Which area is KW's biggest concern?

[GreatScott82]

This whole Tejada inquiry made it obvious that KW is seriously looking to improve the SS position going into 2008. With that being said, do you guys think KW will focus harder on improving that before anything else? I wouldn't be surprised if KW goes after a guy like him or Renteria in the offseason. .

 

If i was him i would focus HARD on that bullpen before anything else. I know it has been improving as of late, but we can't go into 2008 with a big question mark for the pen.

[BearSox]

Chin-Lung Hu for short stop in 08.

[Balta1701]

Even with the main problem of this season being the bullpen...his main job is to fix the SS hole, and it's not even really close.

 

We have lots of depth in the other spots. Whether or not they succeed is a different matter. I can probably give you 8-9 possible solid bullpen candidates for next year. I can give you 4 OF candidates that the Sox currently have, not counting Dye. I can give you 6 starting pitchers without counting Gio or Broadway. But I can give you 0 major league caliber shortstops on this team right now.

[Dick Allen]

The bullpen is the key. Rip Uribe all you want. The only 2 SS in the AL with more RBI than him since the beginning of 2004 are Tejada and Jeter, and Uribe is solid defensively. I'm as frustrated as anyone by his lack of OBP, but its proven that the Sox can win with him at SS. Its also been proven that the Sox won when they had a great bullpen. The bullpen has to be strong, except if they play the Angels in the ALCS.

[BearSox]

oh, if we deal w/ the Dodgers, might as well get Meloan as well.

[WCSox]

KW needs to find two veteran relievers because we have crap in our own system to fill that need. That's priority #1, IMO. After that, SS needs to be addressed. If KW can swing a deal for Tejada, great. If not, I don't have a huge problem with picking up Uribe's option for one last year. Extending Dye or signing a FA outfielder who can hit (e.g., Rowand) should be his third priority.

 

[Kalapse]

Priority #1 LEADOFF HITTER

[Gene Honda Civic]

Priority #1 LEADOFF HITTER

That's not a position.

 

This team need legitimate talent. Especially in the OF. Until they stop equating speed with talent and the top of the lineup, this team will be among the worst in the American League offensively.

[WCSox]

Priority #1 LEADOFF HITTER

 

Too bad Richar doesn't have a couple years of experience under his belt, as it looks like he may be our leadoff hitter of the future.

 

[Kalapse]

That's not a position.

 

This team need legitimate talent. Especially in the OF. Until they stop equating speed with talent and the top of the lineup, this team will be among the worst in the American League offensively.

If he can find a talented leadoff hitter at SS then SS is the main concern, if he can find an outfielder who's a legitimate leadoff threat then OF is the main concern.

[3E8]

It has to be outfield, doesn't it? Mainly because it consists of three positional players and we cannot say with any certainty who will be starting in any of those spots. Our in-house options outside of Fields (who may be required to play 3B or never moved to LF, who knows) are not attractive.

[Dick Allen]

SS who can leadoff are few and far between and cost a lot of money and the clincher, most likely aren't available.

[sox4lifeinPA]

did anyone say "keeping his job" yet?

[AirScott]

I think it's split between the outfield and the bullpen, because there's some decisions to be made for the outfield (can Pods be counted on, should Fields play left field, should Dye be brought back) and the bullpen needs a couple proven, reliable relievers to bridge the gap to Jenks.

Edited August 6, 2007 by AirScott

[gosox41]

Even with the main problem of this season being the bullpen...his main job is to fix the SS hole, and it's not even really close.

 

We have lots of depth in the other spots. Whether or not they succeed is a different matter. I can probably give you 8-9 possible solid bullpen candidates for next year. I can give you 4 OF candidates that the Sox currently have, not counting Dye. I can give you 6 starting pitchers without counting Gio or Broadway. But I can give you 0 major league caliber shortstops on this team right now.

 

 

Did you mean 4 OF candidates the Sox currently have, or the Sox currently have candidates to be 4th OFer's??

 

 

 

Bob

[Balta1701]

Did you mean 4 OF candidates the Sox currently have, or the Sox currently have candidates to be 4th OFer's??

Bob

I could 4 candidates to actually be an OF next year, 2 of which I acutally think are pretty good (Fields and Owens). Anderson and Sweeney are at least 2 other candidates, they're just not very good options right now. Dye would fill that in.

[greg775]

Bullpen has to be the first spot to fix.

But obviously improve ss and add a Soriano-type outfielder and we'll be back in the hunt.

That is, unless some other area implodes like the starting pitching.

