Yunieski Maya now cleared as a FA

[chisoxfan09]

In 2000, we could have said we were set for 10 years with Kip Wells, Parque, Mike Sirotka, James Baldwin, Jon Rauch, Jon Garland, Josh Fogg, Aaron Myette, Mark Buehrle, Lorenzo Barcelo, Danny Wright, Matt Ginter, Kevin Beirne, etc.

 

Things change in a heartbeat with pitching prospects...actually, we're not very deep at all this area, and the chances we sign Maya are 10-15% at best.

 

To project Holmberg into a future rotation is just a bit more relevant now than projecting Jordan Danks or Mitchell as our 2011/2012 starting CFer.

 

OK, I can see your point on Holmberg being a wildcard or longshot but how do you come to a probability of only 10-15% for Maya?

[Kyyle23]

In 2000, we could have said we were set for 10 years with Kip Wells, Parque, Mike Sirotka, James Baldwin, Jon Rauch, Jon Garland, Josh Fogg, Aaron Myette, Mark Buehrle, Lorenzo Barcelo, Danny Wright, Matt Ginter, Kevin Beirne, etc.

 

Things change in a heartbeat with pitching prospects...actually, we're still not very deep at all in this area, and the chances we sign Maya are 10-15% at best.

 

To project Holmberg into a future rotation is just a bit more relevant now than projecting Jordan Danks or Mitchell as our 2011/2012 starting CFer. Remember last year at this time? Names being speculated about were Clayton Richard/Aaron Poreda (C.R.A.P.) and Jeff Marquez...only one of those guys came close to making an impact on the starting rotation.

 

I wasnt sure of that at all. These three all ended the season with shoulder injuries that pretty much finished their careers. And the rest of them were unknowns

[caulfield12]

Jon Rauch was one of the Top 5-10 prospects in the game until his labrum injury.

 

Jon Garland was somewhere around 20-40, too.

 

Before the 2000 season, Kip Wells was expected to be the ace of that staff for at least five years.

 

Wright, Ginter and Myette were all Top 100 prospects. Barcelo was there briefly, too.

 

Arguably, Buehrle and Fogg were the least likely to become anchors of any rotation, heading into 2000.

 

I don't think anyone could compare the likes of Hudson, Holmberg, Hynick and Torres with that group. And none of those pitchers ended up having a huge impact in Chicago, only Buehrle and Garland, unless you want to count Danny Wright as being "huge" in any way besides being more disappointing than Jason Bere, who was awesome until injuries knocked him out.

 

So that's why I never have gotten excited about a "Sox pitching pipeline" or Braves' like dynasty again, I've seen it completely fall apart in a hurry countless times.

Edited December 28, 2009 by caulfield12

[southsider2k5]

From Merkins mailbag.

 

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/artic...sp&c_id=cws

 

What is the latest on Cuban defector Yuniesky Maya? The last I'd heard about him was around Christmas time, and the White Sox and Mets were said to be the front-runners to land him. After watching a little bit of footage of him pitching, I think he'd be a good fit as a long reliever out of the bullpen.

-- Dan, Aurora, Ill.

 

I was told at SoxFest that the White Sox scouted Maya and watched him throw, but they dropped out of the Maya picture after signing J.J. Putz. The money wanted wasn't commensurate with where the White Sox thought Maya would be pegged as a fourth- or fifth-starter type.

[chisoxfan09]

 

Link: http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2010/05/18/72...-es-agente.html

 

I won´t do a literal translation of the article but paraphrase its fine points:

 

For Maya it will be routine training but for the MLB scouts on hand it will be a culminating moment for them to ponder the latest Cuban starting pitcher.

Maya will throw Live Batting Practice for teams this Thursday in the Dominican Republic and is expected to receive an MLB contract offer. The White Sox

and Mets are counted among his suitors. His fastball has been sitting between 92 and 94 MPH and he has thrown batting practice and simulated games (Same thing

if you ask me). He was voted as the best Cuban pitcher during his last campaign in the Cuban National Series (Their Regular Season) before defecting in 2008.

He has a career record of 48-29 and an career ERA of 2.51. Do we have a need and can we afford him? My guess is that he would start in log relief or AAA.

 

Thoughts

[BigSqwert]

Probably belongs in the Diamond Club.

[chisoxfan09]

Probably belongs in the Diamond Club.

