Alex Rios getting it done.

[Dick Allen]

I was more than willing to let non performers of 2011 like Rios, Dunn and Peavy go but baseball fans have short memories. They are perfomring now and hopefull ths continues. We are contending and even when not hitting on all cylinders seem to stay in the games. Maybe we have turned the corner after last season and now we are going to support or call for trades of Rios and Floyd? Let's be happy for a little while.

I really doubt the Sox could trade Rios right now even if they ate half the contract. If he continues to play well and a team is willing to take it, you move him, and be happy. The chances of him living up to the contract for its duration is slim. Same goes for Dunn. They aren't going to be hot forever. Go back a week and see where they were at. A week or 2 from now, they may be heading back there. Hopefully not, but I don't know how anyone can be convinced they will now be stars based an a week or so.

[Balta1701]

Really the only question to ask is, what would we get in return (immediately) for Peavy, Dunn, Rios? My guess is not much. Peavy might eventually get us something back if he keeps going well. we'll still have to pay $ to unload.

 

To just yell that you want to dump their contracts proves fan frustration, nothing more. It's hard for the Sox to get free agents most years with any money we save, so the question to really ask is what prospects can we get back for these guys?

 

If offers are weak, it really is very possible that their greatest worth is still just being on this team. Even if Rios and his career .750 or .760 OPS is what we get for the next few years....on an offense like this one, factoring in his defense, that really is needed here.

 

We have to take ourselves out of the present and remember that we can't rely on AJ's bat carrying so much of the load in the future. That's going to come back to earth with reckless fury, maybe soon.

I can't see the Sox getting really anything back in return for any of those guys at any point this year, under any plausible circumstances. I just want the contracts removed for the largest savings possible. If the Sox have to pay significant $ to unload them, then there's no reason to do it, except maybe for Peavy where we'd be losing him at the end of the season and having to pay his buyout anyway.

[elrockinMT]

I really doubt the Sox could trade Rios right now even if they ate half the contract. If he continues to play well and a team is willing to take it, you move him, and be happy. The chances of him living up to the contract for its duration is slim. Same goes for Dunn. They aren't going to be hot forever. Go back a week and see where they were at. A week or 2 from now, they may be heading back there. Hopefully not, but I don't know how anyone can be convinced they will now be stars based an a week or so.

 

I know what you are saying but hitters are streaky, Dunn for instance can hit homers for a week staight and then go a week without. Giving up now and you run the risk of sending away someone who can help. Large contracts will be tough to move certainly and it seems almost all trades anymore involve a team eating some of that salary. I just prefer to win. Now things can certainly change come All-Star break

[greg775]

I'd just like to add that I don't want to get rid of "this" Rios. We put up with the crap Rios for years, and it seems like he may be turning a corner...trading him wouldn't produce much of a trade because of his salary, so instead of getting nothing in return, I'd like to keep him if this is the version of him we will be getting. Waiting until he's playing good and then trading him would make me sick, especially if he stays good and some other teams gets to reap the benefits after the years of frustration we had to deal with. I'd sooner keep him because his contract would dictate little to no return in shedding him right now.

 

I totally disagree.

He's hot. See if a team desperate for a bat will take him off the Sox hands.

Dump him if anybody is dumb enough to take him.

 

That said, good start for Mr. Rios and I applaud his numbers.

[kwolf68]

I can't stand this player, but the only possible way Rios gets moved this year is

 

1-If Rios plays well

2-The White Sox stink

 

Both have to happen. Right now only 1 is. The White Sox playing well is partially the result of the quality of Rios' play early in the season. So Kenny won't move him unless someone is enamored with him and will take on all the salary and give a resource in return.

Edited April 23, 2012 by kwolf68

[caulfield12]

Konerko's last contract before this most recent one had looked bad from time to time, as well.

 

Linebrink and MacDougal, as well as Dotel, were bloated contracts, but that's because of the premium placed on relief pitching and the disastrous results many teams had piecing things togethers with journeyman, castoffs and minor leaguers internally.

 

 

The other thing you have to look at is the fact that Dunn's STILL something like second in the majors going back to the 2008 year in homers for all of MLB. We don't have anything close to that kind of bat in our minor league system. Someone will probably say Trayce Thompson COULD THEORETICALLY show that power, but that's 2-3 years away, IF THEN.

 

We just don't have the replacement in the minors right now. Kuhn or Lillibridge or McPherson for Beckham and Morel. Lillibridge and Fukudome are not long-term replacements in the outfield. Neither is Jordan Danks. Mitchell is probably the closest, and there would still be many arguments made against him being able be an everyday player for the White Sox in 2013 (strike out rate being #1).

 

This is always the problem with the White Sox. Will the team have the patience to go through growing pains with Phegley/Flowers or will they keep AJ around YET AGAIN when many wanted to turn the page last time and move on...?

