White Sox sign Jesse Crain

[chw42]

He better produce for that term and those numbers. I don't want Linebrink part 2.

 

Linebrink had a bunch of nagging injuries. Crain's been healthy for most of his career.

[pktmotion]

LR Minor Leaguer

MR Pena

MR Santos

SU Sale

SU Crain

CL Thornton

 

We're getting warmer...

 

Looks good... could see a vet LOOGY signed late in the season like Byrdak or Beimel on the cheap.

 

And a couple of kids(Infante/Carter/Marquez/Nunez/Dolsi/) fight it out for the LR/MR roles

[scenario]

Best part of the whole deal IMO. Kenny scored here I think...

 

Best part of the deal is that Crain not only generated those numbers against us... but he did it for the TWINS!!

 

Not having him pitch for the Twins against us is a double win.

 

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Best part of the deal is that Crain not only generated those numbers against us... but he did it for the TWINS!!

 

Not having him pitch for the Twins against us is a double win.

 

And his numbers are pretty solid at US Cellular, so it's not like he was just doing well at the spacious Target Field vs. us.....

 

23 1/3 IP, 13 H, 4 HR, 6 ER, 9 BB, 15 K, 2.31 ERA, 0.94 WHIP

[Real]

RONGEY, you and abbatacola have me in tears right now.

 

i cant stop laughing, haha

Edited December 16, 2010 by Real

[Lemon_44]

Looks good... could see a vet LOOGY signed late in the season like Byrdak or Beimel on the cheap.

 

And a couple of kids(Infante/Carter/Marquez/Nunez/Dolsi/) fight it out for the LR/MR roles

Has Arthur Rhodes signed anyhwere yet? I wonder what he would cost? But I'd be OK breaking in a youngster in that role too.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Lemon_44

[pktmotion]

Has Arthur Rhodes signed anyhwere yet? I wonder what he would cost? But I'd be OK breaking in a youngster in that role too.

 

Santos/Sale could be really great as LH/RH setup tandem, but I think that might be limiting them a bit. Both of them have the stuff to be dominant. Sale especially has a tremendous ceiling. Therefore picking up another LHRP,that only comes up for one or two guys, is beneficial to the growth of our younger arms.

 

Rhodes is another great name, though I'd think he'd be paid a little bit more than Beimel/Byrdak. Anyone as long as the money is ~$1.5M or under–we don't need to have the best candidate since this is such a limited role.

[Ranger]

Oh, then I'd like to trade for Joakim Soria.

 

What if Kenny didn't like Downs for some reason? What if Kenny preferred a right handed pitcher instead of a left hander? Could all be possible, but there's no question Downs is the better pitcher and would give you a better return.

 

 

Oops. Obviously, I meant this isn't fantasy. There could be a number of reasons that deal didn't happen that are out of the Sox' control.

 

I guess a better way to describe what I'm saying is this:

 

I think we can agree that most Sox fans are happy with the way this offseason has gone and are pleased with the team as-is and certainly consider them good enough to be competitive. If that is true, then when the season comes to an end and if a lot of these moves don't result in a winner, I think it would be disingenuous to say, "KW should take the heat for this season!" To me, you can't be on board with the team and happy with the deals and acquisitions if you're going to change your mind later and blame the GM for failure.

 

That's why I think if a GM puts together a good team on paper, it's not necessarily his failure if they don't perform as they should. I will almost always blame players for not putting up the numbers they should put up. It's almost never anyone's fault but their own if they don't.

 

RONGEY, you and abbatacola have me in tears right now.

 

i cant stop laughing, haha

 

You like the burps, don't you? Juvenile.

[greg775]

I agree with Ranger. I blame the players.

But last offseason I was against the Teahen signing so I think people like me who don't like Teahen can blame KW for that awful signing.

I'm glad we got a former Twin to shake things up a bit.

Edited December 16, 2010 by greg775

[Ranger]

I agree with Ranger. I blame the players.

But last offseason I was against the Teahen signing so I think people like me who don't like Teahen can blame KW for that awful signing.

I'm glad we got a former Twin to shake things up a bit.

 

To dislike the Teahen signing, I understand. I was indifferent toward it because I understood the logic behind it, but it didn't excite me. I don't absolutely hate it as much as everyone else seems to, though.

[caulfield12]

I think we can agree that most Sox fans are happy with the way this offseason has gone and are pleased with the team as-is and certainly consider them good enough to be competitive. If that is true, then when the season comes to an end and if a lot of these moves don't result in a winner, I think it would be disingenuous to say, "KW should take the heat for this season!" To me, you can't be on board with the team and happy with the deals and acquisitions if you're going to change your mind later and blame the GM for failure.