 

[Balta1701]

I'm still not sold on the idea that adding a "veteran reliever" of some sort is the way to fix the bullpen. Bullpen performance is just so variable. The biggest bullpen name on the market other than a closer would probably be LInebrink, but he's having an off year and giving up a lot of home runs, no where near as automatic as he was last year.

 

Right now, I can look at the Sox and see us already having at least 9 guys, 8 of whom are under our control for next year, who could be solid relievers, not even counting Masset and Sisco who are working as starters right now.

 

Jenks

Thornton

Logan

MMac

Aardsma

Wasserman

Russell

Haeger

Bukvich

 

I think the reality is, even with the guys we have right now, if we replayed this season, or took the same bullpen into next season, we would see better results 99/100 times. That just seems to be the way with bullpen pitchers; sometimes they have very bad years in ways you can't predict. It might be nice to add one name to that list, but I don't really want us spending $4/20 or $5/25 on Linebrink and then watching his home run problem get even worse when he hits the Cell instead of Petco.

 

Of course, if we could get our hands on Rivera...I'd be happier...

[striker]

I think we have to offer up Crede for one of LAA's shortstops. Maybe a packaged deal that brings us Figgins and Avayar for Crede and some prospects or something. I'm sure it will be hard to pry Figgins away from there though.

[Balta1701]

I think we have to offer up Crede for one of LAA's shortstops. Maybe a packaged deal that brings us Figgins and Avayar for Crede and some prospects or something. I'm sure it will be hard to pry Figgins away from there though.

Joe Crede will not bring this team anything in a trade until May at the earliest. Absolutely nothing.

[Kalapse]

Joe Crede will not bring this team anything in a trade until May at the earliest. Absolutely nothing.

And even then I doubt the Sox will get anything exciting in exchange for Joe.

[Bubba Philips]

And even then I doubt the Sox will get anything exciting in exchange for Joe.

Joe might dispel any rumors of his demise in spring training.. Joe if he does well will cost us at least 4 million. If he didn't have the back problems I believe he's the best fielding 3rd baseman he may pale in comparison to some of the other 3rd baseman offensively he has the potential to hit in the 270 range with 30 + home runs and 80 + rbis with gold glove fielding ability. I think the dodger could afford him in 09 at what he's really worth. If the dodger would trade and we got Hung Lung Hu back in exchange I think that would be profitable for both teams. I know that would hinge on Joe being healthy. In another scenario we do not offer Joe arbitration and anybody can make offers for him.

[Marky Mark]

oh, if we deal w/ the Dodgers, might as well get Meloan as well.

 

 

I wouldn't mind him either. I wish we had signed Percival this year.

[witesoxfan]

Joe might dispel any rumors of his demise in spring training.. Joe if he does well will cost us at least 4 million. If he didn't have the back problems I believe he's the best fielding 3rd baseman he may pale in comparison to some of the other 3rd baseman offensively he has the potential to hit in the 270 range with 30 + home runs and 80 + rbis with gold glove fielding ability. I think the dodger could afford him in 09 at what he's really worth. If the dodger would trade and we got Hung Lung Hu back in exchange I think that would be profitable for both teams. I know that would hinge on Joe being healthy. In another scenario we do not offer Joe arbitration and anybody can make offers for him.

 

1) He's not the best 3Bman in the game; even healthy, I would have rather have Inge or Punto defensively within the AL Central at 3B. They are both bad (absolutely terribly horrific in Punto's case) offensive players, but are both better defensively. On top of that, Rolen is still better defensively, and Pedro Feliz is pretty damn good himself.

2) .270 30 80 still brings you to .320/.480/.800, and that's about absolute best case scenario. Worst case, he reinjures the back and is done for the year again, and 2nd worst is that he comes back, doesn't produce, and the Sox have to DFA him and pay $4 mill and either release him, take on the contract and get a C prospect, or don't take on the contract and get a a minor league player not even worth grading on any sort of scale.

3) You aren't getting Hu for Crede. Not happening. Never was a shot.

 

[GreatScott82]

And even then I doubt the Sox will get anything exciting in exchange for Joe.

Well if Joe has a great spring training and is showing that he is 100% healthy, i can see MANY teams very interested in him. I know the LA Angels have made a few inquiries about him over the past 2 seasons. Well with that being said, i would LOVE getting Chone Figgins over here. It might take more than Crede to get him over but i think KW can swing a deal. Figgins wouldn't be too bad in LF and it also spells our leadoff hitting issues. Figgins in LF, Owens or Rowand in CF and Dye in RF is fine by me

I just don't want to see Fields play LF. He is and should be our 3b of the present and future.