Sergio Santos traded to Toronto

[Milkman delivers]

It was ugly last year! The difference this year will be expectations. Last years team underachieved and was very disappointing. I was able to attend two games last year. The first one was the 9th inning Loss to Oakland featuring Juan getting picked off twice and bullpen mismanagement/implosion. The second one was a blow out loss to the yankees where their fans out numbered ours by the end of the game. To me THAT was rock bottom.

 

I am an optimist.

1. Ozzie gone will help the Sox improve. I know Ventura will make mistakes. I think that little of Ozzie the past several years.

2. De Aza will be better than Juan

3. Dunn and Rios will improve either because of returning to norms or because lack of expectations

4. Viciedo

5. Hopefully Peavy will be an asset

6. Beckham gets a new hitting coach and a manager who isn't jealous of him

7. Morel is for real and will be solid

 

I hope Rock is right. Move some salaries, replace them some players with potential, restock the farm, bring back Mark. I have a feeling with Ozzie gone some of these guys will be revitalized and new leaders will step up.

 

UGH! We're falling right back into our old rut.

[Marty34]

After seeing a fair but not spectacular return for Santos, the more I think about it the more I'd like to see Viciedo shopped in an effort to bolster the rotation.

[Chicago White Sox]

That would be awful. The closer should be Reed come April. He destroyed the minor leagues. Nothing left for him to prove.

No, the closer should be Crain. See if he can handle the role and if he does well, then you can move him at the deadline for something of value. If not, then give Reed the job.

[Soxnfins2334]

Honestly, I was somewhat dumbfounded at this trade, but I have read up on Molina before. Molina is a pretty good return for Santos, given the circumstances on what we did to acquire and groom Sergio under. Sergio, whom is a pretty dominant closer for the course of this year and partially in '10, is 28 years of age. This is when players start to hit their peak, and then even out over the course of the next few years. The, by the time you are early to mid 30s, you are all burnt out, unless you are Mariano Rivera and aren't human.

 

Now, as for Molina, I absolutely LOVE getting a legit top 50 prospect in return. It is a good feeling when we can finally have some pretty good talent in our farm, which seems to be the case in the state we are right now. See here, Molina is a control pitcher, with excellent peripherals, and gives up little-to-nothing in the HR/9 category. I believe it is .6 HR/9 for his minor league career in 292 2/3 IP; 255H; 8.5K/9, and 1.5 BB/9 for his career, with also a high ground ball rate. I mean, ffs, the man has a minor league career FIP of 2.27, and a minor league career BAIP of .327, which necessarily isn't a bad thing, according to his stats he just puts the ball in play more, case in point him being a pretty extreme ground ball pitcher. I don't know about you guys, but I'm excited for this kid. He's now my favorite Sox prospect aside from Addison Reed.

[Soxnfins2334]

After seeing a fair but not spectacular return for Santos, the more I think about it the more I'd like to see Viciedo shopped in an effort to bolster the rotation.

Not only would that be a horrible idea, but it would go against the mindset we have now. Viciedo is pretty much as untouchable as it gets. Unless, of course, someone offers us Michael Stanton, or let's say, Ryan Braun.

[Milkman delivers]

Ex-Sox Santo(s) Elected to HOF

 

In my opinion, some of the responses around here substantially overvalue Sergio and non-Mo closers generally. Sergio was a great story and a pretty good reliever too. I have a suspicion the league has figured him out a bit and his best days might be behind him, but only time will tell.

 

So, I have no problem trading "high." But Kenny! Trading HIGH means ... umm ... trading ... HIGH. Ever hear of leverage???

 

Count me in with those who believe a more skilled GM might have received more for a young, low-mileage, cost-controlled reliever, with at times dominant stuff, who has had pretty darned good success already in the bigs than a non-stuff prospect with just a handful of games at AA. Most. Prospects. Don't. Make. It. More often than not, when a known big leaguer is traded for prospects, they are traded for MULTIPLE prospects (unless the prospects are virtual "can't miss" prospects or ones with ungodly tools -- by all accounts, while a good prospect, Molina is neither). Sure seems that WE generally have to trade multiple prospects when we trade for current major leaguers.

 

Yes, I'm not in on the meetings and I don't know for sure, but doesn't it always APPEAR that KW just takes the first interesting offer and NEVER creates any sort of auction mentality when he makes his trades? Gammons suggested teams like the Red Sox and Orioles would have had great interest in Sergio. Rather than forever being stealth-Kenny and loving to surprise people with under-the-radar deals, how about notifying a lot of teams -- including some with strong rivalries -- that player X is available for the high bidder and pump-up-the-bidding? Seems other teams do this all the time and we NEVER, EVER do it.

 

I've always loved Kenny's go-for-it mentality, but, increasingly, I just don't think he's very good at the skill-set required of a trade-making GM.

 

Wow, I agree with every word of this.

[Milkman delivers]

Molina better be badass.

 

I have no worries about Reed, he's a machine designed to get people out, but I want a great return for Sergio Santos.

 

I feel like there's a great nickname somewhere in there.

