No respect? Underrated?

[greg775]

Paulie has 34 home runs.

[Pauly8509CWS]

Only 85 RBI's though...

[Reddy]

Only 85 RBI's though...

 

and he's only one of the best 1B in the league... not THE best... i mean come on, obviously we can do better.

Edited September 5, 2005 by Reddy

[ceffa2000]

^^^^ It's called clutch hitting.

[Balta1701]

^^^^  It's called clutch hitting.

I believe his home run today was actually the margin of victory, was it not?

[Reddy]

i hope y'all caught my sarcasm... i love pk

Edited September 5, 2005 by Reddy

[3E8]

I believe his home run today was actually the margin of victory, was it not?

No we won by two runs.

[Balta1701]

No we won by two runs.

Yes, but his was the 4th run...the Sox in the ugly color wound up with 3 runs.

 

 

And yes, I believe the sarcasm in the post above was caught.

[Jordan4life_2007]

PK is a tad underrated. I'll give him that. But I don't think he's worth 12 million or whatever I've been hearing.

Edited September 6, 2005 by Jordan4life_2005

[Balta1701]

PK is a tad underrated.  I'll give him that.  But I don't think he's worth 12 million or whatever I've been hearing.

I believe that's what Sexson got last year...and I'd put Paulie basically at the same level in terms of total value to some franchise.

 

Here's the 2 things we have to consider; our budget, and how much better he would be than Gload.

 

First...in terms of our budget...if we give Paulie $11-$12 million, that may mean sacrifices elsewhere. If you give me the choice between Garland or Buehrle and Konerko, I take the pitcher in a heartbeat. If you give me the choice between paying Paulie a few extra million and picking up Everett's option...I probably try to hold onto Konerko.

 

This is the Carlos Lee trade dilemma...by trading the big salary of Lee (and by dropping Ordonez) we were able to add almost every one of our key additions this season - AJ, Tadahito, Dye, Dustin, Pods, Garcia.

 

The real question though might be this...we make a playoff run...and that has to put a lot of money in JR's hands...especially with the attendance burst that we've had this year. That has to help. And I know I'll be buying a lot of merchandise when the playoffs hit.

 

The other issue is his replacement...we could maybe save $10 million a year by going with Gload. Can Gload hit .310 and 15-20 home runs? If he can do that...that's a real savings and a limited downgrade. But if he can't do that, or can't stay healthy for a full season...then Paulie rapidly becomes the best option we have.

[illinilaw08]

I believe that's what Sexson got last year...and I'd put Paulie basically at the same level in terms of total value to some franchise.

 

Here's the 2 things we have to consider; our budget, and how much better he would be than Gload.

 

First...in terms of our budget...if we give Paulie $11-$12 million, that may mean sacrifices elsewhere.  If you give me the choice between Garland or Buehrle and Konerko, I take the pitcher in a heartbeat.  If you give me the choice between paying Paulie a few extra million and picking up Everett's option...I probably try to hold onto Konerko.

 

This is the Carlos Lee trade dilemma...by trading the big salary of Lee (and by dropping Ordonez) we were able to add almost every one of our key additions this season - AJ, Tadahito, Dye, Dustin, Pods, Garcia.

 

The real question though might be this...we make a playoff run...and that has to put a lot of money in JR's hands...especially with the attendance burst that we've had this year.  That has to help.  And I know I'll be buying a lot of merchandise when the playoffs hit.

 

The other issue is his replacement...we could maybe save $10 million a year by going with Gload.  Can Gload hit .310 and 15-20 home runs?  If he can do that...that's a real savings and a limited downgrade.  But if he can't do that, or can't stay healthy for a full season...then Paulie rapidly becomes the best option we have.

 

Downgrading from 40 homeruns to 15-20 is not going to cut it. And expecting Gload, a very unknown quantity for an entire season, to hit .310 is foolish in my humble opinion.

[YASNY]

Downgrading from 40 homeruns to 15-20 is not going to cut it.  And expecting Gload, a very unknown quantity for an entire season, to hit .310 is foolish in my humble opinion.

 

I'll second that.

[WSFAN35]

What about the possibility of Bill Mueller playing first, or Kevin Millar?

[witesoxfan]

The other issue is his replacement...we could maybe save $10 million a year by going with Gload.  Can Gload hit .310 and 15-20 home runs?  If he can do that...that's a real savings and a limited downgrade.  But if he can't do that, or can't stay healthy for a full season...then Paulie rapidly becomes the best option we have.

