FT35

It doesn't bother me what fans think about Quintana. They don't like him because he's not a big name or a flashy player. Every GM in the league is well aware of Q's value and will pony-up accordingly. Honestly, the GMs know better in this case.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 04:00 PM) Clearly Hahn likes when all GMs are in one place. Must use a tin can with a string for privacy. It's kind of like ABC's Bachelor...

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 02:42 PM) Judge is a great story, but at some point he's gonna cool off. I kind of doubt he suddenly turned into one of the more prolific power hitters on this side of the steroid era. I think he's absolutely capable of being one of the more prolific power hitters this side of the steroid era...unless we find out he's juiced. 500+ft HR's don't just happen (unless you're Joe Borchard), let alone with regularity, and he mashed in the minors before coming up. It's the average that seems quite inflated to me.

QUOTE (pablo @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 02:28 PM) Count me in the "Judge will not hit MLB pitching" club as well. But I am glad to see the kid doing well - he's very easy to root for. My own opinion, but I would bet the Yankees would have dealt him for Sale or Q in the offseason. I'd assume Sox were asking about Sanchez, Torres, Frazier and Cashman wanted to start further down his prospect list like Mateo or Judge. He rhad a rough go at it last year, and the Yankees were really considering starting him in the minors this season but injuries forced him on the ML roster to start the year. So they didn't seem to be sold on him either. Oh well... I was down on Judge too! I'm just waiting this out to see how everything equalizes. The correction will happen, but the power is probably here to stay. He is not a .330 hitter. My guess is he will settle in somewhere between an Adam Dunn and Giancarlo Stanton line--in other words, a modern day, right-handed version of Jim Thome. I would assume with his large frame, we can expect injuries to be peppered in as a factor each year. Like we've seen with Stanton, that injury threat will alter some performance and overall statistical output for stretches of time, but when he's on, he's pretty much as dangerous as they come. The kid is certainly on Cloud 9 right now and believing there's not much he can't do.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 12:38 PM) They're dangling Happ supposedly. They're kind of dangling in the standings now too...

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 12:07 PM) I don't think Astros believe Q is a good fit for their park Same reason we should pass on Kershaw in his upcoming free agency...

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 12:11 PM) That's probably true but I would do that trade in a heartbeat. Me too. They are so young and talented...they could all sit an additional year and still beat the MLB timeline before many of their peers and have the ability to be impact players. 3 for 1...yep...I'd do it.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 11:27 AM) McGuffey's legit. I'd imagine he got a call from someone with the Sox leading to him deleting the tweet. There's a lot of smoke here. Brewers, Yanks, Braves and rockies are the teams. Sox preparing internally for the after effects of a Q trade. They don't want to wait until 7/31. They don't want to feel forced. I think they'll say they don't have to trade him but you can be sure they want to. I think we might be a bit disappointed with return as I've said before. One thing we can be sure of is this: if the deal is with the Yankees, Astros, Braves, or anyone who's been repeatedly linked to Q to this point, a completed trade is simply a culmination of weeks/months of negotiations where someone either tilts the scales enough with a player tweak or just gets anxious enough to get it done. The meat and potatoes of any Q deal with those teams, as far as what value the Sox have placed on him, has already been established. If the team he goes to is a NEW team that we haven't heard much from (Brewers) you can bet that the deal they offer exceeds the max that some of the other longer-tenured teams in the race have discussed to this point. The kind of deal where Hahn gives Cashman a final phone call and lets him know there's a deal in place unless he wants to totally ante up--where upon Cashman will decline, and then it will be sent in to the league notice. No deal will get done unless it falls within what the Sox determine to meet the high price they are putting on him.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 10:51 AM) I just find it more likely that teams won't view the White Sox as serious sellers and will move on to teams that are negotiating honestly. This has all the potential of being too clever by half. Maybe. But we traded Chris Sale. I think they know we're serious! ha

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 08:50 AM) But this relies on basically creating a facade of being irrational. Kind of! It's kind of like being effectively wild on the mound. Throw one to the backstop right before you ace someone on the corner. Keep them guessing! If you genuinely want someone we have and feel that he makes you a better team, that alone should be worth something more than a low-ball offer. Plus players know how an organization feels about them when they see who they give up to get them. Right away, they know...hmmm...do they have confidence in me or am I just a Hail Mary option? Their performance may reflect that expectation.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 08:26 AM) I am deeply skeptical of this point. I get it...but when negotiating you need to understand your bargaining position and not underestimate that bargaining position. If a team approaches you for something, you hold the cards. You're not going to over-value your player, but you're not going to be quick to just dump them--or teams will just wait you out to get what you have for nothing. We're going to lose some guys regardless of whether another team inquires. So just send a subtle message that waiting us out till we dump players isn't a good idea if you truly want someone.

