Swish Traded to the Yankees

[Wanne]

As a whole, Swisher was a more effective player than Uribe last year.

 

As a whole....no...he wasn't.

[ThunderBolt]

guess Pauly's not going anywhere.

 

so now the question is... with Swish and Dye gone, who the heck is in the outfield besides CQ?

What happened to Dye? Did he die or get traded, and i didn't know about it?

[Dick Allen]

For any trade to be compared to the Carlos Lee deal proves it was terrible.

 

I wouldn't expect a starting pitcher through FA, nor would I want one. We're better off holding on Vazquez and plugging Richard into the lineup.

 

You're going to be disappointed if you believe all the money from Crede/Uribe/Swishers departure will be used for FA. Does anyone know how much our payroll is increasing over last season? A significant portion of that money may go towards the raises of players currently on the ballclub.

Dye, Konerko, Vazquez, Buerhle, Contreras, all will make about the same amount of cash. The only players getting fairly big bumps will be Thome, if Philadelphia isn't eating some more contract and Jenks. Everyone else is relatively minor.

 

Swisher $5 million

Uribe $4.5 million

Crede $5 million

Hall $2 million

Cabrera $9 million

 

Thats $25 million. Considering they were willing to bust the budget for Torii Hunter, there should be plenty of money to play with.

[Felix]

Swisher's .595 road OPS was stellar. I can't understand why the White Sox would want to get out of the $22 million he's owed the next 3 years.

What part of abnormally bad year don't you understand? It's very, very unlikely that he would be as bad as he was last year again, and considering the fact he has a good track record, is still young, and isn't making a ridiculous amount of money, it would make sense to take a risk on him again. Sure, have an insurance plan, but to completely trade him for a bunch of average players is a joke considering the package KW gave up to get him last offseason.

 

As a whole....no...he wasn't.

You're right. Swisher's higher OPS and VORP mean nothing. Juan was grittier!

[Reddy]

What happened to Dye? Did he die or get traded, and i didn't know about it?

i'm just assuming he will be. one of the big 3 is, and Pauly's not... that leaves Thome and Dye. And they're shopping Dye heavily

[Reddy]

all you guys who are happy swish is gone are just messed up. last year was a fluke. he's going to be good next year. is wilson betemit seriously better? that's not even a question.

[MurcieOne]

I like the idea, KW seemingly wants to reformat this lineup over the next couple years.... I'm just surprised that Swish had such little value.

[Wanne]

Dye, Konerko, Vazquez, Buerhle, Contreras, all will make about the same amount of cash. The only players getting fairly big bumps will be Thome, if Philadelphia isn't eating some more contract and Jenks. Everyone else is relatively minor.

 

Swisher $5 million

Uribe $4.5 million

Crede $5 million

Hall $2 million

Cabrera $9 million

 

Thats $25 million. Considering they were willing to bust the budget for Torii Hunter, there should be plenty of money to play with.

 

And if they trade Javy or Paulie...that's a boatload to play with.

Teixeira anyone?!?.......

 

Javy to the Mets.

Paulie to the Halos.

Sign Teixeira!!!!

 

I can dream.

[Dick Allen]

-Dotel goes from 5Mil to 6Mil next season.

-Linebrink goes from 4 to 4.5 next season

-MacDougal jumps from 1.95 to 2.65

-Thornton jumps from 875K to 1.325

 

-AJ jumps from 5.85 to 6.25

-Lexi goes from 950K to 1.1 next season.(There are also bonuses in his deal, which I'm sure he met a bunch of them)

-JD jumps from 9.5 to 11.5

That's about $6.5 million. Quentin will get a few more dollars, but there is money to add players, and KW will probably still trade one or two or three who are making money. Also, a couple of home playoff games adds a little cash in the coffer.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Dick Allen

[Wanne]

-MacDougal jumps from 1.95 to 2.65

 

Urrrrrrrrrrrgh! What a waste of coin!

[Wanne]

What part of abnormally bad year don't you understand? It's very, very unlikely that he would be as bad as he was last year again, and considering the fact he has a good track record, is still young, and isn't making a ridiculous amount of money, it would make sense to take a risk on him again. Sure, have an insurance plan, but to completely trade him for a bunch of average players is a joke considering the package KW gave up to get him last offseason.

 

 

You're right. Swisher's higher OPS and VORP mean nothing. Juan was grittier!

