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QUOTE (Jose Paniagua @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 11:13 AM) Avisail in RF is not sitting well with me. But you can't have it all and there is the hope he'll improve. It's weird to realize now that...........being win-now.....we suddenly have less patience for Avi coming along than we once did. Were the core of the lineup bashing, I'd want RF locked down defensively. Mid-year. Be it Avi or a glove-first replacement for him You mean you have less patience. most people still hvae the patience as he missed most of last year. I haven't heard anyone else mention it.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 10:32 AM) Eaton, Melky and Garcia are all guys who are going to start just about every day. The most important thing I want in my backup OF is being able to play all three positions well defensively. Danks fits that criteria. What hand he hits with, or how well he even hits at all, are secondary considerations. Especially CF as Eaton has shown a tendency to need time off due to various small injuries. Danks still fits that.

Just enjoy the positive steps this team has made. Hahn can't do everything in one off season.

QUOTE (Andy the Clown @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 10:39 AM) This is more accurate, and remains problematic IMO. Not compared to having a top of the rotation starter.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 10:36 AM) One of the best moves that could happen imo is EJ miraculously finds his form. Would provide huge insurance and talent to the the rotation. It would solve alot of things. He'll needs to do it in AAA as Noesi and Danks have the 4 and 5 spots. It's probably the best for him anyway.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 09:47 AM) LOL Sox fill major holes with above average players by giving up ZERO top prospects (and very few prospects at all), and now we want to pay Tor 3x what they paid in order to shore up a weakness? Yikes Castro was dreadful at the plate last year. That's the thing. This is not an all or nothing set-up we have for 2015. No top pitching prospects for Nick Swisher or Edwin Jackson involved. Farm retained. Room for growth. Even the Melky deal is only 3 years. Everything's good. Let's keep it that way. normally, I disagree with just about everything you type. However, you are correct here. These appease almost everyone. The Sox made the team competitive without giving up the precious suspects that most people on the board covet. Even if the don't make the playoffs, they will have a competitive team until the young players are supposed to arrive. The only part of the team that is not set for awhile is the starting pitching. If JS leaves after just one year the Sox will need another starter. Even if Rodon is ready in 2016, they will need one more back of the rotation starter. The team as a whole is fairly young.

QUOTE (Alexeihyeess @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 10:20 AM) Fyi- Cooper doesn't really work with minor league guys. He says this in interviews repeatedly. No, but he consults with the minor league coaches and his philosophy is present throughout the system. Don't listen to him when he says he isn't involved with them. What he really means is that he doesn't have "hands-on" work with them.

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Dec 14, 2014 -> 10:08 AM) A part of me still want the Sox to give Ynoa a shot at starting. He was really good as a starter in 2013 in A ball, and didn't exactly light the world on fire as a reliever last year. Hate to see a "once in a generation" pitcher end up being a reliever without getting another shot with the new team. Sometimes converting to reliever gets the confidence back and then they can return to a starting role.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 05:36 PM) Don't want to take him without his supplier though. Erythropoieten would not be one to help him much. I'm sure he use(s)d others

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 06:22 PM) An "average starter" is usually considered around 2 WAR. A replacement player is often considered to be an abstraction but in reality it's concrete and important: it's a guy you could grab off a AAA team at any time. Think Josh Phegley, Jordan Danks, Rienzo, guys like that. Not saying that's all they ever will be, but that's all they are currently. This is a good primer on it: http://www.fangraphs.com/library/misc/war/ I understand the concept of who it's supposed to be it's just that it is so vague that it could be any level our Jordan Danks is probably different than a roster guy from the Twins. It makes more sense if they can say the average MLB regular is a 2 WAR player. Therefore, if you had an average player at every position you should theoretically finish 20 games ahead of a team with 4 A players which it seems you are trying to describe.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 05:26 PM) I'm ok with weaknesses at catcher and 3b and 2b if we fix the gaping hole in RF, but that doesn't mean those positions aren't weak. People have been trying to tell us how we should go for Castro or Headley all offseason to replace those guys, while I keep replying that upgrading to an average player in RF is a much bigger improvement than upgrading 3b or C to an all star. And we absolutely need 2 platoon partners that we currently don't have for these guys. I would a gree that one OF is needed preferably RF. If the platoon players are defensive first players then you might have it. I guess I really don't consider that several. I consider that only one change. Which I think is possible. The only platoon may be at 3B but I'm not willing to give up on him yet.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 03:36 PM) The only guy I can think of that can save Jay from Jay is Martz. He didn't allow you to check out of plays, no matter what the defense was showing. Problem is, he didn't have the horses outside of Jay. If he came back, you have Jeffrey, Marshall, Bennett, Forte and a decent line. Would Jay get sacked more? Yes. Would he be able to take advantage of his arm? Yes. Outside of him, I don't really know or can think of a coordinator or coach who can get anymore out of Jay than we've already seen. For a guy making as much as he, that's unacceptable. Or is it the other way around? Do you need someone to adapt the system to what he has (Cutler) or do you try to change Cutler? I think we've seen enough of the latter.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 07:19 AM) How was Kromer not fired on Monday when this happened? He can't be in the building still. God this is such a horrible franchise right now. I really don't think this coaching staff survives. He's the only smart one of the bunch.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 05:10 PM) If they don't win the series fine, but they went all-in on being a playoff team on Tuesday of this week. If they lose 81+ games this year and another 1000 tickets/game disappear, do you think they'll have the money to sign Shark to 5/$105? If not, if Samardzija walks as a FA or even is traded at the deadline, where are we in 2016? Rodon present but still early in his career, less money available, still no depth, huge money spent on positions like closer? We absolutely need to go into April with a roster that makes most people say "this is a competitive team this year right now" and we're not there right now. Our bench is very weak, we have several lineup weaknesses and one complete gaping hole that we've spend $4 million on for some reason. This is a riddle we have to solve. The Sox are not changing several players. Who do you suggest are the several that they should change?

