Steve Stone

[beck72]

It sounds like Kenny is in the mood to make some big changes. Trading Paulie would be a huge change, but probably best for the long term of the Sox. I think one of PK or Dye is dealt this offseason. I'd like Dye to take over as DH in 2010 and beyond. And even in 2009, Dye could see a lot of AB's there.

 

If the angels are a trade partner for PK, I'd want Figgins, Reggie Willits, and 24 yr old reliever Kevin Jepsen. In 54.2 IP, Jepsen had a 2.55 GO/ FO rate in AA and AAA, with a 1.81. ERA, 39 h, 3 HR vs., 30 BB, 56 SO, and 13 saves. He's a converted SP ala Scot Shields. Willits is likely to bounce back to similar stats as his 2007 season, and could be a versatile UTL Ofer.

[BearSox]

Unfortuantely, when it comes to veteran players, Kenny has a habit of overrating and acquiring certain players. Last year's poster child was Swisher..my fear is that Figgins will be this years entry.

 

And for God's sake people, look at Figgin's stats and tell me that he is a good player! A third baseman that drove in all of 22 runs!

Lol, what a load of BS!

 

If there is one thing I absolutely despise, it's people complaining about production from certain players because of the position they play. The position a player plays should not determine their numbers, but rather what spot in the lineup they bat. Figgins played third base, but he was a leadoff hitter. Leadoff hitters aren't supposed to be big huge power hitters. But because he played 3B he needs to put up huge power numbers? My god, how stupid can you be if you believe that?

[BearSox]

I really think it is inevitable for one of PK or Dye to be traded. I would say Thome as well, but he virtually untradeable.

 

If I had to choose between PK and Dye, I'd trade Dye. This is mainly because we would get very little in return for Konerko as opposed to Dye. Dye has a ton of trade value right now, and I think we should sell high. Plus, he is a couple years older and doesn't have a whole lot left in the tank, IMO. Dye might only be 34-35, but his body has taken such a beating over the years that he plays like he is closer to 40.

 

The risk with this though is that if PK once again sucks. If Konerko plays like the Konerko we all know and love, we should not miss Dye's bat at all. But as we have seen with the previous two seasons, Konerko completely sucks in the 1st half. However, it's a risk worth taking, IMO, as the upside would be much greater this way.

[Milkman delivers]

I don't feel like reading all of this. Any solid rumors or news in this thread?

[Balta1701]

I don't feel like reading all of this. Any solid rumors or news in this thread?

At this point...with our GM, don't we all know that every thread here is speculation until it finally gets pinned?

[TCQ]

Understatement. Weeks is the worst defensive 2B in the league.

 

I didnt know Dan Uggla had an account here...zing

[greg775]

How bout Swish, Wise and Dotel for Rowand.

Go ahead, flame away.

[ThunderBolt]

How bout Swish, Wise and Dotel for Rowand.

Go ahead, flame away.

Too Easy. We'll leave it at no.

[greg775]

Fair enough.

How bout Swish, Wise and Dotel for DeJesus?

Or sign Ibanez, isn't he a free agent?

[bschmaranz]

Or sign Ibanez, isn't he a free agent?

 

To play where?

[Lemon_44]

if it's surprise or "shocking" deal,i don't think it's any deal involving PK,Javy, or JD. Everyone thinks they'll shopped around. I would guess it would be shopping Jenks around. The guys has been lights out from day 1 and the only consistent guy in the pen. With the high value placed on closers and Jenks relatively small salary, you could get a very good return for him. That being said, i don't trade him unless it's a completely mind-blowing offer. The Mets an Braves come to mind as teams that need a closer. How about a blockbuster with Jenks and Beltran,Reyes,or Wright, being the main cogs.

[Princess Dye]

if it's surprise or "shocking" deal,i don't think it's any deal involving PK,Javy, or JD. Everyone thinks they'll shopped around. I would guess it would be shopping Jenks around. The guys has been lights out from day 1 and the only consistent guy in the pen. With the high value placed on closers and Jenks relatively small salary, you could get a very good return for him. That being said, i don't trade him unless it's a completely mind-blowing offer. The Mets an Braves come to mind as teams that need a closer. How about a blockbuster with Jenks and Beltran,Reyes,or Wright, being the main cogs.

