Balta1701

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 03:49 PM) Ask Bronson Arroyo. Another good move here by KW, although you feel a little for Brandon McCarthy right now, who's probably not going to be a pernament fixture in this rotation for a little while. If Contreras performs as he did in the 2nd half of 05, it's a great deal. If he doesn't, we're stuck with a long - term deal. I'm confident the former will happen. Yeah, if he doesn't perform we're stuck with his deal, but let's think about this; right now, a guy like Loaiza is being paid $7 mil a year or so to be a 4th or 5th starter, Vazquez is making several million more a year than Jose...even if Jose does struggle some, he's not being paid much more than other veteran pitchers, and if he succeeds...he's a damn bargain.

Not the biggest deal in MLB history, but I do have 1 question: how the hell can the Cubs afford to Trade away pitching?

Well, now Gload, Mack, Sweeney around the outfield, Ozuna, Gonzalez, Cintron, and Widger in the infield (Widge @ 1st?) and Molina behind the plate.

Sweeney comes in for Dye.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 10:55 AM) No, I mostly meant the 'trading one of our sp for a closer' type ideas. That would be an enormous waste, imo. P&J -- Blalock? Why??? He just wasn't good last year, and isn't good outside Arlington. Blalock may not be the best example...especially since we have Fields waiting in the winds. But who knows what we might be able to do next year. Say Florida decides they want a veteran on their young pitching staff, and makes an offer involving Cabrera for a pitcher and Crede? Or the Yankees decide they finally need to fill in that hole that is their starting pitching, and offer us up one of their big guys. Or the Red Sox figure out that they need to replace Wells and Schilling next offseason and offer us a bat, cash, and some of their young guys? Or the Angels realize that they need another starting pitcher, and finally decide that they don't have a place to play Brandon Wood for 2 more seasons? God, the possibilites are endless. We'd seriously be talking about being able to trade for a top level player here, because that's the value of a monster pitcher, and that's what we have 6 of.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 10:57 AM) Well, the hitting certainly looks ready. You know how annoying it was last year when this team just couldn't score runs? Or when we saw the lineup and Timo Perez was leading off or batting behind Konerko? Or when our backup 2nd baseman would play, have guys on base 4 times during a game, and not move any of them into scoring position? Those days are over. This is going to be a hell of a year.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 10:44 AM) In the next offseason, it makes sense. But we can't get a half-decent backup plan now. I don't think anything happens until the deadline, at the earliest, and then only if it's an emergency or someone in the minors emerges as a backup plan. This is just a good value signing. If we need to shunt around monies for 2007, I'm sure we'll be able to do that (at least, if all our pitchers come through this season unscathed), but it's a little funny to talk about trades that far away when we have no idea what needs the Sox will show or our minors will fill in 2006. The best part about this deal is it gives us total freedom to look ahead to the winter of 06-07 and start thinking about that...because we will clearly have extra pieces to play with then. We don't have any idea what might show up in the minors...but the only way the Sox will have any major needs is if there is a major injury. If no one winds up hurt badly...then this puts us in the awesome position of having way too damn much pitching in a market that is starved for pitching. That's why we can start looking around and seeing teams who might have a few big parts they'd move for a front line starter.

QUOTE(PaleHose4Life35 @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 07:00 AM) If it were true they would just get rid of the Cubs all together. And a few years ago, some folks on the talk radio channels in Chicago were seriously discussing whether the White Sox should be contracted.. Muhahahahahahahaha.

I said 8 a few weeks ago in my prediction thread post, and I'm sticking with that #.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 10:41 AM) I have a hunch Garland gets moved next off-season, followed up by Mark getting an extension. I would probably accept any starter not named Buehrle or McCarthy being moved, in the right deal. Garland's probably the lowest on my list other than those 2 because of JG's age compared with Vazquez and Freddy and Jose (I'd prefer to keep the younger guy, and having him may help us resign Mark), but I'd tolerate it if the deal was right.

QUOTE(Punch and Judy Garland @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 10:26 AM) I'm gonna get pissy if we trade Mac for Lidge in May after Clemens decides not to be an Astro. I'll get pissy if McCarthy gets traded, period.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 10:22 AM) Why would we trade anyone? Every team must have a 6th starter, either in the pen or AA/AAA. If any of our 6 sp gets dealt, who's our emergency plan? Cotts? Broadway? Haeger? Do we even need to discuss why those are all horrible options? We have 6 good sp but virtually no depth. The Sox were killed for years in having an abysmal 5th starter. Do we want to be one injury away from that situation? Matt Thornton and Neal Cotts both were originally starters and could serve as emergency backups. But that isn't a concern this year. That's a concern next year once we see what happens. For all we know Broadway or Haeger could continue to develop and make it an easier decision next winter, or we could have a good draft and find someone else. Hell, if we moved someone next offseason, I think you assume that KW tries to get a pitcher back in the exchange, someone who could sit at AA-AAA for a year or two and be that insurance guy.

