OmarComing25

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 02:59 PM) Ooh, the plot thickens. Probably just weren't done creating the pages. Same thing happens with Trevor Hoffman though, weird.

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 02:52 PM) So we're supposed to like at the proposed idea of letting Avi butcher in RF because RH didn't come out and officially say "we need to upgrade RF and shed dead salary like Laroche to do so"? Do you honestly think there's any chance at all the Sox are going to start Avi in RF next season? I'll bet my house that they don't.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 02:53 PM) https://twitter.com/williamnyy23/status/684832975725395970 If you don't wanna click, basically the guy took screenshots of the pages on the HoF website. For Raines and Bagwell they did not exist, and the pages for Piazza and Griffey deny access to the user. Think this pretty well clues us in. Just tried it and I got the denied access page for Raines, Piazza and Griffey but not for Bagwell.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 02:03 PM) Did the Royals actually make the best offer? I stand by the premise of my post. Yes I'd leave 30 million on the table to stay with a team I just won a WS with, where I was totally comfortable with my routine, the way the team does things, the way I like to prepare for games, not having to prove myself to new fans and a new, big city. The reason? Cause I got 18 mil a year for four years from the team I'm comfy with, and that frankly, is enough in my mind. Now if the Royals offer was indeed the best he could have gotten, my bad. If the Royals actually won some sort of bidding war, again, my bad. With all the houses you've lost I doubt you wouldn't take the extra 30 million.

I think Cespedes is a bad fit for the Giants, and a quick look at their message boards/forums has their fans thinking the same thing, they all seem to prefer Fowler (though that obviously doesn't mean anything for the FO).

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 11:06 AM) One name that hasn't been talked about much is Denard Span. I know he doesn't have much power, but it seems like he'd be a decent OBP guy. How is his defense? Has been a great defender historically but it tanked after his injury last year.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:37 AM) That's true except that for want of 1 YEAR of a 3 War player they ended up with 0 WAR at multiple positions, when they could have had 1-2 WAR at multiple positions. Frazier deal will be fine IF a)He plays like he's supposed to and b)the Sox firm up LF and RF and DH. But Frazier with 0 WAR in those spots again is counterproductive. Micah wasn't going to be at 2B with Lawrie there (and he wouldn't have beat out Sanchez anyway), so not sure where he would have made an impact. Montas was likely going to be in the minors again for the majority of the season. And Frazier's here for 2 years, not 1.

QUOTE (Sockin @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:36 AM) Sale is a FA in two year as well, isn't he? No, not for another four years, assuming we pick up both team options.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:33 AM) Agreed I don't think the sox are looking for a marginal player to displace are already marginal OFS. One of the big three signing improves the OF significantly by almost a 2 WAR or higher. None of these dudes do that. And forget about Fowler we aren't giving up a pick to the Cubs for Dexter Fowler. The thought itself makes me sick to think about. If we miss out of Cespedes or Upton, I can see us pivoting our interest to Ian Desmond. Then looking at the possible trades we can make to improve the OF and keep our three top 50 picks to restock the farm. Desmond costs a draft pick too.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 10:32 AM) Just because the Sox are in "win now" doesn't mean they can't win later. Other things should be set up in 2 years. keeping that 3rd pick will help that. Now if they do something like chase Cargo instead of signing a FA, then it likely will mean the window isn't flexible. I think there are other ways to get better besides Cespedes. But that will take creativity which I don't think is in the DNA of this FO or field management (but this board seems to disagree, so we'll see). Ok, so what are your creative suggestions then?

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:53 AM) Late '30s roided up Bonds's numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. There is no validity to those numbers at all. I don't know about that, given that a lot of his peers were also roided up, the fact that Bonds was still so far ahead of them has to mean something.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 08:50 AM) I honestly believe getting Span and a starting pitcher might be the optimal solution. Really just don't want the Sox to settle for Parra. I'm coming along to this line of thinking as well. Span doesn't cost a pick, and in his last full healthy season he was a 4 WAR player. Picking up him (2.2 projected WAR) and someone like Fister (1.4 projected WAR) or Latos (1.8 projected WAR) might be better than just Cespedes (3.1 projected WAR).

