JR: We've Already Signed our Free Agent, Jake Peavy

[Balta1701]

You are probably right that this is their plan.....if so then a trade of prospects is all but assured.

 

If not then we're looking at a big Pods/Thome/Flowers/Kotsay stew.

I have no problem with that show...except I'm not sure I like the Pods part. For once we're actually too left handed if we bring back Thome and also have Teahen in the lineup. Although I just can't figure out who else would lead off.

[spiderman]

you forgot carrasco, he will be on the team and deservedly so.

 

Thanks for the correction, I knew I was missing somebody.

[spiderman]

Trading for Peavy and picking up Rios and then not goign for it all this year...that strikes me as a poor plan. This rotation...you get into the playoffs and you could have 4 straight guys pitch CG Shutouts. We've got the fancy rotation, let's ride it before people get hurt or before they hit FA.

 

I understand your point, but I also look at the club and don't see any glaring holes outside of a lead-off hitter. I'd love to upgrade at several positions, but the guys we have (for example, Paul Konerko) are competent enough that it's not easy to make wholesale changes. I do really hope they find a way to add another big bat to the middle of that lineup though because I do think that lineup needs to get better as opposed to staying about the same as last year.

[almagest]

You get into the playoffs and you could have 4 straight guys pitch CG Shutouts.

We basically already did that. Sure would be nice to see it again, though.

[Balta1701]

I understand your point, but I also look at the club and don't see any glaring holes outside of a lead-off hitter. I'd love to upgrade at several positions, but the guys we have (for example, Paul Konerko) are competent enough that it's not easy to make wholesale changes. I do really hope they find a way to add another big bat to the middle of that lineup though because I do think that lineup needs to get better as opposed to staying about the same as last year.

There's reason for some hope. If Quentin is healthy for a good chunk of the year, that's a monster bat that we just didn't have last year. Rios is another prime candidate to be a big time upgrade. We get Beckham the full year, and hopefully avoid the sophomore slump. Alexei needs to avoid the 2 months of forgetting how to hit a breaking ball, but he could also be better. Teahen has a lot of upside, but if nothing else even if all he does is put up what he did last year, we get more offense out of him than we did from Getz/Fields.

 

Yeah, not all of these are likely to happen. AJ probably will be down from last season, and who knows if PK can stay healthy and consistent this year. We absolutely need to fill the RF and DH slots with someone competent. If we can do that and figure out who leads off, then this team could be in better shape offensively than we think.

[Balta1701]

We basically already did that. Sure would be nice to see it again, though.

Those guys gave up runs. I'm not sure that this group would.

[Princess Dye]

I have this feeling KW wants to turn the leadoff keys over to Beckham.

 

Anyone of consequence you'd bring in costs you money.

 

Bringing back Pods costs you a power position, costs you defense (unless he's DH).

 

 

The way I see this offseason.......if we dont bring back Thome, we will likely make up for his power from last year with the Rios and Teahan acquisitions. 35 dingers from those two incoming....they replace the powerless Getz/BA

 

I'm kind of intrigued by Thome and Kotsay being here though. That way you're making up for Dye's power as well. Kotsay improves the OF defense. We'd kill righties....... Factor in a full year of Beckham XBHs and CQ power (we hope).

 

The pursuit of AGon tells us that KW is ready to go back to bashing HRs

Edited November 19, 2009 by Princess Dye

[thedoctor]

not surprising. kw essentially said the same thing weeks ago.

 

non-story, imo. there will be moves made, they just won't be big-time fa deals.

[GreatScott82]

This is no secret. . still a nice read. Most of the moves KW will make this winter will be via trade. The last time the Sox went on a free agency signing frenzy was the offseason before the 05 campaign when they signed Iguchi, El-duque, AJ, Hermanson, and JD. KW had more flexibility when he traded away Carlos Lee's contract. If KW trades Konerko or Jenks- he will have alittle more flexibility to the fill some of the holes via free agency.

[Steve9347]

Oh, to be able to take back the Rios claim.

[spiderman]

There's reason for some hope. If Quentin is healthy for a good chunk of the year, that's a monster bat that we just didn't have last year. Rios is another prime candidate to be a big time upgrade. We get Beckham the full year, and hopefully avoid the sophomore slump. Alexei needs to avoid the 2 months of forgetting how to hit a breaking ball, but he could also be better. Teahen has a lot of upside, but if nothing else even if all he does is put up what he did last year, we get more offense out of him than we did from Getz/Fields.

