DirtySox

Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal Sources: #Marlins will meet with Buehrle on Tuesday, Reyes on Wednesday and Cespedes on Thursday. #MLB 54 seconds ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal To repeat from other day: #Marlins' top priority is adding LH starter: Wilson, Buehrle. Not to say they won't dabble in other areas. #MLB 8 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply jcrasnick Jerry Crasnick If things don't work out with C.J. Wilson, #Rangers also expect to be involved in the Mark Buehrle hunt. #paralleltracks 3 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 7, 2011 -> 01:48 PM) Is that Jonathan Sanchez? The guy who threw the no hitter and who people keep suggesting KW/Coop might trade for? Yes. Looks like a beneficial trade for both sides. Especially since this opens up a spot for Lorenzo Cain. .312/.380/.497 in AAA, while playing a fine CF.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Nov 2, 2011 -> 06:53 PM) Hogwash. Scott Merkin is easily the best. In fact, I can give you the headliner for his next five articles: "Adam Dunn is out to prove the critics wrong; has plenty left in the tank." "Alex Rios to be the next Matt Kemp?" "Jake Peavy's heart and soul finally ready to wreak havoc on AL Central foes." "Gordon Beckham says his spirit is alive and kicking." "Ozzie did it his second year, why not Robin in '12?" Nice.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Nov 1, 2011 -> 11:32 AM) But outside of those first few rounds, the small market teams aren't signing anyone that that is falling for signability reasons. This is tremendously false. The Royals, Pirates, and Nationals have made a living at signing players seeking significantly over-slot. In latter rounds as well.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 1, 2011 -> 11:26 AM) What is there to expound on? Low budget teams have to pass on guys with the highest demands, even if they are the best players. That's why we see so many players drop because of "signability issues" to teams like Boston and New York who have no problems meeting their bonus demands. In a hard slot, they are locked into a price, so it won't matter. If they drop in the draft, it gets worse dollarwise, so the incentive would be to go to the first team that wanted you, and not to create outrageous demands to move. If you haven't been paying attention, the low budget teams that are passing on players with high demands are largely low budget in merely the draft. See the White Sox. Other than the Red Sox and Yankees, teams that need a competitive advantage in any way possible are exactly the teams picking and signing these falling players. See Pirates, Nationals, Rays, Blue Jays, and Royals. Hard-slotting will hinder the teams smart enough to take advantage of this market inefficiency (primarily the teams that need this advantage the most) and level the playing field for teams that have the resources but are too cheap/and or stupid to utilize them on amateur talent.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Nov 1, 2011 -> 11:16 AM) If you look at the economics/baseball reasoning that you provided then it's fairly obvious they are morons. Feel free to expound. Though the issue is about dead via the CBA anyway.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Nov 1, 2011 -> 11:13 AM) Then baseball is full of morons. Insightful.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Nov 1, 2011 -> 10:37 AM) That is exactly it. Baseball is such a crapshoot draft that to expect any results out of it, you really have to spend between $8-15 million, and there are teams that are going above and beyond that. One of the reasons the White Sox don't do this is because they have been burned by big signing bonuses in the past. It's actually a stupid reason because that kind of stuff simply happens, but it's true (it's also why they generally don't hand out big free agent contracts...Reinsdorf has opened the purse strings a bit in the past 5 years and it has bit him squarely on the ass, so I expect him to reign it in a bit over the next 5). There is also the idea that Selig has in mind for slotting, and Reinsdorf has done quite a bit to stay within that, which is dumb from a business perspective because if you are the only one following the rules and it isn't unethical to break the rules, then you are putting yourself at a disadvantage. Spot on. Luckily hard-slotting isn't even remotely close to becoming a reality. A tax for exceeding some sort of bonus cap/ceiling is a much better idea.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 1, 2011 -> 10:58 AM) I agree. Hard slotting helps small market teams a lot more than it hurts them. You are in the absolute minority that thinks that. 95% of baseball hates the idea. This is not hyperbole. It's why hard-slotting isn't even close to becoming reality. Thankfully.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Nov 1, 2011 -> 09:36 AM) Obviously I know why the players don't want hard slotting, but your first reason doesn't cut it. There are more teams that would benefit from hard slotting than teams currently taking advantage of the system. From a parity standpoint, hard slotting is a must. Sure, if you're a Red Sox, Tigers, or Cubs fan, you want to keep the current system. However, the poster who said there shouldn't be hard slotting is a White Sox fan, so his claim makes zero sense. I'm also a fan of baseball and not just the White Sox. Hard-slotting hurts small market teams that aren't able to lure the big time free agents. Teams like the Rays, Royals, and Pirates realize that it's absolutely necessary to be able to develop their own players and they spend accordingly to make up for other deficiencies they can't control as much. I'd rather not see that taken away from them. It also pushes multi-sport and certain prep talent away from the draft if bonuses are set in stone. Hard-slotting is widely viewed by almost everyone as a terrible hindrance of an idea. It might be good for the thrifty White Sox, but it's awful for the rest of baseball.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 12:46 PM) Well, that's not going to happen. We just need to hope that the new CBA will include hard slotting or else we'll continue to be at a disadvantage. Also, having some presence in Latin America (outside of Cuba) would help. Hard-slotting isn't going to happen, and it shouldn't. Sounds like a tax will be imposed if teams spend over a certain amount in the draft overall.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 01:58 PM) I think the only reason why this would happen is if he really wants to stay in Cleveland. Other teams will simply be willing to risk more money on a guy with his injury history. Indeed. He might like it in Cleveland, or feel he owes it to the organization though. I'm not sure what type of person he is or what motivates him, but it's not out of the question.

