Who are you pulling for as the DH?

[Dick Allen]

Yep. He was spotted at a hotel in Detroit this week.

 

I don't think too many people visit Detroit during the winter for pleasure.

Unless you want to get a little culture and take in the ballet in Windsor.

[Ozzie Ball]

Yep. He was spotted at a hotel in Detroit this week.

 

I don't think too many people visit Detroit during the winter for pleasure.

From the same person that Tweeted about the sighting:

"Saw him at an area hotel. Word is he was in town for a funeral."

http://twitter.com/MSGTina/status/7186940198

[Eminor3rd]

I'm with you guys: Thome is my second choice, right behind Vlad and right in front of Delgado.

 

Yeah, he strikes out a lot, but he also walks a lot, which is what makes him an OBP threat and an OPS monster. And that's what we're missing: an RBI guy.

[southsider2k5]

Supposedly the Tigers have some interest.

 

RF is a pretty short porch at Comerica.

[striker]

I'd be fine with Thome but prefer him batting 5th or lower.

[nickofypres]

Dunn, Gonzalez or Fielder.

[nyck170]

kila ka'aihue or mat gamel

[qwerty]

Kila ka'aihue does not excite me in the very least. I cannot see him putting up anything more than a .750 ops in a full season worth of play in the major leagues. I do not know the answer to our hole (i have a preference), but i 'm fairly certain he is not the answer short term, and especially not long term, for any term around the majors, especially our white sox.

 

[iamshack]

Kila ka'aihue does not excite me in the very least. I cannot see him putting up anything more than a .750 ops in a full season worth of play in the major leagues. I do not know the answer to our hole (i have a preference), but i 'm fairly certain he is not the answer short term, and especially not long term, for any term around the majors, especially our white sox.

Who is your preference, Q?

[SoxAce]

Who is your preference, Q?

 

The suspense is killing me as well A.J.

 

Fess up you pansy.

[qwerty]

Who is your preference, Q?

 

I feel vlad will get a one year deal with a nice amount of money in the back end of an mutual option year, as it is the most logical for himself. I am in favor of lefties, the more the merrier i say, i don't want someone for the sake of them being left handed, whether than pitch or hit, it all depends on their production. Everyone remembers thome's 2005 injury riddled season, i am pretty certain. Vlad looked several times better this past season than thome ever did in 2005, and both were in their age 34 season. I see no reason why vlad cannot provide us with at the very least an .825 ops, all the way up to .950. Realistically i see him putting up somewhere between an .865-.900 ops. Nick johnson and vlad were tied for my first choice, as each provide something different than the other... thome is my third and last option. Most players on average, do not go out, in any sport, still putting up above average numbers. My only worry is thome can (i don't necessarily think he will) decline, and decline at an alarming rate.

[qwerty]

The suspense is killing me as well A.J.

 

Fess up you pansy.

 

A couple of my friends came over in the last 40 minutes, and have fed me 8 shots of new amsterdam gin, chill.

[SoxAce]

A couple of my friends came over in the last 40 minutes, and have fed me 8 shots of new amsterdam gin, chill.

 

Daymn son.. getting new years eve off to the right foot eh? Naw I posted that in mere minutes from shack. My bad. Glad to know the choice though.

[beck72]

One thing about Vlad is that he has hit RHP better than LHP in recent years--which is what the sox should want from their DH--a guy who can hit off the best RHP's in the league. Vlad can do that.

[ThunderBolt]

I’m getting a little concerned that this Kotsay-Visquel-Jones rotating DH thing isn’t the smokescreen that I want it to be. At first, I thought it was Ozzie pontificating now I’m getting a bit worried.

[knightni]

I’m getting a little concerned that this Kotsay-Visquel-Jones rotating DH thing isn’t the smokescreen that I want it to be. At first, I thought it was Ozzie pontificating now I’m getting a bit worried.

Isn't there an open roster spot?

[ThunderBolt]

Isn't there an open roster spot?

I count 40 with Dolsi.

