Dick Allen

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 02:51 PM) Yes I realize that. I'm sure KW does as well. So he improved as much as he could this offseason. We improved the rotation, the offense, and the bench. I'd love him to replace Hermy with some gaurenteed stud too but he would have had to given up too much to get someone like him. KW did a good job, be he neglected the bullpen. Politte, Hermanson, Cotts all performed much better than could be reasonably expected last year, and are longshots to repeat that performance. Hermanson in particular mentioned he may have to retire during the playoffs. Jenks is a wildcard as well. He was great, has great stuff, but has had questionable behavior in the past. Middle relievers aren't that expensive. Bringing in a bunch of garbage like the dopes auditioning for the second left handed reliever role was puzzling. BMac looks like the real deal, but I don't think the White Sox want him making a ton of appearances in relief, and if a starter goes down, he's in the rotation. The reason the 2nd lefty and last member of the pitching staff is important, is the way Ozzie uses the bullpen. Its possible everyone will repeat or come close to their performance last year, its also possible, more possible IMO that the bullpen becomes as Donald Trump would say "a total disaster". I really think KW needs to add at least 1 reliable bullpen guy right now, and probably will need to add another during the course of the season.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 02:09 PM) How do you know who "real" bullpen help is? How do you know those people won't regress either? THat's just not the way you run a ballclub as I said in my other post. You can't run around trying to predict what will happen next year. You have to go with those that had GOOD years last year and hope that they can hang on. A GM's job IS trying to predict how someone will do in the future, not base everything on last season.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 11:49 AM) For pete sake the guy has a 6.09 ERA in his major league career (171 games). Last year he was away from Coors and he was even worse with a 9.42 ERA in 29 games. This guy is HORRID. Kevin Walker is inifintely better than some of these bums that this team is giving a shot. I fear for this cause Ozzie tends to use guys in big situations, regardless of who they are, and these guys will BLOW games left and right. Exactly, and FWIW, Walker was lights out for 6 spring training appearances before being hit around. He only allowed 2 hits in his first 7+ innings last spring. Lopez sucks. If the White Sox have to rely on him getting key outs this season, Everett and Thomas will be right.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 07:31 PM) No, but they've said they do want him pitching 100+ innings. Toss in 200+ innings from Vazquez as opposed to the 128 from El Duque...and there's a lot fewer innings being tossed by those bullpen guys. That's taking into account all the starters stay healthy. Odds are one of the at the very least will miss a few starts, moving BMac to the rotation, and weaking the bullpen.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 07:15 PM) LOL. Don't count on KW trading for any BP help before the season starts. You don't go acquire a new bullpen when your bullpen dominated last year just because you THINK they might go back to the way they played in past seasons. We have Bmac if any of the one falter. Having BMac in the bullpen is nice, but I really don't think the White Sox want him making 60-70 appearances.

QUOTE(Felix @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 06:40 PM) Good point, but if it happened last year too, what makes it so different, and a reason to get a couple of relievers? I do agree with this. I don't see Cliff repeating his 2006 performance, and I see him going back to a 3.60-4.00 ERA. Hermanson's condition and the quality of the left handed candidates make it important to obtain at least one more relief pitcher, especially if Politte can't repeat last season's performance, which is highly unlikely even if he was striking everyone out in spring training. Its not like he's facing a line-up of major leaguers right now, and just because he was brutal last spring and had a good year, doesn't mean he'll be great with a brutal spring this year. I think the White Sox should be at least a little concerned.

QUOTE(Felix @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 06:30 PM) As someone pointed out earlier in this thread, Politte got knocked around last spring training too. If you would have read my whole post, I mentioned that. The problem is Cliff has also been knocked around in the regular season before as well. The last time he pitched as much as he did last year, the next season his ERA was 5.66. I hope I'm wrong, but I think we are living on borrowed time with Cliff.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 05:57 PM) I didn't see the game but it sounds like he got roped. But didn't he get screwed over by an error by Josh Fields? Maybe we will end up trading Borchie for a reliever. KW may need a couple of relievers. Hermanson is throwing in the low to mid 80s, Politte is getting knocked around. The 7 or 8 bums they brought in to compete for the second lefty in the pen are showing why they were cheap and available. Politte wasn't very good last spring but turned it on during the regular season. I hope he can do it again, but if he reverts back to the 2004 version of himself, there will be huge pressure on BMac, Jenks and Cotts.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 10:38 AM) You'd have to think that a team that has maybe a thinner OF would take a flyer on Borchard. Washington, for example, has some injuries and some player disputes. Why not give Borchard a chance to play everyday. If he could hit around 260-275 with 30 bombs, he would be worth it IMO. If it was likely that he would put up those types of numbers, Joe would be playing CF for the White Sox. If he could hit .260-.275 with 30 homers he would have a spot on any major league team.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 09:19 AM) I honestly think that people are too focused on the one big error in the Cubs game in '04 (or was it '03?). But then, I also must admit I have not seen him play all that often, so I have to mostly go by stats, which are sometimes deceiving (and he doesn't have much time in at the MLB level). His stats don't seem to scream particularly good or bad to me - the ones I could find. In his brief tenure in the OF with the White Sox, I have seen him drop 2 flyballs, something little leaguers don't do. He can't throw, and he has no range. He is a decent defensive firstbaseman, but not exactly gold glove calibur.

