bruni

Well gang, the Price deal (to me) officially seals the deal: The White Sox CAN NOT trade Q or Sale. There is no possible way to recoup the value that each is in terms of years of control and financial commitment left for the WSox. If I were Sale and Q, I'd be firing my agents for not having the foresight to anticipate the market for pitching. Security when young is one thing, but they cost themselves truckloads of $$. Keep the pitching and keep attempting to build around it.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Dec 1, 2015 -> 08:59 AM) This is nonsense. The Blue Jays traded for Ben Revere on July 31st. To make room for him, they had to DFA Valencia. They DFA'd Valencia in August. Even if the White Sox wanted him (they put in a claim by the way), the Oakland A's had priority as the AL team with the worst record. Valencia wasn't available prior to the deadline. They just ran out of roster spots. For the Sox to trade for him, he would have had to clear waivers or at least make it to the Sox for them to be awarded the claim. Given that 3B was a black hole for the White Sox, they should have been on the phone with every team with a possible 3B solution for them at the trade deadline, including Toronto with whom they are familiar from past dealings. Believe me, had they been in real time communication with Toronto on the 31st, they could have made a trade that day with Toronto as Toronto was acquiring Revere. I am sure that he could have been snagged as a same day follow up to the Revere trade. Believe me, Toronto knew good and well that acquiring Revere would require them to dump Valencia and they would have gladly received something vs. nothing. Not hard to make it work if the Sox brass were being proactive-not reactive.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Dec 1, 2015 -> 07:54 AM) The As were higher on waiver priority IIRC Understood, and I was not clear above. The WSox front office should have been aware of the pending release - the Blue Jays got zip for releasing him. Certainly they would have been pleased to add our 30th best prospect for him or something of that nature. Instead we will need to pay plenty for Freese, take a chance on a Korean player or trade multiple prospects for Lawrie. Seems like a cheaper, more effective alternative was out there last summer but we missed it.

The real shame is that our asleep at the wheel front office failed to anticipate the release of Valencia from the Blue Jays last summer. He would have been a serviceable stop gap for 2 years until Michalczewski was ready (assuming he realizes his potential - eye roll, I know). Instead we will likely overpay for Lawrie or spend our limited budget on Freese. Either way, this team continues to tread water and get lapped by others in its own division, while wasting it's few upper tier talents.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Nov 19, 2015 -> 10:19 AM) Oh you mean during a rebuild? Yes, because all teams do great in the standings while rebuilding. During these 3 bad years in a row they have acquired Eaton, Abreu, Rodon, Anderson, Montas and Fullmer in various ways who should make up their core for the next 4-5 years minimum. Yes, poor talent evaluators indeed. Eaton - poor 2 month+ start (along with several others) helped doom this team in 2015. Abreu - they won a bidding war on a guy who looks more and more like Trumbo since 2nd half 2014 than any player that can carry a team to the WS going forward. Furthermore he looks increasingly fragile and is better served as our DH vs 1B. Rodon and Fullmer - you and I could pick top rated undergrad pitching prospects - - this is not evidence of superior or even above average talent evaluation, but merely the byproduct at being a really bad team several years in a row. Montas - potential yes, but let's not make this out as a huge win at this time - - look at his ERA from his cup of coffee in the bigs last season. Power pitching without control does little good. Anderson - we don't know what he can do at the MLB level (and likely wont until late 16 or 2017) but so many are drinking the kool aid here. How many wins is he going to earn this team in 2016? In the meantime our current brain trust (in the middle of their "3-year plan", remember) put bottom 5 production at C, 2B, SS, 3B and RF and bottom 10 production at DH and LF. How do players like Anderson and Fullmer even make an impact in this '3 year' window? How you can point this as proof of a front office we should have confidence in is beyond me. Other than identifying Q as a lottery ticket to target, I fail to see much that gives me confidence in the current and stale 'brain-trust'.

The White Sox demonstrate yet again their inability to judge talent and/or develop positional talent when in house. And now they will "sell low" on Garcia, since they have effectively turned him into Viciedo Part 2. The biggest reason why the White Sox, under its current Kenny/Rick structure should avoid trading away Sale, Q, Abreu, Garcia et al is not because it is not the right move to make (I believe it is), but rather because their collective inability to assess MLB talent is so below par that we would end up getting fleeced in any deal we make. If ever a franchise has grown stale in management, direction and approach, it is our Chicago White Sox. And yet, ticket prices for season ticket holders are up again. Priceless!

