Beckham available???

[chetkincaid]

Didn't Troy Tulowitzki have an absolutely horrible sophmore season? Maybe Beckham will bounce back with a vengeance.

 

I'd STILL use him in trade him for A. Gonzalez though - IF the Sox could extend him.

Edited November 11, 2010 by Chet Kincaid

[Leonard Zelig]

Didn't Troy Tulowitzki have an absolutely horrible sophmore season? Maybe Beckham will bounce back with a vengeance.

 

I'd STILL use him in trade him for A. Gonzalez though - IF the Sox could extend him.

You mean you haven't changed your mind in the past 2 hours?

[Jordan4life_2007]

Doubt it. He's available for a crazy price. KW isn't going to get rid of him unless a team overpays. Techinically he's available, because as Hawk correctly states, every player is or has been tradeable except one. Michael Jordan. Beckham is going nowhere unless some team is willing to grossly overpay.

 

The White Sox aren't going to let a guy with his talent, tied up cheaply for years, unless they are getting the same thing back multiple times. He's going nowhere.

 

Like I said, I want no part of trading Beckam. Not sure if it was this thread or another where I said unless we're getting a Mike Stanton, Pedro Alvarez type back (the latter I'm in love with), just say no. I'm just saying that unlike going into 2010, he's going to have to kinda prove himself all over again. If he sucks ass to start the year again in '11, we got major problems.

[sircaffey]

Well, considering how starved this organization is for young cheap SP, it'd be plain dumb for KW to not be willing to move Beckham. Especially considering KW's philosophy is to have a strong rotation 1 through 5.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Well, considering how starved this organization is for young cheap SP, it'd be plain dumb for KW to not be willing to move Beckham. Especially considering KW's philosophy is to have a strong rotation 1 through 5.

 

God damnit. Cmon, man. Don't get me me started. I'm trying to get over the Hudson debacle.

[greg775]

I think it'd be dumb to develop a guy for two years, then trade him, but that's just me.

As far as him being a mental midget ... I think we nitpick on here sometimes regarding our own players.

It seems to me there aren't many better second baseman prospects than Beckham.

I guess if he sucked next season, maybe he's another Alex Gordon bust, but it seems to me you don't go trading guys that you develop, guys who have shown signs of brilliance like Beckham.

[fathom]

Are you serious? It was his second full season of professional baseball and his first full year in the majors. All this talk about Beckham being a mental midget is completely absurd. The kid had some difficulty handling failure for the first time in his baseball career, but he rebounded nicely in the second half. Trading him because of those struggles would be a huge mistake.

 

Beckham's metal issues about his swing/success in the majors took place prior to last season, and as soon as he got off to a slow start, seemed to spiral more out of control.

[Dick Allen]

Beckham's metal issues about his swing/success in the majors took place prior to last season, and as soon as he got off to a slow start, seemed to spiral more out of control.

He hit .310 the second half. I think he'll be fine.

[soxrwhite]

This time last year I was not as high on Beckham as most others on this site, but I am not for trading him either. Ramirez and Beckham as a double play combination should be left in place to continue to solidify. This is good leave it alone.

If Morel can hit and they sign Konerko it is a very solid infield.

[southsider2k5]

And for the record, I would deal Gordo if it meant getting a top notch slugger for this team. That's about it though.

[Balta1701]

And for the record, I would deal Gordo if it meant getting a top notch slugger for this team. That's about it though.

I'm sure we could talk you into a top flight starting pitcher also (Beckham for Lincecum). But yeah...a top notch slugger...who had at least 2 years before FA remaining, no trading him for 1 year guys.

[southsider2k5]

I'm sure we could talk you into a top flight starting pitcher also (Beckham for Lincecum). But yeah...a top notch slugger...who had at least 2 years before FA remaining, no trading him for 1 year guys.

 

Unless there was a corresponding trade that send out another one of our starting pitchers for replacement players, the resources could be better spent IMO. Starting pitching is at the bottom of my list with this team right now.

[macsandz]

This is very true, and from the sound of it, they're very concerned about his mental approach to the game.

 

Why? He proved he can break out of a slump by hitting a ton in the 2nd half of the season. He's should be among those to be least worried about going forward.

[lostfan]

Why? He proved he can break out of a slump by hitting a ton in the 2nd half of the season. He's should be among those to be least worried about going forward.

I'm as big a Beckham fan as anyone on this site, but that was a three-month slump. You can't just hand-wave over it.

[southsider2k5]

http://www.csnchicago.com/11/13/10/BBQ-Bec...amp;feedID=6662

 

BBQ: Beckham on the block?

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White Sox general manager Kenny Williams thinks the pairing of Alexei Ramirez and Gordon Beckham could be a fixture the up the middle the Sox haven't had for 50 years. So, would he really trade Beckham this winter?Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010

4:16 PM

 

By Brett Ballantini

CSNChicago.com

 

With rumors, whispers, and “team sources” ever swirling through the offseason, turn to the BBQ to provide a bit of a reality check. Hey, have you heard the one where Chicago White Sox GM Ken Williams will consider putting second sacker Gordon Beckham on the trading block? Yeah, it’s a good one. Let’s cut through the fat:

 

So let me get this straight, Williams wouldn’t consider dealing Beckham at last year’s deadline for Adam Dunn, but now he’s hanging a sign around the kid’s neck, inviting all interested to kick the tires?

 

Yeah — at least according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown, who wrote that “opposing clubs expect the White Sox to take offers for second baseman Gordon Beckham” in his hot stove piece on Wednesday.

 

Who are these opposing teams, and what is wrong with their brains?

