Sox Sign 2B Jayson Nix

[Texsox]

If Nix is in the White Sox plans, KW is crazier than Ozzie. All your scouting reports are from 2004. That's 5 seasons ago. He hasn't been a Rockies top 10 prospect for 3 years. He's a guy who has some ability and an outside chance to be a bench player. I wouldn't read anything more into this than that. Amazing how much excitement another all or nothing hitter who hasn't proven squat gets around here. He's a strikeout machine.

 

what he said

[fathom]

If Nix is in the White Sox plans, KW is crazier than Ozzie. All your scouting reports are from 2004. That's 5 seasons ago. He hasn't been a Rockies top 10 prospect for 3 years. He's a guy who has some ability and an outside chance to be a bench player. I wouldn't read anything more into this than that. Amazing how much excitement another all or nothing hitter who hasn't proven squat gets around here. He's a strikeout machine.

 

Yep, he's nothing more than a AAAA player. No way we go into next season with a Getz/Nix platoon.

[Dick Allen]

how about we give KW the benefit of the doubt given the fact that he's done this over and over and over and every time people rip the decision and then we get CQ, Lexi, Loaiza, Thornton, Jenks, etc

I'm not ripping him. I'm saying he didn't sign this guy with the thought that he's anything but minor league fodder. Keep in mind his team had a batting average of .290 and an OPS of .814. He's also acquired guys like Erstad, Horacio Ramirez, Bukvich, Toby Hall. Not everything he touches turns to gold. He's had some big hits, I'll give him that. KW has signed plenty of minor league FA to play in Charlotte. This guy was a minor leaguer who was released. I think KW is aiming a little higher than this.

Edited October 28, 2008 by Dick Allen

[DukeNukeEm]

That is a huge negative then. I cannot imagine that getting fixed here.

The way I figure if that becomes the issue that holds him back this signing has worked out really well.

Edited October 28, 2008 by DukeNukeEm

[beautox]

how about we give KW the benefit of the doubt given the fact that he's done this over and over and over and every time people rip the decision and then we get CQ, Lexi, Loaiza, Thornton, Jenks, etc

 

dont forget floyd

[chisox2334]

trash kenny now for picking some up who go cut off 40 man roster of rockies. Of course everyone knows results this guy will bring in future as well

[Dick Allen]

Who trashed Kenny?

[ThunderBolt]

The kid's K to BB ratio and OBP is a bit worrysome, but in the minors his defense has improved every year, and he averages about 13 hrs and 58 RBIS in 130 games with a stolen bases sucess rate of 72%. There's potential for a platoon between him and Getz assuming a better option can't be found.

Edited October 28, 2008 by Thunderbolt

[Reddy]

I'm not ripping him. I'm saying he didn't sign this guy with the thought that he's anything but minor league fodder. Keep in mind his team had a batting average of .290 and an OPS of .814. He's also acquired guys like Erstad, Horacio Ramirez, Bukvich, Toby Hall. Not everything he touches turns to gold. He's had some big hits, I'll give him that. KW has signed plenty of minor league FA to play in Charlotte. This guy was a minor leaguer who was released. I think KW is aiming a little higher than this.

oh yeah, i mean obviously the idea is that he's a minor leaguer who gets invited to camp to see if there's anything there - but we've had those before that have turned out really well.

[Fantl916]

I see this as Kenny grabbing insurance for what the Sox probably see as Getz's role next year: bench infielder. This allows us to deal Getz without really feeling like we have no viable options to replace him in his role, or have another guy if Getz struggles. Overall a sound signing by KW

 

I also think this could be a strong precursor to a Brian Roberts deal, or a deal for another middle infielder. I don't think the Orioles will have any legit options at 2b and I assume they would want Getz to be a possible replacement if a deal was to go down. Then again i am probably reading too far in to this...

Edited October 29, 2008 by Fantl916

[bigruss]

I see no problem with this, its low risk, high reward. If anything, hes down at Charlotte. Best case scenario, he gets comfortable with the team and lives up to the past hype he had and comes out in a season kindof like a Ryan Ludwick guy (Im not comparing them really, jsut saying he could have a breakout year, how do you know for certain that he cant or wont at this point? Its baseball, anything can really happen, and so can us trading for a big time shortstop or secondbasemen to make it even less likely that Nix actually makes the team, but right now hes a cheap, possibly good pickup for us).

