Jack Parkman

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 18, 2011 -> 10:39 PM) I don't think bringing him up in 09 hurt his shoulder. I think his overall mechanics have always been bad, and they just caught up to him at age 28. Did you miss the offseason interviews where Peavy said his mechanics were altered in Sept 2009 and that is why he believes that his lat muscle tore off the bone?

I had no problems with the Peavy trade when it happened but I was scratching my head a little when Jake came back in Sept. 2009 because of the possibility of what ended up happening. We all have heard stories of pitchers hurting a foot or a knee and altering their mechanics and then boom-career over due to arm issues. I'm afraid that this may have happened to Peavy. There was no reason for Peavy to pitch in 2009. The Sox were already out of the race if not eliminated when Peavy made his comeback. For what, exactly did we need Peavy's services in 2009? Furthermore, when the trade was made I looked up highlights on mlb.com to see what we would be getting. I distinctly recall Peavy pitching at 89-91 with occasional pops at 92-93 with the fastball in September 2009. I knew he was favoring his ankle then due to the differences in velocity. Just as a reference, did Peavy hurt his left(plant) ankle? If so, then it makes sense. The the White Sox organization has mishandled their ace just as the Cubs did with Prior/Wood, and has destroyed a career in the process. They ruined Peavy just to show the fans that it was not a "dumb move mid season" They should have gone out at the time of the trade and told the fans that it would be like an offseason aquisition rather than a trade deadline move.

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Apr 7, 2011 -> 10:53 PM) The problem is that's all you guys are going by is "ifs." What we KNOW is that we gave up a potential future stud who could be had cheap for a long time for a guy on a much shorter term who's a Boras client and has proven to be inconsistent in the past. While I agree either way it's a risk, but Jackson clearly seems like the bigger one; I think you simply saying "What if Hudson doesn't pan out?" is a bit silly when the same thing applies to Jackson, and more critically IMO. Please read my post on what I thought of Hudson in his short time with the Sox. Jackson has the higher upside, period, and I don't think that Hudson can get hitters out consistently in the majors with what scouts call fringe-average breaking balls.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 7, 2011 -> 10:35 PM) If that is indeed what you think, then I'd be hard-pressed to imagine how trading Hudson for Edwin results in a loss for us, especially considering the makeup of our roster and what a CY season from Edwin would probably do for our chances this year. It doesn't, because after a few months of jumping on the 'KW got robbed in the EJ deal' bandwagon, I went back thought about what I thought of Hudson when KW made the trade and before Hudson lit up the NL. I remembered that Hudson does not have a major league breaking ball, though he does have an awesome fastball-change combination. I remembered how in his starts with the Sox lefties killed him because of his almost sidearm arm angle. I thought that once the NL advance scouts realize this Hudson will be hit hard and relegated to the bullpen or be # 3 on his best days and most of the time a back end guy in the NL. I remember praising Keith Law for saying that Hudson was a back end guy with no breaking ball. Even if we get one season of solid pitching from Jackson (14-10, 3.75 ERA 180-190 K) it is better for us than Hudson because a guy with his stuff can be dominant in the playoffs, and a guy with Hudson's stuff and inexperience would probably get shelled.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Apr 7, 2011 -> 09:51 PM) Overall, it's going to be a loss, yes. And for the 90th time, I haven't anointed Hudson anything and neither has anyone else around here. Edwin and Huddy both have to show more, Jackson has had an up and down career and well Hudson hasn't proven anything in the majors yet. Here's what we know: Jackson has the higher ceiling but Hudson thus far has been a tad better since the trade and the Dbacks get 5 years of a very inexpensive pitcher. At best, Edwin turns into an ace this season and we lose him next year. Now, once again, if Edwin has turned the corner(and I DO believe he has) and we can somehow manage to re-sign him then that changes pretty much everything. But at this point, it's definitely a net gain for the Diamondbacks. At the time of the Hudson/Jackson trade, I thought that Hudson was a #3 at best and Jackson under Cooper's tutelage could be an ace, and maybe would be appreciative enough to the Sox for helping him reach his potential to give them maybe a 2/25 extension. I was for the trade, until I heard that Jackson's agent was Boras. Now I know that if Jackson reaches his potential, it is the Danks situation again. He'll get ace money from someone, and 5-7 years. Sometimes I think you have to make an exception for pitchers and pay up, but I don't know if Jackson is the right guy to do it with because he relies so much on his stuff, and when it declines,(which you never know when it will happen) he'll get lit up like a pinball machine. second off, he is pretty much on the young end of free agency. When top free agents are 27 or 28 years old, they get more money. The maximum year length deal I'd sign him for is 4 years, taking him from age 28-31, and knowing Boras's MO, he'd laugh at that. I think Jackson may win the CY award this season, so that just plays into Boras's hands. The best we can hope for is a return to form by Peavy this year, Jackson turning into an ace, and Danks taking that next step, all leading to a Sox WS win. Unfortunately, all that will lead to is a complete blowup of the team after this season a la Florida Marlins in 1997-1998. I think when they say they're "all in" they mean it in the sense that this season is the last one for the Sox as we know them, and they plan to go young next season. This is the last shot, It's 2011 WS winner or bust, and bust is coming whether the Sox win the WS or not. By the way, does anyone remember when Hudson pitched for the Sox? The guy has no breaking ball. He's fastball-changeup with a mediocre at best slider and curve. He'll get hit hard once the league adjusts to him.

