Backup Outfielders and now Relievers

[jackie hayes]

Did you even read what I typed... If you can't agree that Rowand has a better swing then Anderson then your in some serious denial...

Oh, I'm sorry, Jeckle. I agree, Rowand's swing is beautiful. It should be in a museum. Now do you want to talk about baseball?

[DBAHO]

Please don't turn my thread bad.

 

Anyways this thread also includes possible relievers;

 

Rockies designated RHP Zach Day for assignment.

There are enough teams looking for pitching that Day shouldn't make it through waivers, even if he has struggled right from the start of the spring. He went 1-2 with a 10.80 ERA in three starts for Colorado. Apr. 21 - 5:54 pm et

 

Don't know the story with him as to why he failed in Colorado, but if you want a good long man for the pen, this is your guy. Had some good seasons for Montreal (Josh knows a bit about him), and IIRC the White Sox have been interested in him before.

[R.J.]

Day's got a lot to work on but there's no way he makes it to us through waivers.

[southsider2k5]

I don't understand why people even bother with Jeckle anymore. You should all try what I do, put him on ignore and just forget about him, if he seriously believes the s*** that he posts then he obviously has no business talking about baseball and if he's f***ing around and posting stupid s*** just for the hell of it, then why would you even humor him?

 

I think the sig with Frank Thomas surrounded by two clowns does it for me

[OldSox2]

Gload can hit. He proved it in 2004 when he hit over .300 and he proved it in 2005 when he did so well at Charlotte. He got off to a bad start in early '05 and never got enough AB's to make up for it, but I remember a huge hit he got for us in early September when we were really struggling -- a double in the gap late in game that was a huge win at the time. I say we keep him all year.

[NorthSideSox72]

Gload can hit.  He proved it in 2004 when he hit over .300 and he proved it in 2005 when he did so well at Charlotte.  He got off to a bad start in early '05 and never got enough AB's to make up for it, but I remember a huge hit he got for us in early September when we were really struggling -- a double in the gap late in game that was a huge win at the time.  I say we keep him all year.

I agree on his talent level - I think he has been derided in here with no basis in reality. However, with PK and Thome in front of him (and Rogowski and Fields behind him), I wouldn't mind letting him go for the right deal. He is handy to have around, but not a necessity by any means.

[fathom]

I agree on his talent level - I think he has been derided in here with no basis in reality.  However, with PK and Thome in front of him (and Rogowski and Fields behind him), I wouldn't mind letting him go for the right deal.  He is handy to have around, but not a necessity by any means.

 

With all due repect to Mr. Gload....he's worthless on this team.

[NorthSideSox72]

With all due repect to Mr. Gload....he's worthless on this team.

I wouldn't go that far. If Thome or PK go down, with Rogowski and Fields not ready yet, that would be a pretty big hole. Not many teams have the luxury of a proven .300 hitter as a backup in that scenario. He is a decent insurance policy, and a cheap one.

 

But as I said, much as I think he's underappreciated here, if we could get the right person in a trade, I'd be up for it. It would probably be better for him anyway to get more time on another team.

[DBAHO]

Time to bump this baby as it hasn't been used in a while;

 

Mariners designated outfielder Matt Lawton for assignment.

Lawton wasn't happy in such a limited role and the Mariners need more roster flexibility, so this is probably for the best. The 34-year-old was hitting .259/.310/.259 in 27 at-bats. There are several teams out there that Lawton could help as a part-time outfielder. The Yankees immediately come to mind, but that's not going to happen. May. 20 - 7:15 pm et

 

Ross Gload still only has 22 AB's and we're almost 2 months into the season.

 

Reds designated LHP Dave Williams for assignment.

Quite a surprise. The Reds said Williams (2-3, 7.20 ERA) would stay in the rotation following the return of Eric Milton, but the six runs he allowed in three innings against the Pirates on Thursday changed that. Most teams will be scared away by Williams' $1.4 million salary, but perhaps the Mets will take a chance on him. May. 20 - 2:21 pm et

 

Interesting, because he had a little bit of success in Pittsburgh last season. Don't think he would be useful as a long man out of the pen though.

 

Last time I checked on Ryan Wagner was this;

 

Ryan Wagner gave up two runs in one-third of an inning in his relief appearance for Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

Wagner has allowed 15 runs in 15 innings, so he's not going to he helping Cincinnati's bullpen anytime soon. He's probably going to be available in trade talks over the next 2 1/2 months.

