Eminor3rd

We were not at all in the position to sign a mid-30's middle-rotation free agent starter at the time.

Looking like Grounderfest so far.

I'd be shocked if the Cardinals take LaRoche. He's not hitting nearly well enough for them to be willing to pay him $12m next year when Matt Adams is back.

Robin has "shaken" the lineup up so much that he has landed on a SABR-friendly Abreu to the 2-hole solution.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 9, 2015 -> 10:16 AM) The ball was wet, It wasn't the greatest play, but he was pretty close to safe. It was a good throw. The tag was bad. Would have been interesting to see if the throw was off a bit. He might have been safe, or even out a larger margin. The only reason it was close was because the tag was horrendous, though. The ball beat him by a mile.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 9, 2015 -> 10:09 AM) Don't mean to be a downer, last night was fun, but Avi's turn for second was so awful. Everyone in the stadium knew he had no shot. How many hits has he inexplicably run into outs? What stat shows that story? FG has a UBR (Ultimate Base Runs) stat that takes that stuff into account. No idea how it's calculated, but I would guess it's based on the linear weight values between the two potential outcomes in the situation, like how many runs would be added by taking an extra base vs. standing pat or getting thrown out. FWIW, Avi in 2015 has been worth roughly negative five runs, or negative half a win.

O/U -- Dingers off of Dickey: 2.5

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Jul 8, 2015 -> 03:13 PM) But, ya know, it's a manager's job to read his team, and help them stay confident. Just one of RVs endless failings. Wouldnt be expecting any kind of "spark" from a firing, but it's an essential start to the housecleaning. Of course Robin has to go - his players don't respond to him in any way that helps their performance. This is obvious. I don't how Eminor, DA, or any otherwise intelligent poster can defend him. What aspects of the job, exactly, do you think he's performing well in? Aw forget it. Rhetorical. The only real fear here is that a FO completely lacking in accountability keeps a terrible Mgr around for another year after this, knowing that RVs failure is theirs too, because they don't have the balls to admit it. I'm not defending him, I'm just frustrated that everyone has concluded that he is the issue and that firing him will solve the team's problems. I'm not saying he's good, I'm just saying I don't think he matters. or at least there's no evidence to suggest he's causing this team to play poorly.

Didn't Hutchison destroy us last time he faced us?

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jul 8, 2015 -> 10:27 AM) Dude, I am not saying I don't want Hoffman, you take the best player available, but my point is that the Sox should be targeting guys that can help on the offensive side. Our pitching rotation is in pretty good shape now and looking forward. I'm not sure I agree. I mean, I do agree that they need offense MORE than they need pitching, but the system is exactly loaded with surefire pitching prospects. 1. Sale 2. Quintana 3. Rodon 4. ??? 5. ??? Going forward, you have Fulmer who you feel really good about. Spencer Adams who you feel pretty good about, but it much more of a crapshoot. Erik Johnson is gravy at this point. Montas is still more likely a reliever than a starter. Next on that depth chart is Scott Carroll? JP Wendelken at some point? I don't know, I think we could really use Hoffman. We certainly don't have anything close to the depth to start looking away from pitching prospects when they're the best players offered,

O/U -- Dingers allowed by John Danks: 3.5

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jul 8, 2015 -> 09:56 AM) Sox need hitting. I wouldn't mind taking back a pitcher, but the Sox excel at developing pitching. They should trade for offensive players! Dude if the Jays offer Hoffman, we should either accept before we get off the phone or hang up immediately and asssume something's wrong with him. Reports on Hoffman since he's come back have been nothing short of glowing -- he's almost definitely the top prospect in that system.

QUOTE (Mike F. @ Jul 7, 2015 -> 09:41 AM) Would you guys trade Shark, Putnam, and Duke for Judge and Sanchez? I would. Absolutely.