 

Not talking about OPS's or VORPs...I'm talking about OVERALL. Juan did an AMAZING job manning the corner the last few months.

 

I think you're in denial about Swisher. I guess you didn't follow the thread. What's been discussed about Swisher on here. Ton's of heresay on post-PED. Off field indulgences. Coaching staff couldn't stand him. Personally I think he's somewhat of a headcase too. Nice guy...sure. But his confidence level was so pathetic it completely ruined him. So good luck with that NY...

[nitetrain8601]

I'll update this when i hear anything interesting.

From the Conference call

KW likens Marquez to Garland

Sees Betemit as utility/insurance to Josh Fields

Sees Nunez in the bullpen

Attributes Nick’s struggles to being unlucky, He refers to babip. Says that Swish changed his mechanics (Walker?)leading to a mental breakdown.

Uribe is gone.

Crede is gone.

KW doesn't want background noise on his conference call Biatch!

 

Why in the world do we have guys like Walker jacking up good hitters? This is what I thought happened to AJ which is why, despite what he says, he has turned into an undisciplined hitter. Instead of spreading the ball around, his approach has changed. FIRE WALKER ALREADY!

[Dick Allen]

Daily Herald Sox beat writer Scott Gregor's take:

 

I really liked Nick Swisher during his one-year stay with the White Sox, but it was a bad fit.

Playing a game where failure occurs daily, Swisher was fine and dandy when things were going good _ mainly on a personal level.

But when he was going bad, like in April, May, July, August and September, Swisher tended to withdraw.

At the end of his one and only season on the South Side, Swisher resembled a soldier who had served one tour of duty too many, and there was no way Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was going to put him on the field.

Knowing Swisher, he's going to be outwardly pumped up about Thursday's trade to the Yankees.

Deep down, maybe Swisher knows New York is the worst place he can go.

If Swisher thinks the Chicago media and fans push the negatives too far, he hasn't seen anything yet.

The Yankees are always being poked and prodded, and the heat figures to be turned up even higher after the Bombers failed to make the playoffs this season for the first time since 1993.

Good luck in the pinstripes, Nick.

 

 

[BearSox]

Glad we got rid of Swisher, but we didn't get much in return. I like Betemit, and I think he can produce if given a chance to play everyday, and that might happen with us at 3B. I actually like his as a hitter more than Swisher.

 

Marquez has potential, as from what I read he has a pretty good sinker and a very good changeup. Nunez, I don't know anything about.

 

I mainly just wish we still had Sweeney, Gio, and DLS, but getting Betemit, Marquez, and Nunez for Swisher ain't bad, considering the money he will be due and that I think his value isn't gonna get any higher.

 

I'd just like to tell everyone I told you so about Swisher.

[BearSox]

I don't know if it's been posted already, but here's a scouting report on Marquez... I think he has a chance to be a decent starter in the league, if that scouting report is indeed accurate.

 

http://mariners.scout.com/a.z?s=318&p=2&c=347065

[Wanne]

Attributes Nick’s struggles to being unlucky, He refers to babip. Says that Swish changed his mechanics (Walker?)leading to a mental

 

 

Uhhhhhh...ok.

 

Thome even said..."Dude...THESE SHRUNK!..."

[nitetrain8601]

Not talking about OPS's or VORPs...I'm talking about OVERALL. Juan did an AMAZING job manning the corner the last few months.

 

I think you're in denial about Swisher. I guess you didn't follow the thread. What's been discussed about Swisher on here. Ton's of heresay on post-PED. Off field indulgences. Coaching staff couldn't stand him. Personally I think he's somewhat of a headcase too. Nice guy...sure. But his confidence level was so pathetic it completely ruined him. So good luck with that NY...

 

No, the sources for PED's is Soxtalk posters. There is nothing credible that links Swisher and PED's. As far as the coaching staff, they jacked him up a bit, especially Walker from what KW said. As for his off the field issues, I cannot defend that, even though I really don't know of any. I mean, I he sulked at himself when he was doing terrible, but at least he held himself accountable.

 

I'm not a huge Swisher fan like a ton of people here, nor do I hate the guy either. But you are bringing up allegations brought forth by a message board who had their own ideas. Innocent until proven guilty. I haven't heard anything other than Soxtalk even say anything about the coaching staff hating him. They benched him when he should've been benched. I never heard anyone and I mean anyone link him to PED's besides the wonderful posters of Soxtalk.

