Eminor3rd

He threw two scoreless innings. Everyone else threw one scoreless inning each. It's not like some huge snub or anything -- two really nice plays by Miguel Cabrera of all people as well saved a couple hits.

He's got the "playoff hero" thing going for him though

While I don't think there's any chance at signing Choo at all, I think the idea of signing short-term deals on reclamation projects is precisely the route the Sox should take in 2014. It's essentially a shot in the dark at contending without hampering the 2015 plans.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 02:36 PM) I like Trevor Story an awful lot. Don't think he can be had for Crain though. I don't know -- I think it's a possibility. Story, I believe, has taken a step back this year, and there's no doubt he's blocked by Tulo/Rutledge.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 03:06 PM) If I'm buying, I'd much rather have Peavy than Garza. Both for this season and when you factor in the contracts. Two different tiers of pitcher IMO. I agree and I would be willing to bet that most teams do as well. I just don't think anyone considers Peavy a real option until he returns healthy,

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 02:15 PM) Great post. That's all I want. Fans to blame Robin some. I like Robin. I have no problem with him continuing as manager. But his staff has failed miserably this season. That's OK. I don't want him to be fired. I'm just laughing because if the former manager had orchestrated this first half ... wow, he'd be run out of town. This team looks like it is managed by Andy the Clown, God rest Andy's soul. The big difference that you are not mentioning, Greg, is that Ozzie was a total cancer to the clubhouse and front office. He was making headlines with controversial remarks about the players and the administration on a regular basis, and dividing the roster into favored and unfavored camps. When players were asked about his antics, they consistently replied cautiously with veiled non-answers that clearly implied that he was a distraction. Absolutely NONE of this is true about RV. I'm not saying that RV is awesome, but he is doing nothing to suggest that he is a negative force on this bad team. I'm not trying to suggest that RV deserves none of the blame -- he is, after all, a part of this team. But I can't point to anything that suggests he is a bigger part of the failure than any starting player, and that was just not true about Ozzie.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 02:54 PM) I can't imagine them doing that. It sounds like Cubs are trying to get Neftali Feliz instead (Tom Loxas reporting). If they get Feliz and Olt for Garza, that's an amazing trade for the Cubs. Since when is Garza this great pitcher?? No way they get both of those guys -- but while Garza is not a great pitcher, he's the best guy available right now by a fair amount. Supply & demand. This is why we need Peavy to 2-hit the #Barves this weekend.

I predict Alexei ends up with the Cardinals and we get next to nothing back. Just a feeling.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 01:31 PM) I think Olt ends up going to the Cubs as part of the package for Garza. I don't think Olt is a good fit there -- they've got Baez and Bryant as long-term 3B guys, and Rizzo locked up at first. Can't have too much depth, sure, but I'd think they would prefer a different type of guy.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 01:19 PM) Yeah, Olt's stock has fallen, for sure, but that just serves to make him plausibly attainable for us. He's always been overrated, but he profiles as a solid contributor on both sides of the ball for years to come. Tim Dierkes of MLBTR agrees with me. P.S. which on of you asked this question, lol?

QUOTE (danman31 @ Jul 15, 2013 -> 09:54 PM) Are we thinking of the same player? Barnum is another high power, low contact hitter for now. I went back and read some of the online scouting reports, and you're right -- I'm not sure why I had the impression that his hit tool was better than the rest of our guys.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 01:19 PM) Dunn supplanting Pacheco in Colorado could make sense if the Rockies are going to try to make a run for it. I don't think they are though. Dunn at Coors Field... It would make sense, but I think their focus is justifiably almost completely on pitching first.

