White Sox acquire Juan Pierre

[WCSox]

Yes, I do. Kenny's comments said the #1 priority was the bench. Really? There's a hole in RF and a hole in DH, and the #1 priority is the bench? In the AL? Are you f***ing serious? Have you gone mad? But given how they've spent their money, it sure looks like it. Had they made Matsui their #1 target they could have afforded him, and a Beckham-Matsui-Quentin 3-4-5 might not be ideal, but it's certainly better than what we have now.

 

What incentive does Kenny have to be truthful with the media while he's trying to negotiate FA contracts and make deals with other GMs?

 

 

[iamshack]

Yes, I do. Kenny's comments said the #1 priority was the bench. Really? There's a hole in RF and a hole in DH, and the #1 priority is the bench? In the AL? Are you f***ing serious? Have you gone mad? But given how they've spent their money, it sure looks like it. Had they made Matsui their #1 target they could have afforded him, and a Beckham-Matsui-Quentin 3-4-5 might not be ideal, but it's certainly better than what we have now.

Well, you take Godzilla, and I'll take Jones/Pierre/Putz.

[Kalapse]

Well, you take Godzilla, and I'll take Jones/Pierre/Putz.

Andruw Jones is guaranteed $100K over the minimum, his name shouldn't even be mentioned in these discussions. No potential trade or signing was going to keep them from signing Jones to a $500K contract, they were likely to pay Josh Fields close to that if they had brought him back as a bench player in 2010.

[lakervin]

nice addition,a real center fielder good work kenney

[chunk23]

Why have the Sox always been obsessed with leadoff hitters who can't get on base? I'm sure this is an Ozzie thing. He loves bad hitters with speed who make outs by getting caught stealing.

 

...and before someone brings up Pierre's .365 obp last year, you know it's just as much a fluke as Podsednik's 2009.

 

Give me the leadoff hitter Boston was using for a while in 06/07: a Kevin Youkilis type. I want the underrated guy with doubles power and a super high walk total over a weak slap hitter who hits a bunch of ground balls and makes outs on the basepaths without drawing walks.

 

If we don't get a real run producer for the DH role and do what Ozzie wants instead (giving bad players more ABs), we're going to waste this amazing pitching staff.

 

Thank You. Speed doesn't matter if you can't get on base.

 

I don't know where this idea of evaluating a player as a leadoff hitter instead of their position came from. Pierre, Pods, Crisp, all these options people are listing are below average players. You don't want a sub .750 OPS from a corner OF.

Edited December 16, 2009 by chunk23

[Kalapse]

nice addition,a real center fielder good work kenney

1.) He's not a centerfielder and

 

2.) he's not going to play centerfield

[Sox72]

nice addition,a real center fielder good work kenney

 

Are you referring to Rios? Cause Pierre isn't a real center fielder.

[southsideirish71]

nice addition,a real center fielder good work kenney

 

Rios can play circles around Pierre in center. Having Juan play LF is your best bet when in the lineup.

 

Edited December 15, 2009 by southsideirish71

[monomach]

nice addition,a real center fielder good work kenney

...he's not a center fielder. He's a left fielder.

[monomach]

Oh, wow. 600 comments at the same time.

[WCSox]

Thank You. Speed doesn't matter if you can't get on base.

 

I'd like for some of you to give better realistic options than Pierre. (And, no, that doesn't include Figgins or Granderson... or Youkilis, for that matter.)

 

Look at it this way: What would you rather have, the heir to Jerry Owens/DeWayne Wise at the league minimum or Pierre's .290 BA and .330 OBP for $3M this year? I'll take Pierre, as I'm not going to count on a guy like Pods falling out of the sky for the league minimum at mid-season again.

 

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

What incentive does Kenny have to be truthful with the media while he's trying to negotiate FA contracts and make deals with other GMs?

I don't know, but he's been operating backwards. Normally the idea is to fill your biggest holes first and use whatever you have left to address other areas. Instead of going the big lefty bat > outfielder > lead-off hitter > reliever > bench direction he has gone in the bench > reliever > lead-off hitter/outfielder > big lefty bat direction. The names out there for the big lefty bat which we may possibly be able to afford are absolutely frightening.

[iamshack]

Andruw Jones is guaranteed $100K over the minimum, his name shouldn't even be mentioned in these discussions. No potential trade or signing was going to keep them from signing Jones to a $500K contract, they were likely to pay Josh Fields close to that if they had brought him back as a bench player in 2010.

They may not have signed him if his roster spot was taken by Matsui, however. Regardless of the money, you don't sign a guy unless he might actually get to play.

 

And when you argue that they could have signed him anyways and invited him to ST, I'll say that he probably would not have signed here if it did not appear as though he would have any chance to get AB's.

 

 

[Kalapse]

They may not have signed him if his roster spot was taken by Matsui, however. Regardless of the money, you don't sign a guy unless he might actually get to play.

