BlackSox13

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Aug 24, 2015 -> 07:45 PM) Shark is the gift that keeps giving. I'm thinking more along the lines of; the s***ter that keeps on s***ting.

Balta. Please take some pics and post em. Wish I was catching them on the 29th at Wrigley. I'll have to be sure and catch them next time around.

AJ? That's just laughable. Navarro would be my choice with Joey Belle my second.

Oh dear, here we go. I'll be more than happy to participate once the OP voices their opinion on the subject. Otherwise I'll just sit here and enjoy this like a good comic strip. Sorry Gregg, no vote either way from me.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 08:45 PM) Foo Fighters rickroll the westboro baptist church before one of their concerts I just finished watching that video and was coming over to post it. Dave Grohl knows how to handle WBC and their brainwashed idiot following. Long live Foo Fighters!

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Aug 24, 2015 -> 10:03 AM) For some people, we should do everything to sign Buehrle regardless of long term ramifications. I love Mark, but come on. Absolutely Q. The future is more important than nostalgia. QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Aug 24, 2015 -> 10:11 AM) I'm not certain it's a 100% lock that MB gets a QO. I don't know what Toronto's situation is, but I know they got some money from Miami in that trade and they may not want to pay him $16M or whatever the QO is going to be. But yeah, if he does get the QO and the Sox don't have a protected pick, I don't sign him unless it's some kind of ridiculous hometown discount. The QO will be around 16M+ which is cheaper than Buehrle's 2015 salary of 20M so I'd say Toronto definitely offers the QO.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Aug 24, 2015 -> 08:47 AM) Samardzija won't be back next year. If they were to find a taker for Danks or traded Q for hitting, there is definitely room for Buehrle. I really hope you're right about Samardzija not being with the Sox next year. As LDF pointed out, Buehrle will cost the signing team a comp pick. Imo, not worth it for a pitcher that turns 37 before opening day 2016.

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Aug 23, 2015 -> 07:40 PM) Thank you. And considering he's playing 3B right now, he's got very good speed for the position. Yes he does. After many years of the Sox playing station to station Baseball due the likes of Paulie, Crede, AJ and so on, Saladino's speed is a breath of fresh air. Heck man, I think Saladino has good speed for the SS position as well.

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Aug 23, 2015 -> 06:51 PM) We do??? Saladino in 153 AB has 2 doubles. To put that in contrast, Sanchez in 286 AB has 20. Boni ( 78) and Beckham ( 181) each have 8. So Saladino is strictly a singles hitter since he is getting some singles but is not able to turn them into doubles. So a lack of doubles means Saladino does not have good speed on the base paths? Ive seen Saladino running the base paths and he does have good speed. His lack of doubles comes from his bat, not his lack of speed. Also, Saladino was 25/27 in steals for Charlotte this year so yeah, he does in fact have good speed. Not Micah Johnson speed but speed nonetheless.

QUOTE (LDF @ Aug 23, 2015 -> 08:25 AM) and if not for that reason, just b/c he has the hot bat right now. screw adam laroche and his contract Yep. Time for LaRoche to become the bench bat that he is and move Avi to DH with Trayce playing RF.

QUOTE (LDF @ Aug 23, 2015 -> 08:23 AM) however, if the sox are sitting outside the protected top 10, and any front end pitcher, MB included gets a QO. i don't think the sox will go after them. Good point LDF and I agree. I really hope the Sox can steer clear of of signings that cost draft picks. Especially since the 2016 draft is supposed to be better than this year's.