QUOTE (oneofthemikes @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 06:58 AM) I'm in Ft Wayne as well and I know what you mean. Well, sorta. He's not launched any personal attacks on me, but it's not been fun seeing what could have been a solid Sox prospect playing in my backyard everyday. Especially when I've been watching the guy he got traded for implode every 5 days. Haha! I MAY have been a little over-dramatic with the personal attack thing...either way...I feel your pain, neighbor!

QUOTE (KnightsOnMintSt @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 08:13 AM) Would like to see a Robertson trade sooner than later because I think what we could get for him (Plus maybe throwing in Kahnle or Swarzak) could really determine how badly we need to trade Q. Lets say the Nats give us Robles and a lotto ticket for Robertson and Kahnle. Then we could get some decent pieces for Cabrera, Frazier, Swarzak, Gonzalez and Holland. Do we then hold on to Q for the rebuild? I'd like to see him move soon too. I just don't see them moving Robles in any Robertson/bullpen package. Robles is their Moncada. Robertson is mid-tier closer material, they would have to be getting Chapman/Jansen to even consider Robles.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jul 11, 2017 -> 06:56 AM) As said above by many, value is pretty much what the market says it is. Holding onto Frazier, Swarzak and Robertson (whose value plummets after July) would be bad. Melky is likely a waiver deal, due to lack of demand for OF who hit in the .750 OPS range and who don't defend well. Hahn has been slow in July, but that's one of his practices he needs to change (and in prior Julys, "we're still in it" provided some cover for eternal optimists). Demanding productive players on contending teams in these trades is not realistic. Something else to think about is the perception the league has of Hahn. In the same way we know of everyone else's needs they are looking to acquire, everyone knows of the players that we "need" to move and will be looking to exploit that by getting them cheap...as they should. I almost look at this and think that with the stakes being low on the season, guys like Frazier or Melky--choosing NOT to trade a guy away for nothing can send a more effective message to the GM's than being willing to heavily discount someone. You want Frazier or Melky for your stretch run, all you have to do is offer something of value or we will keep him--which really only hurts YOU because you've determined him to be an upgrade over what you have and we weren't going to get anything of much value anyway. So we eat one bad contract and miss out on a junk prospect...the message will be more clear to teams in the future--"Hey...when they say they'll just keep someone, they aren't bluffing." We might get more from future trades because of a move we DON'T make.

Kinda funny...I live in Fort Wayne and Tatis plays here for the TinCaps. They played an afternoon game today at home and the highlight on the 5:00 local news was Tatis drilling a triple off the right center field wall--right off the sponsored billboard that I designed for the small business I work for here in the Fort. I took it as a personal attack reminder of how good he is and how bad that trade was! He does look real good, but then again, Rymer Liriano was the last "greatest thing" to hit here...and well...you know him...

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Jul 10, 2017 -> 03:39 PM) I like the proposed Yankee deal in the OP. Looks balanced for both sides. Funny thing is, despite already having talent such as Giolito/Lopez/Fulmer at Charlotte, if the Sox added Adams I think he becomes the #1 for first call up from that group of pitchers. Adams seems to have been flying low on most people's radars but man, the kid looks damn good. I'm totally with you on Adams. I'd LOVE to see him here somehow. Of all the top arms in MiLB...he seems like a very safe bet to be really good. The "Andrew Benintendi" of pitching prospects.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jul 9, 2017 -> 01:08 PM) There's not enough depth in the system to consider that right now. It's the perfect time to trade him now. Lots of players in the market for pitching. I dont think you'll get a better window until next trade deadline. The longer we go without dealing him, the more it makes sense to keep him. Dealing him at the beginning of the rebuild meant losing him through the majority of his contract that overlapped our worst rebuilding years. That made sense. The longer we wait, the closer our team will get to where they need someone like him. Also...a nice chunk of his value came from the number of controllable years on his contract. The more we use him the less valuable he gets. That being said, I think they have the rest of this year to decide, but if they open next year with him on the roster, it might be a sign that they are keeping him for the good years because they believe the good years to be closer than we think. THAT sort of suggests that they have plans to add significant pieces via free agency--players good enough to be able to shave a year OFF our rebuild and get us closer to our competitive window sooner. If they keep him--it tells me they are thinking big as far as free agency is concerned.

QUOTE (2005thxfrthmmrs @ Jul 8, 2017 -> 04:34 PM) It was taken in his apartment, which looks nicer than mine. And here I thought they all play in sand lots and live in raggedy shacks down in DR. Also looks like they could be a woman's jeans...someone had to take the picture and write the girly caption...