So...I like this move especially for 1 reason: I hated the thought of losing Jose @ the end of this season and not getting anything for him because of that stupid clause in his contract. So...if I'm in KW's chair...next offseason I have to consider moving one of my pitchers. Not Mark because he's a god and should be resigned at any and all cost, not Jon because he's young, not Brandon because he's ungodly cheap for his skills...one of Jose, Javier, and Freddy would be traded next season. Probably IMO Freddy, because he's closest to having his contract up, and that would free up $$ to give to Mark. I know the organization loves every pitcher they have and some are reaally close to Ozzie, but I don't like the idea of BMac spending more than 1 season in the bullpen. I want that kid starting. I understand if he's not starting this year, but next year, if he has a good 06 season, he'll have earned a starting spot. Anywho...we're set up like a M.F. to make a huge deal next offseason now, and we're set up to beat the Hell out of the American League until the end of this decade.

QUOTE(RME JICO @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 12:27 AM) Include the NL in that prediction since he will probably get some innings during Interleague. A caveat to that prediction is that Seattle will be kicking themselves in the a55 for letting Thornton go while they watch him shred thru lineups. Seattle also has Carl Everett at DH...which means they may very well also have a use for Borchard too. He at least put up decent numbers on the spring with us, even if he didn't with the M's. If he gets a decent number of at bats, he'll make them moderately happy. I think this will be one of those trades both teams are happy with.

Todd Walker should have gone with Prior to the O's for Tejada and Bedard. Throw Cedeno in if you need to make the deal work. Should have happened before he hit the DL again.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Mar 31, 2006 -> 11:09 PM) I think he'll start Sunday night. Unless he feels something pop again tomorrow, he'll be running out as Brian Johnson tells us how he was caught in the middle of a railroad track and he knew there was no turning back...

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Mar 31, 2006 -> 11:13 PM) I picked him as my AL MVP in the predictions thread over at the Diamond Club. I can't predict whether or not ARod and Ortiz will hit 55 home runs...but I can say this again: Paul Konerko will be top 3 in the MVP voting at the end of the year.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Apr 1, 2006 -> 12:00 AM) Kenny said that he doesn't even make the trade for Thornton without Cooper's approval. That says A LOT right there. Coop's not going anywhere. Prediction: By the end of the year, the rest of the AL will be scared when they see Thornton entering a game. And not just because they think they'll be hit in the head.

So...thanks to the heroics of our monster 3-4 hitters....who the rest of the AL will learn to dread...I am no longer without a win in game threads I have started. Thanks guys...now I can start game threads during the regular season without feeling like we're guaranteed to lose.

God Damn that's pretty.

Clifford gets a fly out, gives up a single, then gets a pop out to start the 7th. Cotts coming in to face Jones I believe. Matt Diaz pinch hits for C. Jones, (he's a righty), singles, runner to 3rd.

QUOTE(Felix @ Mar 31, 2006 -> 05:25 PM) Also, if anyone hasn't noticed, MLB.com has updated the player portraits (not really relevant to this thread, but whatever) The question is...when were the new photos taken? I don't want to see Thornton in a Mariners uniform all year.

Blaine Boyer on to pitch the 5th for the Braves. Iguchi turns a 9 pitch at bat into a single to center.

Early data: The sox have 3 errors, throwing error on Haeger, fielding errors on Iguchi and Ozuna. Sox runs: Dye singles, forceout on Pierzynski, Crede Singles, Uribe singles to load em, BA grounds into a force out driving in a run. BA steals 2nd, but the inning ends. (2nd inning.) 3rd inning: Iguchi and Thome single, Iguchi scores on a GIDP by Konerko. Braves runs: Renteria Walks, Chipper Jones singles, both advance on a throwing error by Haeger, 2 RBI single by Andruw Jones. (1st inning) Third inning: Chipper singles, Laroche reaches on the error by Iguchi, Francoeur grounds out knocking in Chipper. The Sox have 8 hits through 4 innings. Only Konerko and BA don't have hits, and they're the only ones who've knocked in runs.

Lineups: Ozuna Iguchi Thome Konerko Dye Pierzynski Crede Uribe Anderson Braves: Giles Renteria C Jones A Jones Laroche Francoeur Mccann Jordan Langerhans