White Sox Interested In Coco Crisp

[elrockinMT]

I rarely post here, but after reading some of the anti-Crisp comments here, feel I need to add my thoughts to this discussion.

 

Crisp is an outstanding defensive outfielder - head and shoulders above Posednik. He is also a switch hitter, which can be a valuable commodity with all of Ozzie's lineup changes. Before he was hurt last year he had an OBP of .371 in April. He is not Ricky Henderson, but he is an experienced lead-off hitter who will probably hit somewhere between .250 to .270, steal 25 bases, hit a few home runs, lay down a few good bunts, and allow us wonderful outfield defense as well as flexibility. I see no downside with him - assuming the shoulders are healed. I cannot believe all of the bashing - BJ Upton is a real long-shot, Podsednik is not worth the money he is asking, etc. There are very few solutions out there to the combo of lead-off hitter and good defensive outfielder with speed. We do not want Beckham as a leadoff hitter - that is a waste of his talents.

 

All we need after Crisp is to sign Matsui as DH and look for one more relief pitcher. We would then be the team to beat in the central.

 

 

Certainly a lot of things might happen. Matsui is not a bad option at DH, but we might also see the return of Jim Thome. I really think Matsui stays with the Yankees or at least in the Eastern Division. I still like Pods a lot and am grateful for what he did for the Sox. Whether his asking price is too high is certainly a concern. But, the economy will dictate where he goes. Maybe back to the Sox and maybe not. I am not so anti Coco Crisp as I am just concerned about injury rehab cases and judging on past comments about folks and their injuries like we saw with Joe Crede I can't understand how that can be ignored now. A quality relief pitcher would be a plus though.

[elrockinMT]

Cha-ching

 

 

And J Dye is healthy

[YASNY]

And J Dye is healthy

 

But his health was major question mark when KW signed him.

[Kalapse]

Supposition entirely. Pods did comeback and did very well for the Sox, but I am supposed to ignore that and count on Crisp coming back from injury?

You don't ignore it, you weigh the odds of each player contributing in 2010 then look at the other aspects of their game and the contractual demands of each. You don't ignore anything. Given the shortcomings and exorbitant contractual demands of Podsednik KW is looking at other options and Crisp is a good buy-low candidate.

[lostfan]

But his health was major question mark when KW signed him.

cha-ching-ching

[Princess Dye]

Supposition entirely. Pods did comeback and did very well for the Sox, but I am supposed to ignore that and count on Crisp coming back from injury?

The thing youre refusing to do is the very thing the Sox did when they signed a low-risk guy for cheap last year....Pods.

[YASNY]

You don't ignore it, you weigh the odds of each player contributing in 2010 then look at the other aspects of their game and the contractual demands of each. You don't ignore anything. Given the shortcomings and exorbitant contractual demands of Podsednik KW is looking at other options and Crisp is a good buy-low candidate.

 

Agree 100%.

[RockRaines]

Crisp has been a decent #2 hitter in his career. But I think he's a little past his effectiveness.

[lostfan]

really though, Crisp isn't the worst we could possibly do. Do you want more of a sure thing, well yeah of course you do. Easier said than done though.

[bear_brian]

I think most, if not all of us, were very impressed with Podsednik's hitting last year. However, he is a terrible left fielder, cannot play center field at all, had a surprising number of base running gaffes (a few of which may have cost us games), and most probably will fall quite a bit from the average he posted last year. I think Crisp could provide real value for us, give our pitching staff another quality defensive outfielder, and still keep payroll flexibility to acquire another hitter and a bullpen arm.

[YASNY]

Crisp has been a decent #2 hitter in his career. But I think he's a little past his effectiveness.

 

Your opinion is always respected around here, or at least it should be ... but if the man can get healthy he is hardly over the hill at 30. If fact, he should be in the heart of his prime.

[NorthSideSox72]

Crisp is an OK solution, for cheap, and likely to spring back. However, I'd feel a lot better about it if we end up acquiring a big bat for DH/1B., or maybe two if we trade Konerko. If we don't, I'm not so sure.

 

[Rowand44]

Crisp is an OK solution, for cheap, and likely to spring back. However, I'd feel a lot better about it if we end up acquiring a big bat for DH/1B., or maybe two if we trade Konerko. If we don't, I'm not so sure.