[Milkman delivers]

After seeing a fair but not spectacular return for Santos, the more I think about it the more I'd like to see Viciedo shopped in an effort to bolster the rotation.

 

No.

[Milkman delivers]

No, the closer should be Crain. See if he can handle the role and if he does well, then you can move him at the deadline for something of value. If not, then give Reed the job.

 

That's a nice plan, actually.

[Chicago White Sox]

Most top prospects lists (Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus) have yet to be released. Molina's status has gone up considerably over the last year. That #18 ranking is probably from some list over a year ago. Minor League Ball, another prospect-centric site, has Molina ranked #2 in their system. http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/11/30/...spects-for-2012

The #18 ranking was for BA's yet-to-be released 2012 Prospect Handbook. I'm 100% certain of this. Right now, he's our #2 prospect per Callis.

[Milkman delivers]

The #18 ranking was for BA's yet-to-be released 2012 Prospect Handbook. I'm 100% certain of this. Right now, he's our #2 prospect per Callis.

 

Who is #1?

[mcgrad70]

If Buehrle, Danks, Quentin, and possibly others move on this off-season, with the farm system in the current state it's in, do you see this club really competing for a title, or even the division over the next 2-3 years?

 

The logical answer is no, and if that's the case, having a top notch closer is nearly meaningless.

 

A team in no worse than baseball's 3rd largest market should never find themselves rebuilding...

[Milkman delivers]

A team in no worse than baseball's 3rd largest market should never find themselves rebuilding...

 

This is where you tell us that it's Jerry Reinsdorf's fault...

[mcgrad70]

I am amazed (but not really) at the stupidity of this fan base. We have an inability to think logically about something. Instead, we overreact with the first thought that comes to our head.

 

What's the LAST thing a rebuilding team needs? A closer. What's the first thing a rebuilding team needs? Pitching prospects.

 

I feel sorry for KW because it is impossible to win with these fans. He guys and buys, and we b**** about not having a system. He sells and builds the system, and we b**** about moving our MLB pieces.

 

PICK ONE!

 

Williams and his boss are the reasons why we're in this mess in the first place.

Is Reinsdorf lowering the prices to watch this crap in Echo Chamber?

What a ghost town the ballpark is going to be.

 

[Dick Allen]

In the shock of the year, Keith Law doesn't think much of the White Sox acquisition.

[Chicago White Sox]

Who is #1?

Reed.

[iamshack]

Wow, I agree with every word of this.

Yeah, Kenny would rather just target guys on his list and acquire them with the pieces he has.

 

I don't really have an issue with either approach, honestly.

[sunofgold]

If you make Reed the closer and he doesn't get the job done...then what do you do? It is a gamble with Reed. You need a Plan B if you go with Reed in the closer role as Plan A.

 

 

 

[DirtySox]

If you make Reed the closer and he doesn't get the job done...then what do you do? It is a gamble with Reed. You need a Plan B if you go with Reed in the closer role as Plan A.

 

Who cares? A fantastic closer is the last thing you need during a rebuild.

[fathom]

The more I think about this trade, the more I feel like KW might have been too focused on Molina and could have gotten a lot more from one of these other teams looking to acquire a closer without having to spend a lot of money (ie: Reds).

[beautox]

I'm a huge fan of this; now that kw has openly stated a rebuild we have no need for a closer. I feel this was a fair trade molina could very well end up being a top of the rotation starter and we have reed in the wings. I look for KW to move everyone sans dunn and rios as they try to re-establish value during this season. I just hope they do this rebuild right burn it down and lock up are young core ala the indians and rays.

[iamshack]

The more I think about this trade, the more I feel like KW might have been too focused on Molina and could have gotten a lot more from one of these other teams looking to acquire a closer without having to spend a lot of money (ie: Reds).

I would hope that they at least contacted the teams openly looking for a closer before doing this...one would think that would be something someone minimally competent would do, unless of course, they love Molina so much that they knew they simply could not better this deal.

 

I understand everyone has a right to complain, but this is just one of those deals where we won't know for a year or two...so let's move on to the next order of business already...

[Balta1701]

The more I think about this trade, the more I feel like KW might have been too focused on Molina and could have gotten a lot more from one of these other teams looking to acquire a closer without having to spend a lot of money (ie: Reds).

Great, now fathoms agreeing with me, so clearly my reaction must be wrong.

[max power]

Seems like both teams traded surpluses they had. I like this trade for both teams.

[Chicago White Sox]

The more I think about this trade, the more I feel like KW might have been too focused on Molina and could have gotten a lot more from one of these other teams looking to acquire a closer without having to spend a lot of money (ie: Reds).

Exactly. KW essentially said he asked about Molina and that they wanted Santos. To me, it doesn't sound like KW ever truly shopped Santos. If that's the case, then I think it's more than fair to question if KW really got the most he possibly could. I'm not saying this trade won't work out just fine, but I feel that might have been able to get more talent if we were open to prospects outside this supposed "short list". Although I will admit I have a lot more confidence in Molina developing into a major league starter than another prospect of similar status, since KW & Paddy clearly have done their homework on the kid.