Missed the game last night so I just finished catching the highlights. The Sox really need to get Trayce's bat in the lineup every day for the rest of the season to get more of an idea of what he has to offer at the big league level. His defense, speed and XBH potential would certainly help this lineup. Rodon looked good but I noticed he only threw 66 of his 116 pitches for strikes. Was he a tad off or have a rough inning?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 03:17 PM) With the volume of pitchers the White Sox have in the organization yes, I can definitely see them trading away more pitching to fill some of these roles...but here's the thing about EJ. Would you trade for him at full price based on this season? Would you trade for him and give up the value that you'd give up for a #2/#3 starter under team control for 5 years for him? I sure wouldn't. He's done good in AAA this year but his 2014 implosion still absolutely has to impact his trade value. If I'm trading for EJ, I'm trading for him because I think there's a good chance I'll get him at a bargain price. I'll give up the value of a back rotation starter for him, but I'm not giving you a king's ransom for him since I don't know that he'll succeed at the big league level given his struggles last year. If we want to turn EJ into a tradeable asset where you can get the full value for him, IMO, you've got to pitch him for a year at the big league level in 2016 and show that he's a big league pitcher. I wouldn't trade for him unless I knew he had established he was a big league pitcher. Or at least I wouldn't give up that much. He's a wild card at best in a trade, to me at least. Again, you make some very good points that I agree with. I had not thought much on the possibility of trading EJ to be honest because I kind of assume Samardzija is a gonner and EJ will replace him so when I threw EJ's name out there, it literally was "throwing" his name out there without considerating EJ' age, past performances and value. I would rather keep EJ and give him starts in September to try and get a better idea if he could take Samardzija's spot in the rotation next year. Imo, Samardzija is a gonner but I admit that I despised the very idea of trading for him in the first place so I am juuuuust a bit biased. That said, if the Sox for some stupid dumbs*** crazy reason decide to keep Samardzija, I would see about trying to package EJ with Micah for a 3B and go with the idea of Saladino at SS.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 02:46 PM) I'd be ok with The roster showing Micah, Sanchez, Saladino, LaRoche, and a FA/traded 3b holding down the infield and the DH slot next year, throwing the 3 youngins to the wolves, and seeing what happens. 3b slot just do something to fill the role and add some depth unless we find a really good looking trade? Anyway, this is not what I expect the franchise to do. I expect them to bring Alexei back and keep Saladino at 3b, and I'm not sure what they'll do at SS. They'll have to do that to "compete" next year again just like this year. I would 100% not trade Montas yet. Every time someone expresses how they don't think his arm will last or will play and he responds by throwing more innings my brain flashes back to Max Scherzer. But that's me. Id be fine with that too. In all honesty, I see 2016 shaping up to be the developmental year that 2015 really should have been. Like you said, throw the kids to the wolves and see how it plays out. I do like Saladino's arm, ALOT! Man that kid throws some lazers over to first when he needs to. Sadly, I see the Sox bringing back Alexei too but I guess they just might have to in an effort to keep a warm body there until Anderson/ Alvarez/ whomever can show they are ready. I suppose I'm not really counting on the Sox signing or trading for a SS so Alexei could be the best short term option and at 10M, he's relatively cheap. I admit that I'm not sold on Montas as a starter but I'm not throwing in the towel on him either, straddling the fence really. Just open to trading him for the right player(s) is all. The Scherzer comparison is a good one Balta. I never understood what the hell AZ was thinking when they traded him in the first place. It probably is a better idea to hold onto Montas but with the lack of hitting on the Sox, some pitching will have be sacrificed to the baseball gods to appease the hitting, lol. If somehow Danks ( likely going nowhere) and Samardzija are still in the Sox plans for 2016, maybe the Sox look into trading Erik Johnson for a bat? Would allow the Sox to keep their youngest and most promising pitching prospects. Damn, this sucks that were talking about the off season plans already and its only August 22.

