2nd Base job

[Balta1701]

I am not sure what is confusing about that statement. The way they talk its seems like its Masset's job to lose, and imo, he lost it last year. Wasserman, from what they were saying saturday would be the guy to step up and take the long relief role. I am tired of seeing masset out there. He sucks. He sucked at every level in his career. I don't understand the attraction to him. I fully realize he is out of options, but who cares? He sucks.

Wasserman seems like he'd be a terrible long relief guy. He's a sidearmer, I doubt he can take a lot of innings for that reason first, but second, his numbers were terrible against lefties...they hit like .500 against him. His job is a ROOGY. He hasn't started games since 2001 in the college, and he has basically averaged 1 inning per appearance since then. Last year in the big leagues he averaged 2/3 of an inning per appearance.

[max power]

Good to know. I am just repeating what hawk or kenny or someone else said about who was competing for the long relief job on saturday. So if it isn't Masset, who is it? I really hate masset. Why not broadway or haegar? Anyone but massett, seriously, anyone.

[Balta1701]

Good to know. I am just repeating what hawk or kenny or someone else said about who was competing for the long relief job on saturday. So if it isn't Masset, who is it? I really hate masset. Why not broadway or haegar? Anyone but massett, seriously, anyone.

On that issue, it gets back to the lack of options. Whether you like him or not, it's not worth giving him up for nothing.

[max power]

On that issue, it gets back to the lack of options. Whether you like him or not, it's not worth giving him up for nothing.

I think it is. He has had one minor league stint that impressed me in his whole career. If he has no value, why not just let him leave? If he doesn't have enough value that there isn't another team that wants him, why do we?

Edited March 19, 2008 by max power

[Balta1701]

I think it is. He has had one minor league stint that impressed me in his whole career. If he has no value, why not just let him leave? If he doesn't have enough value that there isn't another team that wants him, why do we?

I guarantee you someone would happily grab him and try to develop him in to something useful if we didn't.

[max power]

I guess I just don't understand why teams think he is capable of being useful. He was bad in the minors for several years, now he is worse in the majors. Why the attraction? He just isn't a pitcher, he never was. He is just a thrower.

[lvjeremylv]

Good to know. I am just repeating what hawk or kenny or someone else said about who was competing for the long relief job on saturday. So if it isn't Masset, who is it? I really hate masset. Why not broadway or haegar? Anyone but massett, seriously, anyone.

Did Masset #%&* your wife or something? How can you say you "hate" a guy you've never met? Settle down, man.

[max power]

I don't hate him personally. I hate that he is basically being handed the long relief job. I hate that he is given so many chances with zero results in ANY level of baseball.

 

So if I were more eloquent I would have said "I hate Masset for that role"

Edited March 19, 2008 by max power

[RockRaines]

I don't hate him personally. I hate that he is basically being handed the long relief job. I hate that he is given so many chances with zero results in ANY level of baseball.

 

So if I were more eloquent I would have said "I hate Masset for that role"

Heres a question, who is the long relief/swing guy if its not Masset.

[Dick Allen]

The good news is MacDougal has been good his last few outings, and Thornton has been better than last season. If Dotel and Linebrink live up to the hype, the bullpen should go from terribly pitiful to a strength. But the long man is a concern. I think Masset will win by default unless he has a couple of more outings like today.

[BearSox]

It should be Richar & Ramirez. From what I've seen this spring (and a lot of last year w/ Richar), they are both better then Uribe. I've said this in a couple of other threads, but Richar and Ramirez should platoon and Ramirez should get playing time in CF/LF/SS as well.

[southsider2k5]

The good news is MacDougal has been good his last few outings, and Thornton has been better than last season. If Dotel and Linebrink live up to the hype, the bullpen should go from terribly pitiful to a strength. But the long man is a concern. I think Masset will win by default unless he has a couple of more outings like today.

 

To me if we are worried about the 4th/5ht/6th innings, that is a much better thing than last year, when we had no one for the 7th and 8th innings.

[Balta1701]

It should be Richar & Ramirez. From what I've seen this spring (and a lot of last year w/ Richar), they are both better then Uribe. I've said this in a couple of other threads, but Richar and Ramirez should platoon and Ramirez should get playing time in CF/LF/SS as well.

I'm starting to like the concept more & more, I just wish Danny would get healthy first. I don't want him up in the big leagues trying to catch up with a Verlander fastball with a bad back.

[BearSox]

I'm starting to like the concept more & more, I just wish Danny would get healthy first. I don't want him up in the big leagues trying to catch up with a Verlander fastball with a bad back.

Richar looks healthy to me. He's been playing good D with a lot of range. Just a couple days ago, he made a great sliding catch on a shallow flyball in no-mans land. And he has looked real good at the plate. His bat is a little slow now, but in a few days I predict to see him tearing the cover off the ball.

