Chicago White Sox

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 08:03 AM) No surprise. AJ is really good buddies with Big Papi from their Minnesota days. The myth that everyone hates AJ will continue. Some of the battles you fight are classic. Are you really going to argue that A.J. isn't one of the most hated players in all of baseball? Come on man, we all know A.J. is one of your favorite players, but that doesn't mean you can't be objective when discussing him. By all accounts he a douchebag and a s***ty teammate. What did Guillen famously say, "When he's on your team you hate him less". I think that sums of A.J. pretty nicely.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 07:19 AM) AJ isn't a free swinger? That's exactly what I was going to say. For some reason if you acknowledge A.J. is a flawed player (poor defender, free swinger, s***ty teammate) then you're a hater and don't appreciate what he's done for the franchise.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 11:10 PM) We effectively got Daniel Webb and Myles Jaye for Daniel Hudson. Plus half of the package for Youk and most importantly the departure of Mark Teahen.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 10:49 PM) I know, you're right but I have to admit Robin leaves me scratching my head a lot so I guess I can see where AJ would be coming from. AJ does know the game pretty damn well. Don't disagree on that, but he still can't be undermining his manager in front of teammates. It's simply a headache and risk not worth taking on a stop-gap player.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 10:47 PM) Yep. Also, I believe Bucket implied that many of his teammates had issues with him. It was around the time Reed plunked him last year. Part of me would like him just so he could be traded at some point next season and part of me doesn't want that douchebag anywhere near the clubhouse. From a pure numbers standpoint, he might be an ok stop-gap assuming age doesn't finally catch up to him. However, I just think if you're going to add a veteran on a short-term deal he has to be a good clubhouse fit. I don't know if the rumors are even true, but if A.J. was doing what Bucket implied then it's a no-brainer that you don't bring him back IMO.

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 10:31 PM) Who cares? This is about the Sox and not Robin. Robin only coaches the players Hahn gives him to coach and that's it. Lol...this is only about what's best for the team. You can't have players openly questioning the manager's decision-making in front of other teammates. It can create rifts in the clubhouse and effect the manager's ability to effectively lead his team.

Didn't Robin have beef with A.J. while he was here? If so, I don't see any way in hell he's coming back.

Nothing wrong with bringing back Flowers at $950k. First, he creates some leverage for Hahn to use in trade talks for a legit catching upgrade by being able to say "we have two young catchers we believe in". Second, assuming Hahn can find a LH catcher, Flowers can push Phelgey for the backup spot and potentially provide the organization some depth at the position if he wins the job. Worst case scenario, at that salary he should be moveable in spring training and basically cost us nothing.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 08:20 PM) I did include "hold him til the deadline" in there as well. And people are drooling over extra first round picks these days. And teams should be drooling over 25 year old, left-handed starters with 5 years of team control and coming off a 3.7 WAR season. But a late 1st round draft is almost as valuable.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 07:59 PM) Then the Padres won't trade him. If they can't get something like that, they will hold him to the deadline and see if he has a big first half in a contract year or just take the draft pick next offseason. So it's either a Jose Quintana type return or simply taking a draft pick? That's a pretty wide range of outcomes for there to be no potential middle ground.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 03:00 PM) I'm not saying he's not good -- just that the perception is that his price is "sky high," and given all the factors I mentioned combined with the fact that the Padres lose additional leverage since they are clearly unable to extend him, I think his ultimate price will be much more reasonable than everyone seems to be predicting right now. 100% agree with everything you've said in this thread. Headley has value and won't come cheap, but we're talking about one year of a very good 3B at slightly below market rate and likely a 1st/2nd round pick. Teams won't be trading an established major league starter with 5 years of team control for him. GMs simply aren't as stupid as they used to be (Dayton Moore notwithstanding). Cost controlled talent is valued at an all-time right now.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 1, 2013 -> 10:59 PM) Source material usually is better, I'm not surprised. It seems like most of the characters killed in the comic during this battle were killed, save But his character really hasn't gotten an opportunity Agree with you on source material in general. Unfortunately, this particular part of the comics just felt much more game-changing IMO. Probably because there were a lot more characters killed in the prison attack and some of them were a lot more important in the comics than the TV show.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 1, 2013 -> 11:29 PM) Finally an ACTUAL trade rumor to talk about! Of course this is just part of David Schoenfield's 3-team trade ideas, and not based on anything of substance...but.... In one of his hypotheticals, he has the Sox trading Chris Sale and Addison Reed for Jorge Soler, Gary Sanchez, CJ Edwards, Zoilo Almonte, and Vidal Nuno. For those who may not be prospect heads, those would be the Cubs #3 and #5 prospects, and the Yankees #1, #6, and unranked (Nuno). That wouldn't be a terrible haul for Sale, but I also don't think it's one that needs to be made unless the Sox are getting a ace-type prospect back in the package, like Archie Bradley or Dylan Bundy or Taijuan Walker. Obviously that's a nice collection of hitters, but CJ Edwards is the only good pitching prospects in that scenario, and he only just made it to A+ last year. I would never do that deal straight-up for Sale let alone include Reed in it. IMO, you have to be blown away to trade Sale and that's not enough.

