Potential Trade Targets

[Eminor3rd]

He's only hitting .125 vs lefties

 

In like 4 games.

[BaconOnAStick]

I wanted Ender Inciarte this offseason but he's too expensive now. He would've been the best 4OF you could imagine having.

[ChiSox59]

He's got a 10% career walk rate over his prior 4000PA, so we should probably wait a little longer than 120PA to draw conclusions about his diminished ability to take walks. Him not having a great start is the only reason he'd be available/affordable for us.

 

That said, I don't think we'd win the bidding and it would be hella risky, indeed. I can't make a strong case, but it would still be a TON of fun.

 

Exactly. He is also one of the best three players in the game when he is healthy. The when part is a significant caveat, however. I'd be all for the SOX grabbing Tulo if they could, but it is not my $$.

[Dunt]

Also on board with finding a catcher and a power RH setup guy. If they can find someone to shore up the 7th and 8th with Duke, that bullpen will be lights out. Thoughts on the Sox trying to trade the Reds for Brayan Pena?

Edited May 19, 2015 by Dunt

[Balta1701]

Also on board with finding a catcher and a power RH setup guy. If they can find someone to shore up the 7th and 8th with Duke, that bullpen will be lights out. Thoughts on the Sox trying to trade the Reds for Brayan Pena?

Just to repeat...Matt Albers?

[Dunt]

Just to repeat...Matt Albers?

 

Not what I think of when I say "power righty". I was thinking along the lines of a guy like Herrera.

[southsider2k5]

Not what I think of when I say "power righty". I was thinking along the lines of a guy like Herrera.

 

So are 29 other teams, mostly because those guys aren't easy to find.

[caulfield12]

So are 29 other teams, mostly because those guys aren't easy to find.

 

 

Easier to hope and pray for Cleto to "find it" than trading for him, lol.

 

Actually, there's a ton of guys out there now who can throw 96-98/99. Most of them are missing two crucial elements, a second pitch and/or command/control in the strike zone.

 

I have a feeling that our 2012 approach (using about 12-13 rookies) will have to do...someone like Sanburn, Montas or Danish will emerge by the second half as a viable option.

 

The Ramirez idea is a lot like Youkilis in 2012. Remember, we didn't have to give up much of anything for Liriano, Myers, Youk and Orlando Hudson that year. Of course, none of those really panned out like they could have, at least on paper.

[Boopa1219]

If Ichiro could be had for a nothing piece I'd like him from Miami. Yes, he's better than Shuck.

 

I wanted the Sox to sign him in the offseason.

[Boopa1219]

Sonny Gray.

 

A rotation of Sale, Samardzija, Quintana, Gray and Rodon with Danks as the long man would have me giddy.

 

I'd trade Danish, Montas, Hawkins and Micah or Sanchez for him.

 

I wouldn't throw the farm away for one player.

[Lillian]

In the off season, the Sox could have acquired Kendry Morales, Adam Lind, or Andre Ethier. Yes, I know that Ethier wasn't a free agent, but the Dodgers were rumored to be willing to virtually do a salary dump. Instead, they signed the second coming of Adam Dunn.

So far, he is the biggest problem with this offense. But then, I've beaten that horse to death and you all know what I think. This offense is terrible, and La Roche hitting in the heart of the order, as our only left handed power bat, is the most glaring deficiency. If they expect to compete, the front office better try to fix the

problem that this lineup has, with a clean up hitter, who is a strike out machine, and is totally inept vs. LHP.

Edited May 20, 2015 by Lillian

[nickofypres]

110 wRC+?

[lasttriptotulsa]

In the off season, the Sox could have acquired Kendry Morales, Adam Lind, or Andre Ethier. Yes, I know that Ethier wasn't a free agent, but the Dodgers were rumored to be willing to virtually do a salary dump. Instead, they signed the second coming of Adam Dunn.

So far, he is the biggest problem with this offense. But then, I've beaten that horse to death and you all know what I think. This offense is terrible, and La Roche hitting in the heart of the order, as our only left handed power bat, is the most glaring deficiency. If they expect to compete, the front office better try to fix the

problem that this lineup has, with a clean up hitter, who is a strike out machine, and is totally inept vs. LHP.