[DBAHO]

Ryan Church got sent down AGAIN by the Nats...

Yeah Jim Bowden got to call up his "favorite" prospect Alex Escobar. Might as well try to do it before you get fired I suppose.

 

So if you're going to get Church, now would be the perfect time. Would you do Sean Tracey for Church for example?

[jackie hayes]

Ryan Church got sent down AGAIN by the Nats...

That's what happens when your team has a backlog of talent. Tough tamales.

[Rowand44]

Yeah Jim Bowden got to call up his "favorite" prospect Alex Escobar. Might as well try to do it before you get fired I suppose.

 

So if you're going to get Church, now would be the perfect time. Would you do Sean Tracey for Church for example?

No.

[DBAHO]

No.

I find that interesting because by all means Tracey in a season or 2 could become a real asset out of the pen with his stuff. But can the Sox bank on his control picking up out of the pen, when he's been doing much better as a starter down at Charlotte.

 

Church just intrigues me a lot especially when he's put up a +.800 OPS last season and this season so far, down at RFK which is not a hitters stadium by any stretch of means.

 

But as we're talking about bullpen guys;

 

Giants designated RHP Brian Bruney for assignment.

Bruney's command problems have apparently frustrated the Diamondbacks for the last time. Even though he's hurt right now, he shouldn't be able to clear waivers. He has too good of an arm. May. 20 - 8:09 pm et

 

Sounds like the perfect White Sox Reliever. He's dominated in AAA with a 1.42 ERA in 2004 and 1.93 ERA in 2005, that success just hasn't translated over to the majors.

 

Because of Bruney's short-arm delivery, he can have trouble throwing quality breaking balls. His fastball is 90-94 MPH, but at times he is too reliant on it. He has a changeup but still does not seem to have a feel for the pitch. His slider has only a small break and he has a tendency to spin it at times. He often pitches around the edges of the strike zone, leading to a high number of walks.

 

I think we've got a few vacancies on the 40 man roster still as well. If no other team before the White Sox doesn't claim him (which I can't see personally), we should be all over this guy IMHO.

[Rowand44]

I find that interesting because by all means Tracey in a season or 2 could become a real asset out of the pen with his stuff. But can the Sox bank on his control picking up out of the pen, when he's been doing much better as a starter down at Charlotte.

 

Church just intrigues me a lot especially when he's put up a +.800 OPS last season and this season so far, down at RFK which is not a hitters stadium by any stretch of means.

 

But as we're talking about bullpen guys;

Sounds like the perfect White Sox Reliever. He's dominated in AAA with a 1.42 ERA in 2004 and 1.93 ERA in 2005, that success just hasn't translated over to the majors.

I think we've got a few vacancies on the 40 man roster still as well. If no other team before the White Sox doesn't claim him (which I can't see personally), we should be all over this guy IMHO.

Here's why I said no: though Church is a solid player I don't think you can trade a guy with Tracey's stuff for just a bench player. I'm in no means opposed to trading Tracey but I think if we're going to trade him we need to get something that can really help us this year, like finding a very solid reliever. JMO but I don't want to trade Tracey for a bench player.

[DBAHO]

Figure it's another good time to bump this thread considering our current issues;

 

Adam Greenberg got released by the Cubs today. Was .269/.386/.407 in AA last season, before he got plunked in the head in the majors. Could be a guy the Sox could look at for the minors, and if he improves a possible call - up later on. He's only 25 still, and he knows how to take a walk.

 

Jose Cruz Jr. is an interesting player to look at. He can handle CF defensively, and the Dodgers are playing a lot of young guys in the OF at the moment. Cruz only has 5 AB's in the past 4 games. He's only hitting .232, but has an OBP of .360. If you could get him cheaply.......

 

Nelson Cruz is .290/.371/.565 for AAA for the Brewers. They've got him and Corey Hart at the moment, ready for the majors but nowhere to play them. They need pitching help in the worse way.

 

Bullpen wise, here are some updates on some players previously mentioned;

 

Ryan Wagner has a 6.08 ERA in AAA in 23.2IP. His value would be at an all time low now.

 

I don't know what's happened to Brian Bruney, I haven't heard a thing since he was designated to assignment by the D-Backs.

