Who are you pulling for as the DH?

[bmags]

KW seems intent on going into the season every year with at least one huge gigantic glaring hole that can be fixed relatively cheaply,

[Princess Dye]

People keep saying we need left-handed power. What's interesting though...our hottest hitter second half last year mightve been Kotsay, who's currently slotted to spell people as a LH bat.

 

Meanwhile it's from the right side where we dont have a proven guy who can step in. Andruw Jones had a slight '09 bounceback year but in a limited sample size. I suppose there's Flowers too if he makes the team.

Edited January 10, 2010 by Princess Dye

[bmags]

well i guess it doesn't matter...we have PIERRE! He can STEAL home!

[Ozzie Ball]

well i guess it doesn't matter...we have PIERRE! He can STEAL home!

I'm hoping that a rule is brought in which will allow all players named Juan Pierre to steal 1st base. Then we may have a player.

[Ozzie Ball]

People keep saying we need left-handed power. What's interesting though...our hottest hitter second half last year mightve been Kotsay, who's currently slotted to spell people as a LH bat.

 

Meanwhile it's from the right side where we dont have a proven guy who can step in. Andruw Jones had a slight '09 bounceback year but in a limited sample size. I suppose there's Flowers too if he makes the team.

If you're expecting Mark Kotsay, who hasn't been a good player in three years, to play like he did with the Sox last year over a full season, then I think you're going to be wildly disappointed. There's a chance it happens, sure, but it's far more likely that we see 06-08 Mark Kotsay and that ain't gonna cut it at DH.

[Princess Dye]

If you're expecting Mark Kotsay, who hasn't been a good player in three years, to play like he did with the Sox last year over a full season, then I think you're going to be wildly disappointed. There's a chance it happens, sure, but it's far more likely that we see 06-08 Mark Kotsay and that ain't gonna cut it at DH.

 

He has hit righties well for years now, even during his down time with Boston. Leads me to believe BOS just didnt use him selectively enough.

 

EDIT: 07 at least looks like it was a incomplete lost year for him

Edited January 10, 2010 by Princess Dye

[Dick Allen]

I don't think we can count on Big Jim to be the hitter the Sox need at this point in his career. Branyan's health (back) and career numbers give me reservations about signing him as well. I don't see the answer to the White Sox DH vacancy anywhere on the free agent market. Matsui would have been an ideal fit, but with him gone, there's no great or even good LH option still out there.

Johnny Damon. Dye wouldn't be bad either with a cheap contract if he would realize he was a DH. There's no reason to think he can't hit if anyone thinks guys like Rios and Jones and Kotsay will be good in 2010. JD had a bad second half. He was pretty damn good in the first half. .302 AVG. 20 homers .942 OPS.

Edited January 10, 2010 by Dick Allen

[Princess Dye]

Hm another plus with Branyan is that at 34 he may want a fulltime DH role over an extra 1M from some team that would want him part-time. He hasnt really done much in a promising career and may value the chance to have a real role for a good team.

 

 

What American League teams even have a DH or 1B type role to offer at this point?

 

It's gonna be one of the three B's here on out: Branyan, Blaylock and BigJim

Edited January 10, 2010 by Princess Dye

[bmags]

Johnny Damon

 

I keep forgetting his available, i'm gonna hop on the bandwagon you created for him. That would be more ideal for me than Jim Thome...part of that reason is unfortunately it would get ozzie to STFU and placate my desires as well.

[beck72]

Johnny Damon at $7 mill. would be a nice fit. But I'm not paying the bills.

[bmags]

i'm not going to assume anyones price anymore in the offseason. Nor do I care. a one year committment sub 10 million isn't that much, so they can either decide a playoff run is worth it or they can cry all the way to the crying factory.

[dmbjeff]

I thought we had a good fit and a need for Aubrey Huff but he goes to the Giants for $3M. And the search, if there is one, continues. My money is on Big Jim coming back. I'm OK with him playing just versus righties and Jones getting the lefties.

[chisoxfan09]

I thought we had a good fit and a need for Aubrey Huff but he goes to the Giants for $3M. And the search, if there is one, continues. My money is on Big Jim coming back. I'm OK with him playing just versus righties and Jones getting the lefties.

 

DMB, you beat me to it. I was just going to post this with link. This narrows the list of available candidates down a bit more. I kinda think a Thome one year rental could be a possibility at a home town discount now. NOt much else left on the market with regards to high OBP and HR's from the left side.

[shago]

What is the conventional wisdom regarding Kila Ka'aihue? Switch hitter, good OBP, but not as much pop as expected perhaps? Also, know that the Royals released Jacobs, but what are the thoughts here?

[NorthSideSox72]

What is the conventional wisdom regarding Kila Ka'aihue? Switch hitter, good OBP, but not as much pop as expected perhaps? Also, know that the Royals released Jacobs, but what are the thoughts here?

