Lillian

It's getting harder, and harder, for me to be able to relate to these modern prima donna professional athletes. One would think that I guy like La Roche, who claims to be so morally conscious, would not only behave differently, but have a different perspective. After the year he had, and the money he made, you would think that he would be embarrassed and ashamed to ask for any special privileges, at all!!! When K. W asked him to "dial it back," he could have said. Of course, I understand, and I appreciate that I have this special privilege. I'm sorry that I haven't lived up to the expectations that the organization had for me, and I hope to be make some of that up to the White Sox, this season. Or, better yet; You know I certainly didn't earn any of that $12.5 million you paid me last year, and I feel that I owe the team something. Since it's unlikely that I could play well enough, and contribute enough, this season, to justify another year's significant financial cost to the organization, please accept my resignation. Maybe you can use the money to acquire a player who could actually earn it. These guys live in a very strange world, indeed. That just makes La Roche's view about the great "life lessons to be learned in Major League clubhouse," for his teenaged son, all the more foolish. In fact, he himself is the product of having grown up in that environment, and it didn't seem to help him to understand the real world, did it?

Adam La Roche appears to not be very bright. One would think that he would have realized that he put his teammates in an awkward position. In this politically correct age, what guy is going to openly complain about such a well behaved, likable kid's presence in the club house and on the field? For La Roche to volunteer to not bring his son, if players objected, is a rather hollow promise, knowing that most guys would not want to openly object, even it they didn't appreciate it. The other obvious issue that should have entered his mind is that other players might have felt that they too should have the same privilege. Again, he just doesn't seem to be very bright. It's just common sense, which he apparently lacks.

If La Roche decides not to retire, and returns to the team, is there any way that this turns our to be a good thing? I can't imagine it. Adam La Roche strikes me as not being very bright. At his age, and being the veteran he is, you would think that he would have more sense than this. I really hope that he goes through with this voluntary retirement. He wasn't contributing before this idiotic controversy, and it is likely that he would not contribute enough to make up for the problems, he has just created. My biggest fear now is that he changes his mind. Please just retire, please. And don't take too long to make up your mind. The sooner the organization knows, the better the chances to find an available left handed bat. I hope that they have already been engaged in preliminary discussions with a viable candidate, or two.

Have you noticed that Kaplan did a complete about face? There are 2 or 3 videos on CSN, in which he is very vehemently critical of La Roche, and supportive of management. I wonder what caused the change of view?

An interesting perspective might be gained by contemplating this hypothetical: Assume that La Roche was a really productive player, and that his presence was considered key to his team's chances of winning. He has a contract, which obligates his team to pay him an exorbitant amount of money, in fact more than he is arguably worth. His contractual obligation, whether explicitly stipulated, or implied, is to do his utmost, to help the team win. Instead he allows his selfish, personal desire for a particularly unusual, special privilege, to take precedence over the interests of the team. He further allows it to create an atmosphere of contention and division in the clubhouse, leading players to take sides against one another, over the issue. Then, when he is unhappy with the request to "dial it back a little", he chooses to abandon his teammates, and quit, leaving them with a significant void, which will be difficult to fill. One of the reasons that some fail to see how poorly this reflects upon La Roche, is that his presence on the roster, and salary are perceived by most to be a detriment to the team's chances for success. How would we feel if his leaving negatively impacted those chances? It does seem like this man, who claims to be such a good Christian, and devout family man, has selfishly placed his interest, ahead of his team's. If he now does anything to try to claim all, or part of the money, which was owed in the contract, he will further reinforce that characterization of selfishness. What would truly have been the "selfless" act would have been for him to have volunteered to quit, and not accept the money (a la Gil Meche) because he felt that he, not only did not earn his salary last season, but that his presence on the roster, represented an obstacle to the team's chances for success. The question now is; How does this team best overcome this distraction and move forward with the determination to win.

How was Danks' velocity? That is the big question for me. If he can get that fast ball back into the low 90's he should be effective. His change up has become a solid pitch.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Mar 10, 2016 -> 02:50 PM) Another nice shot by Avi into the left-centerfield gap. He is absolutely on fire. I know it's a very small sample size but he looks like a completely different hitter in the chances I've got to see him this spring. I really think this is the year he puts it together. Shh. Be careful, you know that a comment like that is likely to generate a chorus of skepticism. "It's only Spring", "He still sucks" etc, But, I'm with you, he looks completely different. This new stance is much more conducive to hitting for power. He's showing good patience at the plate. The front office knows that he could be a beast, if he puts it together. I'm very encouraged.

Did you guys see this article today?: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/165972362/ja...rs-may-be-dealt I don't see a spot for him, unless they can unload LaRoche, do you?