 

That’s an excellent question. But on an obviously slow hot stove day, MLB Trade Rumors listed 19 teams who would have interest in Beckham — including, fatuously, the intradivisional Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals and the crosstown Chicago Cubs. So, in other words, Williams is not only expected to proffer up the position player with the most upside on his team, but to division and crosstown rivals to boot.

 

That would seem to completely contradict everything he’s ever said about the importance of Beckham, right?

In addition to being a remarkably efficient unit, the White Sox brain trust shoots straight. Williams has made no bones about Beckham being an untouchable on his team — he was direct on that at the 2010 trading deadline and is direct about that today. Natch, that always comes with a disclaimer that says that every player on the White Sox roster is available in the right trade. But Hawk Harrelson would sooner take over as GM than Williams would trade Beckham.

 

Didn’t Bacon have a pretty rough sophomore season?

 

Absolutely. Changing positions again (from third base to second) and getting banged up at season’s end didn’t help, but Beckham would be the first to tell you those aren’t excuses for his subpar play. Defensively at second he was adequate and showed great development on turning double plays as the season went on. Offensively, Beckham lost his gap power stroke (68 percent of his 2010 hits were singles compared to 58 percent in 2009, while his slugging percentage dropped 82 points to .378 in 2010) and failed to get on base sufficiently (an on-base percentage drop of 30 points, to .317), with an overall tumble in walks-per-strikeout (.63 in 2009 down to .40).

 

Yeesh, is Beckham still a good fit for the White Sox?

 

Certainly Beckham’s third major league season will be huge. His step forward into at least minor stardom must happen in 2011. In the rarest of Chisox circumstances, the team’s position player strength is up the middle —Alex Rios in center field, Alexei Ramirez at short, and Beckham at second. Williams is well aware that Ramirez-Beckham could be a keystone combination fiercer than any the White Sox have fielded for 50 years, since the Luis Aparicio-Nellie Fox days.

 

So, no chance Beckham leaves town?

 

The only way Williams will involve Beckham in trade talks is in order to set up another prank on White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, his staff and Beckham, as he did at the trading deadline.

 

Yeah, that was hilarious — really now, Beckham is in the Opening Day lineup for the White Sox?

 

Undoubtedly. Beckham is a foundation piece of the White Sox. Even with his atrocious season offensively, he ranked No. 7 on my list of most essential White Sox (and third among position players). He comes at a bargain-basement price and is among the team’s hardest workers, the latter making him a consummate “grinder,” adored by Williams and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

 

So you predict a big bounce-back season from Bacon?

 

Sure do. But don’t take my word for it — how about the 2011 projections by Bill James, an analyst immutably sharper than me, and a bearded one to boot. James foresees an offensive eruption from Beckham in his third year: career highs in doubles (41), homers (15), runs (81) and RBI (77). For perspective, those projections are generally superior to the numbers Ramirez put up in his 2010 Silver Slugger season.

 

BBQ Verdict: Blech

 

Brett Ballantini is CSNChicago.com's White Sox Insider. Follow him @CSNChi_Beatnik on Twitter for up-to-the-minute White Sox information.

[nitetrain8601]

http://www.csnchicago.com/11/13/10/BBQ-Bec...amp;feedID=6662

 

I love this guy. Every article so far that I've read, has been excellent.

[southsider2k5]

I love this guy. Every article so far that I've read, has been excellent.

 

He is like Joe Cowley's intelligent, insightful, funny, and smart twin.

[TitoMB345]

No way we trade Beckham.

 

Just no way.

[Jordan4life_2007]

So not a single quote from KW in that article? The author just making his own observations/predictions? Yawn.

Edited November 13, 2010 by Jordan4life

[Chisoxfn]

I'm as big a Beckham fan as anyone on this site, but that was a three-month slump. You can't just hand-wave over it.

I like Becks, in fact, I really like him, but if we could get a really top flight 5 tool young CFer than I'd do it. Or outfielder.

 

So I don't think his untouchable, just unlikely we will deal him. I really wonder if this is the year we see a very new White Sox offense. One that won't have many familiar faces from the past two years (Dye, Paulie, Thome, AJP, CQ).

[Jordan4life_2007]

I like Becks, in fact, I really like him, but if we could get a really top flight 5 tool young CFer than I'd do it. Or outfielder.

 

So I don't think his untouchable, just unlikely we will deal him. I really wonder if this is the year we see a very new White Sox offense. One that won't have many familiar faces from the past two years (Dye, Paulie, Thome, AJP, CQ).

 

Beckham for Andrew McCutchen? Just pulling that out of my buttocks. I know it'd never happen.

[knightni]

Encarnacion got traded to Oakland from Toronto.

 

Kouzmanoff would be an excellent defensive 3B if the Sox didn't have Morel.

 

Beckham's blocking Lilli (can't believe I said that), and has more trade value than Lilli due to his draft status. I could see the Braves looking at him as an IF option since he's a Georgia hero and Chipper's on his last legs.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Encarnacion got traded to Oakland from Toronto.

 

Kouzmanoff would be an excellent defensive 3B if the Sox didn't have Morel.

 

Beckham's blocking Lilli (can't believe I said that), and has more trade value than Lilli due to his draft status. I could see the Braves looking at him as an IF option since he's a Georgia hero and Chipper's on his last legs.

 

I thought Encarnacion was a waiver claim? And the Braves are overflowing with elite pitching prospects. I'd aim for Teheran and if the Braves don't budge settle for Delgado.

[knightni]

I think that Oak claimed him, but compensated Tor somehow. (Could be wrong, though.)

[southsider2k5]

So not a single quote from KW in that article? The author just making his own observations/predictions? Yawn.

 

Kenny wouldn't answer that question anyway. I'm sure it has been asked and dually ignored.