Borchard and Gload wouldn't net much in a trade. I would imagine if either or both get traded, it would be for a non-prospect or someone else's dissapointment, or they will simply be released.

Frankly, I've considered Everett overrated ever since he came to the Sox. He did get some big hits during his time here, but his overall numbers aren't that impressive. He also looks heavy again this season, so I'm glad the Sox decided to go with Thome instead of him or the Big Always Hurt. It appears his definition of being a leader is having a big mouth. There have been many great leaders who aren't necessarily very vocal.

QUOTE(Felix @ Mar 9, 2006 -> 04:59 PM) He'll spend this year in AAA, but should be in the bigs by 2007 or so. I hope they send him back to AA.

Does anyone think that although Cintron, who is being mentioned as a Uribe replacement if he went down, really maybe an insurance policy for Iguchi? The Sox have seen Iguchi really struggle this spring, I know he was working on a different swing, maybe the team is concerned about his current 0-for.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 08:56 PM) Ben Gordon is a mother f***ing idiot If he wasn't on fire this game the Bulls would have never been in a position to win. Everybody's boy Hinrich got away with an obvious carry right before Ben threw it away.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 05:19 PM) I think the bullpen is set, and looks good. Lopez has been nothing short of impressive this ST. Walker was impressive at this point last spring training, he had allowed 2 hits in 7 1/3 innings over 6 appearances before getting lit up. Lopez' ERA was over 11.00 last season. I think KW needs to find an average lefty or a good righty.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 05:02 PM) Well, IMO, that depends on 2 things...1 Baj's performance, and 2. your definition of a fleecing. If Baj works his way down to an ERA of 3.00 or lower at some point in the next few years, which he has the talent to do IMO, then this trade could look pretty fair. But if Baj can't get it below 5, getting anything for him is pretty much a fleecing. The White Sox troublespot is their bullpen. That Baj's area. If the White Sox had even the slimmest hope Baj could be effective, this trade would not have been made. Cintron is a luxury. They had a good bench before this move, now it has to be considered one of the best. Considering the dopes the Sox had last year riding pine, its a huge improvement. KW still needs to work on the bullpen.

QUOTE(redandwhite @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 04:58 PM) If the White Sox had such a need for a utility infielder, you'd think a World Championship organization would have done something before mid-March. I like the deal, I like Cintron. I agree with you that Baj didn't have a place in this organization. My only real complaint is the money, and like I said from the start, I thought rotoworld made a good point: "Bajenaru was in the running to earn a spot on the White Sox as a middle reliever, but getting Cintron for him looks like a good move. Still, it's interesting to see that the team that was so hesitant to give Tadahito Iguchi even $2.5 million per season a year ago is going to pay $1.6 million for a rather average backup." Maybe you or your buddies at Rotoworld can name a few better back-ups since he is an average one.

Cintron isn't a great player. If he was a great player he would be making a lot more than $1.6 million. He is a valuable player. He hits and can play several positions at least adequately. He is a bench player for the White Sox who will probably get a lot of playing time. To get him for someone the Sox were obviously going to send to Charlotte is a no-brainer. I still hope that KW has another move in mind to strengthen the bullpen. It is a huge concern of mine.

QUOTE(redandwhite @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 04:23 PM) Why are we talking about my teams shortstop? Please, refresh my memory. I never once brought up anything in regards to the Red Sox. You did. My reasons for why this is not a fleecing and just an above average move were listed in my original post. I think it's a hefty dollar amount for someone of Cintron's caliber at his age, and considering he wasn't necessarily needed, I hate seeing Baj, a favorite of mine, leave this organization. Why is Cintron making $1.6 million considered hefty, but the Red Sox signing a guy with a .319 obp last year, who dipped to 5 homers from 23, perhaps from a lack of special vitamins for $3 million a solid signing? Guys like Gonzalez are going to soon make ticket prices at Fenway even more ridiculous than they are now.

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 04:11 PM) All I'm saying is that what is a Red Sox apologist/homer doing on a White Sox message board? Trust me....we don't give a flying f*** about the Red Sox. If I have to hear one more time about how great of a guy Manny is, I think I might have to marry him. At one point, I think you legally could in Boston.

QUOTE(redandwhite @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 04:05 PM) Get in touch with reality? Perhaps thats what I was hinting at when I told those people to calm down and to realize that this is a very mediocre player who makes a very hefty amount? Your post was uncalled for and just downright pathetic, which goes hand in hand with your track record here on soxtalk. I think many people would agree with me on that one. Hell, I bet Rock would even agree with me, regardless of how bias he thinks I am. $1.6 million is not a hefty amount anymore. It is well below average. This is a fleecing because the White Sox acquired a guy who can help them at the major league level for a guy who was never going to be a contributor. It really doesn't matter what Cintron makes, we don't sign the checks, and apparently the people who do believe they can afford him.

I think its pretty clear, Baj has never been highly thought of as a pitcher by the White Sox. He was lights out in AAA and not getting the call up. His horrid start this spring probably cemented KW and Co.'s opinion that he is a career minor leaguer. Good luck to him. I think the Sox are going to trade for bullpen help. They really need it.

I must say, this deal is highway robbery. Kudos to KW.

I would love to see Pitino in the Big Ten. Hopefully IU will snatch Alford and Iowa can have a better future.