Well ya, we'd definitely still need to acquire a big bat to put in the middle of the lineup. I'm fine with taking on Crisp because I'd love the defensive upgrade but him leading off would still scare me a bit.

[RockRaines]

Your opinion is always respected around here, or at least it should be ... but if the man can get healthy he is hardly over the hill at 30. If fact, he should be in the heart of his prime.

Age is just a number Yas

 

His OPS peaked in 05 IIRC, but he SHOULD have something left. The one thing that has still be decent however is that his OBP has stayed fairly ok, and his walk/rate is pretty consistent.

 

What I have always really liked about him is that he was a tough #2 hitter back with cle. He has an .812 OPS in the 2-hole and was a doubles machine.

[YASNY]

Age is just a number Yas

 

His OPS peaked in 05 IIRC, but he SHOULD have something left. The one thing that has still be decent however is that his OBP has stayed fairly ok, and his walk/rate is pretty consistent.

 

What I have always really liked about him is that he was a tough #2 hitter back with cle. He has an .812 OPS in the 2-hole and was a doubles machine.

 

Age is just a number. Ya, I keep telling myself that.

[Balta1701]

Crisp is an OK solution, for cheap, and likely to spring back. However, I'd feel a lot better about it if we end up acquiring a big bat for DH/1B., or maybe two if we trade Konerko. If we don't, I'm not so sure.

It may not be the best lineup ever...but if everyone puts up sort of their average numbers...

 

Crisp

Becksy

Q

Konerko

Rios

Thome

Ramirez

Teahen

Pierzynski

 

In some order...there's no obvious weak spot there unless Rios can't break his slump, you've got good speed at a number of spots, you've got power at 8 of the spots in the order, everyone there can drive in a run, you have to move some of the LH/RH bats around (I didn't really care there) but that's probably a good enough lineup that, if everyone stays healthy and this pitching staff does what it should...we'd win the Central.

[justBLAZE]

Coco Crisp will never be Jermaine Dye.

[BigSqwert]

...we'd win the Central.

And lose 3 straight playoff games by a score of 1-0.

[Kalapse]

I think most, if not all of us, were very impressed with Podsednik's hitting last year. However, he is a terrible left fielder, cannot play center field at all, had a surprising number of base running gaffes (a few of which may have cost us games), and most probably will fall quite a bit from the average he posted last year. I think Crisp could provide real value for us, give our pitching staff another quality defensive outfielder, and still keep payroll flexibility to acquire another hitter and a bullpen arm.

I have fun numbers for this one.

 

Since 2006:

Crisp: 83/102 in SB = 81%

Pods: 94/135 in SB = 70%

 

Since 2005 Crisp has been picked off 12 times, 22 in his career. 12 of the 22 were picked off caught stealing. (much more forgivable, usually going on first move.)

 

In 2009 alone Pods was picked off 11 times, 53 in his career. 17 of the 53 were picked off caught stealing.

[Balta1701]

And lose 3 straight playoff games by a score of 1-0.

Gimme a break. That's just silly. With that rotation, we'd have a shot at beating anyone.

[Princess Dye]

And lose 3 straight playoff games by a score of 1-0.

 

If there's nothing great we can get via trade...the best move is to save up for a big free agent expenditure for 2011.

 

Unless you're bringing in AGonz we're going to have to fill LF/DH with some level of retread or aging guy. Matsui I suppose is the name everyone wants...which tells us somethin.

Edited November 24, 2009 by Princess Dye

[BigSqwert]

Gimme a break. That's just silly.

Well my point was that that's a lineup built to win a mediocre division and not a championship.

[Balta1701]

Well my point was that that's a lineup built to win a mediocre division and not a championship.

So you're saying that a team with an average offense and a great pitching staff can't win a world series? Really? Didn't we just do that a few years ago?

[Kalapse]

Well my point was that that's a lineup built to win a mediocre division and not a championship.

Anything can happen in the playoffs especially when you have incredible starting pitching. That '05 offense wasn't very good. With that said, this team needs to bring in a legitimately BIG bat in order for me to feel comfortable about their chances in 2010, there's just no sure thing in our lineup.

[YASNY]

Coco Crisp will never be Jermaine Dye.

 

I made a point mentioning they were different types of players. The point remains that the signing of Dye was criticized around here. Crisp may or may not work out, but if he does, he'll bring different assets to the team than Dye did. Agreed, Crisp is no JD.