He hits L, not switch.

 

There are apparently different schools of thought here. KC kept Jacobs around to let Kila cook one more year in AAA, but that ended up being pretty much a fail for both involved. There is potential there for both OBP and power - the question is, is there enough of both for him being an every day 1B.

 

My opinion, based on what I've read in reports, having seen him play, looking at stats, etc., is that he's legit. I think he's a great fit for the Sox, if they can get him. Others, however, seem to think he'd be a mediocre bat for that position, at best. So its all subjective.

 

As it turns out though, the Royals appear ready to give him his shot. There was a huge crowd at 1B previously, now not so much, so he'd be harder to acquire. I'd still try if if were my call, but, I doubt its happening.

 

[2nd_city_saint787]

He hits L, not switch.

 

There are apparently different schools of thought here. KC kept Jacobs around to let Kila cook one more year in AAA, but that ended up being pretty much a fail for both involved. There is potential there for both OBP and power - the question is, is there enough of both for him being an every day 1B.

 

My opinion, based on what I've read in reports, having seen him play, looking at stats, etc., is that he's legit. I think he's a great fit for the Sox, if they can get him. Others, however, seem to think he'd be a mediocre bat for that position, at best. So its all subjective.

 

As it turns out though, the Royals appear ready to give him his shot. There was a huge crowd at 1B previously, now not so much, so he'd be harder to acquire. I'd still try if if were my call, but, I doubt its happening.

 

No way is there room for him what with Fields and Butler bein a lock for 1B and DH

[dmbjeff]

What is the conventional wisdom regarding Kila Ka'aihue? Switch hitter, good OBP, but not as much pop as expected perhaps? Also, know that the Royals released Jacobs, but what are the thoughts here?

 

I like Kila alot actually,he has a nice skill set, but the Royals would be foolish to trade a rookie, under team control unless we gave them some uber prospect back. Also, he may struggle initially and the White Sox are in need of a more proven player since they are in win now mode.

[witesoxfan]

I like Kila alot actually,he has a nice skill set, but the Royals would be foolish to trade a rookie, under team control unless we gave them some uber prospect back. Also, he may struggle initially and the White Sox are in need of a more proven player since they are in win now mode.

 

The Sox would have to give up a prospect for sure, but probably not a real good prospect. In all actuality, Kila's only had one outstanding year in the minors (2008) and one other good year (2005) when looking at raw statistics. During his outstanding year, he was trying AA in the Texas League for the 3rd time (and proceeded to mash), and then moved up to the Pacific Coast League, where the ERA of the league was 4.84. In 2005, he played in the California League. He put up .304/.428/.497/.925; the league's splits were .286/.357/.452/.809 and the Royals team that year - the High Desert Mavericks - put up a .301/.367/.501/.868.

 

Considering all of this, I'm quite leery of even thinking about trading for Kila. The dude can draw a walk, but it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up hitting .230/.325/.400 at the major league level with a peak of maybe .260/.360/.465 (which would still only be an .825 OPS. There have been complaints of Konerko putting up .840 as a 1Bman (though part of that is because he's paid as handsomely as he is) and I'm just not sure Kila could even touch that.

[caulfield12]

 

 

We haven't had a great record with unproven players or rookies being thrown into the heat of the fire of competitive ALCD races. As someone stated, when you're looking to "max out" at 825 or 850 OPS (if everything goes perfectly), that's not a very high ceiling for a 1B or DH. It's okay for a team like KC trying to find the pieces to the puzzle, but the White Sox can't afford to experiment like they did from April-June last season with so many different players and line-ups.

 

Brian Anderson in 2006 comes to mind, if the team's struggling...too much focus from the media comes down on that player not carrying his weight, rookie or not. Now maybe the likes of Fields and Borchard were fatally flawed, but they also failed mightily when they were asked to produce in meaningful games.

 

I'm not a Branyan fan at all, I had been hoping for Matsui or Guerrero. Damon would be fine, but, once again...the budget, the budget, the budget. Don't know if it would take $7 million to get him (one year deal) or if he would be happy DHing most of the time and not playing the outfield. But I guess we have no idea how Quentin will hold up. If he's physically capable, you get the feeling he'd be more productive offensively if he could play the field for 140+ games. Just depends on his health, but you can't have Pierre and Damon in the same outfield with their arms, no matter how good Rios in in CF.

 

Miguel Tejada? I guess I would take Blalock or Tejada because I'm not 100% convinced of Teahen being an everyday player. He's had ONE really solid season, and flashes/glimpses at other times, but then bringing in another big RH bat leaves you really a bit exposed.

 

Dye and Thome are possibilities still, although Thome seems the better fit from a salary standpoint AND the way things "feel," after what's been written and said so far this offseason. Guerrero going to TEX closes one more door for JD, though. You wonder what NL team would take a shot playing him everyday in RF...not more than 2-3, and probably not a true playoff contender.