:21 PM) JR has the money! Nah. He's broke. Didn't you know?

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Jan 21, 2015 -> 07:35 PM) Viciedo never dominated the minors the way Avi did the last year and a half. For every DV there's also a C. Lee. I am betting on a .290-20-80 2 WAR season. I don't know much about WAR, but you're suggesting that .290, 20, and 80, would only result in a WAR of 2?

Well, assuming the Sox pick up both of Sale's option years in 2018 and 2019 (for $12.5M and $13.5M, respectively), he'll hit the free agency market when he's 30. Max Scherzer just got $210M, and he's 30. So provided he's healthy, there's still a huge, huge payday awaiting Mr Sale in the off-season before the 2020 season. Let's hope the Sox re-work something with him before that and make sure he never hits the open market.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jan 19, 2015 -> 12:40 AM) MLB is about making it to the playoffs, something the Braves did fifteen seasons in a row. I guess I get that they don't fit your standard because they never won a ring in that span, but that doesn't mean other teams who emulate their philosophy, in this case, procuring young talent, will have the same fate. Also, the Braves had a payroll in the upper 25% of baseball for most of the late 90's and early 2000's. So while it's very important to home grow your own young talent and then lock them up while they're young and relatively cheap, it's also imperative that teams pony up the money when necessary to bring in the pieces needed to finish the puzzle. I think the Sox spent their money very wisely this off-season, and as a result they're going to be a lot better off for it.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jan 19, 2015 -> 12:40 AM) Let's not look at things in a vacuum. You also completely left out the Cardinals because they didn't fit your narrative. MLB is about making it to the playoffs, something the Braves did fifteen seasons in a row. I guess I get that they don't fit your standard because they never won a ring in that span, but that doesn't mean other teams who emulate their philosophy, in this case, procuring young talent, will have the same fate. The Royals just made it to Game 7 of the World Series. The Cardinals are a different character, because they have had payrolls much higher than the Rays and Athletics over the past 10-15 years (some years, the Cardinals had nearly the same payroll as both teams COMBINED). So let's not compare apples & oranges and call them the same thing. And the Braves did win a World Series in that span (1995 I think). As for the Royals, they caught lightning in a bottle and had a Cinderella season. If you expect that to repeat itself in 2015, well, more power to you. I see them as a 1 and done fluke, and I would like more from my favorite team than that. I want them to be perennial contenders for the World Series, and I'm pretty sure everyone reading this feels the same in that regard. I think the original poster is disappointed that the Sox may have ran 25 miles of the marathon, and may have taken their foot off the gas instead of finishing the job. I'm ecstatic with what Hahn, Williams, and Reinsdorf have been able to pull off in the past 18 or so months. They took the 3rd worst team in baseball in 2013, and now have them in a spot where they're legit contenders for a playoff spot. All while drafting very well and retaining the top names in a much-improved minor league system. That's not an easy task to achieve, and as a fan it's a very exciting time indeed. Someone else pointed out that a rotation of Sale, Samardzija, Quintana, and Rodon (in the near future) could be one that would be dominant for the next 5-7 years to come. That's very true, which is why the Sox need to lock up Samardzija to a long-term deal. Doing that is going to require the Sox to do something they've never done - pay big time money to a pitcher over a multi-year period. Something that many people in here were opposed to doing for Scherzer. So what should we do with Samardzija? Keep him for a year, then let him walk and take the comp pick? I say give him the $20-$22M a year it's going to take, and have one of the best 1-4 rotations in the league for the next half dozen years.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jan 18, 2015 -> 06:37 PM) Why do people think signing guys for their prime value for the back end of their career is somehow the right course of action? That's not how the Braves, Cardinals, Rays and A's won all those games. Braves haven't won a World Series in 20 years, the A's haven't since McGwire and Canseco were sticking needles in each other's asses, and the Rays have never won a Series. So let's follow their model. Great thinking. Scherzer won't be elite in 7 years. No 30 year old will be unless they're cheating. But for the next 3-5 years, he's going to be a top pitcher in the game, and would make the Sox virtual locks for the playoffs every year. But let's not do that. Instead, let's hope the stars align perfectly and we never have to go out and spend some major money for a pitcher.

Yes, disappointed is accurate. I agree with those that say we could have gone from division contenders to legit World Series contenders if we added Scherzer to the mix. Sox could still get there if a lot of things break their way, but that could be said of a lot of other teams as well.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 17, 2015 -> 09:48 AM) If you listen to Mark Buehrle, baseball is not nearly the most important thing in his life, not even close really. Work never should be the most important thing in your life. For 99.99999999% of the population, working is just a means to an end.

Sure they can. Lots of things are possible. But "not being happy" is yet another conjecture, just as his "heart not being in it" is. What are these comments based on? Because he's not super rah rah and a camera hound like some players? And yet here he is, about to enter his 16th season in the majors, and he'll be 36 on opening day. Of course it's work. Being apart from your family for half the year must be brutal. Who wouldn't be affected by that? Just as talking about getting out and returning to a normal life sometime soon does not mean he's unhappy or whatever other adjective you want to use. The guy has all the money he could ever need, so he's clearly not still playing for money. Why would he keep doing it if it's so unappealing to him?

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jan 16, 2015 -> 02:55 PM) Curious how you came up with that number.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 16, 2015 -> 12:42 PM) Exactly. His heart isn't in baseball. You can't pitch 200+ innings for 14 years in a row, win 199 games, throw a perfect game AND a no-hitter, and help lead your team to a World Series if your "heart isn't in it".

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 09:47 AM) I don't think Dunn would want to coach, and why would he want to coach in a place he heard so many boos? Fans can only take so much, lol. I'm sure Adam understood and doesn't have any hard feelings about it. He knows he stunk it up.