 

Yeah, not all of these are likely to happen. AJ probably will be down from last season, and who knows if PK can stay healthy and consistent this year. We absolutely need to fill the RF and DH slots with someone competent. If we can do that and figure out who leads off, then this team could be in better shape offensively than we think.

 

I agree that we could see internal improvements just from full and/or healthy seasons from Carlos Quentin and Gordon Beckham. I really hope that Rios can hit for his career numbers. That's really a key. He looks like a guy whose game should come easy to him, but the results weren't there.

 

Still, even with guarded optimism that a guy like Quentin or Rios can get their numbers up, I'd feel much better (obviously) having one guy that we can trust in the middle of that lineup.

[spiderman]

This is no secret. . still a nice read. Most of the moves KW will make this winter will be via trade. The last time the Sox went on a free agency signing frenzy was the offseason before the 05 campaign when they signed Iguchi, El-duque, AJ, Hermanson, and JD. KW had more flexibility when he traded away Carlos Lee's contract. If KW trades Konerko or Jenks- he will have alittle more flexibility to the fill some of the holes via free agency.

 

Agreed that a trade is the avenue to make the most significant move. That's why I think Jenks will be moved. I think they will sign a free agent or two, but Kenny won't overpay.

[greg775]

"As we stand right now, there's not anything obvious we need other than perhaps another left-handed hitter to put in our lineup," Williams said. "Whether that guy is a power guy or another on-base percentage, speed guy or some combination of both ... I don't know what's going to be available."

 

Kenny's quote makes me wonder what he thinks our record will be if the season started tomorrow.

Do we magically become a division champ and WS contender just because of Peavy, Teahen and Hudson being added and Dye, Thome off the team? If we have no glaring holes in the GM's mind, I would think he'd get rid of Ozzie if we play slightly below .500 ball again as next season plods along.

The way Jerry and KW talk, we've got all the talent we need. So we better be way better than a .500 team or it's somebody's fault.

 

I prefer to say they've overrated our talent, including bullpen and lineup's ability to produce runs. But they are paid to judge talent and they think it's great, so let's see it in the W-L column, Kenny and Oz.

Edited November 19, 2009 by greg775

[spiderman]

Kenny's quote makes me wonder what he thinks our record will be if the season started tomorrow.

Do we magically become a division champ and WS contender just because of Peavy, Teahen and Hudson being added and Dye, Thome off the team? If we have no glaring holes in the GM's mind, I would think he'd get rid of Ozzie if we play slightly below .500 ball again as next season plods along.

The way Jerry and KW talk, we've got all the talent we need. So we better be way better than a .500 team or it's somebody's fault.

 

I prefer to say they've overrated our talent, including bullpen and lineup's ability to produce runs. But they are paid to judge talent and they think it's great, so let's see it in the W-L column, Kenny and Oz.

 

I do agree with Williams that the Sox don't have any positions, outside of LF/DH where we don't really have a proven player at. Now, Kenny may be expecting more out of the guys that most fans are, but I don't think it's unfair to expect at least avarage production from C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, CF, RF/LF (depending on where Quentin is), and better than average production at a few spots.

 

I also believe, if the Sox do nothing else, they are still the divisional favorites entering next season based on their starting rotation, but I agree with you that the lineup's ability to consistently produce runs is my biggest concern.

 

[Ranger]

I'd like to think that without the Thome-PK-Dye trio in the middle of the order, the offensive mindset of the guys playing will have to change. To me, having those three guys when they were killing it (2006) was about as good as it could possibly get in the heart of any batting order. The problem is that if even one of those guys begins to disappear (2007, 2008, 2009), the players' mindset doesn't change because they've been used to it a certain way: the rest of the lineup is still waiting on those big boys to get it done, even though one or two of them is struggling. So, essentially, the team will go through stretches where they're waiting on a black hole to drive in their runs. That leads to a LOT of low-scoring games.

 

I know a lot of fans hate the heavy reliance on the HR, but if you can ever have a 3-4-5 and good as those three guys were in '06, you'd be insane not to be happy with that. Now, since it's going to be nearly impossible to duplicate that again, I'm hoping next year's offense is more versatile and 6 guys aren't always waiting on the other 3 to do the heavy-lifting.

 

Teahen was on the show with us this past Saturday (excuse the plug, but here's the link if you want to hear) and I asked him about the approach playing in the Cell and how players are affected subconsciously because of the tendency to be HR-friendly. And he said something telling, I think, that when he was with KC, they viewed the Sox players as waiting for the guys in the middle of the order to hit the HR. I'm wondering if maybe without that "safety net" for the other guys, if the offense as a whole will do a better job of working together to score runs instead of relying on 2 or 3 guys to do all the work.