 

But by this logic, then only a tiny cross-section of fans could have been happy BEFORE 2010 because EVERYONE at soxtalk and throughout baseball saw the gaping holes in the structure of the team (particularly no DH)....this way, I guess the argument goes that ALMOST every Sox fan should be satisfied with the offseason and therefore, ergo, have no excuses for not supporting the team (particularly in terms of their attendance).

 

The year prior of that, it was Wise coming out of ST as the starting CFer. There was just no way you could sell that to the fans. Of course, someone will say not even the Red Sox have All-Stars at EVERY position, but Wise wasn't even close to being a legitimate, non-platoon candidate from the opening bell. To those like greg and myself who'd seen Teahen play a significant amont of time, including the ill-fated RF and 2B experiments, you can go back and see predictions of impending doom/disaster, especially after that ridiculous extension was signed on the dotted line.

 

Or am I misreading that...?

Edited December 16, 2010 by caulfield12

[joeynach]

I love this move as well. I think we paid for a guy at exactly what hes worth and he will help us exactly where we need the help. Of course he has to stay healthy, but as you can read from my other thread this is something myself and others have been calling for. Glad we didnt let the good options slip through the cracks while we sort out if there will be some extra $$, this time we saw a problem and we found the extra $$ for it right away and addressed it. Kudos.

[Dick Allen]

Who says Downs was intersted in coming here? This is fantasy baseball. There are a lot of variables to signing players you want to sign and the market can change over the course of several days.

 

 

 

For a GM, I think you have to give the benefit of the doubt if he's put together a good team on paper for the simple fact that too many unexpected and unpredictable things that can happen during the season that affect the outcome of the year.

 

I don't think the Manny thing was "obvious" as he had the NL's 4th best OPS prior to injury before coming here. And it doesn't matter anyway because the payroll doesn't work like that. His acquisition last year doesn't take away $4 million from teh pot this season. New year, new payroll.

Next year, new payroll, but $4 million JR didn't have to pay Manny is sitting in the White Sox bank account. JR was quoted last summer about saving money some seasons to spend on others. If every last dime that comes in goes out like we have been told for years, the money paid to Manny could have been used this year or next year or 5 years from now. It doesn''t just dissappear.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Dick Allen

[NorthSideSox72]

The Gonzalez article mentioned the Sox are looking for a left reliever as well. Got me thinking, if the pen is currently this:

 

Thonton

Crain

Sale

Santos

Pena

Infante

?? long man

 

And if they are looking for a lefty... that tells me they don't want Sale in the pen. They want him starting. And that tells me they are going to trade an SP, most likely.

 

[Balta1701]

The Gonzalez article mentioned the Sox are looking for a left reliever as well. Got me thinking, if the pen is currently this:

 

Thonton

Crain

Sale

Santos

Pena

Infante

?? long man

 

And if they are looking for a lefty... that tells me they don't want Sale in the pen. They want him starting. And that tells me they are going to trade an SP, most likely.

I gotta disagree. If I look at that exact bullpen you just wrote...I see 1 situational lefty, Sale. If Thornty is closing, he's not available if Mauer, Morneau, and Thome come up with a runner on in the 7th inning. Ozzie has as far as I can remember always had 2 situational lefties. Even if Sale stays in the bullpen for the full year, there's no 2nd situational lefty.

 

I think Sale starts some during the year, which makes that issue even worse.

[justBLAZE]

I've ventured over at the Twins board and they aren't exactly crying after the Crain signing, if anything they are pissed he signed with the Sox.

 

I like this deal I guess, I hope he won't be another Liney, and he is younger than Guerrier so that's a plus.

 

[witesoxfan]

The Gonzalez article mentioned the Sox are looking for a left reliever as well. Got me thinking, if the pen is currently this:

 

Thonton

Crain

Sale

Santos

Pena

Infante

?? long man

 

And if they are looking for a lefty... that tells me they don't want Sale in the pen. They want him starting. And that tells me they are going to trade an SP, most likely.

 

First, I think Pena is the long man.

 

Second, you are making a lot of assumptions.

-You are assuming that Infante is going to be on the MLB roster on Opening Day...the Sox may like him and his arm, but saving a year on his service time may be worth more to them, and if they call him up in July, should someone falter, then they save that year. With regards to this, I don't think it is far fetched to believe that either Sale or Thornton could be the closer, and considering Ozzie had Sale closing at the end of the year, I think it could very well be him.

-You are assuming this means they need to cut payroll. But, if they are interested in Byrdak, as was mentioned very early in the offseason, that may be a move that only costs $1-2 mill. I think trading a starting pitcher based on the arrival of Tim Byrdak, or the arrival of Tim Byrdak and Jesse Crain, is a bit irresponsible.