QUOTE (Buehrlesque @ Jul 7, 2015 -> 09:38 AM) I'd do that 1 for 1 also. In fact, I'd take that over most of the projected Blue Jays packages. I agree. Their top pitching prospects all have too many pundits predicting them ending up in the bullpen.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 7, 2015 -> 10:08 AM) I think Robin is the anti-Ozzie. I believe after a while, everyone just quit listening to Ozzie, because the routine wore thin. But the one thing Ozzie always did was to take pressure off of the guys by front-running the media. Honestly, I am not sure if it was on purpose, or Ozzie buckling under the pressure and saying something stupid... but it always happened. Robin is the opposite. I think the guys really like him and respect him, but his personality doesn't dictate him taking away attention from everyone else. That allows the pressure to flow to the team, that didn't under Ozzie. Instead of tuning out Robin, they try harder and hard. The guys try harder to break the slump, and put too much pressure on themselves. I see the pressure all of the time. The last time that comes to mind was Sunday against the Orioles on the back to back errors in the 7th/8th inning. Jennings gets a comebacker, instead of relaxing and getting at least one out, he rushes the throw, throws it into the ground, Sanchez can't catch it, everyone is safe. Next play Sanchez tries to hurry and turn a double play, instead blows the play, can't get any out. Both were trying to get two outs, before they got the first out. While I never want to see Ozzie back as a coach or manager here, I would love to see a personality LIKE Ozzie's in the lockerroom to keep things loose. So maybe we need a charismatic bench coach.

Judge has helium. The Yankees love him. I'd trade Shark for him 1 for 1, but I highly doubt Judge is on the table.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Jul 7, 2015 -> 10:08 AM) Sanchez is still a project defensively and the bat has not developed the way it was projected to, so he would be a good throw in at this point. If he is the headliner you need to be getting some high upside low level guys along with him. A package like Sanchez, Miguel Andujar, and Domingo Acevedo would be intriguing, though substituting Jagielo for Sanchez would make more sense. Acevedo is nasty, I've had the chance to watch him (because he plays for the team I work for), though it's admittedly tough to tell how stuff translates to higher levels when you're seeing them throw to Single A hitters.

So fire Robin, right?

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jul 6, 2015 -> 01:48 PM) I think we can replace Quintana (maybe not in terms of exact of value) much easier than any of the positional holes. This FA class is robust with SP and offers nothing in terms of positional players unless you want to give 200 M to either Upton or Heyward. Weiters, Gordon and Ian Desmond are the next tier. Catchers: Alex Avila (29) Chris Iannetta (33) John Jaso (32) George Kottaras (32) Jose Molina (41) Dioner Navarro (32) Brayan Pena (34) A.J. Pierzynski (39) Matt Wieters (30) Third Base: Joaquin Arias (31) Mike Aviles (35) Gordon Beckham (29) Willie Bloomquist (38) Kevin Frandsen (34) David Freese (33) Jonathan Herrera (31) Maicer Izturis (35) – $3MM club option with a $1MM buyout Don Kelly (36) Jeff Keppinger (36) Casey McGehee (32) Aramis Ramirez (38) Sean Rodriguez (31) Juan Uribe (37) Shortstop: Joaquin Arias (31) Mike Aviles (35) Willie Bloomquist (38) Asdrubal Cabrera (30) Ian Desmond (30) Stephen Drew (33) Alcides Escobar (29) – $5.25MM club option with a $500K buyout Maicer Izturis (35) – $3MM club option with a $1MM buyout Cliff Pennington (32) Alexei Ramirez (34) – $10MM club option with a $1MM buyout Sean Rodriguez (31) Jimmy Rollins (37) Brendan Ryan (34) – $1MM player option Do any of these players make a lot of sense for the Sox? I don't see it. Maybe Ben Zobrist but I am sure he has plenty of team who will be interested in his services. The Sox have C, 2B, SS, 3B as tremendous holes. I assume they'll go with some combo of Micah and Sanchez at 2B. They're probably stuck with one of Flowers or Alexei at C/SS. I don't see any enticing free agents at 3B or C/SS unless you want to take a significant risk on Wieters. I think trading Quintana for a gaggle of players is the best way to replenish our weakness. Then replace Quintana's spot in the rotation with one of the options at SP. EDIT: Which shrewd FA signings do you see in the list? I am with you on that philosophy, not that the Sox have been able to convert on such a strategy, but I don't see any of these types of options in this class. Avila, Ianetta, Weiters, and Jaso would all be substantial catching upgrades. Two are bad defensively, but they can all hit -- and Flowers is bad at both. Ramirez and Uribe would be great short-term signings to upgrade third. I'm assuming we'll pick up Alexei's option and that he'll bounce back to some degree. I think we need at least one FA even WITH Quintana. Could we get two? Probably. But, in general, FA money is inefficient money whereas sub-market extension money is efficient money. Exchanging one for the other is going to result in some sort of loss. Also, I'll flip the availability thing around: If you trade Quintana, who is available to fill those same holes?