That's not enough for Q. Really? Baez and Soler are MLB ready, cheap and have a chance to be special offensive talents. Castro is a 10 year younger version of Alexi with all the + and - that go into that mix. And you add in 2 pitchers to the young mix you have coming up through the system. Seems fair to me for Q plus Viciedo Jr. or do you somehow see better in other systems that would be available? Can't win if you can't hit, play D or manage. Maybe we make them throw in Davy Martinez to manage too!

How about Q and Avi for Baez, Soler, Castro 1 promising AA arm and 1 pitching lotto ticket? I can think of a million reasons why this won't happen, but young and controllable on both sides who trade from relative strength. Why not?

The best we can hope for is Upton and I'd put high odds on that ever happening. Heyward? Not even a remote chance at that happening. I'd also forget about the pie in the sky trade scenario's with the Cubs. That too will not happen. We know who are trade partners are; Boston and Arizona. Regarding Eaton, it would not surprise me to see him launched, despite his rebound this year and affordable price tag, given his mental lapses on the bases and occasionally in the field. And I agree that it would also be a mistake to let him go. We've got problems far greater than Eaton to worry about on this team. But as you all just saw with the Cubs, you need to be at least 3 deep in quality starters to hope to have a shot at a WS so trading Q is also a mistake. This team has really boxed itself into a corner and very few obvious moves can be made to turn things around. I'd push hard to add Chris Davis (unlikely - Boras client) and chase as many fallen 3rd base prospects as I could find (like former Astros 3B Matt Dominguez) to throw at a wall and see what sticks. I'd also try to swing a trade for Pompey from Toronto (another popular trade partner of ours) and bat him 9th for a nice bit of speed at the bottom of the order. And finally, my trade chip would be Robinson as we he is a luxury we don't need - yet. Just spitballin here myself but as we all know, the team is really stuck and since management wont dump Ventura or jettison Kenny and/or Rick we need to find a way to retool again on the fly.

Pick up Ichiro on the cheap for a 1 year deal with a club option for a 2nd year and try to trade Viciedo for Ackley - now you are more athletic in LF and Ackley is cheap insurance in case kids can't cut it at 2B. If Jerry is willing to open up the purse strings just a bit more, trade Viciedo to Seattle for whatever the return (as long as not costly) and use $4 mil+ savings toward a 2 year deal (with club option for 3rd year) to grab Rasmus to play LF. In prime and 1 season removed from batting .270+ with 25 - 30 HR power and much more capable defense than V. Then extend a few minor league invites to some pitchers and hope to catch lightning in a bottle... I'd still love to trade for Castro for a C upgrade and look to upgrade at 3B but the bigger need in LF is solved for as listed above.

Judging by the comments, this will not go over well but if someone is willing to trade me Cespedes and Bogaerts plus another throw in (Nava?, Middlebrooks?) for Sale, I make that trade all day long. I then immediately have SS solved for the next 6+ years and I work to sign Cespedes for a longer term deal. I also then flip Alexi to Seattle/LA/NYM or anyone else for 2 young controllable pitchers with upside and grab Headley to play 3B. Every time I watch Sale pitch with the torque he puts on that arm, all I hear is tick...tick...tick... The guy is bound to breakdown and this years stint on the DL for a month is where he is unfortunately likely headed in the years to come. Sell high and solve for 2-4 needs at once for the price of a 12 win pitcher who - while a stud ace when healthy - is a high risk player. Don't think so? Just 2 years ago, the W Sox were going to make him a reliever to save his arm, remember? And if you don't like what Boston has to offer, I'd put it out there are the GM meetings in December that all but Abreu are available so make an offer. Sale is never going to be more valuable than now and our team needs multiple solutions, not just one. Am I in the minority - absolutely. Do I hope Sale can stay and give the W Sox an injury free HOF career - you bet. But as a 22+ year season ticket holder growing tired of watching the team finish out of the playoffs, I'd rather use our most valuable, yet risky piece to gain depth and improve the teams over all talent base. PS - for the Cespedes haters, while yes he is overrated, last year only 9 players in the AL reached 100 RBI's in 2014 and Cespedes was one of them. That type of production is increasingly hard to come by so the comparisons with him and Viciedo need to really stop as it is not even close. Plus a middle of the line up with Abreu, Cespedes, La Roche, Headley, Garcia looks pretty good to me. Stick Eaton at leadoff and Bogaerts in the 2 hole and you are going to have a serious offense! OK - now let me have it!

I'd be most interested in Middlebrooks on the cheap to solve 3B. Potential delayed with injury and mismanagement but (to me anyway) far more potential and nice power to solve 3B for the long term. Or give up more and try to snag Bogaerts if you can, but Middlebrooks should cost far less and fills a need.

