FT35

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Aug 12, 2016 -> 10:28 AM) No chance in hell Collins will be on the bench. If for some reason he is in the Majors next year he will be starting everyday. Otherwise he will be in AA/AAA working on his catching. Yeah that was my stretch. I don't think he will make their opening day roster, but I think they may call him soon. I put him in there because he'll be 22, he has 3 years of college under his belt, he's already on the mature side as far as his hitting. But mostly I put him in there because they rush any sort of value in their system and having him on the roster makes it possible for them to only sign 1 cheap, low level backup catcher as a "Jimmy Rollins place holder" till they call up Zack. I figured we got a full year of Adrian Nieto and he was only 24, below average defensively and couldn't hit at all--why not Zack?

Here's my hypothetical. Obviously if they decide to "Go for it" I expect they believe most of the pieces to be on the current roster. So trades would be less radical and any major additions would be through FA signings (even though that hasn't worked out for us in recent years). I believe championship contending teams are built around pitching--when it comes to winning a post season series, it really comes down to who you run out there on the mound. You might as well start by rounding out your pitching staff so you go into the season with no theoretical "holes." But also maintaining the expectation of making a major SP acquisition if you're in a position of contention around the trade deadline so you can run 3 strong in the post season. Pitching Staff: Sign K. Jansen or A. Chapman as your main off season FA signing. Sign J. Hellickson, B. Cecil, J. Smith Trade Robertson and cash for a partial salary dump and whatever decent prospect you can get. 2017 Staff: Chris Sale Jose Quintana Jeremy Hellickson Carlos Rodon James Shields/Miguel Gonzalez Bullpen: Kenley Jansen or Aroldis Chapman--closer Nate Jones--setup Joe Smith Brett Cecil Zach Putnam Jake Petricka Dan Jennings Miguel Gonzalez--long relief Position Players: Sign Adam Lind or Justin Morneau, Dexler Fowler Trade for Cameron Rupp 2017 Lineup: CF Dexter Fowler RF Adam Eaton 1B Jose Abreu LF Melky Cabrera 3B Todd Frazier DH Adam Lind/Justin Morneau 2B Brett Lawrie C Cameron Rupp SS Tim Anderson Bench: Tyler Salidino Charlie Tilson Zack Collins

QUOTE (bmags @ Aug 11, 2016 -> 03:33 PM) See, I don't buy this. Professional teams don't go on sale that often. This is why you see things like Ballmer by the Clips. Sure, he'd prefer Seattle, but he wanted an NBA team. If a baseball team opens up, and cuban actually wants a baseball team? He'll call. It doesn't matter if we won't be biggest draw, the Mavs weren't either. Now, is this incredibly unlikely, of course. But, who cares it's interesting. Yes--if the opportunity comes up, Cuban will inquire--he already knows Jare-bear from the NBA owners meetings, ha. Wasn't he in on the Cubs the last sale? I vaguely remember his name being linked to buying them at one point. Also...to the validity of the rumor of the Sox being for sale, I think there's a sliver of truth to it. The entire front office/leadership system is broken and needs replaced...these are all Jerry's Kids. SO...something tells me at 80 years old, he'd rather sell the team than fire his people. If he does sell, he can reallocate his $ back into the Bulls for the new NBA salary cap jump. That way he can sign LeBron and Ray Allen to play with Wade in 5 years so they can all turn 40 with the Bulls.

QUOTE (bmags @ Aug 10, 2016 -> 03:46 PM) This is totally on a dry erase board somewhere in US cellular field thou This makes me laugh...because you know it's certainly true! One team's trash is usually our treasure--and it's sold to our fan base as if the players were in their prime producing seasons.

Depends! These are normally the kinds of signings that drive our fan base nuts because we want to see them go young and develop some talent. HOWEVER, I think if you could get him for a price similar to where he is now, I think it's a no-brainer. A good hitter in a good hitter's park who is familiar with your league and your division for a bargain price. He's old, he's going to miss games, he's going to land on the DL at some point(s). If they go radical with a rebuild plan this offseason (which I bet they do NOT), then I would try to use the roster space for development. If they decide to go for it again, I think he's a safe LH play when he's healthy and I'd resign him if I could get him cheap. If not, I wouldn't reach on the risk.

Soooooo....lemme get this straight...we need LaRoche's son to be gone...but now we need Abreu's son to be here all the time!? Maybe he's the missing leader on this team now that Drake is gone!? What a circus! Do other teams go through what we go through!?!?!??!?!

QUOTE (hi8is @ Aug 4, 2016 -> 07:57 PM) It's pretty silly that Jose Abreu @ 68mm, John Danks @ 65mm, and Adam Dunn @ 56mm are the largest White Sox contracts ever. That should tell you everything you need to know about us signing "big" free agents in the future. Still not ready to call the Abreu deal a bust. He's been a top-5 1B for 2 years and hit a rut this year (on a team with absolutely no direction). I believe in his ability to bounce back. Even .280/25/100 is a bargain at 6/68. Through this disaster of a year by his standards, he's still on pace for .270/18/87. A hot streak for him could easily put him back into the .280/25/100 conversation--in an off year. I'll take that as a floor any day.

