ThunderBolt

I'd like the first season to be about figuring out who Adam Carroll is, and the second to find out what's in the Hatch.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 23, 2010 -> 12:35 PM) I think De Aza sticks around and we reassign Nix actually. You can't reassign Nix unless you want him exposed to waivers. We don't need that many OF's anyway, especially considering Nix can play LF. Swapping De Aza for Nix gives you no power off the bench, and only one backup infielder. It's not going to happen and if it does, it shouldn't.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 23, 2010 -> 12:05 PM) I don't see how the next Jason Giambi could be irrelevant to anyone, you can always find a spot for a guy like that. The only closer that was traded for spects was Billy Taylor for Jason Isringhausen in 1999. (and Izzy already had 300+ IP in the majors when he was dealt for so he wasn't really a prospect) Traded for Isringhausen, let him walk and took the picks. Traded for Koch, traded him for Foulke after a year, let Foulke walk and took the picks. (the key was to keep the closers for only a year before they broke down due to overuse) Traded for Dotel with 2 years left until free agency and shockingly he broke down early into his 2nd year, let him walk in free agency and got nothing in return Things changed when beane broke his own rule and took Huston Street in the first round. Street was eventually traded for a veteran hitter in his final year before free agency who was eventually flipped for a high upside spect who in return was flipped shortly after for another high upside spect. This was exactly what i meant. They got closers, who they inflated like stocks, and then traded for other assets.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 23, 2010 -> 11:33 AM) At one point he was the next Jason Giambi, of course the club that supposedly believed this ended up trading him for a 30 year old Octavio Dotel so who knows. This was back when Eric Chavez looked like he might be relevant for another decade, and when the A’s would insert pitchers into the Closer’s spot to inflate their value and then trade them for high-upside prospects the year after. I imagine both these factors and the expected rewards made Teahen irrelevant to them.

QUOTE (11and1 @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 10:55 PM) I've always seen Teahen as mediocre talent who happened to have great games against the Sox. Teahen doesn't have the same kind of upside. Having said that, we paid too much for both of them... The thing is Mark Teahen isn’t a mediocre talent. Mark Teahen is a great talent who has played mediocre at the major league level. He’s given brief flashes of potential for the Royals, but he was in a terrible situation there. Now, he’s in an organization that not only believes in him and is willing to give him a chance, but has shown a commitment to this faith by giving him a three-year deal. White Sox fans should be willing to do the same. Teahen has the kind of upside that Chris Getz doesn't have.

QUOTE (Tex @ Mar 21, 2010 -> 10:45 PM) 216 Done. Let's hope this works as well as many believe it will. This has about as much chance of working for America as Dewayne Wise in Center did for the White Sox. It's good to see that the wishes of the plurality of the American people are ignored in favor of a slavish partisan desire to inact change.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 20, 2010 -> 06:03 PM) It is crazy that they are looking at Clayton as their #3 or #4 pitcher. I still find it hard to believe that he gained about two MPH's on his fastball about two weeks before we traded him last year. This was a guy who was supposed to throw 91, who started averaging 93.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Mar 20, 2010 -> 05:16 PM) Latos looks to have pretty decent stuff. Latos is great. If he can get a touch more command, he'll be a force in this league.

I'm so thankful that Jones is dialed in. I'd be more then happy to admit i was wrong about him.

This story just popped up on ESPN. Which almost assures it will be overblown for another week.

So, some guy has been going on Chat Roulette and improvising songs about the people on the other end of the line, using a piano. I’m pretty sure that this is clearly Ben Folds. Are we all agreed? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32vpgNiAH60

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 19, 2010 -> 07:02 PM) Is Josh Hamilton 13 years old or a grown man? Sorry, I don't feel for Josh at all. It's on him and only him to stay away from drugs. It doesn't matter what Washington does. No, but he is a drug addict. And that’s not exactly an easy addiction to kick. Hamilton has surrounded himself with people he can trust in the Rangers locker room, and the Rangers sought to do the same by bringing in Johnny Narron to look after him. For Hamilton’s’ coach to so blatantly disregard not only the rules of major league baseball, but the condition of a guy who shakes every time he hears someone mention the words, “drugs or alcohol” is ridiculously dim-witted and certainly a fireable offense. This is guy who has been given clear instructions to maintain a civil and mature atmosphere in a locker room he’s violated every form of trust.

