Finding a LH/Switch hitting OFer

[2nd_city_saint787]

Maybe Ackley is the guy Hahn mentioned they were close to getting at the deadline? Personally, I don't think these two are much better than what ADA and Dunn were

 

I'm not sure Ackley is better than ADA at all....Butler is just meh to me.

 

If they do big things with the pitching staff I suppose I'd be fine with it, but am hoping for a bit more offense.

Edited September 25, 2014 by scs787

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

FYI, two players Rick and co. have big board eyes on are Ackley (LF) & Butler (DH).

If Butler can get back to his age 23 through 27 level of production he'd be a good get except it would be like having Konerko all over again without the power. He has a 12.5 M option and a $1M buyout so Hahn must be thinking KC doesn't pick up the option.

 

Ackley I can understand but I'd rather have Saunders.

Edited September 25, 2014 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[Jerksticks]

Ackley's stats kinda look like Gordon Beckham's. I hope we use our trade chips for someone a bit more powerful and exciting...like someone good.

 

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Ackley's stats kinda look like Gordon Beckham's. I hope we use our trade chips for someone a bit more powerful and exciting...like someone good.

What trade chips ?

[greg775]

If Butler can get back to his age 23 through 27 level of production he'd be a good get except it would be like having Konerko all over again without the power. He has a 12.5 M option and a $1M buyout so Hahn must be thinking KC doesn't pick up the option.

 

Ackley I can understand but I'd rather have Saunders.

 

Butler is actually the type of acquisition I would think would please soxtalk. He's still pretty young and he'd be moving over to a hitter's ballpark and might finally decide to elevate. He'll come cheap as KC will give him the $1 million buyout and no team will pay Billy more than 5 million a year. You'd have to be crazy to pay Billy a ton after his s*** season.

You stick him at DH and you have one of the slowest guys around, but we're used to having at least one insanely slow baserunner on our team.

So you sign Billy for two years. Sure it could backfire if he hits .190 and strikes out 200 times, but again "on paper" this looks like a good move for a cost conscious organization like the Sox.

If Billy bounces back, you've got a nice little stretch of hitters in Eaton (cf), Lexi (ss), Abreu (1b), A. Garcia (rf), Butler (DH). Now you follow that with Viciedo (lf), Gillaspie (3b), Semien (2b), and Flowers ©.

That lineup is quite good except you have only two lefties. Oh well.

If you acquire Markaikis and trade Viciedo you have Markaikis in left and hitting from the leftside. If it has to be Aoki, he's lefthanded hitter as well.

I say yes to Billy Butler as the first piece to the offseason retooling. Two year deal only.

Edited September 25, 2014 by greg775

[SoxAce]

Maybe Ackley is the guy Hahn mentioned they were close to getting at the deadline? Personally, I don't think these two are much better than what ADA and Dunn were

I wonder if there's something Steverson sees in both (namely Ackley) that he believes he can work with and has relied to the org. Ackley has always had the potential, and Butler has been a solid hitter in the past. I don't know though, I agree with you in a sense. Hell I could see if Ackley had Alex Gordon like defense out in LF but it's no better than ADA actually.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Butler is actually the type of acquisition I would think would please soxtalk. He's still pretty young and he'd be moving over to a hitter's ballpark and might finally decide to elevate. He'll come cheap as KC will give him the $1 million buyout and no team will pay Billy more than 5 million a year. You'd have to be crazy to pay Billy a ton after his s*** season.

You stick him at DH and you have one of the slowest guys around, but we're used to having at least one insanely slow baserunner on our team.

So you sign Billy for two years. Sure it could backfire if he hits .190 and strikes out 200 times, but again "on paper" this looks like a good move for a cost conscious organization like the Sox.

If Billy bounces back, you've got a nice little stretch of hitters in Eaton (cf), Lexi (ss), Abreu (1b), A. Garcia (rf), Butler (DH). Now you follow that with Viciedo (lf), Gillaspie (3b), Semien (2b), and Flowers ©.

That lineup is quite good except you have only two lefties. Oh well.

If you acquire Markaikis and trade Viciedo you have Markaikis in left and hitting from the leftside. If it has to be Aoki, he's lefthanded hitter as well.

