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Nick Johnson is signing a 1 year deal for 5.5M with the yankees pending a physical. How do we let him and Matsui, prime Lefty DH candidates go to other teams for so little. Neither the yanks no angels are overpaying for either of the two. Why cant the sox get those guys for a similar price, they are exactly what we need. Makes no sense.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/12/yank...ck-johnson.html

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QUOTE (joeynach @ Dec 18, 2009 -> 01:57 AM)
Nick Johnson is signing a 1 year deal for 5.5M with the yankees pending a physical. How do we let him and Matsui, prime Lefty DH candidates go to other teams for so little. Neither the yanks no angels are overpaying for either of the two. Why cant the sox get those guys for a similar price, they are exactly what we need. Makes no sense.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/12/yank...ck-johnson.html

 

I feel like we are being discriminated against.

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QUOTE (joeynach @ Dec 18, 2009 -> 01:57 AM)
Nick Johnson is signing a 1 year deal for 5.5M with the yankees pending a physical. How do we let him and Matsui, prime Lefty DH candidates go to other teams for so little. Neither the yanks no angels are overpaying for either of the two. Why cant the sox get those guys for a similar price, they are exactly what we need. Makes no sense.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/12/yank...ck-johnson.html

 

On the DH, the Sox thinking appears to be that they don't want to clog the lineup with one-dimensional players anymore. They have the DH they want in Jones/Kotsay/Vizquel which gives them more flexibility than tying the position to some softball player. If they want power from the DH spot on a given day, they play Jones. If they want to inject speed and bat-handling they can DH Vizquel.

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QUOTE (joeynach @ Dec 17, 2009 -> 11:57 PM)
Nick Johnson is signing a 1 year deal for 5.5M with the yankees pending a physical. How do we let him and Matsui, prime Lefty DH candidates go to other teams for so little. Neither the yanks no angels are overpaying for either of the two. Why cant the sox get those guys for a similar price, they are exactly what we need. Makes no sense.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/12/yank...ck-johnson.html

If the Sox spend that much on a DH I'd be very surprised. Thome or Cust maybe for 2.5-3 mill is about all I expect. If they go crazy maybe Laroche. He fits in well with the doubles/HR hitter we're after.

Edited by CaliSoxFanViaSWside
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QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 10:53 AM)
If the Sox spend that much on a DH I'd be very surprised. Thome or Cust maybe for 2.5-3 mill is about all I expect. If they go crazy maybe Laroche. He fits in well with the doubles/HR hitter we're after.

2.5-3 million seems a bit much for Thome and Cust imo. I have always like LaRoche, wouldn't mind that signing, hits lefty and gets on base.

 

Of course I would love Vlad but he seems destined for the Rangers.

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QUOTE (ChWRoCk2 @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 04:09 PM)
2.5-3 million seems a bit much for Thome and Cust imo. I have always like LaRoche, wouldn't mind that signing, hits lefty and gets on base.

 

Of course I would love Vlad but he seems destined for the Rangers.

2.5-3 million seems actually a little low for Thome to me.

 

LaRoche should still get more than that since he's actually able to play 1b.

 

Vlad might fit at DH for us...but there are 2 problems, first he hits RH, and this is still a RH power heavy lineup unless Teahen takes a huge step forwards. The top and bottom of our lineup has lefties (Teahen, AJ, Pierre) but the middle and the power is Q, Konerko, Rios, Becksy, Ramirez. Another Lefty power bat provides serious balance, and furthermore, we have 2 potential platoon guys to go with a lefty in Flowers and Jones. A RH DH just doesn't set up this lineup well.

 

Second, one thing that is missing from a lot of our guys is significant OBP. Say what you want about guys being base cloggers, one thing I don't see when I look at that lineup is a guy who's going to take a lot of walks and make you throw a lot of pitches. Just for diversity in the lineup, that could well be useful.

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QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 04:14 PM)
2.5-3 million seems actually a little low for Thome to me.

 

LaRoche should still get more than that since he's actually able to play 1b.

 

Vlad might fit at DH for us...but there are 2 problems, first he hits RH, and this is still a RH power heavy lineup unless Teahen takes a huge step forwards. The top and bottom of our lineup has lefties (Teahen, AJ, Pierre) but the middle and the power is Q, Konerko, Rios, Becksy, Ramirez. Another Lefty power bat provides serious balance, and furthermore, we have 2 potential platoon guys to go with a lefty in Flowers and Jones. A RH DH just doesn't set up this lineup well.