 

And when you argue that they could have signed him anyways and invited him to ST, I'll say that he probably would not have signed here if it did not appear as though he would have any chance to get AB's.

Anyone you would have signed for the DH spot would have been locked up after Jones, at which point he has no choice.

[iamshack]

Anyone you would have signed for the DH spot would have been locked up after Jones, at which point he has no choice.

But apparently they had no intentions of signing anyone for the DH spot, at least according to reports we've read this afternoon.

[Jordan4life_2007]

I don't know, but he's been operating backwards. Normally the idea is to fill your biggest holes first and use whatever you have left to address other areas. Instead of going the big lefty bat > outfielder > lead-off hitter > reliever > bench direction he has gone in the bench > reliever > lead-off hitter/outfielder > big lefty bat direction. The names out there for the big lefty bat which we may possibly be able to afford are absolutely frightening.

 

Look, I don't pretend that KW is the messiah. But after 9 years, if you really believe that he doesn't do whatever is in his power to make this team better, I don't know what to say. We all knew going in our options were limited.

[Sox72]

Look, I don't pretend that KW is the messiah. But after 9 years, if you really believe that he doesn't do whatever is in his power to make this team better, I don't know what to say. We all knew going in our options were limited.

 

I think Kenny is great. He does what he can with what he has. He is extremely creative and has shown that he is passionate about winning. While I would love to see some of the top free agents on our team at times, I also appreciate the fact that we aren't crippled by awful contracts that we're offered because we just had to beat out every other team for one guy because he was the best player available that year in free agency. Also, I like that he drafts the family members of people involved in the organization.

[Springfield Soxfan]

Look, I don't pretend that KW is the messiah. But after 9 years, if you really believe that he doesn't do whatever is in his power to make this team better, I don't know what to say. We all knew going in our options were limited.

I agree, he is trying to win, listen to Stone on the Score today about our offseason he is optimistic.

[Jordan4life_2007]

I think Kenny is great. He does what he can with what he has. He is extremely creative and has shown that he is passionate about winning. While I would love to see some of the top free agents on our team at times, I also appreciate the fact that we aren't crippled by awful contracts that we're offered because we just had to beat out every other team for one guy because he was the best player available that year in free agency. Also, I like that he drafts the family members of people involved in the organization.

 

LMAO. +1.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

Look, I don't pretend that KW is the messiah. But after 9 years, if you really believe that he doesn't do whatever is in his power to make this team better, I don't know what to say. We all knew going in our options were limited.

I'm not saying he doesn't try or that he doesn't care. I'm saying his moves are awful and his offseason is pathetic, and his ideas of what will make this team better are not suited for an American League team. I'm hoping like hell he magically comes up with a big Gonzalez trade to turn this entire offseason into a bar of gold, but at this point I'm not betting on it.

[Sox72]

LMAO. +1.

 

Fisk has 3 children. I don't know their ages or sex, but I pray we sign one of them. Backup catcher problem solved. Trade Flowers for Gonzalez, Fielder, HRamirez, Roberto Alomar, whoever. Offseason over.

[SockMe]

love this deal.

 

we get a leadoff man and a guy that led the league in hits a few years back. Very good on the base paths too.

[monomach]

I'd like for some of you to give better realistic options than Pierre. (And, no, that doesn't include Figgins or Granderson... or Youkilis, for that matter.)

 

Look at it this way: What would you rather have, the heir to Jerry Owens/DeWayne Wise at the league minimum or Pierre's .290 BA and .330 OBP for $3M this year? I'll take Pierre, as I'm not going to count on a guy like Pods falling out of the sky for the league minimum at mid-season again.

There are tons of options better than .330. Every time you bring up names, you bring up fast guys. The speed is irrelevant as long as it's not as slow as Konerko.

 

-We could have signed Orlando Hudson for a slightly higher obp and way more power.

-We could have signed Felipe Lopez who has been better at everything.

-Even Doug Mientkiewicz as a FA would have been better.

-We could have signed a middle of the order type and moved Gordon Beckham to leadoff. While that would have been suboptimal, it still would have been better.

 

Now as far as trade options go, there are tons who are better than Juan Pierre. For example, we could have picked up BJ Upton after his down year. Pretty much every metric agrees that he's going to rebound. Even he attributes it to his offseason shoulder surgery not being completely healed.

 

Even now that we have Pierre, we'd be better off just signing a slugger for the middle of the order and putting Beckham at leadoff. Pierre belongs in the 7-9 spot, no matter how fast he is (in reality, it's more WAS than IS).

 

[monomach]

love this deal.

 

we get a leadoff man and a guy that led the league in hits a few years back. Very good on the base paths too.

Yes, 3 years ago he led the league in hits.

 

He was still garbage. His OBP was only .330.

 

When you lead the league in hits and Cubs fans beg for you to be traded, you suck.

[Kalapse]

love this deal.

 

we get a leadoff man and a guy that led the league in hits a few years back. Very good on the base paths too.

He also led the league in outs.