QUOTE (MHizzle85 @ Mar 19, 2010 -> 04:44 PM) You say that as if Washington had the cocaine on a platter in the locker room & asked Hamilton if he wanted to get in on some. I think this is a biger deal then you're making it. The Rangers organization has an obligation to Josh Hamilton to protect him from drugs, Wash blatantly disregarded these rules. We saw how easily tempted Hamilton is, and to have someone who he looks up to, use it on a whim is unforgivable. It might be a flight of fancy for Wash, but for Hamilton it's an addiction.

It was Ozzie Jr who got in the fight with Cora on twitter, right?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 19, 2010 -> 05:59 PM) I really really hope some team gets desperate for relief pitching and bites on Linebrink. Hope the Cubs weren't scouting him today.

QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 19, 2010 -> 04:50 PM) Can we please make "Bacon" a filtered word on this site? Let's just call him Beckham or Gordon or Gordo. When i was at CamelBack, Beckham and Jared Price were walking towards the dugout, some fan screamed at the top of his lungs, "BACON!!!!!!!" Price turned to Gordon, and Beckham burst out laughing with this huge grin on his face. I don't think he hates it.

I can't get to invested in spring training stats, but Jones swing looks a lot more fluid then years past.

QUOTE (heirdog @ Mar 18, 2010 -> 03:35 PM) Arm strength? Yes. Accuracy? Not sure. Jordan Danks...he of the outfield assist to home plate a couple times this spring should also vie for the Spring Training Pyrite award. I saw Danks make a perfect throw from home to center. He's just a tremendous athlete altogether.

In a perfect world i'd do Rios Beckham Q Konerko Jones Teahen Ramirez A.J Pierre Not going to happen. So, i figure AJ hitting 5th is better then 2nd.

QUOTE (qwerty @ Mar 18, 2010 -> 12:21 PM) Come on now. He is no where close. No way, no how. Comparing santos to one of the nastiest pitchers in the game will not have many signing up to agree with you. At least i should hope not. How i see it is both have control problems, which is most definitely to be expected from santos, and the slider is their best pitch. Their comparison pretty much ends there. The biggest reason being is there is next to nothing to work off of to evaluate santos. Did I ever say that Santos has the results that Marmol has? The numbers? The pedigree? The long-term potential. No, i did not. The . Because that would be a ridiculous statement. one conclusion i jumped to was one of wishful thinking. Marmol is fastball dominant with a nasty slurve; Santos is fastball dominant with a developing curve. They're both converted position players, and both will be pitching in the City of Chicago. I never said that they were the same guy, only that both feature similar histories and repertories. There's nothing wrong with comparing one pitcher to another. That’s exactly what I did.

Santos has the raw stuff to be our version of Carlos Marmol. If he could even reach half that level of results, we'll have a hell of a pitcher.

QUOTE (Cali @ Mar 17, 2010 -> 08:58 PM) He will NEVER be healthy again.... He was lucky to have that 2008 season... You have to imagine how much abuse his body has taken over the years. i'm not suprised to see him breaking down so soon.

By the end of the first month of the season, i think Jones is the full-time DH. I'd wager a lot more on him figuring it out then Kotsay sustaining production.

I like Retherford, but i don't want to lose Nix for nothing. I really don't think he'd clear waivers.

I didn't get to see Jones in any of the three games i saw in Arizone, but i did see Kotsay. Kotsay bothers me because it always looks like he's fighting a pitch off, instead of waiting to drive it. Still, the numbers do look good this spring. I can't get a decent read of Jones over a webcast.