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Jul 7, 2017 -> 09:56 PM) I hope it's "minor" too (of course the Sox have made that claim a number of times this year to the guys on the big league roster....that hasn't turned out to be very accurate has it?) Totally get what you're saying--we hear "minor" and see many missed games, but I'm not sure that's the best indicator of severity. I think with them being a non-contender, it allows them to sit those nagging minor injuries for longer time periods because the player really doesn't need to rush back. Keeps the young kids a little more fresh. Herm Schneider is the best in the business--if we needed a guy back, he'd have them back--unless their leg has fallen off--then you'd have to give him the weekend.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Jul 7, 2017 -> 06:29 PM) You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are greg This is genius! ^^^^^ We're all in the same boat here. We're all passionate Sox fans and passionate Sox fans can't go through what we've gone through the last decade without feeling anger. Think about it--you don't have a rebuild unless you have gone through sustained failure! Good or fixable situations are never torn down! I can't tell you how many times I've thrown my remote into my couch--it was my signature move almost every 9th inning there for a long time. But I'm relieved that management has finally drawn the line, admitted their mistakes and have committed to a different plan than the one that failed over and over. They aren't perfect but they are clearly working hard on our behalf. They want to win just as much and are finally trying to fix the mess with a different approach. No one likes it--we're all angry and that's why we're trying this. But putting together a winning team year after year is far from easy--or everyone would do it every year. No one would ever lose! We're all going after the same thing though--these boards should charge a "therapy fee" to join. Sure, there will be anger, but we need to be there and hold each other up. We will stand and cheer with each other again!

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 7, 2017 -> 01:53 PM) I don't mean to be notorious. It's taken me this long to express my anger at the fact the team isn't going to be good for several more years. I'll just stifle and respond with my opinions of the upcoming trades once they are made. By now my main points have been made clear and I will not repeat them: I am mad at Hahn, mad at Jerry, still mad at Robin, mad at Renteria's bunting, mad that Fulmer and some of the draft picks have not been so good. Since everybody knows where I stand I will not repeat these positions. If I find myself unable to do this, I'll just go away. Give me a clean slate starting now. I can accept that my positions are well known on the state of the team. GO SOX! Clean slate...you got it. I get it...no one is happy we're in this position, but it's something that every franchise faces from time to time and we're all along for the ride. Love it or hate it, at least they have picked a direction (that has worked for many) and are going in it. All we can do is sit back and watch at this point--watch how the future slowly comes together. It won't be perfect, but you have to admit...our strategy as far as team building philosophy was getting quite old. Bouncing between 70-80 wins for the better part of a decade calls for mega changes to be made. If that means we have to endure a few 60-70 win seasons to get a stretch of 90+ win seasons down the road, it's something to try a different approach to go after. Stick around, no one wants to see you go--you've made it through the toughest years--the years that made us all angry! Now, they're finally doing something about it. This is the real "all-in" White Sox. All in on a plan to get us a better team.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jul 7, 2017 -> 10:00 AM) I ended up staying that whole game too. Bad decision haha but I was like 19 and out school for the summer and worked mornings at my part-time job at the time so had no where else to be. Good call! I'd have done the same thing...we all have the same disease...

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jul 7, 2017 -> 09:54 AM) I was at another stinker against the Twins. 2010 maybe? We lost 20-1, it was like 90+ degrees out and I fried. Also the same day Peavy rejected a trade to the Sox lol Oh my gosh!! I prayed for you! I remember that game and I honestly remember praying for the people who were there in the heat enduring that nonsense! Blessings to you, my friend! Why was it always the Twins........

QUOTE (ecupittfan @ Jul 6, 2017 -> 02:22 PM) Quick story on Tyler. My son and I flew from NC to Chicago and saw two games 2 years ago. Tyler caught both and after an extra inning game where Avi hit a double to win it against the Angels we waited outside by the parking lot. My son was 10 and he wanted to see every player he could and try to get a ball signed. We were there til around almost 1AM and as Tyler was driving out of the parking lot he saw my son and another boy waiting there behind the barrier. He beeped his car horn and told them to meet him at the end of the barriers. They did and he opened his car door and signed stuff for the boys. He made their day. And he did this after catching about 11 innings. Adam Laroche also stopped and was very nice, Danks had pitched well that night and he was with his dad and he signed. Most guys walked by or drove on by the kids. Another cool story from the night before was when my son had his "Alexei Rameriz is my pick to click" sign and he was holding it up and Alexei drove out in his Ferrari or Lamborghini. It was a sweet ride. He saw the sign, stopped and rolled down the window, pointed and had the attendant bring my son's ball over to him to sign. It was a cool gesture, made my son's trip. This is awesome! I love stuff like this! It's why we cheer for guys--even when they are in slumps. What a refreshing moment--glad you got to experience that!

I was at game 2...using the tickets my girlfriend bought me for Christmas...I almost broke up with her on the train home afterwards for choosing that game.