Y2Jimmy0

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 2, 2014 -> 09:07 AM) There is absolutely no way that Bryant is "on board" with the Cubs delaying his service time clock and potentially costing him money. Especially after he has destroyed all minor league pitching. He wants to be in the majors now and thinks he should be. Is he gonna come out and say that publicly? Of course not. Now if Wittenmeyer said that Bryant will hold this against the Cubs 6 years from now, then he is also an idiot. I think you have said this later in the thread, but 6 years from now, Bryant will sign with whatever team offers him x + 1 dollars, if it is the Cubs or not. That's fair. I think when you hire Boras though, the team has to do everything possible to suck every ounce out of service time. Players that sign with him should know that.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 2, 2014 -> 09:03 AM) I have the feeling a few posters would actually be very dissappointed if KW is correct and the Sox actually have a good team next season. Why would anyone be disappointed with that?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 2, 2014 -> 08:56 AM) Brad Pitt did. I mean Jonah Hill. Somebody wrote it. Somebody not named Kenny Williams Isn't it Joe Morgan that still thinks the book was written by Billy Beane? haha

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 2, 2014 -> 08:16 AM) Right. This is essentially what Baltimore did last year. The opportunity cost for bringing in one guy with a qualifying offer is giving up the second round pick, so you have to weigh the risk/reward of that one free agent against that one pick. If you bring in two players who receive qualifying offers, you give up a third round pick, which is valued less and is worse than a second round pick, while (for the most part) the rest of the teams in the majors are weighing giving up a first or second round pick for that player, so you are immediately gving up less than those teams. Thus, by signing two free agents who have been made qualifying offers, you are diversifying your risks while giving up a lesser valued asset to do so. Preferably you just don't give up anything and you can sign good players without giving up draft picks, but if the most talented players are receiving QO's, I feel you are at an advantage comparatively speaking by bringing in two of them as opposed to just the one. It also depends on the possible upside of these guys as well. If Player A is viewed as a 1.5 WAR reliever with no draft pick compensation and Player B is a 2 WAR player tied to draft pick compensation, you would try to sign Player A, even at a slightly higher AAV, compared to player B to retain the draft pick. Just that, if you do sign Player B in this instance, you are only giving up a 3rd round pick as opposed to a 2nd. You don't just give up the pick though. You give up the right to use that slotted bonus amount as well. It's a big deal.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 02:58 PM) He did not have a major motion picture made about him. There was a major motion picture that was made about the book Moneyball, which was written by Michael Lewis as he documented the Oakland Athletics' season and organizational philosophy (which was fluffed to no end). Beane did do something ground-breaking and radical when he came into the job in Oakland, and now every team in the majors is doing it. It doesn't mean he's the only smart GM in the game. Wait Billy Beane didn't write Moneyball?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 01:56 PM) Then you have to be a Cub fan, because the Sox wouldn't have a fan base left. Where did I say in here that I thought it would be a good idea for the White Sox? The White Sox could never rebuild that way. Never said they could.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 12:57 PM) Well that and 464 losses over a 5 year period. Okay great. What's the difference between 464 losses over a 5 year period and filling in gaps to "Compete" while falling short of the playoffs? I'd rather have the losses and everything that comes with it: higher draft pick, more bonus pools both internationally and in the amateur draft, higher waiver priority during the season, payroll flexibility).

