Ben Zobrist

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Whatever team gets him, is giving up at least 1 top 50 prospect if they have it, 2 top 100 prospects if they don't.

 

Any talks with the Sox would start with Anderson.

[Whisox05]

He's far too valuable a player. RA Dickey fetched Noah Syndergaard and Travis d'Arnaud (as well as Wuilmer Becerra) 2 years ago going into his age 38 season. I think that's a little excessive in hindsight, but it's going to take some very good prospects to get Zobrist.

 

You are comparing a super utility player to a cy young award winner. Dickey had a career year in 2012 and won the cy young. That's why he was traded for top prospects. Zobrist isn't worth that type of return. Yes he is valuable but he is a super utility player that will be 34 in may next year and and is in his last year before free agency. I highly doubt teams are giving up top talent for a super utility player.

[GreenSox]

I doubt any GM is loony enough to give a top 50 prospect for 1 year of a to be 34 year old and his .750 OPS.

I believe 1 top 50 prospect has been traded this trade season...teams simply don't do that much anymore, and certainly not for aging veterans, so beloved in these parts.

 

The Blue Jays made a terrible trade for Dickey. They made a terrible trade with the Marlins. That's what the Sox should emulate?

Edited December 30, 2014 by GreenSox

[LDF]

I doubt any GM is loony enough to give a top 50 prospect for 1 year of a to be 34 year old and his .750 OPS.

I believe 1 top 50 prospect has been traded this trade season...teams simply don't do that much anymore, and certainly not for aging veterans, so beloved in these parts.

 

The Blue Jays made a terrible trade for Dickey. They made a terrible trade with the Marlins. That's what the Sox should emulate?

 

that is assuming the GM's are thinking like us. i just don't know esp when i saw

some of the salaries that were given out this past week.

[witesoxfan]

You are comparing a super utility player to a cy young award winner. Dickey had a career year in 2012 and won the cy young. That's why he was traded for top prospects. Zobrist isn't worth that type of return. Yes he is valuable but he is a super utility player that will be 34 in may next year and and is in his last year before free agency. I highly doubt teams are giving up top talent for a super utility player.

 

Breaking Ben Zobrist down as a mere super utility player is oversimplifying him beyond recognition. It'd be like saying that Chris Sale has only been a swing guy because he's got about the same amount of relief appearances and starts over the last 5 years. That's absurd, no? The guy has absolutely been one of the most valuable players in the game over the last 5 years, moreso than RA Dickey. Over the last 5 years, he's accumulated 26.9 fWAR, good for 10th in the MLB. The only pitchers rated higher are Kershaw, Verlander, and Felix.

 

WAR is not the end all, be all, but that paints a hell of a picture and if you think that Ben Zobrist is not going to cost a lot to acquire based on the idea that he is a "super utility player," you are going to be sorely mistaken.

 

He absolutely is worth a top return and he will fetch a top return.

[Feeky Magee]

Ben Zobrist would be a nice fit for White Sox, who currently see 2B as competition between Micah Johnson, Carlos Sanchez & Leury Garcia.

https://twitter.com/philgrogers/status/549972921670963200

 

Key for White Sox w/Zobrist lies in Rays' interest in Dayan Viciedo and CWS willingness to deal significant prospects. Serious talk likely.

https://twitter.com/philgrogers/status/549975570692702208

Why the f*ck is Leury Garcia being mentioned as being anywhere near the 2B job

[Kyyle23]

Why the f*ck is Leury Garcia being mentioned as being anywhere near the 2B job

 

You should read up on Phil Rogers

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Breaking Ben Zobrist down as a mere super utility player is oversimplifying him beyond recognition. It'd be like saying that Chris Sale has only been a swing guy because he's got about the same amount of relief appearances and starts over the last 5 years. That's absurd, no? The guy has absolutely been one of the most valuable players in the game over the last 5 years, moreso than RA Dickey. Over the last 5 years, he's accumulated 26.9 fWAR, good for 10th in the MLB. The only pitchers rated higher are Kershaw, Verlander, and Felix.

 

WAR is not the end all, be all, but that paints a hell of a picture and if you think that Ben Zobrist is not going to cost a lot to acquire based on the idea that he is a "super utility player," you are going to be sorely mistaken.

