White Sox Sign Sergio Santos to 3 year deal

[mcgrad70]

No question who the closer will be looks like Sale to the rotation.

 

Santos does not have a closer's mentality.

He blows back-breaking games

I would like to see him and Sale in the rotation and the sox just go after someone experienced at closing

 

[mcgrad70]

The Sox are gonna be as aggressive as hell in the next few weeks building a new culture within the team ASAP. This includes Manager and staff and then player moves when possible.

 

If this building is at the hands of current ownership with its current GM, don't expect much

 

[chisoxfan09]

I like it, cost control in his peak years. I know someone mentioned he does not have the killer instinct but let's see how he does in 2012. He did blow some save opportunities but so did a vast majority of the closers out there.

 

The top 15 closers each blew an average of 5 games (With only Valverde being a perfect 49/49) so there you go. For the age and actual experience I will take it. He should get a little better.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable.jsp?c_id...Player+pitching

Edited October 1, 2011 by SpainSOXfan09

[Quin]

Santos does not have a closer's mentality.

He blows back-breaking games

I would like to see him and Sale in the rotation and the sox just go after someone experienced at closing

 

Rotation? I suggested it once due to low mileage on his arm, but we need a closer, not another starter.

[JorgeFabregas]

How much can arbitration possibly balloon his contract?

Bobby Jenks made 5.6 million and 7.5 million during his arbitration-eligible years with the Sox.

[southsider2k5]

Santos does not have a closer's mentality.

He blows back-breaking games

I would like to see him and Sale in the rotation and the sox just go after someone experienced at closing

 

And those saves came when he was probably suffering from fatigue again.

[Cerbaho-WG]

Excellent deal.

[Balta1701]

How much can arbitration possibly balloon his contract?

If Philip just repeats his 2011 season next year, I'd guess his first year arb number could easily top $5 million.

[Balta1701]

Rotation? I suggested it once due to low mileage on his arm, but we need a closer, not another starter.

Despite the "low mileage" on his arm, I think turning him into a starter would be a 3-4 year project trying to build up his innings.

[Milkman delivers]

Bobby Jenks made 5.6 million and 7.5 million during his arbitration-eligible years with the Sox.

 

I'm talking about Humber here, though. The guy has had one good season so far. I can't see arbitration ballooning his contract as much in comparison.

[Balta1701]

I'm talking about Humber here, though. The guy has had one good season so far. I can't see arbitration ballooning his contract as much in comparison.

A starting pitcher coming off 2 really good seasons is probably a $5 million arb number.

[Milkman delivers]

If Philip just repeats his 2011 season next year, I'd guess his first year arb number could easily top $5 million.

 

Very possible. I just don't see the need to do it just yet. Doing it now and waiting another year to "prove" himself a bit more might not make that much of a difference if we wait. But if we sign him now and he begins to repeat his career before 2011, then we've wasted a ton of money. I'd rather risk having to pay him a couple extra million later than to be stuck paying him a slightly lesser amount if he's terrible.

[Milkman delivers]

I'm saying that we should just wait to sign him long term until something like halfway through 2012 or at the end of that season.

[Balta1701]

Very possible. I just don't see the need to do it just yet. Doing it now and waiting another year to "prove" himself a bit more might not make that much of a difference if we wait. But if we sign him now and he begins to repeat his career before 2011, then we've wasted a ton of money. I'd rather risk having to pay him a couple extra million later than to be stuck paying him a slightly lesser amount if he's terrible.

If we guarantee him $10 million and he imploded, then we've only lost a couple million compared to what he'd get in that first arb year. I think itd be a smart move.

[elrockinMT]

Developing our own closer. He was pretty good and just needs a bit more experience, which I hope comes next season quickly. He blew some pretty big games but then so do the rest of the relief staff. Has to be better in 2012 right? All in all I think this is a good move and glad to have Sergio Santos on the team

[MattZakrowski]

You don't think so? This deal makes him more tradeable.

 

We're not competing for a few years most likely, so if you can get something for a reliever you do it.

 

Not absolutely sucking scouting wise would be nice, too. I realize money is a big part. But wow. You would think you'd hit on one first-round pick by accident over the course of a decade (the jury is still out on Sale).

 

Sale's floor is nasty reliever, so I'll call that pick a win.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Sale's floor is nasty reliever, so I'll call that pick a win.

 

That'd be a fail in my book.