 

The best option at our fingertips, I assume you mean. That doesn't mean we can't go out and trade for a Lyle Overbay as a stopgap type player, or perhaps as a player for the future...nor does it mean the Sox can't try and trade for a Jim Thome or a Todd Helton.

 

That also doesn't mean that we can't go out and upgrade elsewhere while downgrading at catcher. Get a 3Bman that can hit, try and get a SS with power, perhaps cut ties with Frank and bring in anybody that can hit, period.

 

I figure Rowand will rebound power wise somewhat at the plate next year, Iguchi will hit for a little better power, Uribe will probably rebound slightly as well, and Crede could perhaps start hitting like he was in June and July before these injuries started to come up. We should be fine with or without Konerko next year.

[Balta1701]

What about the possibility of Bill Mueller playing first, or Kevin Millar?

Both of them still have a fairly decent cost associated with them...Millar is making $3.5 mil this year and may command a small raise over that in the offseason...Mueller is making $2.5 mil this year and will probably command a similar raise...I think both will probably cost in the $5 million a year range.

 

Their numbers would probably be a downgrade over Konerko almost to the point of a healthy Gload...and a healthy Gload would cost like 1/5 as much as either of them.

 

I don't like either of those options...neither one will be worth the price they will cost.

[YASNY]

The best option at our fingertips, I assume you mean.  That doesn't mean we can't go out and trade for a Lyle Overbay as a stopgap type player, or perhaps as a player for the future...nor does it mean the Sox can't try and trade for a Jim Thome or a Todd Helton.

 

That also doesn't mean that we can't go out and upgrade elsewhere while downgrading at catcher.  Get a 3Bman that can hit, try and get a SS with power, perhaps cut ties with Frank and bring in anybody that can hit, period. 

 

I figure Rowand will rebound power wise somewhat at the plate next year, Iguchi will hit for a little better power, Uribe will probably rebound slightly as well, and Crede could perhaps start hitting like he was in June and July before these injuries started to come up.  We should be fine with or without Konerko next year.

 

We won't "be fine" without Konerko unless we replace him with a 35-40 HR and 90-100 RBI type hitter.

[Balta1701]

The best option at our fingertips, I assume you mean.  That doesn't mean we can't go out and trade for a Lyle Overbay as a stopgap type player, or perhaps as a player for the future...nor does it mean the Sox can't try and trade for a Jim Thome or a Todd Helton.

 

That also doesn't mean that we can't go out and upgrade elsewhere while downgrading at catcher.  Get a 3Bman that can hit, try and get a SS with power, perhaps cut ties with Frank and bring in anybody that can hit, period. 

 

I figure Rowand will rebound power wise somewhat at the plate next year, Iguchi will hit for a little better power, Uribe will probably rebound slightly as well, and Crede could perhaps start hitting like he was in June and July before these injuries started to come up.  We should be fine with or without Konerko next year.

A Jim Thome or a Todd Helton is an even worse option than a Konerko...both cost either as much as Konerko probably will or even more than that...and Thome is a gigantic healthy question unless the Phillies pick up his whole contract, which they won't do without us giving them a gigantic prize (and BMac ain't leavin).

 

Crede really wasn't doing that well before the "Injuries" either...he had a couple good weeks early in the year, but a terrible May, and at best an average June. He's really starting to seem to me as a career .240 hitter.

 

Iguchi and Rowand will probably be better next year, as (hopefully) will Uribe...but we still need some good production from 1b. Our offense this year hasn't exactly been the league's best...and losing Konerko would be losing a huge piece.

[witesoxfan]

A Jim Thome or a Todd Helton is an even worse option than a Konerko...both cost either as much as Konerko probably will or even more than that...and Thome is a gigantic healthy question unless the Phillies pick up his whole contract, which they won't do without us giving them a gigantic prize (and BMac ain't leavin).

 

Crede really wasn't doing that well before the "Injuries" either...he had a couple good weeks early in the year, but a terrible May, and at best an average June.  He's really starting to seem to me as a career .240 hitter.

 

Iguchi and Rowand will probably be better next year, as (hopefully) will Uribe...but we still need some good production from 1b.  Our offense this year hasn't exactly been the league's best...and losing Konerko would be losing a huge piece.

 

With Philly or Colorado picking up large tabs of those contracts, they'd be good risks to take. The Sox badly need a LH hitter in the middle of the lineup...or should I say, a LH hitter that can hit RHP.