[witesoxfan]

I'm surprised more people weren't this excited over Brad Eldred last offseason.

[Reddy]

I'm surprised more people weren't this excited over Brad Eldred last offseason.

because it's the first interesting thing to happen. and we're bored.

[witesoxfan]

because it's the first interesting thing to happen. and we're bored.

 

When I think of interesting, I generally think of different things than a guy who hit .125 for the Rockies.

 

The boredom I understand though.

[caulfield12]

I doubt there are many teams out there willing to go with Chris Getz as their #1 or even 1A option as a starter going into Spring Training.

 

Prospects/Suspects

23...Marcus Sanders (SFG) coming off injury

23...Chris Nelson (Rockies) very, very low OPS in minors, once considered a premiere prospect

24...Joel Guzman (Rays) at 3B now, came up as SS, could he also play 2B, like Iwamura did with Longoria taking over there?

24...Joaquin Arias (Rangers)

24...Cliff Pennington (A's) Will take Crosby's spot???

24...Brandon Wood (Angels) Would the Angels give up on him this quickly?

25...Brent Lillibridge (Braves)

25...Sergio Santos (Twins)...once considered a star, Twins will never give him to us, unless he's released outright

26...Jayson Nix (Rockies)...a possible KW target???

 

It's obvious (I posted this already) that he was a possibility, because he was once talented/hyped 2B/SS prospect. In fact, because he's a former SS, that gives him a leg up probably...and the fact that KW is probably thinking that if Getz is only a .650 OPS guy, maybe he can somehow get a higher number from Nix as a stopgap measure.

 

At least we have some insurance and additional depth now.

 

As far as KW's record with these kinds of moves, we've had our fair share of Julio Ramirezes and D'Angelo Jimenezes, but that's the nature of being a GM

 

When you go after talented but "unfulfilled potential" guys like Quentin, Jenks or Thornton, it's a lot of hit and miss....but KW and his scouts have been really superb in this kind of "under the radar" acquisition. Alexei Ramirez comes to mind. A couple of spring trainings ago, we auditioned about 8 left-handers with talent/ability and yet none of them had the impact we were looking for.

 

We didn't have much luck with the likes of Aardsma and Sisco, two more former high draft picks.

 

When you look at the core of this team, it's amazing how we acquired each one of them, really. You can add Buehrle as a marginal/low draft pick, along with the Floyd/Garcia deal and Danks/McCarthy...of our arguably top 7 younger "core players" (not counting Konerko or Dye), we gave up little or nothing for most of them. If you want to add Dye and AJ, those deals didn't involve us giving up anything in terms of talent.

 

Quentin...stolen, essentially

Jenks...stolen

Ramirez...has signed what currently looks like the best contract in baseball (to Sox fans)

Thornton...for Joe Borchard

Floyd...another "steal"

Danks...even if McCarthy comes close to 2005 form, we would seem to have the second best lefty in the AL to Clifford Lee

Buehrle...38th round draft pick and signed for a pittance

Dye and AJ=FA

 

That's the MAIN reason why KW still has not only a job, but partially why he won a WS ring...those first six names on the list, and Dye/AJ.

 

If you wanted to make a more complete list of great KW "under the radar" moves, you'd have to include Tadahito Iguchi, Dustin Hermanson, Neal Cotts and Cliff Politte (for one year each, but how sweet it was) and I'll stretch it to include El Duque (for that one inning in BOS, maybe a so-so deal financially) and Vizcaino. Although he foundered in late 2005, but Marte for Guerrier (the original move with the Pirates) was a great move for the better part of three seasons as well. (Note, I won't include Pods because we gave up so much to get him and his body broke down...but another sound thought...and not such bad results for four months and one post-season AB!)

Edited October 29, 2008 by caulfield12

[GoodAsGould]

Well assuming another 2B isnt brought in whether through trade or f/a it probably will be an open battle between Nix/Getz. I think both can be effective players, always was a fan of his brother laynce nix even though he seemingly isnt ever going to be a starter.

