Rios, $1M traded to Rangers

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

For what, Andy Wilkins? If he is willing to take a huge paycut, there is nothing in the system that really stops Konerko from coming back.

Sure big paycut , be a bench guy and occasional DH but I think we can agreed the Sox will explore more options than Wilkins.

[iamshack]

I wonder how much Melky Cabrera bombing this year will hurt Nelson Cruz.

I dunno...but if it is fair to assume he hasn't been using this year (and maybe it's not), he's hit 27 home runs...seems to me the guy can hit pretty well when he is clean.

[witesoxfan]

The Blue Jays, above any other team, knew the inherent risks in signing a guy who's value is entirely batting average dependent. Melky Cabrera isn't doing anything he hasn't done in past years except hit a couple more jacks and get a few infield hits. His walk rate and strike out rate are both perfectly normal and he's actually hitting more line drives this year - 22.1%, the highest rate of his career.

 

Nelson Cruz should still get a perfectly fine contract, and I wouldn't be opposed to the Sox signing him

[Andy the Clown]

Why would he quit as his current age? If he feels his back can hold out, he would want that money wouldn't he? He'll be 38 next march 5. He hit .298 a year ago with 26 homers and 76 RBI. This year he's down to .241, 8 and 36 ribbies. but he has struck out 50 times in 333 at bats. I personally feel it'll be a health issue. He knows his body. The reporters have not even addressed him retiring yet, have they? I have a feeling when we see that story, we're going to hear Paulie wants to keep playing. Maybe he'll quit as he turns 38; maybe not.

 

Until we hear from Paulie speaking to reporters, how can we assume anything? We don't know what Paul is thinking.

 

He can't play anymore. He's a DH who can't hit. All of the scouts around MLB are aware of this. If someone would have wanted him around as even a bat off the bench, we would have given him away at the deadline. Obviously he's still here.

[Andy the Clown]

For what, Andy Wilkins? If he is willing to take a huge paycut, there is nothing in the system that really stops Konerko from coming back.

 

Now I get your Schtick. You like to argue for the sake of argument.

[witesoxfan]

He can't play anymore. He's a DH who can't hit. All of the scouts around MLB are aware of this. If someone would have wanted him around as even a bat off the bench, we would have given him away at the deadline. Obviously he's still here.

 

All this "can't hit crap" and he still has a .989 OPS against lefties. He's a platoon player at this point, but he can still hit [lefties].

 

Also, the Sox could have tried to give away Konerko, but he could have just shut it down due to his 10/5 no trade clause. More likely is that the Sox approached Konerko about playing for a contender as a role player down the stretch and he stated he wanted to just finish the year in Chicago. You do this with players who have spent 15 years in your organization and have the 2nd most home runs in franchise history because this isn't a video game and the White Sox are a classy organization.

[southsider2k5]

All this "can't hit crap" and he still has a .989 OPS against lefties. He's a platoon player at this point, but he can still hit [lefties].

 

Also, the Sox could have tried to give away Konerko, but he could have just shut it down due to his 10/5 no trade clause. More likely is that the Sox approached Konerko about playing for a contender as a role player down the stretch and he stated he wanted to just finish the year in Chicago. You do this with players who have spent 15 years in your organization and have the 2nd most home runs in franchise history because this isn't a video game and the White Sox are a classy organization.

 

I'd bet money that this is exactly what happened.

[TaylorStSox]

Why in the hell would you want Konerko over Wilkins? How does that help a rebuilding team? I love what Konerko did for us, but he's killing the team this year. Is there a less productive DH/clean up hitter in the league? This team is apathetic, boring and vanilla. It starts at the top. Konerko looks like the last place he wants to be is on a baseball diamond. This team needs some enthusiasm (along with better players . Konerko sulking on the bench isn't helping.

[southsider2k5]

Why in the hell would you want Konerko over Wilkins? How does that help a rebuilding team? I love what Konerko did for us, but he's killing the team this year. Is there a less productive DH/clean up hitter in the league? This team is apathetic, boring and vanilla. It starts at the top. Konerko looks like the last place he wants to be is on a baseball diamond. This team needs some enthusiasm (along with better players . Konerko sulking on the bench isn't helping.

 

Wilkins has as much chance of being on the next White Sox winning team as Paul Konerko does.

[LittleHurt05]

Wilkins has as much chance of being on the next White Sox winning team as Paul Konerko does.

 

And I'd rather not watch Konerko keep flailing away or become a platoon hitter on another crappy team. Let this year be his swan song in Chicago. If he really wants to play another year to help pay cooling costs on a 16k sq. foot building in the desert, let him do it somewhere else.

[TaylorStSox]

Wilkins has as much chance of being on the next White Sox winning team as Paul Konerko does.

He's young, cost controlled and still has more potential than a 38 year old singles hitter. I don't know how much you've watched this year, but PK looks pathetic on fastballs. It's almost sad to watch a slow guy shorten his swing so much to compensate. He just has no bat speed anymore.