 

He absolutely is worth a top return and he will fetch a top return.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say the Rays hold onto him until the trade deadline. Just don't think many if any teams will pony up for him. I know the Sox won't . They won't give up any more mino league starting pitching . If the Sox could grab him for Viciedo , Hawkins and one of Cleto, Surkamp, Ynoa, Onelki Garcia or maybe even Webb do it.

[GreenSox]

No, you don't do it. you don't trade our only decent OF prospect.

Play the young players - don't squander them on 34 year olds on 1 year contracts

The world doesn't end after the 2015 season.

 

The idea is to contend for years...not make a bunch of short term moves on a team that is and will be less than 50% to make the playoffs.

Edited December 31, 2014 by GreenSox

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

No, you don't do it. you don't trade our only decent OF prospect.

Play the young players - don't squander them on 34 year olds on 1 year contracts

The world doesn't end after the 2015 season.

 

The idea is to contend for years...not make a bunch of short term moves on a team that is and will be less than 50% to make the playoffs.

Hawkins is probably 3 years away if he even makes it . You can draft plenty of good college OF's in the next 3 years who might make it before him.

 

[LDF]

No, you don't do it. you don't trade our only decent OF prospect.

Play the young players - don't squander them on 34 year olds on 1 year contracts

The world doesn't end after the 2015 season.

 

The idea is to contend for years...not make a bunch of short term moves on a team that is and will be less than 50% to make the playoffs.

 

if i had to use a prospect of either anderson, montas or hawkins, i would use hawkins

to be the center piece of a package to trade.

 

understanding that the player i am acquiring in the trade will strengthen the team greatly.

there are variables that needs to be look at.

[Whisox05]

Breaking Ben Zobrist down as a mere super utility player is oversimplifying him beyond recognition. It'd be like saying that Chris Sale has only been a swing guy because he's got about the same amount of relief appearances and starts over the last 5 years. That's absurd, no? The guy has absolutely been one of the most valuable players in the game over the last 5 years, moreso than RA Dickey. Over the last 5 years, he's accumulated 26.9 fWAR, good for 10th in the MLB. The only pitchers rated higher are Kershaw, Verlander, and Felix.

 

WAR is not the end all, be all, but that paints a hell of a picture and if you think that Ben Zobrist is not going to cost a lot to acquire based on the idea that he is a "super utility player," you are going to be sorely mistaken.

 

He absolutely is worth a top return and he will fetch a top return.

 

So you are again comparing a super utility player to a potential cy cyoung winner, three more cy cyoung winners with one of them also being a mvp. Any other cy cyoung pitchers you want to compare a super utility player to. Your are bringing up him having a high war but wouldn't him being a super utility player have a affect on that. He played 5 positions last year so that has to take in account for is war. where is his break down per position.

[thxfrthmmrs]

He's far too valuable a player. RA Dickey fetched Noah Syndergaard and Travis d'Arnaud (as well as Wuilmer Becerra) 2 years ago going into his age 38 season. I think that's a little excessive in hindsight, but it's going to take some very good prospects to get Zobrist.

 

Dude Dickey is a bad comparison. He's a knuckleballer, they pitch into their 40's. Wakefield pitched till he's 45, Charlie Hough retired at 46. Jamie Moyer tried to learn the knuckler and pitch again at 50. At the time of the trade, Toronto thought Dickey still has at least 3-4 good years left in him. On top of that, I don't think Dickey has that much mileage on his arm, so he's a safer bet to avoid the DL.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

So you are again comparing a super utility player to a potential cy cyoung winner, three more cy cyoung winners with one of them also being a mvp. Any other cy cyoung pitchers you want to compare a super utility player to. Your are bringing up him having a high war but wouldn't him being a super utility player have a affect on that. He played 5 positions last year so that has to take in account for is war. where is his break down per position.

 

He's not comparing them, the numbers are showing them being comparable.

 

Also, I don't think you understand how WAR works if you think him playing many positions gives him an advantage in WAR. I mean, it does when he plays highly skilled positions, but he is also good enough to play those higher skilled positions, so his bat at SS actually is more valuable than when that bat is in LF. But he's making himself more valuable that way, not the numbers.

[hi8is]

I really like Zorb and I'm sure Rick is making calls. Surprise me again please. Thanks, hi8is

[witesoxfan]

Dude Dickey is a bad comparison. He's a knuckleballer, they pitch into their 40's. Wakefield pitched till he's 45, Charlie Hough retired at 46. Jamie Moyer tried to learn the knuckler and pitch again at 50. At the time of the trade, Toronto thought Dickey still has at least 3-4 good years left in him. On top of that, I don't think Dickey has that much mileage on his arm, so he's a safer bet to avoid the DL.