[NorthSideSox72]

Richar looks healthy to me. He's been playing good D with a lot of range. Just a couple days ago, he made a great sliding catch on a shallow flyball in no-mans land. And he has looked real good at the plate. His bat is a little slow now, but in a few days I predict to see him tearing the cover off the ball.

He just had an MRI because his back was so bad he couldn't play. He was scratched from the lineup yesterday due to that. That doesn't sound too healthy to me.

 

[Balta1701]

Richar looks healthy to me. He's been playing good D with a lot of range. Just a couple days ago, he made a great sliding catch on a shallow flyball in no-mans land. And he has looked real good at the plate. His bat is a little slow now, but in a few days I predict to see him tearing the cover off the ball.

He may have looked healthy, but his back is bothering him enough that they're sending him for an MRI on it. That worries me.

[lvjeremylv]

I still think Uribe is gone. They'll go with Ramirez/Ozuna/Bourgeois.

 

Or maybe the Mark Ellis thing gets done. That would be my preference.

Mark Ellis thing? Elaborate please.

[flavum]

Mark Ellis thing? Elaborate please.

 

Just rumor, but it's popped up a couple times in the last month. No idea if it's true, but he'd be a nice pickup.

 

[lvjeremylv]

Just rumor, but it's popped up a couple times in the last month. No idea if it's true, but he'd be a nice pickup.

Beane and KW have made several trades in the past, so I suppose it's possible. A career .271 hitter with a little pop (avg 14 HR a year over the past 3 seasons - probably closer to 20 at the Cell) certainly would be a nice upgrade. I don't think I'd be willing to give up much to get him though. I think Alexei is going to be just fine as our 2B - although is OCab is just a 1 year rental, I'm sure Alexei would be moving to SS next year, in which case we'd need a 2B again.

 

Why did we get rid of Iguchi, again? He wasn't the flashiest, but you knew what to expect from him. A pretty decent glove, some pop, a fairly good batting avg & OBP, some good speed, and he didn't cause any problems. Just went about and did his job. He was able to advance a runner, seemed to run the bases well. I don't get it.

[max power]

Heres a question, who is the long relief/swing guy if its not Masset.

I would have kept broadway up.

[Balta1701]

Beane and KW have made several trades in the past, so I suppose it's possible. A career .271 hitter with a little pop (avg 14 HR a year over the past 3 seasons - probably closer to 20 at the Cell) certainly would be a nice upgrade. I don't think I'd be willing to give up much to get him though. I think Alexei is going to be just fine as our 2B - although is OCab is just a 1 year rental, I'm sure Alexei would be moving to SS next year, in which case we'd need a 2B again.

 

Why did we get rid of Iguchi, again? He wasn't the flashiest, but you knew what to expect from him. A pretty decent glove, some pop, a fairly good batting avg & OBP, some good speed, and he didn't cause any problems. Just went about and did his job. He was able to advance a runner, seemed to run the bases well. I don't get it.

Iguchi was a free agent last season and probably wouldn't have been resigned. And we have no need of a 2nd baseman right now...we traded our best hitting prospect last season in order to acquire a young guy who can play 2nd base...he's just a little hurt right now.

[lvjeremylv]

Iguchi was a free agent last season and probably wouldn't have been resigned. And we have no need of a 2nd baseman right now...we traded our best hitting prospect last season in order to acquire a young guy who can play 2nd base...he's just a little hurt right now.

Iguchi had no desire to leave Chicago, so re-signing him wouldn't have been a problem.

 

And while Richar might be a capable second baseman, he didn't do himself any favors by showing up late for spring training. That also doesn't make a good first impression on his new teammates nor the fans of Chicago.

 

So my question would be WHY would the Sox trade their best hitting prospect for a 2B when we had one that was doing a fine job (Tads), when we're severely in need of a reliable starting pitcher as well as a lead-off hitter and/or a natural center fielder?

 

Wouldn't that "best hitting prospect" have been better used to acquire either Erik Bedard (as part of a package, of course) or Brian Roberts?

[BearSox]

He may have looked healthy, but his back is bothering him enough that they're sending him for an MRI on it. That worries me.

I stand corrected, as now he is being reported to be out 4-6 weeks. Well, he looked healthy, but like you said, he wasn't. Damn shame to.

Edited March 21, 2008 by BearSox

[bighurt4life]

Give Alexi a month or two in AAA to get a little better with the glove then bring him up. Hopefully Uribe gets off to a decent start and we can trade him for something of value. I certainly don't want to see Uribe as our 2b for the entire season, we know what he brings to the table, .220 and 15-20 hr with a lot of strikeouts. I want to see what someone else can do

[RME JICO]

We'll find out tomorrow?

Guillen originally had planned to finalize the roster on Tuesday, following a meeting with general manager Ken Williams, assistant general manager Rick Hahn and their respective staffs. But the closest comment to a certainty Guillen could come up with on Monday is that the starting second baseman would be named at some point before or after Tuesday's game at Hi Corbett Field.

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