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 02:44 PM) Ray Donovan was pretty good this season. I thought the first season was kind of dull except for Jon Voight. But season 2, he was just as spectacular, and the rest of script definitely picked up. Yeah I agree. I really enjoyed Season 2.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 12:37 PM) Because not everyone can buy it hook line and sinker. There are a ton of variables in this plan, and a lot of people have elevated the cubs prospect core as 100 percent cant miss prospects. Javier Baez was supposed to signal the beginning of the next phase, and he came up and peed down his leg, and caused a lot of people to slow down the hype train a bit. There is a good chance this team will be very good in a few years, but right now they are banking on a lot of prospects turning into gold. We all know prospects arent a sure thing. I don't think the Cubs are banking on a lot of prospects turning into gold. Their fans are. Some will be good. Some will be bad. A couple will probably be really really good. Some of them will be traded and some will be held on to for too long. The point is that they will have a ton of flexibility and will be able to deal from an area of strength while playing in a major market that won't have the typical payroll restraints of other teams that are rebuilding. 7 of the top 100 will not all be good ML players. But I'd rather have 7 of the top 100 prospects in baseball than not have them.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 12:36 PM) To sell newspapers. Well they aren't doing a very good job of that either though. That Saturday Sun-Times is like the size of a McDonald's napkin.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 12:25 PM) not according to wittenmeyer. he said on the radio that he was only reporting what he was told. I have not doubt it was a "don't quote me on this directly." because at this stage of his career why would he. Also who is Bryant's agent? Boras. Boras was quoted as saying that the Cubs were wrong not to bring Bryant up. Boras frequently works behind the scenes this way. Unless bernstein has sources that contradict this, I would believe that Boras leaked it to him just to show his displeasure with the Cubs. I have no doubt that Boras will hold this grudge. It's bulls*** though. If Kris Bryant is awesome he will be on the Cubs for 6 years. If they offer the most $$ at the end of those 6 years, he will remain a Chicago Cub. He's not going to go somewhere else 6 years from now because he has a feeling that he was slighted. He was never slighted. Your agent is good at his job, sucks the most $$ out of teams, and refuses to sign contract extensions. Bryant chose that agent and because of it he has to wait. Same thing will happen with Rodon and the White Sox. When Rodon doesn't break camp with the team, Boras will be on record saying that he should be on the White Sox and blah blah. Just wait. It's coming.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 11:46 AM) I don't know, Bernstein seems to really like the cubs plan more than anyone. He almost wants to be he guy to sit back and say, see I told you they were right. True. Bernstein also said that there is no guarantee that the plan is going to work. The Cubs have been very upfront about what they are doing. The writers at the ST ask questions that have already been answered. If you are one of those people that hates the plan and the way they have gone about their business, then you shouldn't be following Kris Bryant throughout the minor leagues and cheering on all these kids. It's a contradiction. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but some people have stupid opinions. Spending money on free agents in a race to 81 wins is f***ing stupid if you are at the same time trying to infiltrate your system with young talent. Everyone else understands for the most part. The Sun Times is taking this contrarian viewpoint for whatever reason. Not sure why.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 11:23 AM) what did Bernstein say about Gordon Wittenmeyer yesterday? Wittenmeyer told Mully and Hanley that Bernstein could kiss his ass (well butt) this morning. Bernstein called out Wittenmeyer and Telander and basically everyone at the Sun-Times for being stupid about the Cubs. Bernstein was 100% correct too. The SunTimes doesn't listen when the Cubs speak. They are like the voice of the meatball fan. Wittenmeyer wrote an article about how Kris Bryant would leave the Cubs in 6 years because he's mad that they are jerking him around. Bernstein was saying that is totally false and that Bryant is on board with the way the Cubs have handled the situation. Bernstein was asking if there were any quotes from Bryant to backup Gordon's claims and of course there aren't any. Wittenmeyer is a goof.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 08:55 AM) The one thing I can say is that I still can't fathom why Adam Dunn was not on the A's 2 days after the Lester trade. Ok it's not a perfect match but by all accounts you're downgrading your lineup by taking Cespedes out of the middle of it, if you're paying the kind of price you paid for Samardzija then why on Earth would you go cheap about adding in a replacement bat? Do you think the Sox would have taken Sanburn at the actual deadline? I think that is a pretty good prospect in return for Dunn. Beane really gambled and gave up a lot this year. He'll trade-off and recoup some assets this winter for sure.

QUOTE (VAfan @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 08:29 AM) Did anyone else enjoy seeing Billy Beane's trade deadline strategy go up in smoke last night, at the hands of the lowly Kansas City Royals? I'm talking about the Jon Lester trade, which Beane must have thought was his ticket to the NLDS should the Angels somehow pass his A's and he be forced into a one-game wild card game to get in!! There he was, Jon Lester, out on the mound in the bottom of the 8th, having outdueled James Shields and the first couple guys out of the vaunted KC bullpen to a seemingly insurmountable lead of 7-3. But Lester couldn't finish the 8th, and Oakland goes on to lose 9-8 in 12, blowing 1 run leads in both the 9th and 12th innings! All while Adam Dunn, in his only postseason game in his career, sits on the bench! With the Sox out of it, we have to take our pleasure somewhere!!! Discuss. No. I like Billy Beane. He's really good at his job. I was hoping Oakland would win it all.