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Apr 5, 2011 -> 09:48 PM) Which will pretty much mean the Sox conceding this year. I can't imagine "All in" leading to getting busted after only a month and a half. They should have signed a lefty instead of hindering Sale's devleopment as a starter. Sale has a chance to be an ace if he can stay healthy with those mechanics.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Apr 5, 2011 -> 09:44 PM) And exactly what do you want to replace him with. He needs to throw strikes. Let's not demote him to the Barons roster just yet. I said give him a month and a half to find it, and if he doesn't then he needs to go start in Birmingham. They can give Infante a shot if Sale fails.

If Sale has trouble getting guys out over the first month and a half or so, I wouldn't mind the org stretching him out and sending him to start the rest of the year in AA or AAA.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Apr 5, 2011 -> 09:25 PM) Chris Sale throws fast. Does anyone think he's going to stay in the mid 90s with the FB as a starter? I don't know.

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 5, 2011 -> 07:46 PM) Gavin's stuff is going to have to improve tonight if he wants to qualify for a win. His control is crap through the first inning+

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 02:08 PM) Absolutely. 215 innings in the AL with an ERA regularly under 4, for a guy who will be hitting the FA market before he turns 28, and who happens to throw from the LH side, with no real injury history? If he takes another step somehow, then you go from talking 7/$120 to talking 7/$150. So what should, in your opinion, the Sox do with him this offseason if they make the playoffs but ultimately fall short of the World Series? Should they keep him around for another year and take the two draft picks, or should they trade him to a team willing to give him the money he would get on the open market? I think that if he's going to be gone in 2013, you trade him this offseason for the best package. Sale can replace him in the rotation.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 02:02 PM) And the length. That is market rate for a 27-28 year old LH starting pitcher right now. And on the FA market, teams are simply overpaying for starting pitching because there isn't enough of it. Do you think that he will get that contract if he pitches just like he has the last two seasons?

QUOTE (Real @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 02:01 PM) Danks is a good pitcher, but please stop using the word 'Ace' next to his name, he's nowhere close to earning that title yet We are discussing a hypothetical situation where he takes that next step this season. I know that he is not there yet.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:58 PM) 7/$120. And I wouldn't want to be the team paying it. What about Danks makes you say that? Is it just the amount of money committed?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:40 PM) I wouldn't want to be the team offering John Danks 7/$120. QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:41 PM) I don't think there's anything stupid about it at all I don't think it's that ridiculous either, but if you really think about it, unless you lock up an ace in his first arb year, you're going to have to pay him that much money, and a player would be stupid to take anything less. It is the economics of baseball today. If you have an ace on your team, you either have to pay up in both dollars and years or he's gone. I think that for most pitchers the 3 year rule is a sound practice, but the economics of baseball state that you have to give at least 6/100 to a 27-28 year old ace a year away from FA or on the open market. It is what it is. Balta, if Danks takes that next step he's going to get that type of contract. If Danks takes that next step this year, I'd like to see him do it until the ASB next year and if he keeps it up, then talk extension. What do you think would be a reasonable contract to offer Danks if he indeed pitches like an ace for the next two years?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:28 PM) And maybe the White Sox wind up with 2 division titles on his left arm. Actually it would be KW's MO to keep him around and take the two draft picks. I think it totally depends on what happens this season. If Danks becomes the ace that he has the ability to become, Maybe JR finally keeps a big money pitcher around because he wants to win more. Maybe we've seen the beginning of the new White Sox business model for a while, where we are players in the FA market and we don't let good players walk because of a stupid "3 year rule"

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:24 PM) He's under control for next year. Why to the Sox have to operate like a small market team? Because he's a lefthanded pitcher and will get Sabathia/Lee money in 2012 if he has two seasons where he strikes out 200 because of his age. JR would never give that amount of years and dollars to a pitcher.