The Indians are also interested in bringing him back, but at a lower salary and with incentives. He might end up staying put.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 01:04 PM) Clearest sign so far that Sox are All In again. Nothing says all in like spending on adequate relief pitching!

Meh.

MDGonzales Mark Gonzales Sox picked up $3.75 million option on reliever Jason Frasor. 2 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Oct 27, 2011 -> 05:48 PM) WTF? I gagged after I read that. The sooner AJ is gone, the better.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Oct 26, 2011 -> 03:10 PM) Wow, our minor league system stinks... It does indeed. It won't be getting better with Kenny trading for middling major league ready talent either.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Oct 25, 2011 -> 08:23 PM) I'm calling BS big time. No way this roster isn't adjusted as much as possible. I hope so. Standing pat is just delaying the inevitable. Being stuck in between contention and rebuilding/retooling is maddening.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 22, 2011 -> 07:11 PM) I'm glad he said he wants major league ready talent for anybody he trades. The Sox don't need to be in a total rebuild. Those things are awfully ugly. A return of major league talent is all fine and dandy, but don't expect anything too significant. A team is much more likely to receive impact talent if it's further away from the Bigs. The while risk versus reward thing comes into play here obviously. Personally, I'd much prefer prospects with great upside in A or AA, versus middling major league talent that will be thrown into the current mess.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Oct 22, 2011 -> 11:48 AM) Who replaces Peavy? Hopefully a new GM is in charge of replacing Peavy.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Oct 22, 2011 -> 11:31 AM) On the other hand, if Dunn hits like he hit before 2011, which is probably doubtful, and Rios plays like he played the first half of 2010, again, doubtful, the Sox right now would be as good as any team in their division. Doubtful indeed. The Sox will be unloading productive pieces soon as well. Couple that with questions marks all over the roster, and I fear this team will need almost everything to go right in order to be competitive next season.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 22, 2011 -> 11:08 AM) No, they're not in the least in that bad of shape. However, you're probably right...Kenny would never say "I'll take anything I can get for Danks and Quentin." I'm not sure how one can argue that the Sox aren't in bad shape right now. Overextended payroll, bad contracts, and a barren farm system. Things are pretty s***ty right now.

Ugh. I hope Kenny is just posturing/placating the fans here. Limiting yourself to MLB ready talent only is an awful idea.