Rasmus: 3 years 27 million

Time for Hahn to call St. Louis and scoop up Peter Bourjos. Almost got him a year ago and an ideal 4th outfielder who (when healthy) is better than Shuck and miles better than Danks. Underrated pop in bat plus speed and plus defense - just needs to stay healthy (easier said than done for him). Nice low cost/low risk pick up that should be right in Hahn's wheelhouse.

Remember when I started this post, I never imagined trading one of our starters - one for one - for Bourjos. I proposed trading a starter for Bourjos AND one of the Angel catchers - Conger or Iannetta. For a young, proven MLB #3/4 starter under team control, a return of Bourjos AND a major league experienced catcher is warrented. I also wanted the Angels' to throw in a minor leaguer to boot, so I am well aware of the premium needed to trade young, controllable pitching. That said, let's look at a few key facts: 1. De Aza, who is on the wrong side of 30, just produced what is likely his best offensive season and what did it get the White Sox? 99 losses. To keep him, the WSox will need to anti up between $3 and $4.5 million through arbitration. For all the offensive production, the countless baserunning errors and other related brain dead plays exposed De Aza as who he is - a replacement level starter who hurts teams in the long run more than he helps. He should be long gone off this roster in 2014. 2. No way the White Sox will be without Alexi or Viciedo in 2014. Did you see the Abreu press conference yeaterday? No way the WSox take away the internal Cuban suport group for their new prize Abreu. WAY too much invested financially and otherwise for the WSox to do anything to compromise getting the very best of Abreu. Jose will have a hard enough time transitioning over - the WSox are going to give him as much support as possible which means Alexi and Viciedo stay through 2014. 3. Borjous has had tough luck with freak injuries but he is a gem. His defense helps cover for Viciedo in left and he is more than capable of matching the best of De Aza's offensive numbers from 2013 if starting every day. I have personally seen him play and practice in Arizona during spring training and the kid can HIT. He was consistantly out distancing home runs hit the same day by Hamilton and Poujos and his speed and pure baseball instincts are miles ahead of De Aza, Danks or any other pretender on the White Sox current 40 man roster. He is for real and the Angels are going to regret giving up on him. Let their loss be our gain! All trades have risk, but it is clear that Hahn will not be shy about taking more risks and more action to improve the team. I agree that they lilely have just one bite of the trade a starter apple. I also believe that getting in return a potential gold glove center fielder just entering his prime and on the cheap ($1.1 mil) and for 3 years of team control PLUS acquiring a catcher like Conger that you can rotate with the winner of the Flowers/Phegley bake off to be the back up is filling two big holes. Now only 3rd base is the glaring weakness but a poi poi combo platter of Semien, Keppenger, Gallespie may be the best the WSox can do for 2014 unless something else falls into their lap. 1. Borjous 2. Semien 3. Garcia 4. Abreu 5. Dunn 6. Viciedo 7. Alexi 8. Conger 9. Beckham World Series/Playoff bound - not a chance. Better than the misery of 2013 - absolutely and now with several players entering prime years and upside potential.

Here we go White Sox fans: As of this morning, the Angles have speed/defence whiz Peter Bourjos and slugger Trumbo on the block for pitching. Let's let Santiago loose for a combo platter of Bourjos, catcher Ianetta or Conger and have the Angels throw in prospect or two. Bourjos is under team control for 3 more years, about to enter his peak (age 27) and has had his value suppressed by 2 separate DH stints due to HBP. He is only slated to cost 1.1 million in 2014. Trumbo at the cell would be fun, but we do not need another thumper with no position to play. Send De Aza on his way and solidify the OF and lead off spot plus the Catcher position with Bourjos and Ianetta.

Here is what is currently available: 1, 25, 31, 37-41, 44, 48, 51, 52, 57, 59, 67, 69-71, 73-98. Numbers 6, 13, 14 (if Paulie retires) and 56 are not in use but not going to be issued. Any other number would require a member of the 40 man roster to make a switch, not impossible or even improbable depending on the player and his 'hold' on the number/roster spot.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 28, 2013 -> 01:07 PM) 6 6 is held ransom by Jerry in memory of old hitting coach Charlie Lau. Beckham wanted 6 but they would not give it up so he went with 15 (1+5).

QUOTE (GoGoSox2k2 @ Oct 28, 2013 -> 01:02 PM) 45 Already taken by Johnson. Doubt they get him to switch but maybe...

Time to guess the number to be found on the soon to be top selling White Sox jersey for the next 6 years. If Abreu does not stick with 79, I am guessing either 25, 29 (bump Mitchell off of it - he will never use it in the bigs) or 44 - a good power hitter number. Any other guesses????