ThunderBolt

QUOTE (Wanne @ May 17, 2010 -> 03:31 PM) I'm actually more disappointed that the DBags aren't closer in the standings...because they need bullpen help in the worst way!!! They haven't exactly called it quits yet. With the Dodgers making a run, we're going to see the Pads fall off. Assuming parity returns to that divison, and the Dodgers don't pull too far away, some D-backs prospects could be had.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 17, 2010 -> 02:54 PM) I agree with Jenks Heat, no more just giving away players and saying "we owed it to them to put them into a better situation". KW has done a miserable job in the past of trading veterans for prospects, so I'm not overly optimistic he'll turn Jenks, AJP, Konerko, Jones, etc. into solid depth for our minors. The biggest positive is likely to come from saved money as well as opportunities for Flowers, Thornton (to close), Santos, Danks 2. The point of it is to get return for the players you're going to let walk at the end of the season anyway.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ May 17, 2010 -> 01:22 PM) Not if he declines arbitration and leaves via free agency and nets the Sox a pick or two. He hit over .300 last year. Why would he decline arb? Unless, he burns every bridge here, i could see him preferring to finish career out with Buehrle and the rest of his buddies.

That was just a complete metal blank on part of Bevington. It was incredibly stupid, yes, but I can forgive it somewhat because it was a guy temporarily forgetting what he had going for him in the pen in the heat of battle. Ozzie actually looked at his 25-man lineup, and made the decision to play the best defensive infielder since Ozzie Smith at designated hitter, when he knew he had Mark Teahen playing an awful 3b. Not in-game, but before it.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ May 17, 2010 -> 12:49 PM) You must not watch a lot of baseball. Oh, please. It was absolutely ridiculous and there’s no excuse for it. I don't see the point in downplaying this.

While i'd love to still get Homer Bailey on the White Sox, I think that time has passed.

Wishful thinking is just that. Why the hell wouldanybody want to get their hopes up for this team, when every indicator is that they'll just be let down? All we have is the product we see on the field, and that product is miserable.

QUOTE (NHDadUmp-RI @ May 17, 2010 -> 11:04 AM) Terry Doyle's been moved to the Dash. Alright, i hope his numbers come along with him!

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 17, 2010 -> 07:54 AM) And we wouldn't be able to sniff a single one of them for AJP. Exactly, we're not shooting for the start by trading A.J. The best we can hope for is young guys whom the Rangers have either log-jammed or given up on. To me, that's Salty and Chris Davis.

This reminds me of that meaningless college basketball stat, where I hear that the reason 2010 Duke shouldn't beat 2010 UNC is because 1956 Duke had a great record against them. We're talking about completely different players under completely different circumstances, run by completely different people, in a completely different time.

The only players that need to be traded (in my mind) are A.J., Konerko, and Jones. You might as well shop Putz too, and i can't see Jenks really fetching anything, unless he's a piece in the package. I'd DFA Williams, Vizquel and Kotsay, and just restock the 25-man with younger guys. Note: Not Danks 2 or Viciedo. Not Yet.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 16, 2010 -> 11:12 PM) Honestly, playing Vizquel at DH isn't a big deal with Quentin being out. Yes, it is. It's unquestionably the dumbest baseball move i've ever seen in my lifetime.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 16, 2010 -> 09:35 PM) I'm sorry, his time as a decent prospect has ended. Its actually real sad what's happening to him now because Texas was going to call him up, but he has the yips. We clear A.J's contract, give a shot for Flowers to win or loss the job, and give another shot for a kid, like Salty, to work out his issues. This doesn't sound as good an argument as it would have at the start of the year, but all this talk of confidence issues reminds me of all the reasons that were given not to believe in Gavin Floyd. I'm still not seeing the downside.

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 16, 2010 -> 10:06 PM) If the Sox feel they have a GM and system capable of rebuilding with young prospects, then by all means deal Rios if he's dealable. Get rid of that contract. Awesome, then we get to start another half-a-decade long search for a CF as good as Rios. That sounds like a great reason to bail on a guy, who's finally living up to his contract, and filling a massive organizational hole.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 16, 2010 -> 09:18 PM) You guys do realize catcher is a pretty important position. There is a lot more involved than an .850 OPS. If you can't throw the ball back to the pitcher, you cannot catch. Tyler Flowers, God bless him, but if you call him up and suddenly he's not ready defensively and Peavy and Danks and Buerhle and Floyd and Garcia don't like throwing to him, its over. They will never want to throw to him. Last year it was get Thome out of here, get Contreras out of here things will be so much better. Funny how they are doing fine but the White Sox are not. It will be exactly the same if and when the Sox dump AJP. He is way more important than his batting average. Flowers will be the primary catcher here in the event of an A.J. trade anyway. You get a guy like Salty because he offers a nice combination of versatility and uncharted potential that an organization in our position can afford to take a chance on.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 16, 2010 -> 09:04 PM) This is a guy who offense has decline each year he's been in the major leagues. In 300 AB last year he hit 9 homers had a .290 OBP and struck out almost 100 times. He's not 1B or DH material unless you like 110 loss seasons. This issue is supposedly mental BTW. Improving the offense by acquiring even weaker hitters than what you already have has been tried by KW and OG, and it really hasn't worked out. This organization has a nice history of gambling on "busted" top prospects. I see no use in changing that willingess to take chances.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 16, 2010 -> 09:00 PM) Because there is nothing more valuable than a catcher who can't throw the ball back to the pitcher without getting the CF, 2B,SS involved. If it's medical Herm will be on it, if it's mental get him shrink and let him DH or play 1b.

I'll take Salty and Chris Davis.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ May 16, 2010 -> 06:40 PM) Didn't Troy Tulowitzki have a similar meteoric climb to stardom his rookie year, only to come crashing down to Earth in his sophmore season? He turned it around though. Maybe Beckham will be the same? Oh, i think he'll recover. I can't imagine Beckham busting like this for the rest of his career, i refuse to believe that this is even possible. I think he needs some time to work on things, and that time needs to be spent either at the bottom of the order, or in AAA.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ May 16, 2010 -> 06:38 PM) Whose fault is that? Soto tanked his 2nd year. (toked too) I really don't know I think his hitting mechanics are a bit off-center, and i can't deny the notion that the sky-high expectations had something to do with it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 16, 2010 -> 05:58 PM) You know those people who win the lottery and then a year later they're broke? Or they win the lottery and realize they're the Clippers? That's how Beckham has me feeling right now. This Beckham thing is such a kick in the nuts. We all had such high hopes for him, we practically built him a statue outside the park, and to see him come out like this... it's really disheartening. I think this might be the most disappointing aspect of this year.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 16, 2010 -> 05:57 PM) Great. So we can draft another top prospect who rips apart the league and then falls apart in his 2nd season. Always the optimist. I like to think we'll hit the jackpot one of these days.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ May 16, 2010 -> 05:54 PM) Aside from seeing what we have in our prospects, I'm looking forward to the draft. The optimist in me is hoping the organization (finally) realizes the importance of a fruitful farm system and ups the draft spending accordingly. Not holding my breath though. I like Laumann a lot. He seems to have a pretty good idea about this organizations needs.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 16, 2010 -> 05:40 PM) What are the odds that holds up and actually works out though? We were in position for a top 3 pick most of 2007, then we got hot and got stuck with this scrub hitting .190 at 2b. I don't see this team every really picking it up to the point where we'd get out of the top ten in a pretty deep draft.

We're in a position for a top 3 pick next year, right? That's pretty damn exciting in an Anthony Rendon/pitcher led draft.