I say yes to Billy Butler as the first piece to the offseason retooling. Two year deal only.

Butler won't hit .190 . The guy could hit .250 in his sleep.He also isn't a big K guy and walks a decent amount. He's actually been one of the most consistent hitters in the game with a .294 career batting average and .359 OBP And if they get him I doubt they keep Viciedo . Somewhere somehow the Sox will get another LH bat in that lineup and most likely it'll be in LF or RF with Avi playing Left. Or maybe they try to move Flowers and get a LH catcher .

Edited September 25, 2014 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[LDF]

I don't understand, why wouldn't they do that deal? If you could just cancel the Danks contract today, wouldn't you do it?

 

not if it mean getting burden with a longer contract with a possible player

who may or may not rebound.

[witesoxfan]

That's not very exciting, but FYI, Dustin Ackley's second half: .270/.307/.474/.781, .341 wOBA, 122 wRC+. Ackley's versatility is exciting though.

 

I am not high on Billy Butler. I like that he's a buy low candidate, but there's not a ton about his game that excites me.

[Eminor3rd]

not if it mean getting burden with a longer contract with a possible player

who may or may not rebound.

 

I see. Well. it's only one extra season. I believe Ethier has a 2018 option, but that's a no-brainer decline.

[Eminor3rd]

That's not very exciting, but FYI, Dustin Ackley's second half: .270/.307/.474/.781, .341 wOBA, 122 wRC+. Ackley's versatility is exciting though.

 

I am not high on Billy Butler. I like that he's a buy low candidate, but there's not a ton about his game that excites me.

 

There's also a storied history of fat guys declining sharply around 30. His performance this year might make a ton of sense, actually.

[southsider2k5]

Maybe Ackley is the guy Hahn mentioned they were close to getting at the deadline? Personally, I don't think these two are much better than what ADA and Dunn were

 

From the way Hahn talked, I am guessing it is a big name player. Why mention if it were a retread?

[elrockinMT]

What are internal options I the OF? I think we end up with Eaton in CF and Garcia in RF and Viciedo DH/RF and Jordan Danks stays as a #4 or #5 OF'er. It will be interesting to see if we sign a big bat for DH or switch off with position players being given a break from the field. Earlier this second half I was thinking Wilkins at 1B/DH switching off with Abreu but Andy has just not shown he can hit big league pitching

[fathom]

I can't imagine the Sox having added a big name player in July. I think Ackley does make sense as that player.

 

Viciedo for Ackley at the deadline? That type of offer would have made sense.

[Balta1701]

What are internal options I the OF? I think we end up with Eaton in CF and Garcia in RF and Viciedo DH/RF and Jordan Danks stays as a #4 or #5 OF'er. It will be interesting to see if we sign a big bat for DH or switch off with position players being given a break from the field. Earlier this second half I was thinking Wilkins at 1B/DH switching off with Abreu but Andy has just not shown he can hit big league pitching

We have no starter-worthy options in the OF in our system other than Eaton and Garcia. We have 2 potential backup level guys in Sierra and D2. Viciedo is still under our control but just barely. There are no guys within our system who could be ready at the start of next season to contribute at a major league level without a position switch.

 

We could decide to move Marcus Semien to a corner OF spot.

 

There could be guys who step up next year. We should still have Mitchell and Thompson in the system, and although they've hit long periods of difficulties, it's not 100% out of the question that they could turn their careers around, but there is no way they'd make an appearance before the middle of next year at the dry earliest.

 

If its hard to see this team holding onto Viciedo, which it is, then they need a corner OF.

[Chisoxfn]

I don't mind Ackley and I don't mind Butler. But if we do that we need to make moves to bolster rotation and bullpen. Ackley is presuming we aren't giving up anything but Viciedo plus a not so good prospect. I like Ackley's versatility more then anything else.

[witesoxfan]

Whenever I think of the potential construction of this lineup, everything falls back to versatility to me. Personally, my philosophy is that the DH should be more of a rotation preferably with a strong 4th outfielder. With what we have now in Gillaspie and Semien, I really hope the Sox continue to add versatile players. I am not in love with Ackley but he is left-handed, could play 2B/LF and 1B when Abreu needs to DH.