Not really a spoiler, but I think the comic book version of tonight's episode was so much better.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Nov 30, 2013 -> 10:06 PM) Cano asking for 9 years, 260 now. Still an impossible signing. I know I'll get flamed for this, but I'd seriously consider jumping into the Cano market IF the Yankees move on and sign a different major free agent instead. IMO, the only way Cano gets an insane deal is if the Yankees essentially bid against themselves, which is what Cano's agents are clearly pushing for night now. Take them out of the bidding process and you have a completely different market for him. Still unlikely we'd be able to pull off a deal, but I at least hope Hahn would be talking to Cano's agents.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 30, 2013 -> 04:42 PM) Let's get 90 from Abreu and Viciedo next year and we'll pull that off with ease. Lol...and I thought I was an optimist. We should all be happy with 60 HRs from the two of them next year. I mean, only 11 guys in baseball had 30 or more HRs last year. You're really going to be in for a world of disappointment if you think 90 is a realistic number.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Nov 27, 2013 -> 09:45 PM) 4/$49, $12 a year, $1 mill buyout with $13 mill option. Actually a really nice deal for the Twins. Considering Carlos Silva got this same exact deal 5 years ago, I would definitely say it's a nice deal for the Twins in this free agent environment.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Nov 26, 2013 -> 12:16 PM) Myth: JR is a good owner. QUOTE (Marty34 @ Nov 26, 2013 -> 01:08 PM) I don't hate ownership, never said that. So you like bad owners?

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Nov 26, 2013 -> 12:16 PM) Myth: JR is a good owner. Why are you a season ticket holder if you hate ownership so much?

QUOTE (flavum @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 08:03 PM) Among others, Denny McLain is saying Avisail Garcia was banging Prince's wife. Which would mean Avi also cheated on his pregnant wife. Yeesh. http://deadspin.com/denny-mclain-says-dome...dium=socialflow I'm not one to need athletes to be role models or even good people, but if this story is true it's definitely a bit worrisome. The one thing you need in a professional locker room is trust amongst one another and to be f***ing a teammate's wife is pretty much as low as it gets. I really hope this is all bulls***.

QUOTE (South Side Fireworks Man @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 07:01 PM) Navarro would be a good platoon partner with a decent left-handed catcher but I wouldn't want the Sox to get him as their starting catcher. Yeah, he doesn't really work well with Flowers & Phegley as the other half of the catching tandem.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 06:49 PM) I bet he doesn't get that much. Oh I totally agree with you, just guessing the biggest dollar amount he could get if someone overvalued him. I mean, Soto just got 1 year at $3M, so I seriously doubt Navarro would get that much more.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 06:12 PM) I'd take him for like 2-3 years for $15-20M. But with the contract McCann got, it wouldn't shock me to see Navarro get $10M a year from someone. Navarro is not getting anywhere close to $10M a year. Ruiz just get under $9M per and has a much better track record. I'll say 1 or 2 years at $5/$6M per tops.

QUOTE (sammy esposito @ Nov 25, 2013 -> 06:35 PM) We traded for Thome who had a big contract from Philly that worked for us. Why wouldn't there be any takers in say the national league that could use a player with his high obp and power enhanced by a huge discount. Dunn had a .320 OBP last year, which would put him 97th overall in baseball. Above-average sure, but I definitely would not qualify that as high. Unfortunately as a true three outcome player, that low of an OBP simply doesn't cut it.

Super Mario Kart was definitely the most challenging and rewarding game in the series, since it required legitimate skill to be good at. Probably the best Mario Kart game from a technical standpoint, but being limited to two players does suck if you go back now and want to play multiplier. Regardless, I still had a f***ton more fun playing Mario Kart 64 than the SNES version. Just so easy for anyone to pickup and play. Double Dash was pretty good as well, but lost some the magic of the 64 one for whatever reason.