Special K

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Jan 1, 2016 -> 05:27 PM) Couldn't this exact same phrase have been said after Adam Dunn's 2011 season? His tenure with the Sox after that wasn't perfect, but it was leaps and bounds better than 2011. I don't think LaRoche will be any different. The worst case scenario for him next season IMO is .210 or so with 15 homers. See above. Dunn had legitimate health issues. Wasn't his kid also deathly I'll as well that year? We will find out soon enough. Hope I am wrong, though the rest of the league must have no confidence in him either, since he could not be dealt.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Jan 1, 2016 -> 05:22 PM) LaRoche can turn it around. He's done it before in the past. Knows the AL a little bit more now. Not saying he'll be great, but I think he can better than last year.\ If you think LaRoche's ceiling is 10-12 HRs now, you're just plain wrong. I think we'll find out if I'm wrong soon enough. I hope I am wrong, but I don't see how you can be so certain given last years performance. At least Dunn's appendix burst, which was some type of excuse. I don't see anything to explain LaRoche other than some vague hand injury, which still doesn't explain the terrible OBP. I believe Dunn's OBP numbers were still there that one bad year. Out of curiosity, how long would you let LaRoche play out before pulling the plug (assuming he was still putting up atrocious numbers)?

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Jan 1, 2016 -> 05:09 PM) If LaRoche hit 240 with 18-22 bombs would make me happy. There is no chance this will ever happen. Absolute best case scenario, .240 with 10-12 homers. I've never seen someone deteriorate offensively so quickly in all my years watching baseball but it happened with LaRoche. Even his OBP was garbage. He really is this bad now. His agent better have gotten a phenomenal Christmas gift from him.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 02:52 PM) Defense/advanced stats aside, Melky still put up .273/12/77. It's not like he has zero value. Exactly - in a down year for Melky. He is as more of a bounce back candidate than LaRoche. He's 30 years old. Put a few more decent hitters in the lineup, he will see better pitches, and now he's getting another run at AL Central pitching, I think he will be fine.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 21, 2015 -> 02:49 PM) I wonder the validity of the tweet. No one else has it but this guy. I do agree, if the offers are similar if it is between KC and the Sox, he has no reason to leave, but if KC is offering Adam LaRoche money, I find it hard to believe several teams wouldn't blow that away. Make me naucious to even think LaRoche might be compensated along the same lines as Gordon. I don't even think LaRoche deserves league minimum, and the players union might not fight the sox on that...

Just sign cespedes and get it over with. Keep the draft picks and replenish farm.

Question - not sure how WAR is calculated. Does the fact that the Cubs got to pound on 2 God Awful teams for 36 games out of the season last year affect their WAR numbers?

QUOTE (knightni @ Dec 11, 2015 -> 10:20 AM) 19 HR 68 RBI 17 SB 72 BB 123 K .268 AVG .353 OBP .431 SLG .784 OPS Averages in career. He hasn't hit more than 14 HR in 4 seasons. Basically his career averages are close to Adam Eaton's 2015 season. Well put. That's why I'd prefer Upton.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Dec 11, 2015 -> 08:26 AM) I feel like the Sox did flukeishly underperform last year though. No one expected Samardzija, LaRoche, Garcia, Gillaspie, Sanchez, etc to be that bad. Even if they just played to their career averages, the Sox would've won 83-85 games last season IMO. I disagree. If Avi and LaRoche were to play 150 games this year, I think you would get very similar production, with maybe, just MAYBE, a very slight uptick from LaRoche, but I highly doubt it given he's only getting older. Same goes for Gillaspie if we had him playing 150 games at third this year. The only guy who I may agree with you is Sanchez, because he was a rookie, and let's be honest, you can only go up from those offensive numbers (which he did in the second half).

Why didn't we go for Yunel Escobar. Angels got him for a reliever. Cost a lot less than Frazier. And he put up very nice numbers last year including a .375 OBP and this team is desperate for OBP guys. Would've slotted in so well at 3b and then we could've focused on getting a power bat either via trade or free agency... That's the route I would've gone, and we could save our prospects. Plus he had a nice contract option, so we let him go if he didn't work out, or pick up and keep him for another year if things did.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Dec 8, 2015 -> 08:36 AM) If this is your lone move - moving LaRoche to sign Upton, then it doesn't make sense. You need more than just Upton to help you compete in 2016. And I'm talking for a chance at the playoffs, not even actually making the playoffs. Unless Hahn is trying for two bats. We improved the catched situation already (although, probably marginally). My guess is that if we are luck enough to move LaRoche, and sign a FA OF'er... we would move Avi + prospect for 3b as well (hopefully Frazier, probably Lawrie). Then maybe re-sign Alexei and let Sanchez, Johnson and Saladino fight it out for 2b. And Melky would DH with possibly Thompson in LF. That would seem to be an improvement to OF defense. But by my account, we'd still probably have 2-3 black holes in the line up offensively.

