Dodgers aggressively pursuing Alexei

[BlackSox13]

I'll take Anderson

Yep, this right here. I take a healthy Micah Johnson over Semien as well.

 

Saladino vs. Diaz for the starting SS job?? Dude, it's not shaping up that way at all. Diaz was added for AAA depth, nothing more. Saladino projects as a useful utility guy once healthy. I seriously doubt Hahn considers either guy a starting caliber player. And I'd be completely shocked if Hahn preferred either guy as a temporary SS fill-in over Semien or Sanchez. In fact, if he's willing to deal Alexei after signing LaRoche, then I'm guessing he's confident one of Semien & Sanchez can handle the SS job. He's not going to give a AAAA player or a fringe prospect 600 plate appearances if they're trying to compete.

 

And what track record are you referring to when you mention Semien's minor league SS defense?

Google is your friend, look Semien up sometime.

 

Outside of that, I've said all I have to say without repeating so I'll just leave it at that.

[Lillian]

100% agree. Maybe an infielder or two gets injured next year and Diaz becomes a reserve for us, but giving him a starting job!?! Wow is all I have to say.

 

If the Sox lineup included Abreu, LaRoche and Kemp as the heart of the order, and Eaton, Gillaspie and A. Garcia as significant contributors, doesn't it seem reasonable

to focus on good defense at SS?

If you agree with that concept, then what exactly is the problem with Saladino, and or Diaz at SS, with Sanchez at second? Have you seen a scouting report that contradicts

what I have read about him being a pretty capable defender, with a plus arm at SS? Note, his split stats suggest a potentially decent bat, at least vs. RH pitching.

 

 

[SoxAce]

I'll take Anderson

Rather easily too.

[southsider2k5]

I think Tim Anderson's a much better prospect...

 

And it isn't even close.

[Jake]

I love Anderson and I was mostly thinking of the guys who might play in Chicago next year, though I will add he's far less sure to be a MIF than anyone else being discussed.

[BlackSox13]

I'm just curious. Have you read the all of the recent posts in this thread?

Sanchez is far better suited for 2ND, and the Sox will likely need him there, as Micah Johnson is not a Major League defensive second baseman.

Semien is not an acceptable MLB defensive SS.

I don't think he did read the posts to be honest.

 

Agreed on Semien and it should be obvious the Sox feel the same way.

 

Johnson confuses me. Last I knew his defense at second was rated below average ( changed?) and as others have pointed out to me in the past, due to his arm ( past injury) he's not really a fit for LF despite his speed so I'm really curious as to where he ends up. Maybe more time at Charlotte will help his defense at second.

[Chicago White Sox]

I'm just curious. Have you read the all of the recent posts in this thread?

Sanchez is far better suited for 2ND, and the Sox will likely need him there, as Micah Johnson is not a Major League defensive second baseman.

Semien is not an acceptable MLB defensive SS.

And Diaz is not an acceptable major leaguer starter. Defense is obviously important from the SS position, but not at the complete expense of offense. Don't let some PCL stats fool you, there's a reason Diaz was a minor league free agent and not on a team's 40 man roster.

 

Also, where Carlos Sanchez is better suited doesn't matter if the alternative is Diaz being our starting SS. And I'm not yet convinced that Semien can't be a passable major league SS defensively. He only played three games there for us last year, but it's still his natural position. The Sox played him at 3B & 2B a lot last year because they wanted a way to get his bat into the lineup. Yes, he struggled last year at those less familiar positions, but that's not unusual for a young player who is still learning but also trying to make an impression. IMO, it seems like certain posters are overreacting to his high error totals and automatically assuming he's a bad defensive player. I think it's way too early to jump to that conclusion.

[Lillian]

While we're all having fun with this discussion, it would be so much more helpful and interesting, if people would substantiate their arguments with some sort of evidence.

It's one thing to read and quote a scouting report, or to site actual statistics. It's quite another to just reject, out of hand, a player simply because

you've never read or heard, much less seen, anything about his actual performance capabilities.