Break out all of the cliches: Where were these bats last year? Save something for the regular season. That's what I'm talking' about. I'm drinking the Sox "Kool Aid"

Assuming that both Rollins and Jackson are going to be in the regular lineup, and that Avi doesn't get traded or sent to AAA, I'd like to see this: RF Eaton SS Rollins 1B Abreu DH Melky 3B Frazier 2B Lawrie LF AVI C Avila/Navarro CF Jackson Rollins is a smart hitter, who would be able to handle the 2 hole, leaving Melky to provide the LH bat in the middle of the order, to break up all the right handed hitters. Of course, this would have to be altered until Eaton's shoulder is completely healthy. LaRoche would then have to be a pinch hitter and defensive replacement for Abreu. It would be better if he weren't on the roster, but it is, what it is. I like having the 3 speedsters in succession, 9TH, Leadoff and 2ND.

I'd rather see Sands get that time in CF, until Eaton is ready. It's too early for Jacob May. He needs at least a year at AAA. Moreover, he has no power, which the Sox outfield really could use. It's also too early for Engel. Sands has already proven his Minor League credentials. He needs to get Major League at bats. If he establishes himself, and depending upon how Avi does, once Eaton is ready, he could slide over to RF. I just reread this old scouting report: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1311284...or-josh-beckett This guy has serious power, and has a very impressive Minor League career. He really hasn't had a chance to play much in the Majors. In just 66 games, last year at AAA Columbus he hit 14 homers and put up this line: .287 .409 .538 .948 He looked pretty good yesterday, both on defense and at the plate. Given our poor defense and the lack of power, in the outfield, why not give him a good look in Spring Training? I understand that he is not really a centerfielder, and that he would play much better in a corner OF spot, but playing CF until Eaton can return, is one way to get him at bats. Avi needs to play and I'd certainly rather see Sands in CF, than Avi. Yikes!!

Now that the Dodgers have lost one of their lefty starters, Brett Anderson, could this be a chance for a Danks/Ethier trade?

Can anyone here provide a definitive answer to the question: Who is the better fielding SS, Saladino or Desmond, and by what degree? This thread has over 50 pages, but it seems to contain a lot of conjecture, with no real assessment of the comparative defensive of the two players. Do the Sox really want to spend money and a draft pick, to acquire a SS, who is not as good defensively as a young, inexpensive rookie, especially with Anderson waiting in the wings? As has been argued, the middle of the infield defense has probably been downgraded already, with Lawrie, in place of Sanchez. Downgrading the defense at SS may be to the team's detriment, even if Desmond puts up his career average offensive numbers.

Latos didn't sign for that kind of money, without some kind of guarantee to get plenty of innings. That's fine, as he is probably a better pitcher than E. Johnson. Nevertheless, the Sox need the depth. They didn't have a single starter lose significant playing time, last year. It would be unusual to go two years in a row, with all 5 starters not having any down time. Come to think about it, I don't remember any Sox starter missing a lot of time in 2014 either. Sale had that ankle injury in Spring training last year, but he didn't miss much time. That is the only instance that I can remember, in the last two years. Am I forgetting something?

Well, if we must resign ourselves to the probability that LaRoche will be the DH, I suppose it's realistic to expect him to be better than last year. It's hard to imagine him being that bad, again. He was always a pretty good hitter against RHP. You know, if he could just hit .250 with an OBP around .350, with 20 homers, all obviously vs. righties, that would be fine. We just have to hope that Robin will make sure that he sits vs. LHP. There is no reason to expect him to be anything other than a black hole, vs. lefties. But then, what gives us any reason to be confident that Robin will not start him every day? Has Ventura said anything about platooning him?

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 29, 2016 -> 08:23 AM) Who exactly is the Sox 2 hole hitter currently? It seems like a mighty big hole to me. Now Fowler is not great at it and is not worth the draft choice in my view. But I suspect they will do something I like even less, like clearing out the prospects not named Fulmer or Anderson for yet another proven NL veteran. As for the front office, it really should've been cleared out after last year's debacle. Just Williams getting a presidency somewhere elwould have give Hahn more freedom to make certain other adjustments. But whoever's in the front office, they are dealt a tough hand. They don't want to take the time to build the organization, but don't have the budget to get the necessary free agents. And when they trade for/ sign proven veterans, their hit rate is ridiculously low. They've got to cut down on the misses in the proven veteran category It's hard to argue against your point. I just prefer trying to improve the clean up spot, rather than the #2 hole. It's pretty hard to be optimistic, with La Roche there, again.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 29, 2016 -> 07:01 AM) The walks/OBP have clear value, but $15 million per year and a top 30 draft pick's worth? Exactly, and please note, even his OBP has not been that good vs. RHP. Over that same last three years, it's under .350

Sorry if this has been recently stated by others, as I haven't read the entire thread: Over the last 3 seasons, Fowler is around a .245 hitter vs. RHP. His numbers are terrific vs. lefties, but he won't face many southpaws, playing for the Sox. He does hit for more power from the left side, but he's still not really a power hitter. I don't think he is the answer, and he would cost that draft pick. The biggest offensive hole is still someone to hit between Abreu and Frazier, and Fowler isn't suited to bat in that spot. Everyone seems to agree that he would profile as a leadoff or 2 hole hitter, which is not the Sox' greatest need.

