Draft signings

[SouthSide2004]

OT, but wasn't our second round pick last year, Matt Long, a redhawk as well?

 

 

David Cook was also a Redhawk. Let's hope Long and Ely turn out a little better than him.

[Jack Parkman]

So do you guys think that maybe Griffith won't sign? I'm beginning to think that he wants more $$$ to sign than the FO is willing to pay.

[OilCan]

So do you guys think that maybe Griffith won't sign? I'm beginning to think that he wants more $$$ to sign than the FO is willing to pay.

 

 

Nothing new yet on the net about him....just waiting on some news.

[Heads22]

He seemed excited when I talked to him but I have no idea if he will sign.

[Rowand44]

I'll bet he wont.

[DBAHO]

I'll bet he wont.

I'll blame you if he doesn't then.

[Flash Tizzle]

I'll bet he wont.

We have over a month remaining to sign him. I'm not worried, yet.

 

Although it would be ridiculous to draft Grffith out of the second round and not consider signing him. Haven't we argued this issue millions of times concerning the need to inject talent into the organization? As I recall, it was the selection of Griffith which made numerous members overlook the passing of Porcello.

 

Even if he doesn't do one thing in the majors, that's no different than previous second round choices other than the likeliholod Griffith has more upside.

Edited July 5, 2007 by Flash Tizzle

[Heads22]

 

Thank you, Facebook.

[Rowand44]

We have over a month remaining to sign him. I'm not worried, yet.

 

Although it would be ridiculous to draft Grffith out of the second round and not consider signing him. Haven't we argued this issue millions of times concerning the need to inject talent into the organization? As I recall, it was the selection of Griffith which made numerous members overlook the passing of Porcello.

 

Even if he doesn't do one thing in the majors, that's no different than previous second round choices other than the likeliholod Griffith has more upside.

Oh I'm not panicking because he hasn't signed yet, I just get the feeling that he wont.

 

 

Thank you, Facebook.

Facebook still sucks.

[BearSox]

With the new CBA for the draft, I believe teams get compensation back if they can't sign their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd round picks now. Does this take effect this season, or not until next season? I am pretty sure it will apply to this season, but I want to know for sure.

 

Oh yeah, if Griffith isn't signed, I'll be pissed.

[BearSox]

I would like to Nevin Griffith, Kennth Gilbert, and Brian Guinn all signed. I am not to sure about Guinn or Gilbert's situation, but they are out of high school so maybe they are still torn between college or the pro's. But if the org. would pony up some money, they probably would sign. Right now, it seems like Griffith probably wants 1st round money, but the org. is refusing it or something.

 

And I know it ain't happening, but it would be amazing if we could somehow sign Kevin Patterson.

[Cerbaho-WG]

And I know it ain't happening, but it would be amazing if we could somehow sign Kevin Patterson.

 

Patterson would be quite the feather in the cap, but you'd have to offer him 1st round supplemental type money for him even to consider signing. That being said, I think Griffith will sign but the others will not unless we start offering them 3rd-5th round money.

[Rockabilly]

Griffith sign today...

[Kalapse]

Outstanding news.

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/artic...sp&c_id=cws

Notes: Sox welcome Floyd to 'zoo'

07/05/2007 10:16 PM ET

By Jon Greenberg / Special to MLB.com

 

CHICAGO -- The White Sox clubhouse was nearly empty as Gavin Floyd unpacked his duffel bag into his new locker. His manager, Ozzie Guillen, walked by him toward the doors to the field and offered a quick greeting: "Gavin Floyd," he said, stretching out his new pitcher's name. "Welcome to the zoo!"

 

Floyd looked up quizzically.

 

"I hope you brought your popcorn," Guillen continued, laughing. "This place is a zoo!"

 

The right-hander is scheduled to make his first White Sox start on Friday in the second game of the day-night doubleheader against the Twins. Floyd was traded by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Freddy Garcia deal this past offseason, and was expected to be the fifth starter on a contending team. Things didn't go as planned on either front. But there is still time for at least one part of that plan to come true.

 

A poor Spring Training exiled Floyd to Triple-A Charlotte, where he has shined lately, winning his last six decisions (with a 2.16 ERA in that span) to push his record with the Knights to 7-3 with a 3.10 ERA, numbers that earned him a berth in the Triple-A All Star Game on July 11 in Albuquerque. While he will probably return to the Minors after his start, Floyd has a chance to impress the White Sox brass, who could be shipping out a starter or two if the team continues to founder after the All-Star break.

 

"It's a great opportunity for him, and for us, to see what he has," Guillen said. "Every report since Spring Training says he's more relaxed now, he has more confidence. He can start coming along the way he was supposed to be."

 

The 24-year-old Floyd, the fourth overall pick of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, was 7-5 with an unsightly 6.96 ERA in 19 starts for the Phillies, spread out over three seasons. Last season he went 4-3 with a 7.29 ERA in 11 starts and earned the enmity of long-suffering Phillie fans.

 

If he's nervous about a return to the Majors, Floyd didn't show it on Thursday. He said he hasn't felt this good on the mound in three years.

 

"It's the same game, different place," Floyd said. "You still have got to throw strikes, mix it up. There are better hitters, better pitchers here, but you still have got to do the same things you were doing [in Triple-A]."

 

Floyd worked on a slider in Charlotte, and his quick mastery of it has impressed general manager Kenny Williams.

 

"You know a starting pitcher is ready when he can throw a breaking ball or changeup, even when he's behind in the count, to get out of a jam," Williams said. "He doesn't always have to go to his fastball when he's behind."