 

I'm not saying it isn't possible for all of this to be true, but I have a hard time believing it when the best source provided is a few guys from Soxtalk say, "He was probably on 'roids" when he was sucking and then running with that.

 

And I also don't think Swisher will have as terrible of a year as he did. I would be shocked.

 

As for the rest of it, I didn't like giving up Gio much less DLS and Sweeney for Swisher at all. Gio > Swisher.

[caulfield12]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/major...008/267179.html

 

My thoughts, waking up at 904 am in Thailand and missing all the excitement.

 

Nunez, as mentioned in the article, will be a key part of the bullpen and could be seen as a replacement for Dotel (if KW deals him) and insurance for Linebrink...

 

Marquez will join the likes of Richard, Poreda, DJ Carrasco, Egbert, Broadway (if not traded) in the battle for the 5th starter's job. From everything I've read, he's sort of like a cross between Slowey and Jon Garland, but we shouldn't expect too many miracles with him. It does seem like Poreda will start off in the pen, although ST could be the determining factor.

 

Betemit is two things, insurance for Fields and not signing Viciedo at 3B, insurance at SS for Ramirez (who could move back to 2B or to CF as well) and another warm body to compete with Getz/Nix at 2B, who are all basically holding the fort down while Beckham theoretically tears through the minors on the way to an August recall, or possibly earlier depending on what happens in ST. He's obviously very comfortable in AZ.

 

Looking at the article, you get the sense that KW's scouts have been waiting in the weeds to pounce on Marquez and Nunez...and here's yet another chance for Don Cooper to earn his money with both these young guys.

 

I'm not going to write off any KW trade when he acquires young pitchers with potential who are close to big league ready...it could go the way of Aardsma/Sisco or the success they've had with Matty Thornton. KW does like his former first rounders though...I think at one point, we had the most in the major leagues (Floyd and Danks are part of that group as well).

 

I'm not expecting Nunez to be like Jenks or anything like that...but let's just sit back, strap it on, and wait to see how it all plays out.

 

Obviously, this is the official death knell of the Juan Uribe years...thanks for that .400 average for 2 months when your first season, 2005 and the final two months of 2008. You won't be forgotten, Lizard.

 

Now KW goes out and brings in Taveras, CoCo Crisp, etc., to be the starting CF. I saw the name Dickerson mentioned...he also could be one to watch, although KW will want a more proven player IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

[BearSox]

I hope we at least offer arb. to Uribe. I really want that comp. pick.

[santo=dorf]

Konerko was towards the bottom as well.

True, but Konerko had a higher LD% and lower BABIP so he gets a free pass, right? ...and like Balta mentioned, he played through an injury as well.

Edited November 14, 2008 by santo=dorf

[caulfield12]

As far as offering Uribe arbitration, that could be dangerous. The whole reason we're making these moves is to clear some salary space and become more flexible and younger (although Swisher was in the prime of his career, SUPPOSEDLY). Uribe's Type B, correct? I think the risk is too high he accepts and ends up returning...and we end up paying him $4-5 million like we have the last couple of seasons, as if he's a starter. Betemit will be on our roster...90% chance that it's as the utility/supersub spot once occupied by Ozuna.

 

If we did bring back Uribe, we might have Fields, Viciedo (if he signs), Betemit, Ramirez, Getz, Beckham, Nix and Uribe...I just think he's a little redundant at this point. Maybe KW is thinking differently, but I doubt it. BUT things can and will change by the minute with KW at the helm.

 

 

Nunez, 22, has the best arm and upside of any prospect in the deal. The Yankees landed him earlier this year from the Nationals in the Alberto Gonzalez deal, and moved him from the rotation to the bullpen. He originally signed with the Dodgers in 2003 out of the Dominican Republic and came to the Nationals in a 2006 trade for Marlon Anderson. Nunez has a live arm and shows two plus pitches at times—a fastball that sits at 92-94 mph, touching 95, and a slider that he throws with some power that has inconsistent tilt. He throws from a low arm slot and was outstanding after the Yankees made what one club official termed "mechanical bad habits . . . he has much better balance now." He was 2-8, 5.22 as a starter at high Class A Potomac, but as a reliever in the Double-A Eastern League, with Harrisburg and then Trenton, he went 1-0, 1.65 in 27 innings, striking out 34, and had 116 whiffs in 108 innings overall. He had three saves and seven strikeouts in five scoreless innings in the EL playoffs.