 

And it's going to take a lot more than 2-3 weeks for Rios and Dunn to start attracting attention...it's going to have to be sustained at least until late June/early July because of their recent histories. They're not in a situation like Marlon Byrd where there contract's ending this year and a team has the luxury of the "salary drive motivational theory" to fall back on. That's only the case with Peavy and Floyd to a lesser extent because of the option year in his contract.

 

It's got to be a very tough position for the GM to be in...especially with the 2nd wildcard spot being so tempting, and keeping teams in contention longer than ever before. Almost like fool's gold...at least it could be.

 

 

 

[caulfield12]

I can't see the Sox getting really anything back in return for any of those guys at any point this year, under any plausible circumstances. I just want the contracts removed for the largest savings possible. If the Sox have to pay significant $ to unload them, then there's no reason to do it, except maybe for Peavy where we'd be losing him at the end of the season and having to pay his buyout anyway.

 

 

After how Jake has underperformed, do you really see the White Sox trading Peavy in the middle of this season (let's say we're leading for one of the wildcard spots or very, very close behind one) and replacing him in the 2nd half with the likes of Axelrod or Molina?

 

That actually flies in the face of the Hudson/Holmberg trade, which was all about "winning now/results at the major league level" and a lack of patience from the front office and especially the coaching staff (supposedly).

 

As it is, if this good play continues, it's going to be really tough for them to just pull the plug on Chris Sale at some arbitrary number of inning pitched in August or September, based on some theoretical construct like the Verducci Rule.

 

We'll see what happens.

 

And with the ubiquitousness of Tommy John surgeries...maybe there's the feeling within the organization that his elbow might go out at any time and that doing the surgery is inevitable...and that he would or could come back evven stronger, as long as its nothing to do with his labrum or shoulder, which is proving more resistant to modern medical interventions.

 

Then again, Liriano with the Twins is one example of a pitcher who has simply never been the same since that surgery...that slider from 2006 has never come back. But look at Strasburg, he looks almost better than before so far.

 

 

[southsider2k5]

After how Jake has underperformed, do you really see the White Sox trading Peavy in the middle of this season (let's say we're leading for one of the wildcard spots or very, very close behind one) and replacing him in the 2nd half with the likes of Axelrod or Molina?

 

That actually flies in the face of the Hudson/Holmberg trade, which was all about "winning now/results at the major league level" and a lack of patience from the front office and especially the coaching staff (supposedly).

 

As it is, if this good play continues, it's going to be really tough for them to just pull the plug on Chris Sale at some arbitrary number of inning pitched in August or September, based on some theoretical construct like the Verducci Rule.

 

We'll see what happens.

 

And with the ubiquitousness of Tommy John surgeries...maybe there's the feeling within the organization that his elbow might go out at any time and that doing the surgery is inevitable...and that he would or could come back evven stronger, as long as its nothing to do with his labrum or shoulder, which is proving more resistant to modern medical interventions.

 

Then again, Liriano with the Twins is one example of a pitcher who has simply never been the same since that surgery...that slider from 2006 has never come back. But look at Strasburg, he looks almost better than before so far.

 

I am going to stay out on my limb and say I do not see us in that position. It has been a nice couple of weeks, but I'm still not convinced we will sustain this for 162 games. I think we are going to be a middle of the pack-ish team.

 

[caulfield12]

I am going to stay out on my limb and say I do not see us in that position. It has been a nice couple of weeks, but I'm still not convinced we will sustain this for 162 games. I think we are going to be a middle of the pack-ish team.

 

 

You're absolutely right about this. I said it before the roadtrip, too. With the size of those stadiums, the colder April air...we're likely to have success and probably look better than we really are in the process.

 

So here we are. When you came into the SEA series having won at around an 80-85% clip against them 2/3 or a sweep wasn't hard to predict. And Oakland has a pretty weak offensive line-up too, outside of Cespedes in the middle when you pitch to him.

 

Then it all comes down to how we play in the AL Central.

 

We have the advantage of being weighted towards all these match-ups with the Twins, Indians and Royals. Can we beat THOSE teams, and at a .600 clip?

 

Then it's doable, because you'd have to think that the Rangers/Angels will beat up on Oakland/Seattle and that with the quality and depth of the AL East, those teams beating each other up night after night after night, there's the possiblity afforded to sneak into the 2nd wildcard because of the lack of quality in our divsion vis a via the AL East.

 

I mean...you have what was the best team in baseball for 4 1/2 months last season possibly being the worst team in that division...probably the Red Sox will catch the Orioles and the Blue Jays, but you just never know what will happen with the Valentine situation. That team might completely implode...or they'll go on an amazing tear at some point and quiet the doubters.