[Marty34]

That'd be a fail in my book.

 

The floor for Sale is a nasty (left-handed) reliever. I don't understand how you could think that would be a fail in all honesty.

[Jordan4life_2007]

The floor for Sale is a nasty (left-handed) reliever. I don't understand how you could think that would be a fail in all honesty.

 

You can find nasty left-handed (or right-handed) relievers well after the first round if you're competent.

[Marty34]

You can find nasty left-handed (or right-handed) relievers well after the first round if you're competent.

 

Maybe, but a nasty left-handed reliever as a worse case scenario is absolutely considered a draft choice win.

 

[Jordan4life_2007]

Maybe, but a nasty left-handed reliever as a worse case scenario is absolutely considered a draft choice win.

 

I wouldn't call it a win. I'd call it a salvage. You're fishin' for studs that you can build your team around long-term. Not the Sean Marshall's of the world. Especially with our current SP dilemma (majors and minors).

[danman31]

Not absolutely sucking scouting wise would be nice, too. I realize money is a big part. But wow. You would think you'd hit on one first-round pick by accident over the course of a decade (the jury is still out on Sale).

 

 

You can find nasty left-handed (or right-handed) relievers well after the first round if you're competent.

Like Addison Reed. The Sox have actually drafted decently in recent years. 3 guys from the 2008 draft are already in the Majors (Morel, Hudson, Beckham) and 2 from 2010 (Sale, Reed). Obviously it's way too early to judge the value of these guys, but I think the draft struggles have firmly fallen on the lack of a budget. Considering they're always in the bottom group for draft spending to have average draft results is a compliment to the scouting and development.

[caulfield12]

I wouldn't call it a win. I'd call it a salvage. You're fishin' for studs that you can build your team around long-term. Not the Sean Marshall's of the world. Especially with our current SP dilemma (majors and minors).

 

 

If they had picked him in the first 10-15 picks or so in the first round, I would tend to agree.

 

If he ended up like Poreda or Royce Ring, for example.

 

Still, it's going to be a bit of disappointment if he never makes it as a starter, since, as you pointed out, that's the single biggest weakness of our already weak minor league depth.

 

But another example in the past would be someone like Josh Fogg, who was a reliever at Florida and with the Sox...eventually evolving into a pretty high quality starter, enough to start a World Series game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jordan4life_2007]

Like Addison Reed. The Sox have actually drafted decently in recent years. 3 guys from the 2008 draft are already in the Majors (Morel, Hudson, Beckham) and 2 from 2010 (Sale, Reed). Obviously it's way too early to judge the value of these guys, but I think the draft struggles have firmly fallen on the lack of a budget. Considering they're always in the bottom group for draft spending to have average draft results is a compliment to the scouting and development.

 

I agree with all of this. Well, I don't think all the struggles are from lack of spending. Though that's a big part.

 

If they had picked him in the first 10-15 picks or so in the first round, I would tend to agree.

 

If he ended up like Poreda or Royce Ring, for example.

 

Still, it's going to be a bit of disappointment if he never makes it as a starter, since, as you pointed out, that's the single biggest weakness of our already weak minor league depth.

 

But another example in the past would be someone like Josh Fogg, who was a reliever at Florida and with the Sox...eventually evolving into a pretty high quality starter, enough to start a World Series game.

 

That was my point. Marshall was like a 6th or 7th round pick, IIRC. Sale ending up as a 60-ish inning RP after being selected at #13 overall would be a huge letdown. Sure, anything is better than an absolute bust. But I sure as hell wouldn't score it was a "win" for the organization.

[Balta1701]

That was my point. Marshall was like a 6th or 7th round pick, IIRC. Sale ending up as a 60-ish inning RP after being selected at #13 overall would be a huge letdown. Sure, anything is better than an absolute bust. But I sure as hell wouldn't score it was a "win" for the organization.

The real problem is that less than 1/2 of first round picks even make the big leagues ever, less than half of those ever put up 1 WAR, and less than half of the remainder ever become solid players that last a while. So if you pick a guy in the first round and he just winds up being a solid reliever for your team for 6.5 years, that's more than like 90-95% of first round picks ever put up.

 

The issue is that yeah, Sale should have more than that in him and he's already made the big leagues, so he's gotten the first step or two accomplished. Starting from that point, only winding up with a reliever would be a disappointment. Starting from the draft itself, winding up with a dominating reliever is a solid result.