QUOTE (coco1997 @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 02:24 PM) I can't imagine a scenario in which the Sox *don't* bring Mark back this winter, unless he completely reverses course and either signs an extension with Toronto or goes somewhere else (like St. Louis). He's already made it clear he's not retiring after 2015. Buehrle is still incredibly durable and consistent even at his age and would be a great mentor for our young pitching staff. I can. A 2016 rotation of Sale, Q, Rodon, Samardzija and Danks would not allow room for Buehrle. Plus, there Erik Johnson to take into consideration. Don't get me wrong, been a huge fan of Buehrle for a long time. If the Sox can move on from Samardzija and find an NL team willing to take on Danks for one season, then the idea of Buehrle becomes much more realistic. The Sox could roll out a 2016 rotation of Sale, Q, Rodon, Buehrle and E.Johnson. The Sox would still have Montas ( unless traded) at AAA with Fulmer likely joining him at some point. Buehrle would be a good fit to use as a stop gap for 2016 while Fulmer and Montas develop. I'd take Buehrle over Samardzija and/or Danks any time.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 02:16 PM) My fun hope for a solution? Play Saladino at SS next year. He hits slightly better than this year, puts up a .725-ish OPS or something like that, and combined with his defense we're talking about a young 3-4 WAR player. If Anderson still looks like a star at AAA next year...then suddenly we get to pick which trade asset we want to part with. Either the guy in the top 25 or the 2nd year player who just dropped a 3-4 WAR season as a solid SS. Either way, whatever guy we want to move could be the key to bringing in enough power to fill the 3b slot and really make over this lineup. Really like your train of thought here and certainly agree with it. Always better to have multiple options. Micah and Montas could be a good trade combo to get an MLB 3B.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 01:59 PM) Why haven't we promoted him to AA? That's what confuses me. Tim Anderson is playing SS with DeMichele playing 2B so there's really no room at the moment. Plus, Alvarez just recently got moved up to Winston. Next year Anderson will be at Charlotte with Alvarez moving up to Birmingham.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 11:18 AM) Except Sanchez also has the chance of having a plus bat. He isn't terrible offensively by any means. Absolutely. I think some forget just how young Sanchez is and how fast he flew through the minors.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 11:08 AM) Haven't heard if Johnson is off the DL yet. With consecutive seasons where he's had leg issues, to me, his "star" is falling. Can't count on a guy who can't stay healthy can you? Mark I could be wrong but I thought I noticed Micah's name on the AZL roster last night. Gonna go have a look at last night's games again. Edit: Yep, Micah lead off for the AZL Sox last night and went 1-3 with a 2B. He was pulled after three at bats so not sure what to make of that.