 

I've always felt now's the perfect time to move Jenks at highest value.

 

It's true that we could be hurt by it in the short term, but it's possible a Jenks move lands you a legit slightly disgruntled star undeservingly.

[scenario]

I think the odds of us trading Jenks are somewhere between zero and none.

 

[WilliamTell]

I think the odds of us trading Jenks are somewhere between zero and none.

 

I was thinking nada and zilch, but I could believe zero and none.

[chisoxt]

Lol, what a load of BS!

 

If there is one thing I absolutely despise, it's people complaining about production from certain players because of the position they play. The position a player plays should not determine their numbers, but rather what spot in the lineup they bat. Figgins played third base, but he was a leadoff hitter. Leadoff hitters aren't supposed to be big huge power hitters. But because he played 3B he needs to put up huge power numbers? My god, how stupid can you be if you believe that?

 

You are correct in that if you can offset the production form other positions ie, shortstop centerfield, where you play in the field doesn't matter. Good catch. Production aside, Figgins is getting older, is slowing down and frankly seems to the type of older verteran guy who is on the right side of the 'bell curve' that Kenny seems to fall in love with.

 

Per Jim Margulus' Sox Machine Blog from yesterday..."He (Figgins) saw a sizable increase in walks (62 from 51, plus three HBPs), but managed a Jerry Owens-like 16 extra-base hits over 520 plate appearances. Add those with a third straight year of decline with regards to his stolen base total (34-for-47), and there's one very obvious conclusion:

 

Figgins is getting old.

 

There are two general trends about ballplayers as they age:

 

The legs are the first to go.

They become more selective because they can't cover the plate like they used to.

He'll be 31 next season. He was hampered by a bad right hamstring for about a month, so there's a chance he could rebound, but these are warning signs worth paying attention to.

 

On the other hand, this makes him an excellent candidate to acquire for only a year. His contract expires at the end of the '09 season"......

 

[Buehrle>Wood]

Per Jim Margulus' Sox Machine Blog from yesterday..."He (Figgins) saw a sizable increase in walks (62 from 51, plus three HBPs), but managed a Jerry Owens-like 16 extra-base hits over 520 plate appearances.

 

Nothing wrong with that.

[witesoxfan]

at the price of Paul Konerko, Chone Figgins is icky.

 

That is all.

[DukeNukeEm]

Want a surprise?

 

Gavin Floyd (SP) and Josh Fields (3B) for Chone Figgins (3B/2B/OF), Sean Rodriguez (2B), Anthony Ortega (SP) and Rafeal Rodriguez (RP)

[joeynach]

You are correct in that if you can offset the production form other positions ie, shortstop centerfield, where you play in the field doesn't matter. Good catch. Production aside, Figgins is getting older, is slowing down and frankly seems to the type of older verteran guy who is on the right side of the 'bell curve' that Kenny seems to fall in love with.

 

Per Jim Margulus' Sox Machine Blog from yesterday..."He (Figgins) saw a sizable increase in walks (62 from 51, plus three HBPs), but managed a Jerry Owens-like 16 extra-base hits over 520 plate appearances. Add those with a third straight year of decline with regards to his stolen base total (34-for-47), and there's one very obvious conclusion:

 

Figgins is getting old.

 

There are two general trends about ballplayers as they age:

 

The legs are the first to go.

They become more selective because they can't cover the plate like they used to.

He'll be 31 next season. He was hampered by a bad right hamstring for about a month, so there's a chance he could rebound, but these are warning signs worth paying attention to.

 

On the other hand, this makes him an excellent candidate to acquire for only a year. His contract expires at the end of the '09 season"......

 

Figgins is getting old, and Paulie is already old. What is wrong with trading aging player for aging player. No one is essentially getting robbed.

[witesoxfan]

In the right circumstance, I would trade Paulie to the Angels. That would mean Morales coming back, because as hopeful as I am for Swisher returning to decency next season, I do not want him as the 1Bman (though LF would be just fine by me).