 

But is says explicitly we are one of his suitors. I thought that was enough criteria to post in PaleHose talk.

 

Actually Mods there was an earlier existing Maya thread. Can we merge it with that one?

Edited May 19, 2010 by chisoxfan09

[elrockinMT]

But is says explicitly we are one of his suitors. I thought that was enough criteria to post in PaleHose talk.

 

Actually Mods there was an earlier existing Maya thread. Can we merge it with that one?

 

 

If it wasn't the mods would take care of it and stll might, but I don't know enough about this guy or what kind of money he might demand. We did good with Ramirez and it remains to be seen how Viciedo works out

[Milkman delivers]

What the hell is a simulated game actually?

[SoxAce]

Probably belongs in the Diamond Club.

 

Not unless he signs with the Mets. Still sox related/involving, not to mention this was already in pale hose prior to the bump-up.

[southsider2k5]

A move like this for the Sox means either Danks or Buehrle is on limited time here.

[caulfield12]

There's no reason for this move at all.

 

He's the last player (5th starter) on a team like the 2003 White Sox that puts us over the top, but not a building block or franchise cornerstone like Aroldis Champman, Dice-K or Strasburg.

[Milkman delivers]

A move like this for the Sox means either Danks or Buehrle is on limited time here.

 

Or Floyd.

[Quin]

Or Floyd.

 

That would be my guess, since Maya is RH.

 

 

[gatnom]

Or Floyd.

 

Wouldn't make sense to trade him while his value is so low.

[Milkman delivers]

Wouldn't make sense to trade him while his value is so low.

 

I didn't say we'd trade him right now. They could sign this guy and trade Floyd later in the season or after it.

[DBAHO]

You could easily put Maya in AAA for the rest of the season anyways if you signed him.

 

But it would obviously give KW some options in terms of making some moves with the rotation.

[Cubano]

Maya best attributes:

 

1. He is a bulldog.

2. I believe he was working in the Capitan San Luis Stadium in Pinar del Rio as a ground keeper. One day he started throwing and the pitching coaches were surprised by his velocity and that is how he was discovered him in his late teens or early 20's. Unlike other Cuban pitchers like Rene Arocha, Osvaldo Fernandez and Ariel Prieto, he does not have lots of miles in his arm nor has suffered any major injuries.

3. He is accostumed to the pressure because Pinar del Rio is a perennial contender in Cuba and Maya was in the top Cuban team playing under a lot of pressure.

[jphat007]

Well, we do have a glut of starters. They just aren't any good.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

There's no reason for this move at all.

 

He's the last player (5th starter) on a team like the 2003 White Sox that puts us over the top, but not a building block or franchise cornerstone like Aroldis Champman, Dice-K or Strasburg.

 

Umm what? Matsuzaka is a huge bust.

[ThunderBolt]

Umm what? Matsuzaka is a huge bust.

He wasn't worth that money, but he does have a ring on his finger, and a couple decent seasons under his belt. That's not a bust, that's a disappointment

[jenksycat]

He wasn't worth that money, but he does have a ring on his finger, and a couple decent seasons under his belt. That's not a bust, that's a disappointment

 

Which doesn't make him anything near a "cornerstone"

[ThunderBolt]

Which doesn't make him anything near a "cornerstone"

I didn't know we were talking about cornerstones.. He's not one, he's just not a bust. Sorry.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Which doesn't make him anything near a "cornerstone"

 

When he was brought over he was viewed in that light. If you read what caulfield said carefully you would have noticed that. His signing was viewed as a key piece to a team trying to contend. The pitchers listed all had that in common, that is being an integral player for their team. Maya is not that. That was the point trying to be made, and he was right about it.

[hawksox13]

When he was brought over he was viewed in that light. If you read what caulfield said carefully you would have noticed that. His signing was viewed as a key piece to a team trying to contend. The pitchers listed all had that in common, that is being an integral player for their team. Maya is not that. That was the point trying to be made, and he was right about it.

 

Perhaps trading Buehrle who is due $14M next season and bringing Maya in for much cheaper would free up enough money to then sign a significant offensive upgrade this offseason. The question (example only): Is Adam Dunn+Maya+prospects received in the Buehrle trade > than Buehrle? If the answer to that is yes then you can look to sign Maya and trade Buehrle. Maya's a huge unknown compared to Buehrle, but it's the type of risk a team like the Sox would need to take to somehow find a way to compete in 2011.