The upside with Heyward is far too great. I really hope the Sox just get nuts and nab a big time free agent as opposed to the "next best thing," which is usually their MO.

Is LaRoche the worst contract Hahn has dished out since taking over the reigns? This is essentially $25 million flushed down the toilet. We're talking about teams not willing to take him on unless the Sox eat $10 million of his salary this year? The Sox should seriously consider just signing Heyward with LaRoche and Danks' dollars coming off the books next year. That frees up roughly $28 million.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Dec 7, 2015 -> 04:11 PM) I could see them doing something similar to this although I'm still not sure if that is a playoff caliber team. Precisely my thoughts. Still think we'd need 1 additional impact player to be competitors such as a Frazier-type (with the thought of sticking Lawrie at 2b). Guessing payroll would be quite bloated, though. But I agree with the LaRoche / Melky platooning.

Could we get a contributing everyday position player for a Robertson trade? If so, who? And, finally, assuming I agree with your proposed hypothetical trade, why no do it? I think we could still have a solid bullpen.

Yunel Escobar is also reportedly on the block. Not sure what we could get him for, but Nats do need pitching. Would EJ + low-level prospects do it? He's got a team option next year at $7 million. Not too bad of a contract.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Dec 3, 2015 -> 08:13 AM) Can this guy play third base at all or is he strictly a second baseman? Said he could hold down the position in terms of fielding but his arm may not be strong enough. But from the article, it sounds like he gets on base on a ton and never strikes out. Would slot very well in the number 2 hole, wouldn't cost a draft pick, and fill a void at 2b. Could stick Melky down in the lineup at 6 or 7. This makes too much sense. Hopefully Abreu is recruiting.

Described as a major league ready second baseman. Probably should be in the mix, especially given his connection to Abreu. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/12/seco...eaves-cuba.html

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Dec 2, 2015 -> 04:13 PM) Victorino had a great season for Boston the only time he was healthy. So it was the 60 games in the AL that Bautista played (terribly) that allowed him to succeed with the Blue Jays after 4 years with Pittsburgh? I honestly think the underlying "logic" for anyone who thinks that NL hitters can't hit in the AL is "I had my hopes up when the Sox signed Adam Dunn and when he had a terrible season I became angry and my brain kinda malfunctioned." I think the Adam LaRoche failures also contribute to this logic. That being said, I think that's more of an inability to convert from a 1B to a full-time DH, rather than simply not being able to hit AL pitching.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Dec 1, 2015 -> 04:25 PM) Pass. Hanley and Panda are just the latest examples of career NL guys coming over to the AL and getting overwhelmed. At their ages the likelihood of a bounce back to their previous career numbers is pretty low. Those prospects and that money can be better allocated. I would much rather take a flyer on the Korean guy and about a third of the cost. The point being discussed is that the cost and prospects would not be that much. We would be swapping LaRoche for Hanley, and Boston would be eating a portion of his remaining salary. Under those terms, it is worth it.

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Dec 1, 2015 -> 03:53 PM) Thing is Red Sox have more than enough outfielders and a potential opening at 1st base. Yes, believe LaRoche makes more sense. Both players due for bounce back, so maybe Boston would consider it. Isn't LaRoche a much better glove option at first base also for the BoSox (as opposed to Hanley who's never really played there).

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 1, 2015 -> 09:14 AM) Adam LaRoche had a better OBP than Hanley Ramirez last season. Hanley Ramirez is a terrible idea. Ramirez has an OPS of almost 75 points higher, hit 7 more home runs (in playing in 30 less games), drove in more runs, and had a slugging % of almost 100 points higher. He had a much better season offensively than LaRoche last year, in what was a clearly a down year for Ramirez. He also potentially fills a void at 3b. If Boston is willing to pay the bulk of Ramirez's salary, he is the way to go. I understand you probably don't like Ramirez because of his attitude, but, I think we need to worry less about "team players" and focus more on people who can actually play the game. And let's not forget AJ was supposed to be a bad clubhouse guy, but, it didn't matter because he was good.

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Nov 25, 2015 -> 05:38 PM) Hwang is smaller than Saladino. Somebody obviously likes Saladino

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Nov 25, 2015 -> 01:45 PM) Saladino might look x1000 better than himself facing Korean pitching. I like Saladino though. I like good fielders and smart/good base runners. I don't see Saladino hitting with the same power. This guy looks filled out, and demonstrated pretty good opposite field power (based on the very limited sample of the video). Saladino is a fine defender, though.