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 04:57 PM) Also, you know the 2005 team had a lot of "league average ballplayers", right? You need some to go along with the stars. What the Sox currently have is a replacement level LF. An average LF would be a huge upgrade. What is the difference between league average and a replacement level players?

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 04:19 PM) All the White Sox news this past week killed this thread I think. But it should pick up soon.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 01:45 PM) Aren't we all? No.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 01:28 PM) They are highly leveraged. This is why they are selling a 20% stake in tbe team. George Lucas anyone now that he has agreed to sell his rooftops?

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Dec 12, 2014 -> 12:12 PM) I'm still waiting for them to figure it out. It was our biggest flaw and we've done ZERO to fix it. Its pathetic. Without doing that, I'd rank this offseason as bad, with context of we made win now moves without being capable of winning now. That said, there is still plenty of time. Who do expect them to change to improve tbe defense? The only chnages would be 2B and left field. LF really won't help the defense much and 2B will be internal from either Johnson or Sanchez. What you see is what you get for defense.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 03:37 PM) I can't f***ing wait to get a real keyboard here tonight so I can argue better. Typing on tablet sucks I am 4 days out of biletrral patellar tendon repair and just now starting to get life back in order. Noesis splits as a Sox are very comparable to Simons. And Simon has no ability to eat innings asmamreliever turned starter that collapsed in august and sept. How did you rupture both patellar tendon? That is absolutely awful. You have my sympathies. You will recover but you have agreat deal of work ahead.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 06:31 AM) http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-p...-to/?tid=pm_pop sigh ugh I'm sure both my dad and HH will be out spending lavishly now! How. How is this still a thing. This sounds horrible. Republicans seem to actively hate nature. Illinois passed a bill to scale back my pension. Luckily the courts found it unconstitutional. Where do they get off getting a 1% raise? I haven't gotten one for 2 years. Howver next year I get a 1.5%.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 11, 2014 -> 02:11 AM) I hope it's Masterson on a 1-year deal, the idea being to flip him midseason if the Sox are out of it, moving Rodon in to the rotation. I don't think that's realistic. Have you seen the contracts McCarthy and liriano received?

QUOTE (fathom @ Dec 10, 2014 -> 10:08 PM) It's the National League....seemingly half of the NL teams aren't even trying in 2015 it appears Well, the Cubs did get Lester, so should anyone even try?

Working in sports for years worked I'm spoiled and worked most of the events discussed here Olympics, college football games, pro football games (hate to admit it I was employed by the Packers). Al except the world series which I had season tickets in 2005 and bears in 2006. I haven't done the international soccer thing but I once worked in the mexican winter baeball league and it was scary enough. Being old I want to do the river boat cruise and go to three ball park in a week. I think its the ohio into the Mississippi ruver and you see a game at pnc, great american then busch stadium.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 10, 2014 -> 02:28 PM) DeShilelds Jr sounds really intriguing. I could 100% see him as a guy the White Sox target. Seeing that name reminded of his dad and how much fun it was to watch the expos of the early 90s. Deshields, marquis grissom, larry walker, moises alou, john wetteland, pedro martinez. Its too bad bad the 94 WS and season was cancelled. Seeing that team in the playoffs could have changed baseball in Montreal. That was one of the most entertaining teams ever to watch /old guy reminiscing.