 

The only "bold" prediction I will make, and I emphasize bold because I don't think it really is that bold, is that one of Konerko and Dye is dealt for pitching and perhaps a hitting prospect of some type (I don't have anything brewed up in my head, just a thought) or that Swisher is included in a package for a better player, which I think would be a shame but something that, at this point, you can't really be opposed to. As nice as Swisher's contract is - paging Dick Allen - it's too expensive to be sitting on the bench as an OF/1B so you either need to make room in the lineup for him somehow or you should trade him. It is nice to have that insurance policy on the bench, but that's an insurance policy that's more expensive than Juan Uribe was last year, is signed to a longer term deal, has had success in the past (so there is some precedent for value), and has never proven to be able to produce consistently while coming off the bench, which Juan Uribe has done.

 

You shouldn't force any moves, and it would suck to trade Swisher at an incredibly low value, but what has to be done in any manner is what has to be done.

[chisox2334]

the more and more you hear about konerko to angels the more likely wont happened.

[Chisoxfn]

Want a surprise?

 

Gavin Floyd (SP) and Josh Fields (3B) for Chone Figgins (3B/2B/OF), Sean Rodriguez (2B), Anthony Ortega (SP) and Rafeal Rodriguez (RP)

Don't ever bring up the name Sean Rodriguez. He makes Brian Anderson look like Babe Ruth at the plate. And there ain't a chance in hell I'm trading Floyd without getting another young potential front of the rotation starter in return.

[Chisoxfn]

32 is old? Really?

 

The worst thing in baseball is an aging speedster. Figgins hasn't been able to stay fully healthy for the last two years, and his lack of extra base hits are troubling.

 

With that said, he is a very good fit for this club. That doesn't mean you have to overpay for him, which Konerko would be.

He's an excellent fit for the club but will be pricey. I'd consider a Morales/Figgins for Konerko swap solely because I like Morales more than almost anyone (aside from Cubano). I'm convinced with consistent playing time you are talking about a .300 hitter with an above average OBP and 20 hr's. Sure it isn't the typical production of a first baseman but it would be a nice bat from the left side of the lineup.

 

I just don't think Figgins is the player he was a couple years back. He's had some injury problems the past couple of years and will lose a lot of his value as he continues to slow (plus aging speedsters become more and more prone to further injuries).

[Chisoxfn]

In the right circumstance, I would trade Paulie to the Angels. That would mean Morales coming back, because as hopeful as I am for Swisher returning to decency next season, I do not want him as the 1Bman (though LF would be just fine by me).

 

The only "bold" prediction I will make, and I emphasize bold because I don't think it really is that bold, is that one of Konerko and Dye is dealt for pitching and perhaps a hitting prospect of some type (I don't have anything brewed up in my head, just a thought) or that Swisher is included in a package for a better player, which I think would be a shame but something that, at this point, you can't really be opposed to. As nice as Swisher's contract is - paging Dick Allen - it's too expensive to be sitting on the bench as an OF/1B so you either need to make room in the lineup for him somehow or you should trade him. It is nice to have that insurance policy on the bench, but that's an insurance policy that's more expensive than Juan Uribe was last year, is signed to a longer term deal, has had success in the past (so there is some precedent for value), and has never proven to be able to produce consistently while coming off the bench, which Juan Uribe has done.

 

You shouldn't force any moves, and it would suck to trade Swisher at an incredibly low value, but what has to be done in any manner is what has to be done.

I realize the benefit of keeping Swisher around hoping that he will come closer to his prior production but the reality is this guy doesn't hit over .260 and that is just bad news. Sure it would be acceptable if he hit for 35+ Hr's and posted a ridiculous OBP (which he typcially does) but when you already have a team that struggles to hit for a high average it's just a bad bad idea. Swisher needs to go, imo. I don't expect him to come close to playing as s***ty as he did last year but he just isn't a good fit on this team (especially now that Ramirez/Quentin have established themselves).

[DukeNukeEm]

Don't ever bring up the name Sean Rodriguez. He makes Brian Anderson look like Babe Ruth at the plate. And there ain't a chance in hell I'm trading Floyd without getting another young potential front of the rotation starter in return.

I think now is the time to trade Floyd, hes value is ridiculously high and we could get a team to absolutely shell out to get him.

 

I, of course, wouldn't mind keeping him but we could great value in return. Floyd isn't Konerko, Thome, Vaz or Dye, he's got real value that can make your team much better.