 

Case in point is this Diaz acquisition. I'm trying to ascertain how good, or bad, Diaz is defensively, and some people offer nothing more than snide comments about what a Joke, or disaster it

would be if he were to actually be given playing time on the parent club. To label him a AAAA player, or an organizational fill in is nothing more than an

off hand opinion, with nothing to support it. How do any of us know what the front office's motive is in acquiring a guy like Diaz?

 

What is even more off putting than the lack of information to substantiate an opinion, is the condescending way that some people express those opinions.

I don't mean to offend anyone, and there hasn't been anything really antagonistic in this thread, but it often does degenerate into personal insults and worse.

I think most readers here know that it is not my style to try to belittle, or insult anyone. I understand that this is a common practice on the Internet.

 

Let's hope that this stimulating discussion doesn't dissolve into that kind of discourse. In the meantime, if anyone really has any insight into the defensive prowess, or lack thereof, regarding

Juan Diaz, please share it with us.

Edited November 24, 2014 by Lillian

[Lillian]

And Diaz is not an acceptable major leaguer starter. Defense is obviously important from the SS position, but not at the complete expense of offense. Don't let some PCL stats fool you, there's a reason Diaz was a minor league free agent and not on a team's 40 man roster.

 

Also, where Carlos Sanchez is better suited doesn't matter if the alternative is Diaz being our starting SS. And I'm not yet convinced that Semien can't be a passable major league SS defensively. He only played three games there for us last year, but it's still his natural position. The Sox played him at 3B & 2B a lot last year because they wanted a way to get his bat into the lineup. Yes, he struggled last year at those less familiar positions, but that's not unusual for a young player who is still learning but also trying to make an impression. IMO, it seems like certain posters are overreacting to his high error totals and automatically assuming he's a bad defensive player. I think it's way too early to jump to that conclusion.

 

Perhaps you're right, but we don't know that much about Diaz yet, nor the intentions of the front office. Moreover, the Sox probably need Semien to platoon with Gillaspie at 3RD.

[Chicago White Sox]

Perhaps you're right, but we don't know that much about Diaz yet, nor the intentions of the front office. Moreover, the Sox probably need Semien to platoon with Gillaspie at 3RD.

Honestly, I think Saldino will be Gillaspie's platoon partner. I think the Sox have much bigger plans for Semien than being the weak half of a 3B platoon.

[BlackSox13]

While we're all having fun with this discussion, it would be so much more helpful and interesting, if people would substantiate their arguments with some sort of evidence.

It's one thing to read and quote a scouting report, or to site actual statistics. It's quite another to just reject, out of hand, a player simply because

you've never read or heard, much less seen, anything about his actual performance capabilities.

 

Case in point is this Diaz acquisition. I'm trying to ascertain how good, or bad, Diaz is defensively, and some people offer nothing more than snide comments about what a Joke, or disaster it

would be if he were to actually be given playing time on the parent club. To label him a AAAA player, or an organizational fill in is nothing more than an

off hand opinion, with nothing to support it. How do any of us know what the front office's motive is in acquiring a guy like Diaz?

 

What is even more off putting than the lack of information to substantiate an opinion, is the condescending way that some people express those opinions.

I don't mean to offend anyone, and there hasn't been anything really antagonistic in this thread, but it often does degenerate into personal insults and worse.

I think most readers here know that it is not my style to try to belittle, or insult anyone. I understand that this is a common practice on the Internet.

 

Let's hope that this stimulating discussion doesn't dissolve into that kind of discourse. In the meantime, if anyone really has any insight into the defensive prowess, or lack thereof, regarding

Juan Diaz, please share it with us.

This is a most impressive post Lillian and very well said.

[Lillian]

Thanks. I do hope that is doesn't offend anyone. That is certainly not my intention.

[Whisox05]

I'm just curious. Have you read the all of the recent posts in this thread?

Sanchez is far better suited for 2ND, and the Sox will likely need him there, as Micah Johnson is not a Major League defensive second baseman.

Semien is not an acceptable MLB defensive SS.