QUOTE (ron883 @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 10:28 AM) I'm talking mainly about 2b and SS here. Carlos Sanchez - gg caliber second baseman who has been hitting really well for a while now. Micah Johnson - potential to be a very good offensive player for his position. Below average defensively. Tim Anderson - shortstop of the future. Will get better on defense imo. Elite talent. Eddy Alvarez - athletic shortstop who gets on base like a Machine. Old, but lots of potential. Saladino - above average utility player. Don't think his bat sticks at third base. How does this shape out? I don't know if any of these guys have much trade value aside from Tim obviously. How do you think this shakes out? I really do not see a conundrum to be honest. From my POV, it appears like everything is falling into place. The Sox finally have multiple options which is a very good thing. It was not long ago that the Sox had literally no good MI prospects, but that has changed and I think the Sox deserve some credit for that. Alvarez has just jumped to A ball so he's still a ways off yet. Not really in the mix right now. Presents a possible fallback option at SS in case Anderson does not pan out. Works out well with Alvarez a level behind Anderson so its likely Alvarez moves up to AA when Anderson goes to AAA. Sanchez stays at 2B unless he hits (lack of) his way back to a bench role. I think Sanchez will be fine and be the Sox 2B for the foreseeable future. Micah almost has to be traded unless the Sox are able to move LaRoche and slide Micah in at DH. DH is literally his only option right now. His poor defense at 2B isn't moving Sanchez and his arm is too weak for the OF. Micah is either trade bait or a SOX DH at this point. Saladino likely stays at 3B since there are no other options at this point. Let him stay at third and see how he plays and in the mean time the Sox can still look for a 3B. With the defensive improvements Anderson has made, he's likely to take over SS after Alexei is gone. I'm guessing the Sox bring Alexei back next year to keep the SS position warm for Anderson to take over, hopefully, in 2017. One interesting idea is if the Sox can find a 3B, they could move Saladino to SS next year and about 10M by not keeping Alexei.. I love Saladino's defensive versatility between 3B and SS. I really like that the Sox finally have multiple options for the MI.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 09:49 AM) Montas has had a lot of 5 inning starts, but the Sox have been very conservative with his pitch counts. If you go through his game logs, you'll see he's frequently being cut off around 90 pitches. With a little more development and another 15 to 20 pitches, going 6 innings a start shouldn't be a problem. All this reliever talk is way too premature, especially with the way he's been pitching since June. That being said, he's definitely the pitching prospect I'm trying to use in a package for a position player this offseason. With Erik Johnson ready for a shot again and Fulmer potentially a mid-season call-up next year, Montas provides more value to us as a trade chip. All good points made in your post. I have noticed this as well with Montas' pitch counts. The Sox are obviously slowly building Montas up while preserving that arm of his. I really like the approach the Sox take with their pitching and it works well.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 09:45 AM) I like it. I hope the Sox explore lots of minors for minors swaps this winter. McMahon-Montas would be a good start. Outside of moving Fulmer, the Sox need to cash in on some of their pitching prospects. We know we can develop pitchers, use it as an advantage and go get some bats. Agreed. With Fulmer in the mix and the Sox in need of hitting, now is the time to trade Montas while the gettin' is good. I wouldn't stop there either. Since it looks like Sanchez is the 2B for the foreseeable future, I would look into trading Micah for one of C/3B/SS/OF prospect.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 12:24 AM) His defense is so good it's amazing. If he hits like this it could be our new Ray Durham for longevity as you say. I am now down on Anderson the minor leaguer after watching his at bats. I wouldn't count on him with the long swing and the huge bat he uses. Is he can't miss offensively? I don't see it. So you are writing off a 22 year old player that's hitting over .300 with a ton of XBH potential, based on a long swing? Anderson will be fine. With his bat speed, he can get by with a longer swing until he learns how to shorten it up which will come in time, again he is just 22. I do agree on Sanchez. At this point, he is the 2B for years to come. If only the Sox can deveop a SS that has a slick glove like Sanchez. The MI defense would be amazing! Anderson's defense has improved by leaps and bounds this year so hopefully he is the future at SS come 2017.

Meh, Zangari is only 18 so he has plenty of time to improve his defense. Maybe Zangari needs to trade in his pitchers mitt for a 1B glove. Nice outing last night from Guerrero and Montas.

QUOTE (LDF @ Aug 21, 2015 -> 08:28 PM) on your opinions and hope, i agree big time. this is why some agents do not want to wait for that last yr. That's a great point LDF. It's a gamble for both the team and played. Can you imagine how crazed cub fans would be right now if Samardzija had accepted that 5/90 offer, with the way he has pitched? Or, same for SOX fans if the Sox had signed him to an extension. Sox fans would be calling Samardzija, Danks 2.0 or Danks part deux. QUOTE (gatnom @ Aug 21, 2015 -> 10:25 PM) This I can agree with. However, even if he could only get something like 4/50, that to me would be worth more than a QO. Of course, he's been expecting a big payday, so who knows what's going through his mind. I see what you're saying. There has to be a part of him that's kicking himself in his ass for his determination of going to FA. He really hurt his value this season big time. It's going to be very interesting to see what Samardzija does once players are able to declare FA. QUOTE (gatnom @ Aug 22, 2015 -> 06:54 AM) Montas is the most obvious trade candidate in the system. His loud tools make him a sexy prospect, and it's dubious if he'll be able to continue starting down the road. But, right now you can sell him as being a starter with a big fastball. Agreed. Colorado needs pitching bady. I would try and swap Montas for MiLB 3B Ryan McMahon. According to MLB's rankings, they are pretty close with Montas ranked #60 and McMahon #56. Not like McMahon will be playing 3B with Arenado cemented in that position.