 

Second, one thing that is missing from a lot of our guys is significant OBP. Say what you want about guys being base cloggers, one thing I don't see when I look at that lineup is a guy who's going to take a lot of walks and make you throw a lot of pitches. Just for diversity in the lineup, that could well be useful.

Screw whether they are lefty or righty. Just get the best hitter you can afford.

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QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 04:47 PM)
A balanced lineup means nothing to you?

The Sox have 3 lefties in their line up. I want the best offense. Why sacrifice? Do most real good right handed hitters really care if a lefty or righty is on the mound? Some probably prefer righties because they see them the most.

Vlad Guerrero has a .320 lifetime average vs. RHP and .324 vs. LHP. Last year he hit .311 vs RHP. Frank Thomas killed LHP for several years, then couldn't hit lefties for a while, then started murdering them again. Just get the best hitter and things will work out a lot better.

 

You made a good point about OBP earlier. KW said he wants the team OBP at .350. Just about everyone he's acquired this offseason reaching it in 2010 is probably against the odds. So either he thinks the guys he had will make a big jump or he's bringing in another bat.

Edited by Dick Allen
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QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 04:14 PM)
Second, one thing that is missing from a lot of our guys is significant OBP. Say what you want about guys being base cloggers, one thing I don't see when I look at that lineup is a guy who's going to take a lot of walks and make you throw a lot of pitches. Just for diversity in the lineup, that could well be useful.

 

Agreed 100% and have been saying that myself. Other than Konerko, Beckham, and Quentin, I don't see anyone in our lineup currently that can be a definite .350+ OBP player. We gotta hope some can have good years and perhaps revert back to it or close around there (Teahan, Rios and I'll even add Alexei as well) and a guy who has to find the youth potion and give us a serviceable OBP (Pierre) as most know.. that isn't A.J.'s game.

 

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 04:16 PM)
Screw whether they are lefty or righty. Just get the best hitter you can afford.

 

I agree 100% with this as well and I'm glad KW sees it that way from some of the rumors of players on blogs/sites and from sources some don't know here. The whole lefty/righty balance is almost as overrated as Ozzie's lefty/lefty (or righty/righty) tendencies for pitching matchups. Give me Thornton (probably the only guy I feel comfortable with before the season AS OF RIGHT NOW of course) to get that tough lefty or righty out 10/10 times. I'm sure if we traded for B.J. Upton (not saying we will, just hypothetically), there would be no complaints about balance of the lineup especially for that stud who helps us win and can hit lefties and rightites.

Edited by SoxAce
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QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 08:05 PM)
Maybe the rest Thome had in the second half of last season makes me more optimistic he'll be ready for a full year/might improve upon last years projected numbers.

 

Jim Thome has 9,463 career plate appearances, and that isn't including spring training, the minor leagues, or even warm up swings. I tend to doubt that about one less than active month (where he was still taking batting practice) is going to freshen him up. I tend to think he's going to put up an .850 OPS or somewhere in the whereabouts if he plays next year, and the only place he is going to play is Chicago.

Edited by witesoxfan
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QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 19, 2009 -> 09:20 PM)
Jim Thome has 9,463 career plate appearances, and that isn't including spring training, the minor leagues, or even warm up swings. I tend to doubt that about one less than active month (where he was still taking batting practice) is going to freshen him up. I tend to think he's going to put up an .850 OPS or somewhere in the whereabouts if he plays next year, and the only place he is going to play is Chicago.

This team could really use an .850 OPS out of its DH spot.

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QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 20, 2009 -> 02:20 AM)
Jim Thome has 9,463 career plate appearances, and that isn't including spring training, the minor leagues, or even warm up swings. I tend to doubt that about one less than active month (where he was still taking batting practice) is going to freshen him up. I tend to think he's going to put up an .850 OPS or somewhere in the whereabouts if he plays next year, and the only place he is going to play is Chicago.

 

Okay? Thome is at an age where he could see a sudden decline in ability. My point wasn't that with an extra month rest he'd be in 1.000 OPS, rather that perhaps getting a shortened season last year was a good thing in saving up for another full year.

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