 

So how do we know Micah Johnson is not a major league defensive second basemen. He hasn't even played a game in the majors. We had a good defensive second baseman in Beckham but see he is not on the team cause he couldn't hit. If johnson comes up and produces offense and acceptable defense then we only have to worry about ss if alexei is traded. But time will tell us in spring training what johnson is fully like. The thing about semien at ss is the fact he's only appeared there 6 times in his major league career. 3 time in 2013 and 3 in 2014. Of the 6 times semien has been there only 4 games started. So he hasn't fully gotten a look there. He has appeared at 3b the most over the last 2 seasons at 50 times but has 13 errors. So he may not be the best suited there unless he works out his defense better. His second most played position is 2b with 29 appearances with 4 errors. The thing we do need to look at is no one besides alexei has hardly gotten a look at ss cause ramirez has started 157 games there 14.

Edited November 24, 2014 by WhiteSoxLifer

[GreenSox]

Kemp was an MVP caliber player. The leg injuries have changed that. He's not the 40 stolen base guy from 2011 (8 SB last year) and is probably average at best as a baserunner. The defensive metrics had him as the worst defensive player in all of baseball last year. Granted, he did a lot of that damage playing CF and is closer to acceptable at one of the corners. He was a top 15 or so hitter in baseball last year which is good. He's paid like an MVP, but he's not going to be that 2011 player again.

Exactly. He WAS a MVP caliber player; today, he's a good hitter. He's trending downward. He's moping in L.A. and has a terrible contract. The Sox just got rid of bad contracts. They don't need someone else's problem.

Trade Alexei for the best young talent the Sox can get.

[Bob Sacamano]

Exactly. He WAS a MVP caliber player; today, he's a good hitter. He's trending downward. He's moping in L.A. and has a terrible contract. The Sox just got rid of bad contracts. They don't need someone else's problem.

Trade Alexei for the best young talent the Sox can get.

 

.287 avg .346 obp 25 homers...guy quietly put together a great year

Edited November 24, 2014 by soxfan2014

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

The Dodgers thank you and are trying to hold back their laughter.

So is McCarthy's agent if 3years $12M means only $4M a year. He'll easily get double that.

[Andy the Clown]

I'm thinking we are the last team McCarthy would join. He and KW dislike each other, no? I remember bad blood there.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

.287 avg .346 obp 25 homers...guy quietly put together a great year

I really wonder what Semien would do if given the LF job based on his 2nd half call up. Seems to me he's capable of 20HR and a good OBP. Trouble is we didn't see him in the OF at all after that call up even though he got time in the OF in the minors after he was sent down.

[Bob Sacamano]

I'm thinking we are the last team McCarthy would join. He and KW dislike each other, no? I remember bad blood there.

 

If I remember correctly he grew up a Sox fan so maybe

[2nd_city_saint787]

Exactly. He WAS a MVP caliber player; today, he's a good hitter. He's trending downward. He's moping in L.A. and has a terrible contract. The Sox just got rid of bad contracts. They don't need someone else's problem.

Trade Alexei for the best young talent the Sox can get.

 

A 2nd half that featured a .971 OPS would suggest otherwise and that he's perhaps trending back into that MVP caliber player.

 

[bear_brian]

So is McCarthy's agent if 3years $12M means only $4M a year. He'll easily get double that.

 

That means 3 year, $12M per year.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

That means 3 year, $12M per year.

That's why I said IF .Most people would've phrased that 3/36 or put the PER year in there.

[GGajewski18]

Hanley to the Red Sox. 5 years/90 million.

 

This only gives the Sox more leverage for Alexei. Bring it Dodgers

[peavy44]

Hanley to the Red Sox. 5 years/90 million.

 

This only gives the Sox more leverage for Alexei. Bring it Dodgers

 

 

 

NO KEEP ALEXEI DO NOT TRADE HIM FOR MATT FREAKING KEMP HES GARBAGE

 

[GGajewski18]

NO KEEP ALEXEI DO NOT TRADE HIM FOR MATT FREAKING KEMP HES GARBAGE

 

I'm not saying trade him, I'm saying Hahn has all the leverage now and doesn't have to settle for Kemp. I'd request Pederson still.