[Quin]

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

Think along the lines of other moves he made in the past for Peavy, Garcia or even Ken Griffey Jr. Players such as Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder fall on the list of dream additions for White Sox fans, but it's a guarantee Williams is not done trying to shape this team into championship caliber -- even if that next major move doesn't come for a few months.

 

Merkin tries to drop a hint, at Gonzalez or Fielder, but I'll pass it off as wishful thinking.

 

He also hints at a Thome return, so we'll see.

[southsider2k5]

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

 

 

Merkin tries to drop a hint, at Gonzalez or Fielder, but I'll pass it off as wishful thinking.

 

He also hints at a Thome return, so we'll see.

 

That would be Plan A, and then plan B.

[Quin]

That would be Plan A, and then plan B.

And Plan C is rotating DH?

[southsider2k5]

And Plan C is rotating DH?

 

I think the secondary plan is to look and see who falls through the cracks as we get close to spring training and to try to sign them as cheaply as possible. It could very well be Jim Thome, but there are lots of other names out there still.

[pktmotion]

Whoever gets Xavier Nady gets the best value of the offseason; 5. Are the Pirates still in the league?

 

 

Updates on nine

1. Troy Glaus, 1B, Braves - A low-risk, high-reward signing, Glaus has tremendous power (five 30-homer seasons - two of 40 - and four 100-RBI seasons), and if he is healthy after back and shoulder injuries diminished his career the past few years, he could be a monster. Glaus is agile enough to be a decent first baseman and a heck of a target for his infielders. The one negative trend for the Braves is the lack of commitment to payroll that the owners are making. They had to pass on their own free agents Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano for cheaper versions in Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito. And they traded a good pitcher (Vazquez) for Melky Cabrera.

 

2. Kerry Wood, RHP, Indians - The Indians would love to move his $10 million salary and $11 million option for 2011, but with a glut of reliever/closer types out there, there has been no cry for Wood, who still can bring it. Wood might be enticing to the Red Sox if they decide to expand their budget.

 

3. Fausto Carmona, RHP, Indians - The Tribe would say he’s not available, but baseball executives don’t buy it. Carmona has been an enigma at times, but as one longtime National League talent evaluator said, “He’s got one of the best three sinkers in the game.’’ Not a front-end starter, but if a team needs a middle-to-back-end guy, the rebuilding Indians would have to listen.

 

4. Dan Uggla, 2B, Marlins - There’s no doubt the Marlins are planning another payroll dump, and Uggla would appear to be at the center of it. There was a lot of early talk about him going to the Giants, but that seems to have quieted down. Some scouts believe Uggla is best suited for the American League as a DH or someone you can move around, like a Mark DeRosa. The Marlins, who receive a ton in revenue-sharing and central-fund money, are looking to keep their profit margin high.

 

5. Jon Garland, RHP, free agent - A market is beginning to develop, and Texas appears to be the early leader. Another mid-to-back-end rotation guy that is probably better off in the NL, but that doesn’t mean an AL team won’t take the plunge if the price is reasonable.

 

6. Orlando Hudson, 2B, free agent - Seems he was the hot name for a long time, but that has quieted. The Mets remain the most interested, but until they are able to move Luis Castillo - a big if - the Mets may only be able to dream about a Jose Reyes-Hudson DP combo.

 

7. Vladimir Guerrero, DH, free agent - His choices are limited by what are seen as diminished skills in the outfield. Suffice to say he will be somewhere. Now that the Rangers have pulled out of the Mike Lowell deal, Guerrero could be a candidate for them. However, Jermaine Dye might interest Texas more (and maybe the Mets), considering he still can play the outfield.

 

8. Russell Branyan, 1B, free agent - An interesting bat to consider. Seattle may re-sign him if it’s for one year, but Branyan wants to cash in on his career year. So far, it’s not happening. He’s out there with guys like Jack Cust, Adam LaRoche, Aubrey Huff, Carlos Delgado, Jim Thome, and Hank Blalock. So the competition is fierce.