 

Floyd said, "It gives me a different pitch for a hitter to worry about. I've been throwing a lot of strikes with it. It's another off-speed pitch I can use to mix it up."

 

Floyd got the news late last night as he and his teammates were going to see fireworks in Charlotte. His manager Marc Bombard told him to return to the park. The second-year pitcher said he hasn't paid much attention to the goings-on in Chicago, and wasn't aware the Sox were thinking of calling him up.

 

"I was excited," Floyd said. "This is where I wanted to be in the beginning of the season. But I kept working on what I needed to do."

 

Long wait: Nick Masset warmed up briefly Wednesday as Jose Contreras struggled early in the game against the Orioles. But Guillen never called on him, because he didn't know if he would use the long reliever as a starter on Friday. Guillen found out during the game that they would bring Floyd up, but no one told Masset, who sat in the bullpen, confused. After the game the Sox sent down David Aardsma and called up Floyd.

 

"I thought I was going to start Friday because I didn't throw last night," Masset said. "I thought they were holding me off, but I guess they made an executive decision and came up with Floyd."

 

Masset (2-3, 6.95), a part-time starter in the Minors who won his only start this year for the Sox, said he understands the move. With White Sox starters eating innings up lately, he hasn't had much work and Floyd has been tearing up the Minors.

 

"I need to get more comfortable in the big leagues, I guess," Masset said. "I'm still working on some stuff."

 

All-Star break indeed: Guillen said he isn't going back to Venezuela for the All-Star break because he's afraid his friends and family will just want to talk about baseball. His wife Ibis wanted to stay in Chicago. Instead Guillen is departing for his house in Miami, which will be a baseball-free zone as far as he's concerned.

 

"You want to know how much I'm going to stay away from those games," Guillen said of the two-day festivities. "One hundred percent. I'm going to get my mind ready for the second half. The second half is going to be a tough one. It's where we make our run, or we don't."

 

Jim Thome, a veteran of five All-Star Games, including last season's, said he's looking forward to some R&R next week. The designated hitter has been banged up throughout the season, missing three weeks with a strained right rib cage.

 

"I've been very fortunate to go to some All-Star games and it was great, but this year it will be nice to have three days off," Thome said. "I've got some nagging things going on and I'll really be able to rest those. Hopefully I can come back and have a good second half."

 

News and notes: Williams spent time on his cell phone a dozen rows up from home plate before the game, covering his mouth at one point to dissuade any amateur lip readers. A few minutes earlier, he told writers during an informal conversation that he had nothing to report on the player movement front. ... The White Sox scored five runs in the first inning against Baltimore starter Brian Burres on Thursday, the third time that they've scored five in an inning this season. It marked the first time they've scored that many runs in a first inning since April 2006. ... The White Sox signed RHP Nevin Griffith, the team's second-round Draft pick. He reported to Advanced Rookie Bristol Thursday. He was 7-2 with a 0.92 ERA for Middleton High School in Tampa.

 

On deck: On Friday the Sox play a day-night doubleheader, with right-hander Jon Garland (6-5, 3.15) going against righty Scott Baker (2-3, 4.98) at 1:05 p.m. CT, and Floyd takes on RHP Matt Garza (0-0) in the 7:11 p.m. CT nightcap.

 

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[Rowand44]

Glad to be wrong. Fantastic news.

[BearSox]

I hope Griffith pitches this weekend.

[dasox24]

Well, that's just fantastic news. Here's to hoping he has a good rest of the year

[BearSox]

Patterson would be quite the feather in the cap, but you'd have to offer him 1st round supplemental type money for him even to consider signing. That being said, I think Griffith will sign but the others will not unless we start offering them 3rd-5th round money.

well, we should offer them 3rd-5th round money. We have plenty of money, but little positional player talent. Take a chance for once KW and co!

[whitesoxfan101]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...1,7410479.story

 

The Sox have signed their first eight picks from the June amateur draft and are making a strong effort to sign 10th-round pick Brian Guinn, a shortstop from Berkeley (Calif.) High School who signed a letter-of-intent to play at Cal.

 

Very good news to see.

[dasox24]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...1,7410479.story

Very good news to see.

That is good news. Let's just hope they're making a strong push to sign Gilbert and Patterson too. We could use a big time hitting prospect in the org. like Patterson, who has a world of potential. Gilbert would be great to add to the CF depth since you can't have enough OF prospects, as we've seen recently.

[Jack Parkman]

Why hasn't Griffith pitched in the minors yet? It's been 2 weeks since he signed.

[sayitaintso]

Why hasn't Griffith pitched in the minors yet? It's been 2 weeks since he signed.

That's what i have been trying to figure out. I was wondering if anyone else knew why.

[CWSGuy406]

Any news on the Tigers signing Crosby and/or Porcello?

[Palehosefan]

Porcello hasn't signed, and with the way the signing's have gone under slot due to MLB pressures, I doubt the Tigers will be able to put forth enough.

 

None of UNC's 4 high school pitchers have signed yet, and only 23 days left!

[dasox24]

Porcello hasn't signed, and with the way the signing's have gone under slot due to MLB pressures, I doubt the Tigers will be able to put forth enough.

 

None of UNC's 4 high school pitchers have signed yet, and only 23 days left!

If Porcello doesn't sign, will everyone still be pissed we didn't draft him? Yeah, the Tigers will get an additional 1st rounder next year if they don't sign him, so it won't be a total loss for them. But for us, we need as much talent in the minors as we can get, so I don't believe we were in a position to not have a 1st round caliber draftee this year. Btw, I don't think we would have taken a chance on Griffith if we nabbed Porcello.

Edited July 24, 2007 by dasox24