OmarComing25

QUOTE (shysocks @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 12:36 PM) There's evidence that players peak younger now and decline sooner. 28-29 are no longer the golden years. On a phone so I don't wanna link to anything right now, but I'm sure it's easily Googleable. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/hitters-no-...k-only-decline/ According to this article, the new peak is 26 years old.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 12:08 PM) They've got some OF depth, so that could end up happening I suppose. From what I see out of this team right now, they have a two year window before they potentially lose 3 starters (Frazier, Lawrie, Melky), so I guess the time is now. The only guy we lost this offseason that could have potentially replaced one of those three after 2017 was Thompson, and that was a longshot anyway.

If the Royals don't resign Gordon, with their current roster I don't see them as much more than a .500 team. Cleveland is the team to beat right now.

QUOTE (shipps @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 04:49 PM) We know this as fact? http://www.timesonline.com/sports/pirates/...aign=user-share

QUOTE (shipps @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 04:36 PM) Although Hahn has shopped La Roche I still think he values the guy waaaaaay more than people on soxtalk values him. Maybe to a fault but I think Hahn probably thinks there is still some value in a left handed power hitting veteran either for this current team or with what the return he expects for sending LaRoche to another team. He was willing to give him away to the Pirates while paying more than 60% of his contract.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 04:03 PM) He'd be okay. As his offense has tailed off, he has actually improved production against lefties. He'd be great for a platoon...the Sox could get a little creative. Could save the long term contract, save the draft choice and get close to the same production with a platoon. But Robbie and Kenny Williams don't platoon. I still have no idea what you're basing this on. Who should have been platooned that wasn't?

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 02:03 PM) Unless he's takes a huge hometown discount to return to the royal, they are still in need of a starting pitcher. That's like between 25 to 30 million to try to get a starter and sign gordon. Not sure they can swing that. Plus I'm not sure the motivation is there to take a hometown discount. He already did once, and now he's at an age where he could be looking at his last contract, and he already has a ring.

QUOTE (shipps @ Dec 23, 2015 -> 12:53 PM) Why? Yours and many others logic is that they can only possibly go balls to the wall or just do nothing at all. There can be a middle ground to where you do what you can such as trade to fill two major holes on the defensive end and in your lineup and roll the dice with some of the other guys that under performed last year. I also don't think we require "big" bounce back years to contend. A modest bounce back from LaRoche and Melky, and an ERA under 3 from Sale and we should at least be in the picture. Though I wouldn't feel comfortable with it, which is why we really need one of the Big 3.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 10:39 PM) He's probably right up there with swings out of the zone too. He's good in that he wants to drive guys home but that got exploited a bit his 2nd year. He needs to be more patient especially if the lineup gets much stronger around him . Take a lesson from the Big Hurt , make the pitchers come to you . While his numbers were definitely down from 2014, if you look at his splits it's pretty much all from LHP. 2014: RHP: .305/.364/.555 LHP: .353/.437/.662 2015: RHP: .308/.360/.548 LHP: .232/.306/.352 His numbers against RHP stayed almost exactly the same, but he went from murdering LHP to struggling mightily against LHP. Both were probably a bit fluky, so if he can just split the difference between the two LHP splits next year, he'll be primed to have another monster year.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 09:25 PM) 2014 was rough with Sale, Abreu, and Eaton all going down though. Sometimes it's not how many people get hurt/how long they're hurt, but who gets hurt. 2014 still wasn't that bad though. Abreu played in 9 fewer games in 2014 than he did in 2015. Sale made 4 fewer starts than usual. Nothing that was back-breaking. Also Eaton was playing noticeably less recklessly in 2015 than in 2014, which probably was the reason he was able to stay healthy this year. I don't doubt the Sox told him to tone it down a little.

Yeah for as "lucky" as the Sox got in 2015 when it came to being healthy, we seem to be that "lucky" almost every year. That's not a coincidence.