Edited August 6, 2013 by TaylorStSox

[southsider2k5]

He's young, cost controlled and still has more potential than a 38 year old singles hitter. I don't know how much you've watched this year, but PK looks pathetic on fastballs. It's almost sad to watch a slow guy shorten his swing so much to compensate. He just has no bat speed anymore.

 

Two of those three things about Wilkins are right. The third isn't. Even a reduced Konerko (bad back and all) will give you more than Wilkins ever will at the major league level. There is a pretty solid chance Wilkins never even puts on the black and white.

 

if the Sox had any value for him, they wouldn't have spent the last year bringing in other teams washed out minor league 1B's.

[Andy the Clown]

He's young, cost controlled and still has more potential than a 38 year old singles hitter. I don't know how much you've watched this year, but PK looks pathetic on fastballs. It's almost sad to watch a slow guy shorten his swing so much to compensate. He just has no bat speed anymore.

 

+1000

 

He's one of the big reasons for our current position.

[TaylorStSox]

Two of those three things about Wilkins are right. The third isn't. Even a reduced Konerko (bad back and all) will give you more than Wilkins ever will at the major league level. There is a pretty solid chance Wilkins never even puts on the black and white.

 

if the Sox had any value for him, they wouldn't have spent the last year bringing in other teams washed out minor league 1B's.

Well, I guess we will agree to disagree. I don't think you've seen how much Konerko looks overmatched. I just don't see how running a 38 year old shell of a player helps a rebuilding team.

[witesoxfan]

I do agree that there is literally no reason to bring Konerko back. At this stage of the game, the reason to bring in guys are because you believe they will bring future value to the franchise. Signing Konerko simply doesn't do that at this point.

[southsider2k5]

Well, I guess we will agree to disagree. I don't think you've seen how much Konerko looks overmatched. I just don't see how running a 38 year old shell of a player helps a rebuilding team.

 

I've seen how he looks. What I don't get is why people are trying to put Andy Wilkins up as the solution to the problem. The Sox have brought in Travis Ishikawa, Mike McDade, Lars Anderson and even Seth Lohman to play 1B this year for Charlotte. If that isn't a statement of what the organization thinks of their minor league 1B options, I don't know what is.

 

If you want to get excited about a prospect, at least make it a guy who has a chance of doing something with the big league club. Andy Wilkins is not going to help a rebuilding White Sox team either.

[Buehrle>Wood]

I don't think there are multiple people out there excited about Wilkens. He's just a lot better option than Konerko.

[TaylorStSox]

I don't think there are multiple people out there excited about Wilkens. He's just a lot better option than Konerko.

Exactly. It's not an endorsement of Wilkins. Konerko has just been that bad for about the last 700-800 AB's.

[southsider2k5]

I don't think there are multiple people out there excited about Wilkens. He's just a lot better option than Konerko.

 

I don't buy that for a second honestly. All you have to do is look at what way better hitting prospects have done at the major league level versus what Wilkins is doing now.

[Jerksticks]

I don't buy that for a second honestly. All you have to do is look at what way better hitting prospects have done at the major league level versus what Wilkins is doing now.

Exactly. How's Brandon Allen doing these days? Arguably better than Wilkins in the minors but very similar. There is no reason to get excited about Wilkins just yet.

[Dick Allen]

Exactly. How's Brandon Allen doing these days? Arguably better than Wilkins in the minors but very similar. There is no reason to get excited about Wilkins just yet.

Is the thread where Brandon Allen was traded still available? There were a few people on here claiming he was a future all star.

 

 

[witesoxfan]

There are several guys you can compare Wilkins to. I think the most optimistic comparison you can probably make is, like, Aubrey Huff. I likened him to Ross Gload. He's most likely to make a career going from bench to bench. He's also going to have to show some competency in the OF and/or 3B to make it and stick in the majors too.

 

 

[Kyyle23]

Is the thread where Brandon Allen was traded still available? There were a few people on here claiming he was a future all star.

 

was it a certain person who also claimed Chris Carter was the next big thing?

[Quin]

All this "can't hit crap" and he still has a .989 OPS against lefties. He's a platoon player at this point, but he can still hit [lefties].

 

Also, the Sox could have tried to give away Konerko, but he could have just shut it down due to his 10/5 no trade clause. More likely is that the Sox approached Konerko about playing for a contender as a role player down the stretch and he stated he wanted to just finish the year in Chicago. You do this with players who have spent 15 years in your organization and have the 2nd most home runs in franchise history because this isn't a video game and the White Sox are a classy organization.

 

This. This 1000 times.

 

Paulie likely wants to retire in Chicago, is old, getting hurt more often, and knows that next year likely won't be a contender. He's been contemplating retirement. At this point he probably would just be glad to take his $127M that he's earned and spend retirement with his kids. Probably making the occasional return to Chicago (next hitting coach?), but spending a lot of time in his 16,000 square foot house.

[Dick Allen]

was it a certain person who also claimed Chris Carter was the next big thing?

I don't remember the exact posters, but one guaranteed there were all star games in Allen's future. They were correct about Tony Pena.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Dick Allen