-You are assuming that they want Sale starting in the majors. It is entirely possible that they do want Sale starting, but it's very, very possible that it is in AAA where he can further develop his arsenal as opposed to the potential rookie problems. And, as I have mentioned earlier, that also leaves open the possibility of him being a bullpen arm come August.

 

I think what you are suggesting is highly plausible, but that we need to let the details come in before such a statement is made.

[Balta1701]

They have said in no uncertain terms that Chris Sale will break camp with this team. That was about the most emphatic thing they said all offseason.

[NorthSideSox72]

I gotta disagree. If I look at that exact bullpen you just wrote...I see 1 situational lefty, Sale. If Thornty is closing, he's not available if Mauer, Morneau, and Thome come up with a runner on in the 7th inning. Ozzie has as far as I can remember always had 2 situational lefties. Even if Sale stays in the bullpen for the full year, there's no 2nd situational lefty.

 

I think Sale starts some during the year, which makes that issue even worse.

 

And I don't think they are going to use their prize young pitcher, who went all the way from draft to MLB the same year, as a LOOGY. So, they are looking for an actual situational lefty.

 

First, I think Pena is the long man.

 

Second, you are making a lot of assumptions.

-You are assuming that Infante is going to be on the MLB roster on Opening Day...the Sox may like him and his arm, but saving a year on his service time may be worth more to them, and if they call him up in July, should someone falter, then they save that year. With regards to this, I don't think it is far fetched to believe that either Sale or Thornton could be the closer, and considering Ozzie had Sale closing at the end of the year, I think it could very well be him.

-You are assuming this means they need to cut payroll. But, if they are interested in Byrdak, as was mentioned very early in the offseason, that may be a move that only costs $1-2 mill. I think trading a starting pitcher based on the arrival of Tim Byrdak, or the arrival of Tim Byrdak and Jesse Crain, is a bit irresponsible.

-You are assuming that they want Sale starting in the majors. It is entirely possible that they do want Sale starting, but it's very, very possible that it is in AAA where he can further develop his arsenal as opposed to the potential rookie problems. And, as I have mentioned earlier, that also leaves open the possibility of him being a bullpen arm come August.

 

I think what you are suggesting is highly plausible, but that we need to let the details come in before such a statement is made.

You'd think Pena would be back as the long man, but KW has been quoted saying Pena is going to be in the back of the pen now.

 

Unless he's traded, I'd be shocked if Infante, who was in the majors last September, wasn't on the opening day bullpen.

 

My assumption isn't so much about cutting payroll, though I do believe that's a factor - its about trying do something in the way of trading Quentin and still getting something good in RF.

 

Much as I'd rather, in an ideal world, see Sale in AAA starting, the way the org is talking, he's almost assuredly going to be in the Sox come April.

 

[justBLAZE]

I for one think the Sale is the closer and it's all but official, I've been saying this since last year.

 

If Peavy isn't healthy come April is there a chance Sox signs a pitcher on a incetive deal someone that give them flexibility to fill in for Peavy or go to the bullpen or even be traded at the deadline for pieces? One name that comes to my mind is Brandon Webb, however, I have no idea what kind of money he is looking to get. It has been mentioned Cubs were looking at Webb and that's why I think Kenny had the media writing about Sox being interested in Wood, trying to force the Cubs to sign him.

 

Of course I could be way off on this.

[Jordan4life_2007]

I for one think the Sale is the closer and it's all but official, I've been saying this since last year.

 

If Peavy isn't healthy come April is there a chance Sox signs a pitcher on a incetive deal someone that give them flexibility to fill in for Peavy or go to the bullpen or even be traded at the deadline for pieces? One name that comes to my mind is Brandon Webb, however, I have no idea what kind of money he is looking to get. It has been mentioned Cubs were looking at Webb and that's why I think Kenny had the media writing about Sox being interested in Wood, trying to force the Cubs to sign him.

 

Of course I could be way off on this.

 

Wait a minute? KW had the media writing about them being interested in Wood to force the Cubs to sign Webb? How does that make any sense?

[justBLAZE]

Wait a minute? KW had the media writing about them being interested in Wood to force the Cubs to sign Webb? How does that make any sense?

 

to force the Cubs to sign Wood, so they back off Webb.

 

Just my scenario.

[Springfield Soxfan]

to force the Cubs to sign Wood, so they back off Webb.

 

Just my scenario.

that is a pretty legitimate scenario, KW has asked on Webb each year and you know he is at least trying to get him.

[Vote4Pedro]

i would consider signing webb but more than likely a trade would have to be made to free up $$

[justBLAZE]

i would consider signing webb but more than likely a trade would have to be made to free up $$

 

Could be a great alternative if they decided to trade Jackson (frees up some salary) for pieces that will help in the future like a leadoff LF/RF or catching prospect if they are done with Flowers.