 

9. Miguel Tejada, 3B/SS, free agent - Still a very good bat who would be more valuable at third base. He may have the Mitchell Report stigma, but he loves to play the game and is a great teammate. Tejada could be a good fit for the Twins, who are trying to come up with a third baseman. He remains a good fit for the Rangers in a modified Lowell role (DH, 3B, and fill-in SS). He would have been a decent fit for Boston had Lowell gone in a deal.

 

 

from boston.com

 

 

WHITE SOX DH POSSIBILITIES

 

1) Andruw Jones/Kotsay platoon

2) Xavier Nady

3) Dan Uggla

4) Orlando Hudson

5) Vlad the Impaler

6) Russell Branyan

7) Jack Cust

8) Adam LaRoche

9) Aubrey Huff

10) Carlos Farmer in the Delgado

11) Jim Thome

12) Hank Blalock

13) Jeremy Hermida

14) Eric Hinske

15) Miggy Tejada

 

I'm voting for Hermida, if KW can pry him loose and the Red Sox get off to a slow start and can't afford to play him if he's struggling.

 

You know I'm in the minority here, but I'm pulling for Jack Cust. His K-rate is atrocious, but he did hit 25 homers in OAKLAND! He can draw a walk and (the thing that puts him over the top of Thome or Vlad) he still has fresh legs. Vlad has knee problems and Thome is a well-known base clogger. Cust stole 4 bases last year, which is nothing to brag about, but it's 2 more than Vlad or Thome did combined. Given that his home run totals would increase slightly with a move to a park like the Cell and I think Cust is a good choice for DH. Cust, Jones, Quentin rotate DH responsibilities according to opponent pitching; with Jones covering RF when Carlos is the DH; Cust is only played as a DH.

[witesoxfan]

You know I'm in the minority here, but I'm pulling for Jack Cust. His K-rate is atrocious, but he did hit 25 homers in OAKLAND! He can draw a walk and (the thing that puts him over the top of Thome or Vlad) he still has fresh legs. Vlad has knee problems and Thome is a well-known base clogger. Cust stole 4 bases last year, which is nothing to brag about, but it's 2 more than Vlad or Thome did combined. Given that his home run totals would increase slightly with a move to a park like the Cell and I think Cust is a good choice for DH. Cust, Jones, Quentin rotate DH responsibilities according to opponent pitching; with Jones covering RF when Carlos is the DH; Cust is only played as a DH.

 

I'll take base-clogging if it's at a .370+ clip. And, as slow as Thome is, he's a solid baserunner.

 

There was also the thought that bringing Swisher in was going to improve his homer totals, but that proved false. The Coliseum is much bigger than the Cell and will sometimes allow for better averages. It's entirely possible that Cust would come in and do exactly what Swisher did - they are pretty similar players.

 

I will take better hitters who may be older and more injury prone rather than a fresher player who is very likely to be worse.

[Rowand44]

And Plan C is rotating DH?

There better be no plan C. This is the only hole we have left on the club, as long as it's not a long term deal(which I don't see any of the dh candidates getting) then we should be able to over pay just a little bit if need be.

[Ozzie Ball]

You know I'm in the minority here, but I'm pulling for Jack Cust. His K-rate is atrocious, but he did hit 25 homers in OAKLAND! He can draw a walk and (the thing that puts him over the top of Thome or Vlad) he still has fresh legs. Vlad has knee problems and Thome is a well-known base clogger. Cust stole 4 bases last year, which is nothing to brag about, but it's 2 more than Vlad or Thome did combined. Given that his home run totals would increase slightly with a move to a park like the Cell and I think Cust is a good choice for DH. Cust, Jones, Quentin rotate DH responsibilities according to opponent pitching; with Jones covering RF when Carlos is the DH; Cust is only played as a DH.

I'm definitely on the Jack Cust for DH train. Yeah his average is going to be low but he'll walk 100 times (or thereabouts) with great power. I think he'd be a near perfect fit for us.