 

And while you didn't respond to it, I'm not even that big on trading for Overbay. He has very much been a first half hitter over the past couple years in Milwaukee(.962 OPS preASB, 04, .734 OPS postASB 04; .846 OPS preASB, 05, .741 OPS postASB 05...his average this past year have been similar, pre being at .274, post at .272, which is better to see than him being 100 points lower in the second half), and his price tag would be relatively high.

 

Also, Crede was better than a lot of people thought. Two very horrid stretches for him really tainted people's impressions of him, IMO. His May was awful, putting up .211/.286/.497 splits, and his last stretch of games before he went on the DL were even worse than that, putting up .148/.172/.320 in 17 games, 60 PAs...however, his April, June, and July were all very solid. In April his splits of .368/.456/.824 were one of the reasons we were able to get off to a fast start. June was even better than that, putting up .333/.538/.871 splits, and then he was finally hitting much better in July overall, putting up .342/.551/.893...and then his back got f'ed up, and then his finger was broken.

[greg775]

Thome really really sucked this year and looked like he's hit the brick wall in his career prior to his going on DL.

If Paulie got hurt right now, right now, I would give us no chance of winning a playoff series.

Our lineup would be devastated.

We can't afford to lose Maggs, Lee, Frank and Paulie in a 2-year span. We will not be fine without this guy.

[Yossarian]

Thome really really sucked this year and looked like he's hit the brick wall in his career prior to his going on DL.

If Paulie got hurt right now, right now, I would give us no chance of winning a playoff series.

Our lineup would be devastated.

We can't afford to lose Maggs, Lee, Frank and Paulie in a 2-year span. We will not be fine without this guy.

You are so right. I wish he'd quit giving interviews, but regardless of that we can't lose the kind of power and run production he brings. If he goes, we have to have someone with the same kind of numbers at first.

[GoodAsGould]

Idonno if I really want Konerko back but we definitely got to add some power if we do lose him.... What would be really cool is if we can trade for Overbay and sign Furcal...

 

lineup next year:

 

Podsenick

Furcal

Overbay

Thomas

Iguchi

Pierznski

Rowand

Dye

Uribe/Crede

 

 

Really I have no clue how this off-season is going to be. It can be really exciting with many moves or it can be very boring with practicly none.

[YASNY]

Idonno if I really want Konerko back but we definitely got to add some power if we do lose him.... What would be really cool is if we can trade for Overbay and sign Furcal...

 

lineup next year:

 

Podsenick

Furcal

Overbay

Thomas

Iguchi

Pierznski

Rowand

Dye

Uribe/Crede

Really I have no clue how this off-season is going to be.  It can be really exciting with many moves or it can be very boring with practicly none.

 

This is true, but I'm more concerned about the post-season than the off-season.

[bighurt2719]

What about the possibility of Bill Mueller playing first, or Kevin Millar?

 

millar is a fat bastard and he sucks. mueller, i guess that could happen, but how would we ever acquire him?

[Felix]

Idonno if I really want Konerko back but we definitely got to add some power if we do lose him.... What would be really cool is if we can trade for Overbay and sign Furcal...

 

lineup next year:

 

Podsenick

Furcal

Overbay

Thomas

Iguchi

Pierznski

Rowand

Dye

Uribe/Crede

Really I have no clue how this off-season is going to be.  It can be really exciting with many moves or it can be very boring with practicly none.

I wouldnt like that lineup at all :/

We would be without a bit HR hitter in the middle of the order (because Frank isnt going to still hit out 40). Overbay is decent, but compared to Konerko he is weak. Konerko is a solid 35-40 HR guy with ~100 RBI a year. As easy as that seems to replace, it isnt. Many 1b who are that good are not on the market, and not resigning Konerko would force us to go after Millar or Overbay, both of which cannot handle the load which Konerko handles. If this were another year with better options at 1b during the off-season avalible, ok, but this years 1b free agents are weak, and any addition of them over Konerko would make our lineup fall apart powerwise.

 

Essentially, getting Overbay would be the same thing as using Gload. ~.300 hitter with ~20 HR. Its not going to get the job done.

Edited September 6, 2005 by Felix

[fathom]

Essentially, getting Overbay would be the same thing as using Gload.  ~.300 hitter with ~20 HR.

 

It is? Overbay has proven over the course of a season he can be an above average MLB run producer. Gload is definitely an unproven player, and I think he sealed his fate with this organization with his recent comments.