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:38 AM) Fister/Latos, Desmond on June 1st and Jackson, Jackson or Parra. Al Central domination. Again, you've never really explained why no team is going to sign Desmond until June, he's going to sign before then.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:37 AM) I was just responding to the comment saying we would still have a LH bat problem after signing Cespedes. Typically LHH don't hit LHP very well. I know I was just adding on to your comment. I agree that the lack of LH bats is a bit overblown.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 09:33 AM) Cespedes hits RHP better than lefties. I think he was over .300 lasts season against RHP. The splits have been posted before. Abreu has also had a >.900 OPS against RHP last year, hitting LHP was a much bigger problem in 2015.

People are saying it's a discount but isn't it about where people predicted he would sign at? I never thought he was going to get 5 years or $20 million AAV. I also don't think this changes things THAT much for Cespedes/Upton either, it didn't really sound like many teams were in on Gordon besides us and KC.

QUOTE (Frank_Thomas35 @ Jan 6, 2016 -> 12:35 AM) Itll definitely be interesting what Gordon signing first tomorrow would do to the rest of the market. Not sure it would do as much as you think, since for the most part it seems like different teams are in on Gordon and Cespedes/Upton with the exception of us.

I bet Colby Rasmus is even more happy that he took the QO now.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 06:32 PM) I thought the Giants were out after they signed Leake. The Giants traded for Leake at the deadline, but the Cardinals signed Leake in the offseason.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 03:35 PM) I'd argue differently when one of the two finished 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 4th in MVP voting during a 5-year stretch. You can argue about PED speculation if you'd like, and that's probably fair, but the original comment was if PEDs were a non-issue QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 03:46 PM) Oh I wasn't talking about PEDs at all. I think I'd agree that peak Ortiz was a bit better in relation to his peers than Martinez was, but Martinez's peers were so much better at the time that it feels like splitting hairs. I'm not willing to think of Edgar as a lesser player simply because he peaked in the same years as Frank Thomas. Is it even true that Ortiz was better in relation to his peers? Whether you go by fWAR or bWAR Martinez has a substantial advantage by WAR, and when it comes to hitting the only thing Ortiz has on Edgar is HR (granted by a big margin), while Edgar is better at everything else, especially in OBP. Though Ortiz did lead the AL in wRC+ (157) during his offensive peak ('03-'07), during Edgar's offensive peak ('95-'00), he also led the AL in wRC+ (163) if you don't count McGwire's two and a half seasons in the AL during that time (and you shouldn't). If you go by full career instead of offensive peak Edgar looks better than Ortiz compared to his peers by wRC+. Yes Ortiz has more top 5 MVP finishes, but that assumes the voting in those isn't flawed, and he for sure didn't deserve to be top 5 in '03 or '04.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 02:26 PM) Billy Koch. If they kept Foulke, I wonder what happens. Of course Cotts helped in 2005. Dan Wright didn't help much either.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 02:17 PM) PEDs or not, there's little justification for Ortiz in the Hall and E Martinez not, not to mention not being able to garner even 50%. Agreed, if Ortiz gets in and Edgar doesn't, I will be sharpening my pitchfork.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 01:44 PM) It says total GB % 47.6%. Where do you see 31% and 40.5% http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playe...&position=P Look at the batted ball section.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 01:27 PM) 52.4%, however, is. http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playe...&position=P Not seeing where this figure is, I still see 31% for his career, and even this year where he only pitched 19 innings his FB% was 40.5%, nowhere close to 52.4%.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 5, 2016 -> 01:06 PM) That puts him at the bottom of the top 1/4 of SS. That's what an org is looking for out of their top prospect? I'm looking for an all star, frankly. And if 3 WAR is what his is, that's certainly not worth the combined value of Montas, Thompson and Micah who will assuredly exceed that. (they'll likely exceed Frazier's WAR as well). I think your expectations are too high, even among the best prospects half of them will fail to stick at the ML level, and among those that do a great portion of them won't be All Star quality. A consistent 3 WAR player would be a great get for your top prospect, over the past 5 seasons there's only been 4 SS in the MLB who have averaged at least 3 WAR per season (Tulo, Peralta, Desmond, and Reyes). One 3 WAR player is also much more valuable than 3 1 WAR players.