BigFinn

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 02:51 PM) You're acting like we traded our whole farm and have tied up our entire future payroll with this offseason. Yes we're going for it in '15 but if we don't make the playoffs it's not like we've blown the whole rebuild. We've traded away maybe one guy that was on the famous "3 year board" as a starter in Semien. Bassitt was going to be a future reliever here, Phegley is nothing and Ravelo is completely blocked in our organization. And the future money we added this offseason was money we were going to have to spend to be a competitive team from '16 going forward anyways. All this offseason has done is make us more competitive in 2015, it hasn't killed 2016 and beyond at all. I've got a feeling that Billy Beane looks at Josh Phegley and sees Josh Donaldson II. Both started their professional careers as catchers. Both were better hitters than receivers. I wouldn't be surprised if Beane gives Phegley a third baseman's mitt, sends Phegley to AAA Nashville, tells him he'll be up in a few months, and sells off Brett Lawrie to the highest bidder come the July 31 trade deadline. Phegley could come up later this summer and surprise quite a few people. Still and all, the Sox one year of Samardzija, a top 15 pitcher MLB pitcher, and a window of opportunity to sign him from now until next November. As for signing Melky Cabrera, there is a theory that if you're going to make a commitment to one free agent attached to a compensation pick, you might as well go all in. The Cubs did that in the 2005-6 off-season (the 2006 draft was the year that they picked Samardzija in the 5th round and signed him to a first round contract). The Cubs gave up their 2nd round pick when they signed Bobby Howry (Cleveland got that pick). They gave up their 3rd round pick when they signed Scott Eyre (this sounds like they wanted to put the White Sox 2000 bullpen back together!)(San Francisco got that pick). They gave up their 4th round pick when they signed Jacque Jones (the Twinkies got that pick). Those were the days before picks had slotted monetary values, and teams were faced with penalties for exceeding their overall amateur draft spending. So the Cubs could afford to bundle the money they would have spent on those picks and offer Samardzija 1st round money. Every time the Sox sign a free agent with a compensation pick attached, like Melky Cabrera, we lose the draft pick and the slotted money. But we would still get Melky Cabrera. My concern about Cabrera is how dependent is he on the use of PEDs to be a successful player? He was caught using in 2012. If you pull out his 2012 numbers from his career stats, his slash line is .279/.330/.404. That looks like a league average ballplayer to me. Four years at $14M per year is a lot of money for league average production. Nori Aoki has just about the same level of production without the PED suspicions, the high-price/long-length contract, and the loss of the draft choice. But I don't know who else is out there.

Assuming the deal doesn't collapse, the start of the year pitching rotation would be: 4/6 @KC Sale 4/8 @KC Samardzija 4/9 @KC Quintana Sale would start at home 4/12 against the Twins. Samardzija would start his first home game 4/20 against Cleveland. Get your tickets NOW!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 30, 2014 -> 03:26 PM) Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN 10h10 hours ago Pitches thrown in reg. season:Samardzija 12,567; Lester 26,321; Scherzer 20,944; Cueto 19,518; Hamels 27,886; Price 19,336; Shields 29,461. Jeff Samardzija pitches thrown in post season: 19 (1 run on 2 hits and an error in mop-up duty in game one of the 2008 NLDS loss to the Dodgers). This stuff can break your heart.

QUOTE (LDF @ Nov 30, 2014 -> 02:03 PM) i was reading this article from the trib, about Shark. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...1129-story.html I'm glad that Paul Sullivan took the trouble to point out that the Sox are unlikely to deal Carlos Rodon for Jeff Samardzija. I just wish that he would understand that the Sox can't trade Carlos Rodon until one year after he was drafted — June 2015. I think that Billy Beane wants to trade Samardzija before the season starts. The Shark's price will go down if the team he is traded to won't get a draft choice for compensation when he leaves via free agency next winter! I have to think that Samardzija will opt for free agency regardless of what team he is pitching for next year. It will be his only chance at the "brass ring." Comparing Alexei Ramirez to Yoenis Cespedes (data from Baseball-reference.com) Alexei Ramirez (age on opening day 2015: 33): 2014 .273/.305/.403 OPS+: 101 Career .277/.303/.408 OPS+: 92 Yoenis Cespedes (age on opening day 2015: 29): 2014 .260/.301/.450 OPS+:110 Career .263/.316/.464 OPS+:116 But for the fact that Alexei is 4 years older, and he plays a more demanding defensive position, Alexei and Cespedes are the same player! I don't see Cespedes coming to the White Sox. That's just reshuffling the deck chairs . . . .

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Nov 30, 2014 -> 02:13 AM) Why would they want Anderson if they have their top prospect of a SS who is going to be ready to come up around the same time as Anderson. Anderson is a lot to give up for a 1 year rental PLUS other prospects? No thanks. The A's can keep their 3rd starter who will get paid Ace money in 1 year. I'll make a call to Cinci about thee starters or sign Masterson. To plum the depths of the mind of Billy Beane: 1. Tim Anderson can be moved off shortstop. 2. Anderson could stick at short, and the new A's (formerly Jay's) wunderkind Franklin Barreto can move to second or centerfield as per this fangraphs scouting report 3. If Billy Beane wants to switch horses, he can turn around and peddle Anderson or Barreto for whatever he needs. To plum the depths of Rick Hahn: He's just doing his due diligence to find the going rate for Alexei Ramirez. The A's are losing their starting shortstop (Jed Lowrie) to free agency, and the Sox have a bona fide shortstop (Alexei Ramirez) who should bring a king's ransom in return. Talks with the Dodgers seem to start with their outfield prospect Joc Peterson. Talks with the Mets seem to center around pitching prospect Noah Snydergaard. Hahn could open negotiations with Billy Beane this way: "How much can I get for Alexei. How's about Jeff Samardzija and a prospect like say outfielder Dalton Pompey." Beane could then retort: "Allow me to retort. If you want Pompey, I get Tim Anderson." Hahn (keeping his cool) will then respond "Thanks, BB. I'll get back to you at the Winter Meetings." The Sox finally have a trading chip that some desperate teams want, and Rick Hahn knows it. Why night ask for the moon (or for you Betty Davis fans out there) or at least the stars.

Long time peruser, first time poster: Does anybody know anything about Yenier Bello, the Cuban catcher? He held a workout for scouts in Mexico in the beginning of November. I haven't heard how he performed (or what scouts thought of how he performed). His case was submitted to immigration about the same time. It has been about six weeks. Is he going to be available as a free agent soon?