 

In any case, we all know Hahn has an emphasis of bringing in at least one left-handed bat. I hope that bat is more inspiring that Dustin Ackley. Of course the best case scenario is a young, middle-of-the-order type, but the options there are sparse.

 

The one guy that sticks out to me is Brandon Belt. Everything lines up with this guy if he could still play LF. He has almost abandoned the outfield entirely but he seems to be getting pushed out at 1B. The guy has had a hand issue and has been terrible this year. I saw this coming months ago and have been championing the movement to bring him in since. In his absence, the Giants' top catching prospect, Andrew Susac, has taken over behind the plate and Posey has moved to 1B. Susac has performed admirably and Posey is their franchise player. Maybe the Giants have plans of moving Belt to LF themselves, but if they didn't, he figures to be expendable. He'll turn 25 a couple weeks before opening day and won't be a free agent until 2018 so he definitely fits in with the core. I would move a haul of prospects for this player.

 

Belt's a guy I like too and he's shown he can play the outfield at least semi-respectably. He has also, to this point, played very good defense at 1B. He's also pretty much equally good against lefties as he is righties.

 

Minor correction, he actually turns 27 prior to opening day, not 25.

 

You have to wonder what the Giants would want for him though. He's been bad this year but was good last year and is still relatively young. Either way, if he is made available, he's a guy the Sox should show interest in because he'd be a great buy.

[Balta1701]

Does Danish, Hawkins and Sanchez get it done? Probably not.

From our side, that would be a whole helluva lot to give up for a guy who missed most of the year and has only 1 career season with a >800 OPS.

 

I'm not sure if I'd do that or not, and I'd probably have the same response if it were done. "Wow that's a big gamble they must be really sure he can be healthy next year".

[Eminor3rd]

From our side, that would be a whole helluva lot to give up for a guy who missed most of the year and has only 1 career season with a >800 OPS.

 

I'm not sure if I'd do that or not, and I'd probably have the same response if it were done. "Wow that's a big gamble they must be really sure he can be healthy next year".

 

He's got a 122 career wRC+, though, and has been jerked around a lot because of guys like Aubrey Huff. I think he's a "young" 27 because of that, and that there is some real upside there.

 

I'd love to have Belt, so long as his medicals check out. I'd consider Danish/Hawkins/Sanchez for sure. He was raking before he got hurt early in the year, which I only know because he was on one of my fantasy teams.

[2nd_city_saint787]

Are you guys just not high on Danish and Hawkins??? That seems like an awful lot for a guy coming off an injured/down year.

[Eminor3rd]

Are you guys just not high on Danish and Hawkins??? That seems like an awful lot for a guy coming off an injured/down year.

 

I love Danish and am hopeful for Hawkins, but let's be honest -- you're giving up a potential #3 starter who might be a good reliever instead plus a guy who you'd be happy with IF he becomes what Belt is today.

 

Sure, both those guys COULD become stars, but they both very likely won't. That's worth it for a solid left-handed corner OF with solid pop that is controllable for 3 more years.

[2nd_city_saint787]

I'd be fine with giving up one along with Sanchez, who looks like he could be a GG 2B if his bat keeps him around, and some lesser guys....Maybe something like Hawkins, Beck, and Sanchez with some lower level guys if need be.

 

 

[witesoxfan]

I think that package is right around what would be worthwhile, but I think I'd prefer to deal Beck over Danish right now. Just my belief, but I think with another good, healthy season, Danish is a guy who could be a top 3 prospect in the system and possibly a top 100 guy overall. There are going to be some who still view him as a reliever, but it's a worthwhile gamble in my mind. I'd look to deal someone like Beck instead, even though I really like Beck as a prospect.

[Rowand44]

I'm all for Ackley and Butler if that means we're using our resources on acquiring a top line starting pitcher. And no I don't know where that pitcher is coming from, just throwing it out there.

[elrockinMT]

Viciedo for Ackley at the deadline? That type of offer would have made sense.

 

 

I forgot Sierra, who is not a bad player. I am pleasantly surprised with him but he is young. I woud not be surprised either if Viciedo is traded this off season but then again the Cuban connection might be seen as a positive in his developing