Yeah, Olt's stock has fallen, for sure, but that just serves to make him plausibly attainable for us. He's always been overrated, but he profiles as a solid contributor on both sides of the ball for years to come.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 12:03 PM) Robin definitely deserves plenty of blame. But with 2012 and 2013 being such divergent stories, I don't think we'll really know who he is as a manager until he plays out at least part of 2014, when he will inevitably have a very different roster. How can you say that definitively? I'm not trying to challenge you, I just want to know what people are looking at when they are deciding that RV is the reason this team is losing. Because to me, it's because they suck at hitting and defense. Is RV not requiring them to practice hitting and defense? If that's the case, then sure, but otherwise, I think the players are just f***ing sucking. All his pitching change problems combined don't add up to be nearly the problem than the team offense right now.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 08:46 AM) I could see a package of Reed and Ramirez for Pederson, Dee Gordon, and Onelki Garcia. Lets the Dodgers move Hanley to 3B and put Uribe in a UT role, and gets them the upgrade to Brandon League that they really need. Gordon can plug in to SS for the rest of the season and let him try to get things figured out. Oh man, Dee Gordon is so bad. That would be a really bad trade for us if Reed is included.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Jul 15, 2013 -> 09:35 PM) I mean, they need pitching and don't need Joc Peterson right? Definitely a possibility for Peavy if he proves his health, but much less so since they picked up Nolasco.

QUOTE (beck72 @ Jul 16, 2013 -> 06:39 AM) In the comments section of that article, a fan suggested SS Sardinas, OFer Lewis Brinson, and RHP Neil Ramirez for Pence or Soriano. If they were to offer that for Rios, that would be a nice return. They are the #2, 12, and 14 prospects for Texas. I'd really like Sardinas in a Rios trade. Just heard Jason Parks talk at length about Sardinas on a BP podcast the other day. Says he thinks he has better tools than Profar, but doesn't have close to the work ethic or desire. Could be a monster or a bust (but the same could be said for lots of players). Anyway, yeah that's be a fantastic return, just commenting generally on something I heard.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 15, 2013 -> 06:16 PM) I don't know about "deadly." You could look at it another way and say he'll ruin that lineup if he gets in one of his patented strikeout funks. Their professional hitters are probably not used to seeing such ineptitude on a fairly frequent basis. It's going to be great to rebuild and not have Dunn around anymore. 110 wRC+ is not superstar level at his position by any means, but for a team who is receiving below average production at 1B or DH, it is a substantial upgrade and one that could be the difference between making or missing the playoffs.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jul 15, 2013 -> 11:38 PM) Here's one story on Rios to the Yankees. I found nothing solid though. http://sporrty.com/2013/07/15/yankees-rumo...os-to-new-york/ Lol @ the unrelated tweet referenced in the article.

The kid knows how to showcase.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jul 15, 2013 -> 04:55 PM) One thing he routinely does is to refuse to use a better reliever in a high leverage situation if it isn't in the last 35% of the game. If a pitcher is in trouble in the 4th, out comes the worst arm in the pen. You just described practically every single Major League manager.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jul 15, 2013 -> 04:48 PM) If we had a real professional manager who was building this team for the long-haul, I can understand. But the Sox gave Swisher away because he smited Ozzie, after we paid a heavy price for him a year earlier. You can't just give players away. And if teams do that, why haven't we gotten our share of gifts? Getting some replacement level or a little above players is fine. But we won't do anything if we don't have a couple of really stud hitters around them. This team has several of those replacement+ types - Alexei, De Aza two name two, although they have debased themselves this year with poor defense and clowning on the basepaths. We have. Thornton, Quintana, Gillaspie come to mind.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 15, 2013 -> 04:32 PM) He's been struggling and pressing like crazy. This is his worst season as a professional by far. There's no reason he shouldn't at least be adequate against righties, but he seemingly swings at everything. I hope it's pressing, but I fear it's just that he can't recognize pitches well enough to hit consistently in the Major Leagues.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jul 15, 2013 -> 04:35 PM) How is this guy not headed to the Yankees at the deadline. He has an OPS of like .960 over the last two months and is on pace for 44 homers. What's left on his contract? 21 million? That's nothing to the Yankees since they're going to get back like $30 million from A-Roid's impending suspension and they have such massive dicks. Stay hot, Donkey. I need the Sox to be rid of you. /rant He won't go to the Yankees because they are desperately trying to remain under the luxury tax threshold for next year. The money to pay him isn't a big deal, but that he would contribute $14m to the magic luxury tax number is a massive problem, especially given Cano's impending free agency.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/07/red-...of-infield.html