Robertson and cash back to the Yankees for a pair of mid-level prospects.

Couple things... 1. In regards to the fan base not being ready for a rebuild...I agree...if we had to endure a rebuild with the guys currently in our system, we would all invest in brown paper bags for the next decade--until 2 or our mostly blown 10 top 3 draft picks hit pay dirt--and subsequently get moved for other prospects or aging vets. However...the types of prospects we would get for Sale/Q WOULD be worth watching and hoping for! I think I'd be ready to root for the best prospect in the nation to pan out for us, rather than watch the likes of Jimmy Rollins and Mat Latos try to rediscover their lost form from 7 years ago. Neither model is fool proof to failure--but one is MUCH more interesting to watch. 2. Dick Allen...I might be alone on here but I love your posts! You're grounded in your thoughts and I enjoy reading what you have to say. Now to poke the bear a little...you mentioned the GM's comment about being mirrored in mediocrity and how he was going to change that--"because he said he would." Couldn't help but to chuckle at your confidence in him to fix this : ) Now jokes aside...knowing what we know about RH, how do you predict he's going to change it? Free agent signings? Will he trade Sale/Q? New manager? 2016 waiver adds? He literally could go anywhere with this...just curious to hear your take based on what we know. The reason I ask is because I think your thoughts will be closer to reality than anyone else's predictions on this site.

QUOTE (miracleon35th @ Aug 5, 2016 -> 12:15 AM) *IF* Pittsburgh claimed Melky off waivers, what would it take to get McCutcheon, who they may be open to trading given the pretty severe fall off he has had this season? Or maybe that indicates he was on the juice last season? He was a .300 hitter last year and he was just benched for 3 games by Hurdle. They are in need of hitting and Melky, I think, could help them. If McCutcheon got back to his old form, he'd look great in our outfield. Cutch has been hurt all year. He's had issues with his knee and the thumb injury has been what has effected him the most this year. Early in the year Dr.s told him that he wouldn't make the injury worse by playing so Cutch--being the player he is, made the call to play through it even if it effected his numbers. He's more than a top player in the league--he's the face of Pittsburgh--much like Sidney Crosby. He's also widely considered by Pittsburghians as Roberto Clemente 2.0. He'll be a Pirate for life in my opinion.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 03:34 PM) First of all, while winning a WS championship is always the ultimate goal every season, most of us would be happy with the chance to even make it to the WS by at least making it to the post-season. That's something the Sox have done far too little of even in the last 20 years. Secondly, it's kinda sad that you choose to go back 20 years to include the Sox on a successful list. Baseball was a much different game 20 years ago. Hell, it was a different game 10 years ago. More teams than ever make the post-season now and they still manage to be on the outside looking in. I just checked and among the teams that have been around for at least 100 years, the Sox have the lowest number of post-season appearances with 9. I can't argue. What you say is true. It IS sad that I have to go back 20 years to get the good times in. All I'm saying is that most other teams are in the same boat. Unless you're the Red Sox, Yankees, Giants, or Cardinals, chances are, you've experienced a drought like ours at some point in the last 20 years. All things are NOT created equal in sports. Look no further than the NBA for unequal distribution of wealth. You think only 10 franchises with championships in the last 20 seasons in MLB is bad...you can go back to 1980--36 years and there have only been 10 NBA franchises who have won championships in that span. All teams are not created equal, and few can say they have ever tasted true success.