Edited October 29, 2008 by SoxFan101

[witesoxfan]

I'm just going to say very quickly that I don't understand how Gavin Floyd was "stolen." He had fallen out of favor in Philadelphia and was included with a talented pitcher who had stunk in AA the year before for a pitcher who had thrown 200+ innings the previous 6 years, had World Series experience, and was coming off a solid season. Perhaps KW knew he was injured and he dealt him for chump change, but that's more than a bit unethical as it is. KW traded Freddy Garcia for the best package he felt he had on the table, and Gavin Floyd was a highly valued commodity coming back to the White Sox.

 

Carlos Quentin and Bobby Jenks were stolen much moreso than Gavin Floyd was. The Sox gave up an A-ball slugger and a 40-man roster spot respectively for the aforementioned; compare that with a guy who helped the White Sox win a World Series. You tell me who was more stolen.

[GoodAsGould]

I'm just going to say very quickly that I don't understand how Gavin Floyd was "stolen." He had fallen out of favor in Philadelphia and was included with a talented pitcher who had stunk in AA the year before for a pitcher who had thrown 200+ innings the previous 6 years, had World Series experience, and was coming off a solid season. Perhaps KW knew he was injured and he dealt him for chump change, but that's more than a bit unethical as it is. KW traded Freddy Garcia for the best package he felt he had on the table, and Gavin Floyd was a highly valued commodity coming back to the White Sox.

 

Carlos Quentin and Bobby Jenks were stolen much moreso than Gavin Floyd was. The Sox gave up an A-ball slugger and a 40-man roster spot respectively for the aforementioned; compare that with a guy who helped the White Sox win a World Series. You tell me who was more stolen.

 

Lol why are you letting such a small thing bug you? I think what people mean is most people thought Gio was the main piece of that trade while Floyd more of a throw in, and Floyd turned out fullfilling his potential this season. End of the day, we got a good starter for a junk pitcher... and anyone watching Garcia that season especially at the end knew he was throwing junk.

[caulfield12]

Simply because of his contract (which KW didn't want to pay the "junkballer" Freddy)...and the way he was throwing down the stretch in 2006.

 

Yes, I remember the game against the Angels in Anaheim (meaningless at that point) and maybe the Twins as well, they might have been what allowed us to trade him more easily...as other GM's were positing the theory he could pitch as a finesse guy and not the 93-96 MPH power pitcher he was in the early 00's with the Mariners.

 

I guess it's easy to be revisionist with Gio...he was/has been included in lists of the Top 50-75 prospects in the game...and he's been hyped anywhere ranging from Arnie Munoz with a better fastball to better than Barry Zito in his prime...but I still think it will go down as quite a "steal" for KW.

 

Things change over time, of course...in the long-term, Miguel Olivo for Chad Bradford doesn't look quite so bad (as in the M. Lewis book) because Olivo was flipped (along with Reed and Morse, but a key part of that puzzle, Part 1A with Reed) to give us one of the key pitchers who led us to the World Series title.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove06/c...&id=2689429

 

To look at a review of that trade, this is a good one by Jayson Stark.

 

 

[sircaffey]

In 2007, Sky Sox coach Carney Lansford called Nix's defense the "best I've ever seen at second base, hands down."

[chisox2334]

looking at the 2b market, theirs not much the white sox can do. I dont expect W sox go all out for Hudson. After that, theirs not much there. 3B and fifth starter should be more important

[knightni]

Speed in CF is #1. Speed at 2b or SS is 2nd.

[whitesoxfan101]

This is a classic KW low risk, high reward move. Regardless of it's outcome, I like the thought behind it.

[knightni]

I'd like to see Alexei try the leadoff spot in Spring Training.

 

 

 

 

[witesoxfan]

I'd like to see Alexei try the leadoff spot in Spring Training.

 

I think his production is much more valuable lower in the order. I have no problem with guys that get on at a .330 or .340 clip that hit for damn good power, ala Reyes or Rollins, but Alexei hasn't even shown that amount of patience at the plate. To me, he's a good #2 or #6 hitter, and I really don't think I'd put him anywhere else.