If Danks strikes guys out like this all season we can kiss him goodbye in the offseason.

where's the gun on the CSN broadcast?

QUOTE (fathom @ Apr 1, 2011 -> 01:39 PM) Marshall's a damn good 7th/8th inning guy. I forgot about him. Just strengthens my point about how their back end is very good.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Apr 1, 2011 -> 12:02 PM) Killer? Marmol is filthy but walks about a guy an inning and that will eventually bite him. His setup guys are nothing spectacular, then it goes downhill in a hurry in that pen. Solid starting 5? They had auditions among a bunch of marginal pitchers for not just the 5th spot, but the 4th spot as well. Their #3, Garza, has had an awful spring, and their #2, Z, is... well, he's Z, who has been in decline for years now. They have a solid starting 1. That pitching staff is well below average. Their defense is also terrible - one of the worst last season and likely only worse this year. And you really think that none of CIN, STL or MIL will win 90 games? Sorry, but I saw the Cubs as the 4th best team going in, maybe 3rd now with MIL's injury issues. When I think of back end of the bullpen I think of the 8th-9th innings, and Marmol/Wood are both filthy. I think that despite his bad spring, Garza will be the Cubs best pitcher. Career 3.97 ERA in the ALE is good, now he's going the NLC. Despite his problems, Zambrano has never posted an ERA above 4 in his career since his cup of coffee in the Majors. Dempster is solid and their most consistent pitcher. Wells is a good #4 in the NL, he had a good season last year and by some accounts his job was only in jeopardy because he liked to party too much. Cashner has good stuff, but he's a rookie, so they don't know what they will get from him. There was never any competition in their rotation, they were going to cut Silva and insert Cashner from the beginning of the spring. Like I said, their questions are if they can get outs in the 6th-7th innings, and if their middle of the lineup is too old. They are my surprise team this season, and I can see them taking the division if they can get their offense going. The Reds have Baker as their manager, he'll ruin those good young arms. Milwaukee has nobody in their bullpen who can get anyone out. St. Louis has crap in their rotation after Carpenter. As of today I think the Cubs are on equal footing with Milwaukee for second best in the division. All three of the Cubs,Reds, and Brewers could finish first as well as third.

I don't think that the Cubs are going to be as bad as most think this season. In fact, they could be very good. They have a very solid starting five and a killer back end of the bullpen. If Mike Quade was smart he'd bench Fukudome and start Colvin in right, and lead off Castro. The only questions are if the middle of their order is declining so much that they aren't going to score enough runs, and are the middle relievers going to get anyone out. I'm not a Cubs fan by any means, but if you really think about it they really aren't that bad and they could finish first as easily as third or fourth. The NLC is just as competitive, IMO, as the ALC, but the ALC has better quality teams. I think 86-89 wins will win the NLC.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Mar 28, 2011 -> 12:42 PM) So basically, what your saying with a whole bunch of words is: The Sox have to play out the season and see who wins the division? No, what I was saying is that the perceived advantage that the Sox have an easier second half schedule than the Twins or Tigers is false. If JR is really all in, unless the Sox fall 6.5+ games out before the trade deadline, they need to play out the season with the current group. They can blow up the team in the offseason, unless they are sure at the TD that they can't win. If they truly believe they can't win, then get something for Jackson and Buehrle, and possibly Danks.

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 28, 2011 -> 12:29 PM) Yep. Just breaking down the schedule, I'd the Sox to be 50-43 at the break, and within 3 games of first place. If it's this, or better, then they'll be in real good shape going into the second half. Have you seen Detroit's schedule in both August and September? After looking at that It wouldn't surprise me if they hang around in the first four months that they would win the division. Almost all of their games in a two month period are against crappy teams. Never mind that the Twins have an easy schedule in both August and September too. The Sox and Twins have to play either Boston or NY once in that two month stretch. Detroit plays neither. The advantage of an easy schedule that you guys make the Sox out to have isn't there, because Detroit and Minnesota have a similar 2nd half schedule to the Sox. The ALC division is going to be won in the first half of the season. I think if a team is 5 games up at the ASB, it's over.

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 28, 2011 -> 12:02 PM) The Sox are going to have to be a 2nd half team...they have no other choice. But the question is: Will JR and KW have the patience to stick with the current team if they get out to a .500 start over the first two months and attendance stays similar to last year? I get the sense from upper management that if the team gets off to a slow or even .500 start AND fans aren't coming to the park in the way they had hoped, then by the ASB the dismantling of the 2011 Chicago White Sox will have already begun.