QUOTE (Tony @ Aug 2, 2016 -> 02:19 PM) And the last 10 years of White Sox baseball has gotten fans....what exactly? HA! Not much! A couple Buehrle no-no's?? Does that count?! I don't mean to state the obvious, but we need to remember something obvious...WINNING IS HARD!! If it were easy, everyone would do it! It's not...but let's look at the last 10 years though...in fact, let's cover the last 20. In the last 20 years, 10 MLB franchises have won championships. The White Sox are on that list! Granted...your post was geared towards the last 10 and in that span, there's not much to report. But it just goes to show that with 30 teams chasing the same goal every year, it makes winning very difficult...all the factors that go into a championship. If winning the World Series is your only means of measure, then chances are you will end each baseball season with disappointment and go decades without the feel of gain. At least for us, we have had a chance to raise the banner in the modern era--it happened in our lifetime--unlike MANY other franchises! It might take forever for it to happen again, but we can at least look back on what that year brought us, and smile. As for now...the land is dry and everyone seems to be holding a lit match. But it's been dry before. Better times will come (shoot...they came in April without a problem)! As fans of ANY team, since we can't GM a team or play on the field, all we can do is watch and enjoy the fact that we live in a free country (still) that we can watch baseball games for fun. Take that away from your consumption of the White Sox experience and you will live more satisfied.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 06:42 PM) Not expecting a whole lot...but excited to see what he brings to the table. Who knows til you try...he may end up being a catalyst. Eaton didn't turn into the player he is now overnight either... Exactly. EVERYONE said that Omar Vizquel would never stay in the big leagues because he would never be able to hit. You just never know. We need to get Anderson going again too. If Tilson grabs the #2 slot and runs with it, we might have the start of something. That's a LOT of speed at the top.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 08:33 PM) Because I love white sox baseball, and it's how I fill my summer evenings. If they continue to fall further, I will probably watch less, but I'll always turn the game on when I'm at home with nothing better to do. While obviously a long shot, id love to see the Sox get hot and make things interesting. A 15-5 stretch and they may be back within spitting distance. Is that gonna happen? More than likely not, but ya never know. I always root for Sox wins - nothing else interests me all that much until CBB season starts. I get that some fans and frustrated and don't want to watch / support the sox anymore. I get it. But no reason to try to convince other fans not to follow their favorite team. You do you. Love this post. This is why we watch--it's what we do. If the only reason you watch is to see if they will win the World Series, you're likely looking at some time off! But for a lot of people, White Sox baseball is summer is White Sox baseball. From childhood to this very moment, we live on with this team. It's like meal time...you don't stop eating after you get food poisoning. You get mad, you get rattled, you get better and you start eating again. Hence White Sox baseball. Do I like what they do all the time? No! Do I get mad? ABSOLUTELY! Yesterday was tough to swallow because it was a golden opportunity to improve the outlook. But whether management is clueless, and whether the Sox win or lose doesn't deter me from watching the games. It's a part of my grind.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 02:19 PM) LOL did you go eat the banana in your DVD player? If those two are arent coming for Sale, then they certainly arent going for Archer who doesnt have nearly the career in his back pocket that Sale has HAHA! Yes...it was delicious...almost as good as the apple that came from my mac last week... Oh I know though...I'm just saying it's stuff like that that would come in last minute that leaves our fan base in a state of WTH brain freeze. Somehow, somewhere, we will miss out!

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 02:15 PM) Archer is not worth anything near that Right! But that would be how things go for a franchise mirrored in mediocrity...

Now watch...Moncada and Benitendi to TB for Archer...that would be our luck right there.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 01:31 PM) Do not understand the hype behind Severino, Bird, or Judge. Bird looked really good down the stretch last year. He hit a few clutch HRs--BIG one in Toronto. Sorta reminded me of the way Magglio came on to the scene.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 12:50 PM) No one should be mad at the Sox if Quintana and Sale aren't moved. I get this...I really do. Don't move them unless it makes sense, but one would think their value would be higher to a team in the mix right now because they get him for this year's stretch run and he's pitching at a Cy Young Award level. But I also understand the best deal for Sale might not be available TODAY. I just hope they get a max return on for him--if/when they do trade him.

QUOTE (bmags @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 12:41 PM) We joked about it earlier, and it's so true. Whenever it's the sox turn to sell, all of the things we say make them attractive are the things that we hear back as why they can't get a return. So true...Depressing indeed! It's sorta a catch 22 when you have a potential deal with a player like Sale--all your time and attention is spent making sure (if you make a trade), you at least get that one right. There's only so much time in a day--if you're Rick Hahn and 3 phones are ringing, Melky's phone, Shields's phone and Sale's phone, which are you answering!?!? That's why most of us here were starting to get frustrated to not see more deals get done earlier because (I'm assuming) they are boxing off their time with Sale talks. Now the best we can hope for is a waiver deal to drop on some of the others. Is it still possible that all the balls drop into place in an hour or so? I suppose, but a lot would have to happen. Here's hoping...

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 12:30 PM) Well they may not want to do it today but could give in during the off season depending on their playoff run. One thing that makes it fishy to me is this is Ortiz' last season. I thought they'd wana get him one more ring or run at it. I obviously wouldn't gut my farm system for that reason only but I agree with you...since they are in the playoff picture now, it's enough added incentive to put me over the edge. Ortiz is the heart and soul...I'd want to do everything I could do tee it up for him one last time.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 12:12 PM) I'm sure they will be because they could be laying groundwork for the winter like Rosenthal, IIRC is who said it. Hmmm...not sure they would waste time TODAY talking about a deal for the winter. I bet both teams need their phone lines open for today's work.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 11:05 AM) I can't stress enough how little sense the Moncada "money we have invested in him" thing makes. I highly doubt that's a real holdup, because DD is smarter than that. Totally agree. If you can afford to pay $31M just to talk to a guy, you can afford to "lose" 63 MIL to get a pitcher like Sale for 4 playoff runs.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 10:17 AM) The Red Sox paid Moncada a $31.5 million bonus, and paid the league a $31.5 million penalty. They are invested $63 million. The Sox would pay him minimal amounts. It's Boston that doesn't want that $63 million investment to go away. Gotta say I understand! However, they are saving so much of that on Sale's below market deal for 3 years. BUT...like you said...it's a wash, but part of that savings is what makes Sale so valuable...without it, they might as well trade for someone with a typical contract.

QUOTE (heirdog @ Aug 1, 2016 -> 10:06 AM) No, I think you misunderstood. We like the sharing and really no one came at you too strongly about it and the reaction was just a bit bizarre...bananas and DVDs and what not...that's all. Keep at it and continue to share. Got it! I'll try to hold it together. Either way...it looks like there's some movement with Boston and that's a good thing.