 

Obviously, I'd rather have 4 badasses in the middle of the order that I know are going to rake every night, but there is more than one way to have a decent offense. And when it comes down to it, presumably with this rotation, the Sox don't have to have a top 5 offense...they just can't afford to have a bottom 5 offense.

[soxfan-kwman]

That makes me feel like we can forget about an Adrian Gonzalez/Carl Crawford/Nick Johnson/Adam Dunn pipe dream. Now I know we can make some trades, but wouldn't we have to replace the people we trade with free agents? I got a feeling our line up looks something like this in 2010:

 

Pods

Beckham

Quentin

Konerko

Thome

AJP

Alexei

Teahen

Rios

 

With Kotsay as a sub for 1st Base & outfield, we will lose the log jam with only 2 slow guys on the bases. The line-up I don't think will work, you should probaly seperate Paulie & Thome. Ozzie also said Rios will move up in the lineup next year. I guessing the line-up will look more like this.

Pods

Beckham

Quentin

Konerko

AJP

Rios

Thome

Alexei

Teahen

[knightni]

Ranger, why don't you get an avatar?

 

How about the Skanberg PH7 picture?

 

 

[Balta1701]

[thedoctor]

Kenny's quote makes me wonder what he thinks our record will be if the season started tomorrow.

Do we magically become a division champ and WS contender just because of Peavy, Teahen and Hudson being added and Dye, Thome off the team? If we have no glaring holes in the GM's mind, I would think he'd get rid of Ozzie if we play slightly below .500 ball again as next season plods along.

The way Jerry and KW talk, we've got all the talent we need. So we better be way better than a .500 team or it's somebody's fault.

 

I prefer to say they've overrated our talent, including bullpen and lineup's ability to produce runs. But they are paid to judge talent and they think it's great, so let's see it in the W-L column, Kenny and Oz.

 

i tend to think people shouldn't take every word that comes out of kw's mouth as gospel.

[knightni]

It's a red X, Balta.

[thedoctor]

I'd like to think that without the Thome-PK-Dye trio in the middle of the order, the offensive mindset of the guys playing will have to change. To me, having those three guys when they were killing it (2006) was about as good as it could possibly get in the heart of any batting order. The problem is that if even one of those guys begins to disappear (2007, 2008, 2009), the players' mindset doesn't change because they've been used to it a certain way: the rest of the lineup is still waiting on those big boys to get it done, even though one or two of them is struggling. So, essentially, the team will go through stretches where they're waiting on a black hole to drive in their runs. That leads to a LOT of low-scoring games.

 

I know a lot of fans hate the heavy reliance on the HR, but if you can ever have a 3-4-5 and good as those three guys were in '06, you'd be insane not to be happy with that. Now, since it's going to be nearly impossible to duplicate that again, I'm hoping next year's offense is more versatile and 6 guys aren't always waiting on the other 3 to do the heavy-lifting.

 

Teahen was on the show with us this past Saturday (excuse the plug, but here's the link if you want to hear) and I asked him about the approach playing in the Cell and how players are affected subconsciously because of the tendency to be HR-friendly. And he said something telling, I think, that when he was with KC, they viewed the Sox players as waiting for the guys in the middle of the order to hit the HR. I'm wondering if maybe without that "safety net" for the other guys, if the offense as a whole will do a better job of working together to score runs instead of relying on 2 or 3 guys to do all the work.

 

Obviously, I'd rather have 4 badasses in the middle of the order that I know are going to rake every night, but there is more than one way to have a decent offense. And when it comes down to it, presumably with this rotation, the Sox don't have to have a top 5 offense...they just can't afford to have a bottom 5 offense.

 

and welcome aboard, chris. no need to apologize for promoting your stuff. there's a little shameless self-promoter in all of us.

[SoxAce]

Ranger, why don't you get an avatar?

 

How about the Skanberg PH7 picture?

 

Sounds like a plan for Chris. Hell Brandon McCarthy (and his mother) and Jim Bullard had avatars when they used to post here I believe. Neal Cotts and others too.

[Ranger]

Ranger, why don't you get an avatar?

 

How about the Skanberg PH7 picture?

 

 

Sounds like a plan for Chris. Hell Brandon McCarthy (and his mother) and Jim Bullard had avatars when they used to post here I believe. Neal Cotts and others too.

 

 

Never figured out the avatar thing. Too lazy.

[knightni]

Never figured out the avatar thing. Too lazy.

I can help, if you like.

[Balta1701]

It's a red X, Balta.

Shows up fine on mine.