 

Marquez, 24, endured a difficult season, getting knocked around in Triple-A before being sent back to Trenton in the second half. A 2004 supplemental first-round pick, he entered 2008 as the Yankees' No. 7 prospect but would have ranked in the 21-30 range this season had he remained a Yankee. Marquez made progress with his changeup and curve in 2007 but was back to relying almost exclusively on his 88-92 mph sinker (which can reach a bit higher) and adding a slider in '08. He's a defense-dependent, early-contact kind of pitcher who lacks a strikeout pitch. Overall, he was 8-8, 4.47 with just 51 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings. He finished strong, pitching well during Trenton's Eastern League title run, and is pitching for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League (1-2, 4.50).

 

Betemit, 27, was the Braves' top prospect in 2001-2002 but has yet to establish himself as more than a solid role player due to poor plate discipline. He played all four infield spots for the Yankees this year, hitting .265/.289/.429 with six home runs and an ugly 6-56 walk-strikeout ratio. His career ratio is 108-314 with a .260/.325/.437 line. He's a switch-hitting option at third base for the White Sox if they do not re-sign free agent Joe Crede.

 

Swisher's success in New York will be the key to the deal from New York's standpoint; Texeira is redundant in a system full of similar fastball-slider relief pitchers, such as Anthony Claggett. The White Sox hope pitching coach Don Cooper and pitching coordinator Kirk Champion can work the same magic with Marquez that they have for the likes of Gavin Floyd and John Danks and pick up a potential power arm for the '09 bullpen in Nunez.

Edited November 14, 2008 by caulfield12

[santo=dorf]

You're right. Swisher's higher OPS and VORP mean nothing. Juan was grittier!

Are you really trying to compare a utility man who lost his starting job to a guy who was shoved into CF most of the year? VORP doesn't mean much for players at defensive position because it only takes in account OPS at that position. That's why guys like Swisher and Mack in CF don't look so bad on paper. It's also the same argument people try to make how Pedroia is a better hitter than some first basemen or DH's.

[caulfield12]

No, the sources for PED's is Soxtalk posters. There is nothing credible that links Swisher and PED's. As far as the coaching staff, they jacked him up a bit, especially Walker from what KW said. As for his off the field issues, I cannot defend that, even though I really don't know of any. I mean, I he sulked at himself when he was doing terrible, but at least he held himself accountable.

 

I'm not a huge Swisher fan like a ton of people here, nor do I hate the guy either. But you are bringing up allegations brought forth by a message board who had their own ideas. Innocent until proven guilty. I haven't heard anything other than Soxtalk even say anything about the coaching staff hating him. They benched him when he should've been benched. I never heard anyone and I mean anyone link him to PED's besides the wonderful posters of Soxtalk.

 

I'm not saying it isn't possible for all of this to be true, but I have a hard time believing it when the best source provided is a few guys from Soxtalk say, "He was probably on 'roids" when he was sucking and then running with that.

 

And I also don't think Swisher will have as terrible of a year as he did. I would be shocked.

 

As for the rest of it, I didn't like giving up Gio much less DLS and Sweeney for Swisher at all. Gio > Swisher.

 

You STILL feel that way about Gio after this year, or did at THAT time?

 

Sweeney never was a good fit playing in a stadium like USCF as a corner outfielder...like Swisher, he's just not an everyday CFer on a championship-caliber team. A nice piece to have, maybe, upside is a poor man's David DeJesus, but not an impact player. Everyone keeps on waiting for that 15-18 homer power to develop and they're still waiting.

 

[BearSox]

I'm telling you guys, Sweeney's gonna break out next year with a full year of pro-ball under his belt. He might not be some super star, but he'd be a solid piece on any team. I think he'd play great D in LF for us (He could play RF with his arm, but I like my LF's to throw lefty, and my RF's to throw righty), hit around .290 or higher, not K a ton, get a lot of doubles, hit at least 15 homers (if not in the 20's), and be a very solid run producer.

[Princess Dye]

Damn, I only got one year out of my Swisher jersey, not a good financial move

 

This is why i dont buy jerseys. Gotta Cade McNown around here somewhere.