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jul 6, 2015 -> 11:48 AM) I don't think that's true at all. Williams says this is Year 1 of a 3 year plan to maximize the window of opportunity with this current core. I think this past offseason absolutely resembled the team trying to do just that: signing an elite closer, trading for an ace starting pitcher, signing a slugger to bat 4th in the lineup - if those aren't "all in" type moves to try and win with this core, I don't know what is. In fact, both Williams and Hahn practically said as much after the Cabrera signing when they were gushing over Reinsdorf's so-called "competitive spirit" after he approved going over budget to sign the guy. They were as "all in" as they could get. I think when they say three year plan, they actually do mean "do or die" in each year. What else could it mean if you are trying to "maximize" the window of opportunity with this core? The problem is that for the first half of Year 1, it's pretty much been all "die", unfortunately. They are going to have to work hard to find a whole bunch of better players with whom to supplement this core if they hope to win during this window of opportunity. Because when you examine the cost of all of the moves they made, you'll notice that it all falls in the short-term, which is what removes the "die" component from "do or die." The reason that "all-in" has been such a costly proposition the past fifteen years is because teams have borrowed a tremendous amount of their future resources to pay for present upgrades. The White Sox very specifically did NOT do that with the latest round of acquisitions. After 2016, the only market rate contracts we'll be stuck with are Melky and Robertson at roughly $12m apiece. The long-term contracts for Sale/Quintana/Abreu/Eaton will still be in place, Avisail will still be in the throes of the arbitration process, and the way the SP market is shaping up, we may get nearly as much back for Samardjiza as we gave up in the first place. Considering the magnitude of the "upgrades" we made, we've retained an incredible amount of flexibility even just two seasons from now.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jul 6, 2015 -> 01:14 PM) You have quite the poor imagination then. I think you're using your analytical mind and none of your imagination if that's all you can "imagine" . Youth, ability , contract, sustained success, all on Q's side but no hype and one hyped up lousy hit or miss prospect is all you can see in a trade for him ? Yea I might overvalue our players but c'mon now you can do better than that . Ok I can do better. Best return I can imagine for Quintana is Mookie Betts, Mookie Wilson, Kate Upton, 1996 Brady Anderson, and the Thunder God, Thor. I imagine we can send back John Danks' contract but also keep John Danks for depth. We'll also receive cash considerations and a bunch of IHOP gift cards to be distributed to Soxtalk posters in accordance to who has posted the fewest times complaining about Robin Ventura.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jul 6, 2015 -> 02:09 PM) Well how do you expect the Sox to fill some of their positional black holes if they don't move Quintana? Trade Samardzija, try to trade some relievers, make some shrewd FA signings, and work hard to develop players internally. It isn't ideal, but that's the same set of solutions we'd have to use to replace Quintana, too. As I said before -- in my mind, trading Quintana opens up as big a hole as it replaces. If we're worried about how much money the Sox would need to fill those positional holes in FA, then we have to realize that filling that hole in the rotation is just as expensive. Quintana's contract is an asset even if it isn't at the position of most need, because it allows for us to allocate financial resources elsewhere.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jul 6, 2015 -> 09:59 AM) If that's the return, Q won't be traded. I agree and I hope he won't.

This is consistent with what I've been saying all along. We need to realize that the league is changing -- the polarity of competing vs. rebuilding is becoming a thing of the past. Yes, the White Sox were trying to put a winner on the field this year, but it was NOT an all-in, do or die plan. I know, Balta, you are concerned about the financials, and I think what you bring up makes sense if we assume a static payroll and a new big ticket pitcher -- but it IS possible for the payroll to increase, and if the FO is stating that they are on pace for a three year plan, it's safe to assume that they have the resources they need.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Jul 4, 2015 -> 07:08 PM) Again swihart was asked as a starting point by Philly and boston told them no. Why would he then be available to stating point for quintana. Because Hamels makes like $100 million more than Quintana. But, that said, I said I think Swihart is like the BEST case scenario. Like he's the best guy I can imagine Quintana bringing, I don't think it's likely he's included.