Just a reminder of Desmond's Career Inter League Stats, in 428 Plate Appearances: AVG OBP SLG OPS .220 .268 .379 .647 Not very impressive.

There are two big remaining holes on this roster: 1) One good defensive outfielder, for CF or RF, who is at least an average hitter. 2) A respectable OBP, power bat, preferably left handed to bat between Abreu and Frazier. If he hits RHP exceptionally well, it would be acceptable if he were right handed I continue to think that SS is not a hole, as Saladino is a good defender with good speed, and some modest offensive potential. That should be adequate, if the other 2 holes are filled. Frazier at 3RD, Lawrie at 2ND & Abreu at 1ST provide enough potential offense for the infield. Defense at SS is more important. Austin Jackson is my favorite remaining Free Agent, without the loss of a draft pick, for the outfield. That leaves the middle of the order left handed bat. I wish someone could provide hope that La Roche would not be a total black hole again, in that spot. However, I doubt that anyone can make a credible argument for that. Who is out there, who might fill that hole, in a trade, or free agent acquisition? The only open spot is DH, if they sign Jackson. I'd still like to have Ethier, if trading for him didn't cost much in talent. At his age, he would be fine as a DH, or a corner outfielder, with Melky moving to DH. Andre isn't of much use vs LHP, but he is a solid professional hitter vs RHP.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 03:36 PM) Why? The Royals hit three more HR's than the Sox last season and they seemed to do OK. People have to let go of their obsession with HR's, usually the guys that hit the most also create the most unproductive outs which makes it more of a negative than a positive. The Royals had 116 more hits and 102 more runs while the Sox gave away 258 more K's and despite having what most consider a superior pitching staff the Sox gave up 60 more runs mostly due to shoddy defense. Isn't the Royal's stadium a big factor in this consideration? The home run stats for Kaufman vs. the Cell are difficult to compare. Opponents are going to hit homers at the Cell, even with good pitching. I don't think that the Sox can have very limited power, and still win, in their ball park.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 01:57 PM) I'm sure I'll get roasted for this, but what about signing Desmond and then trading Anderson for a cost-controlled outfielder? I like Anderson, but he's far from a lock to be a quality MLB player. That makes sense to me, primarily because I don't think Anderson will be an elite defensive SS. He has speed and a good bat, but only becomes a big success if he can play SS, at a high level. If he has to move to the outfield, having acquired a true outfielder, with more power would be regarded, in hindsight, as a good move.

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 12:52 PM) Offer Cespedes 4 years with an opt out after 2. Done. That is what I've been advocating, except I would go 5 years, heavily front loaded. What numbers would you suggest? Do you think that the 1ST two years at $25 million, and the last 3 years at $20 million would be enough to entice him? That's only $5 million more than the 5 year, $105 million, rumored to be on the table from the Nationals. I think it all depends upon how that offer is structured. If it's the same annual salary every year, with no opt out, then the deal I'm advocating could be enticing.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Jan 22, 2016 -> 01:43 PM) Why would the Sox have interest in Desmond? He makes zero sense considering he would cost a draft pick and would be blocking the Sox top prospect. Add to that, it would complete a total defensive downgrade of one of the worst defenses in baseball. Hes declined offensively every year since 2012 and bringing him to the AL is going to reverse that? This is the backwards thinking that keeps the Sox as a bottom rung team in its division. My sentiments, exactly, which I've expressed earlier. I want a ++ defensive SS. It is true that the Sox need another bat, but it shouldn't be from the SS position. If Saladino is as good of a defender as he is touted to be, he should be fine, until Anderson is ready. Who knows, maybe by the time Anderson joins the Major League club, he will be a better candidate for CF, and Tyler will remain the SS.

Have you seen this?: http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/12/09/159247...mp-to-instagram If Lawrie keeps this up, he's likely to spend considerable time on the DL. Sanchez may see more playing time than we think. Look, I'm very impressed, but that kind of workout is very dangerous. He's jumping toward a hard wall, on a very flimsy stack, and from a hard floor. He really should have some spotters close by, at the very least.