 

So you don't believe that Ben Zobrist, at 34 years old, has another 3-4 good years left in him? I think he'd be a perfectly acceptable player until he's 38. I also said I thought that two top 100 prospects like d'Arnaud and Syndergaard was probably too much for Dickey in hindsight and that it may very well be too much for Zobrist.

 

 

[witesoxfan]

So you are again comparing a super utility player to a potential cy cyoung winner, three more cy cyoung winners with one of them also being a mvp. Any other cy cyoung pitchers you want to compare a super utility player to. Your are bringing up him having a high war but wouldn't him being a super utility player have a affect on that. He played 5 positions last year so that has to take in account for is war. where is his break down per position.

 

I will quit comparing Ben Zobrist to Cy Young pitchers when you quit calling him a super utility player.

[sammy esposito]

I will quit comparing Ben Zobrist to Cy Young pitchers when you quit calling him a super utility player.

I don't know about CY Young pitchers either. I bought a car in Eureka il I and while there talked to some locals about him The locals there love him. One said he tries to make it to Chicago when he plays here, Switch hitting outfielder/infielder might make sense. However; I couldn't begin to estimate what we should give in a trade.

[thxfrthmmrs]

So you don't believe that Ben Zobrist, at 34 years old, has another 3-4 good years left in him? I think he'd be a perfectly acceptable player until he's 38. I also said I thought that two top 100 prospects like d'Arnaud and Syndergaard was probably too much for Dickey in hindsight and that it may very well be too much for Zobrist.

 

For someone who's value is heavily dependent on his defense, I don't think he could cover as much range as he could now both in the infield and outfield when he's 38 years old. Not to mention his bat is already slowing down the past 2 years.

[witesoxfan]

For someone who's value is heavily dependent on his defense, I don't think he could cover as much range as he could now both in the infield and outfield when he's 38 years old. Not to mention his bat is already slowing down the past 2 years.

 

The bat hasn't really slowed down, but his power has diminished. He's still hitting about .270 and walking 10-11% of the time. And, while you're right that the defense will slow down, I don't know that it will get to the point where he's a liability in the field.

 

I don't see any reason why he couldn't be a 2-3 WAR player at age 38 considering he's been a 5-6 WAR player for pretty much the entirety of his career.

 

Again, not saying I want him, but he's not going to be cheap to acquire.

[LDF]

For someone who's value is heavily dependent on his defense, I don't think he could cover as much range as he could now both in the infield and outfield when he's 38 years old. Not to mention his bat is already slowing down the past 2 years.

 

i am not going to justify getting him. i mention him last wk b/c for short term,

1 yr, he can help produce, to help get to that playoff, while also letting some

of the minor players to continue to develop. also, if the price to pay for the trade

if it is cost effective.

 

the key word is cost effective, and it is not, anderson, rodon, adams or montas

is the key.

Edited December 31, 2014 by LDF

[Quin]

Something like Micah, Hawkins and Beck is likely what the Sox highest offer would be.

 

My highest offer would be Micah, Beck, Webb and Trayce.

 

It's just something where it doesn't make sense for the Sox to unload any of Rodon, Anderson, Montas, Danish or Adams.

[LDF]

Something like Micah, Hawkins and Beck is likely what the Sox highest offer would be.

 

My highest offer would be Micah, Beck, Webb and Trayce.

 

It's just something where it doesn't make sense for the Sox to unload any of Rodon, Anderson, Montas, Danish or Adams.

 

very close, again the sox brass will have a better idea.

 

mine would be Sanchez, Beck, Trayce, DV + 4 mil and Jacob May. if not Trayce then

Sanburn

[Balta1701]

very close, again the sox brass will have a better idea.

 

mine would be Sanchez, Beck, Trayce, DV + 4 mil and Jacob May. if not Trayce then

Sanburn

I wouldn't think that would be anywhere close to what Tampa would accept.

[LDF]

I wouldn't think that would be anywhere close to what Tampa would accept.

 

oh crap i misread.

 

~~~ edit. -- yeah, my stuff is a pipe dream, it all depends on what TPA is being

offered from other teams.

Edited December 31, 2014 by LDF