But moving Gordon to RF would diminish his value. This is the key point that is making me hesitant on Gordon. Moving Melky to RF feels like disaster written all over it.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 04:27 PM) So your argument is that with Victor Martinez instead of Dunn from 2011-2014 we never would have made the playoffs? The only reason we were so close in 2012 was probably related to that injury weakening Detroit relatively. Considering the only year we were anywhere close to the playoffs was 2012, when Martinez didn't play and Dunn had a good year, then yeah, it's a pretty safe bet.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 04:10 PM) Once again, when was the last time we made a move that simultaneously helped the White Sox and hurt an AL Central divisional rival at the same time? To answer this, last week with the Frazier trade. The Indians were close to getting him, but they couldn't agree with the Reds on a package before we swooped in.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 04:10 PM) Once again, when was the last time we made a move that simultaneously helped the White Sox and hurt an AL Central divisional rival at the same time? Sox history is Sox history until it isn't. 2005 did happen. That still doesn't mean with all the financial/media market advantages in the last 25 years that we shouldn't have earned 3-5 more playoff spots than we have... That has literally nothing to do with whether or not we're going to get Gordon, or whether Gordon will end up being the right move for us. If Gordon had played for the Orioles or Rays last year, you wouldn't be talking about this.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 04:06 PM) By your line of thinking, nobody would or should ever consider past history when choosing a mutual fund or the make and model of an automobile purchase for that matter. So what exactly would cause us to disregard all past Sox history about bad/wrong moves and never giving up more than a contract in the mid to upper $60's (Danks, Dunn, Abreu the highest)... What does have bearing that we can objectively consider or quantify, pray tell? You consider that post objective? The point it seems you're trying to make is whatever move the Sox make, it's obviously going to be the wrong one, because of LaRoche and Adam Dunn.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 04:01 PM) Typical. If there was a clever retort to be made...or a substantive response. Oh well. There's not much else to say about that post, it was very forced and seemed like you were just looking for reasons to be negative.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 03:56 PM) That's not what the author expects him to get, it's an estimated "fair" contract based on expected production. His point is any contract below 5/$108M would provide surplus value based on his forecasts. Ahh you're right, I read that completely wrong.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 12:55 PM) Just some light reading for those worried about signing Gordon: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/alex-gordon...in-free-agency/ That article estimates Gordon's contract to be 5 years at $108M, that feels way too high.

Still feels like Upton is the better move, unless Gordon can be had at a substantially lower cost, just for the RF/LF aspect alone.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 12:44 PM) If this happens, I'd rather have Garcia DH than LaRoche. He's the better hitter. Ehhh, I'd bet LaRoche has a better year offensively than Garcia next year. But we'd be better off platooning them.

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/679334935031881728 Source: #Mets close to signing free-agent outfielder Alejandro De Aza.

QUOTE (Alexeihyeess @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 11:36 AM) The City of Chicago has slight edge to the Sox. Cook County at large is about 50/50. There is nothing to steal. Sox fans just don't show up because the ballpark is ugly. The only tourists coming to the Cell are Tigers fans on road trips. There's your problem with attendance figures, the building sucks. So if the Sox and Cubs switched stadiums, do you think the attendance issues would be solved?

Saw it last night, it was a fun time, but the pace was too fast and the Stormtroopers basically posed no threat, which bothered me. Should be interesting to see where they go from here though.

QUOTE (blackmooncreeping @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 11:20 AM) If Laroche bounces back, we have no issues. I agree, if we can slide him down to 6th or 7th in the lineup the Sox will be in business. But I'm more worried about sliding Melky over to start in right field if Gordon comes in. I'd rather have Laroche gone so Melky can become the main DH, and we'll figure out right field as we go (Melky/Avi/Schuck/4th outfielder yet to be acquired in a platoon based on hitting splits). What teams would potentially take LaRoche though? The only possible fit I see would be maybe the Brewers, because they have no one to play 1B right now, and if we give them enough cash it could be worth it for them because if LaRoche does bounce back they can flip him at the deadline. That's it though, and it seems pretty unlikely.