 

Todd Wellmeyer was designated for assignment by the Marlins yesterday. Didn't pitch too well for them at all and had problems walking guys. And so did Frankly German who had a 3.00 ERA before he got hurt last month. Could be worth looking at either of those guys.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

look to tampa they have a plethora of OF's

[elrockinMT]

I love that Pablo's Adventures in the outfield draws a thread not about him being shipped out, but Ross Gload's inevitable departure.

 

We gotta keep this guy around. He's spunky. And I'll tell you what. If there's one thing that wins games. It spunk. Give me 9 guys like Pablo Ozuna. I'll show you a winner. Boy.

 

 

I have to admit my opinion on Ozuna has changed some. I still think the guy is a pretty poor fielder, but whe he comes into a game he has such enthusiasm and provides a spark. We need that.

[beck72]

I don't see the sox trying to make do with guys who can't cut it on major league rosters. If bullpen guys can't play with the Nats, Reds, Marlins, etc, they shouldn't be anywhere near the Sox. The most I could see is calling up guys from AAA like Javier Lopez or Jeff Farnsworth to see if they can get any outs.

 

Unless the bullpen is really blowing leads, I don't see any moves until nearer the trade deadline [probably late June, early July].

[southsider2k5]

I have to admit my opinion on Ozuna has changed some. I still think the guy is a pretty poor fielder, but whe he comes into a game he has such enthusiasm and provides a spark. We need that.

 

Which makes him a perfect fill in and utility player. In CF? God no, please.

[BigSqwert]

Any chance of the Braves trading Andruw Jones? I know I'm grasping for straws here.

[southsideirish71]

White Sox general manager Kenny Williams, the game's most aggressive GM, seeks bullpen help and might add a righthanded-hitting outfielder if rookie Brian Anderson's struggles continue.

 

The Mets made a late call to Edgardo Alfonzo, but he'd already committed to the Blue Jays. Former Yankees farmhand Dioner Navarro is being shopped by the Dodgers, who like Russell Martin better.

 

The Dodgers also would deal Cesar Izturis -- "he's Omar Vizquel with an arm," one scout said -- and the Red Sox have interest.

[Kalapse]

Wow, for all the people who take what the "scouts" say as gospel, just look to this quote as proff that either 1.) Scouts don't actually say these things 2.) Some scouts are completely delusional.

 

Cesar Izturis will never be half the player Omar Vizquel is. Izturis may have a moderately better arm but he's nowhere near the defensive play Vizquel is. Cesar Izturis couldn't draw a walk to save his life, whereas Vizquel actually has the ability to take 4 balls. Izturis is more similar to Uribe than he is to Vizqual. Both are slick defensive SS with good arms who don't normally hit for a high average and always have low OBP the only real difference betweent the 2 being that Uribe has WAY more power.

 

These Izturis rumors are so damn ridiculous, even if this one didn't mention the White Sox specifically there have been numerous reports saying that they do have interest.

[southsideirish71]

Wow, for all the people who take what the "scouts" say as gospel, just look to this quote as proff that either 1.) Scouts don't actually say these things 2.) Some scouts are completely delusional.

 

Cesar Izturis will never be half the player Omar Vizquel is. Izturis may have a moderately better arm but he's nowhere near the defensive play Vizquel is. Cesar Izturis couldn't draw a walk to save his life, whereas Vizquel actually has the ability to take 4 balls. Izturis is more similar to Uribe than he is to Vizqual. Both are slick defensive SS with good arms who don't normally hit for a high average and always have low OBP the only real difference betweent the 2 being that Uribe has WAY more power.

 

These Izturis rumors are so damn ridiculous, even if this one didn't mention the White Sox specifically there have been numerous reports saying that they do have interest.

 

I take anything posted that quotes a supposed scout with a grain of salt. I posted it and highlighted it because of the talk of Cesar being traded and people wanting him here. I dont think he solves a damn thing here. We dont need Cesar.

[winninguglyin83]

The Reds are down on Ryan Wagner -- and have been all season. Don't like his attitude at Triple A. Say he won't take coaching and some feel he's been pouting because he's not with the big league team.

 

He does have good arm. Maybe Coop could do something with him.

 

What about Heath Phillps at Charlotte?

 

I know he's a lefty, which isn't our main need, but he has pitched damn well at Charlotte all season.

 

Redding is another thought. He's been up and down, but he does have big league experience.

 

as for Center field, I got no answers.

[RockRaines]

Heres my solutions.

 

Politte pitches inside.

BA plays against RHP, since he is better against them anyway.

Our SP doesnt crap itself.

Thome comes back.