I don't think it's realistic to have a lottery in a league without a salary cap. It's not an even playing field. Sometimes the best strategical option is to strip it down to bare bones and roll with a $30 million payroll for a few years and draft really well. Smart teams shouldn't be forbidden from doing this.

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 07:44 PM) Ideally, Rodon starts the season in the bullpen and becomes a starter in either June or July to save his arm. That's not ideal at all. It's a horrible idea, actually. None of Rodon's service time should be wasted in a big league bullpen and he should not start the year with the team.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 10:40 PM) I wish more people would post their grades, then mine wouldn't be so scrutinized. I never thought this thread would turn into this. You make a compelling statement/sentence, but I grade them based on the factors I've listed in my many posts: acquisitions, record of the team. I just am stupified that people think he's way better than a C, which is an average grade. Believe me, if the Sox ever contend again til the final week of the season I WILL give Mr. Hahn credit. I'm not posting grades for irrelevant players that have no bearing on the future of the White Sox. Sale and Q both get A's. Abreu and Eaton get A's. All 4 lived up to or exceeded expectations. Avisail is an incomplete because of the injury. The front office gets an A because there wasn't more they could have done. It's well been well documented throughout this thread how good of a job Hahn has done. I mean of course terrible baseball players will get terrible grades from a message board poster. I don't have the time for that though.

Carlos Rodon will not be pitching out of the bullpen. 1 year ago, scouts were talking about him as 1 of the 10 best pitchers on the planet after his Soph season at NC State. He won't start the year with the White Sox but I'd be stunned if they waste any of his big league time pitching out of the bullpen.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 11:59 AM) You can't look merely at the surface and say "the team was bad so Hahn was bad." That's shallow, naive, and wrong. He didn't bring in any bad long-term contracts. He got a guy who has a bit of talent in Nieto. He brought in enough minor league free agents and other young relievers that we can say "hey, maybe they have the makings of an OK bullpen heading into next year." He brought in a #4/5 starter for the cost of a waiver claim. He got something for Beckham, De Aza, and Dunn. He signed Jose Quintana to one of the best contracts I've ever seen in my life. He drafted a guy represented by Scott Boras and then actually got him signed, and said player is already one of the best prospects in all of minor league baseball. He continued expanding the Sox horizons in Latin America. He didn't trade away any valuable, long-term pieces from the minor league teams. Oh, and he also signed some Jose Abreu guy. Frankly, I'd like to hear your reasoning for why he deserves anything other than an A. This is a great post from wite and similar to what I wanted to say in the thread as well. He signed Sale and Quintana to great below market deals, traded for Adam Eaton, enhanced the farm system, signed Rodon, and won the bidding for Jose Abreu. It has been a tremendous year for him. I am looking forward to another offseason of acquiring young, controllable pieces and the further addition of high end talent to the farm system. Since this time last year the Sox have locked up Sale and Q long-term, and acquired Eaton, Abreu, and Carlos Rodon. Not to mention the other moves that were made. Hahn has done a fantastic job.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 08:55 AM) Now I know why the Raiders let Houston walk. Nice player, but not worth anything close to the money he got. They didn't let Houston walk. They offered him more money than the Bears did. He decided to leave. Same thing happened with their LT that went to Arizona.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Sep 29, 2014 -> 10:27 AM) Russell, Maeda, and some bullpen help please. Robertson maybe? Maybe. I like Maeda. I wouldn't be surprised if the Sox went with Maeda or a guy like Masterson/McCarthy. In the bullpen, there are a lot of free agent options. I'd gamble on Joakim Soria at age 30, and sign him to be the closer. Zach Duke and Luke Hochevar are other intriguing names.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 28, 2014 -> 05:02 PM) That's great! I can't remember a time when we recently had that draft spot and wound up with a complete bust. Oh. Haha I thought of this as well.

QUOTE (Knuckles @ Sep 28, 2014 -> 04:55 PM) Sox lose, Cubs win, Sox get 8th pick? Yep. White Sox have the 8th pick in the 2015 draft.

Is there a poster or someone that a poster knows who can get Bulls tickets?