 

Adam LaRoche is far from the biggest problem with this offense. His getting on base at a pretty respectable clip and the power will come around as he's a notoriously slow starter. I'd be willing to bet that come the end of the year his numbers will be every bit as good as Morales's, Lind's or Ethier's.

[Kyyle23]

Adam LaRoche is far from the biggest problem with this offense. His getting on base at a pretty respectable clip and the power will come around as he's a notoriously slow starter. I'd be willing to bet that come the end of the year his numbers will be every bit as good as Morales's, Lind's or Ethier's.

 

You know though, shame on the Sox for not finding Ted Williams in the offseason.

[caulfield12]

Harper was supposedly available, haha.

 

Now they're writing articles asserting there's a decent chance he ends up having an even better career than Trout largely because of the way he's started the 2015 season.

Edited May 20, 2015 by caulfield12

[Lillian]

Adam LaRoche is far from the biggest problem with this offense. His getting on base at a pretty respectable clip and the power will come around as he's a notoriously slow starter. I'd be willing to bet that come the end of the year his numbers will be every bit as good as Morales's, Lind's or Ethier's.

 

The data does not support your assertion that he is a "notoriously slow starter". Last year, he hit .312 .413 .495 in his first 109 plate appearances and followed it up with an even better May. 2013 is the only year, in recent years, where he started very poorly. He's now 35 and I don't expect him to get much better. I really fear that we will be stuck with years 5 and 6 of the "Adam Bust" era. I hope I'm wrong, but this is just too eerily similar to Dunn's performance with the Sox.

 

This would not be such a big problem, if he were not the only left handed power bat, and were not counted on to bat clean up. To me, this is indeed the most serious problem with this offense. I'm much more confident that Eaton, Melky, Abreu and Garcia will produce, than I am that Adam La Roche will have a respectable year. I'm not even worried about Gillaspie. I've always liked his approach. He puts the bat on the ball, and barrels up a lot of pitches.

[Dick Allen]

The data does not support your assertion that he is a "notoriously slow starter". Last year, he hit .312 .413 .495 in his first 109 plate appearances and followed it up with an even better May. 2013 is the only year, in recent years, where he started very poorly. He's now 35 and I don't expect him to get much better. I really fear that we will be stuck with years 5 and 6 of the "Adam Bust" era. I hope I'm wrong, but this is just too eerily similar to Dunn's performance with the Sox.

 

This would not be such a big problem, if he were not the only left handed power bat, and were not counted on to bat clean up. To me, this is indeed the most serious problem with this offense. I'm much more confident that Eaton, Melky, Abreu and Garcia will produce, than I am that Adam La Roche will have a respectable year. I'm not even worried about Gillaspie. I've always liked his approach. He puts the bat on the ball, and barrels up a lot of pitches.

.279/.466/.861 in May. Huge, huge problem. He is killing the offense. Considering how much you pined for Grady Sizemore, and couldn't have been more wrong, why don't you give this a little time? I think you are wrong yet again.

Edited May 20, 2015 by Dick Allen

[lasttriptotulsa]

You know though, shame on the Sox for not finding Ted Williams in the offseason.

 

I don't know, I'm not sure Teddy Ballgame would have been good enough for Lillian. He did struggle against lefties. He had just a .944 OPS against LHP versus a 1.156 against RHP.

[Chicago White Sox]

.279/.466/.861 in May. Huge, huge problem. He is killing the offense. Considering how much you pined for Grady Sizemore, and couldn't have been more wrong, why don't you give this a little time? I think you are wrong yet again.

Not only is LaRoche a slow starter, but he has also been adjusting to a new league and the DH mentality. If there's one guy on the team we should give some time before writing-off it's Adam.

[Lillian]

Ok. For all of you Smart Alecks, I would be satisfied if Adam La Roche could hit .260, with an OBP of close to .375.

If he hits 20 homers and 25 doubles, and doesn't strike out 35% of the time, which is what he is doing now, I'll stop complaining. Oh, and Robin has to find a way to be sure that he doesn't start against any lefties.

 

Does anyone disagree that the Sox would have been better off with K. Morales, Adam Lind or Andre Ethier?

[Balta1701]

Not only is LaRoche a slow starter, but he has also been adjusting to a new league and the DH mentality. If there's one guy on the team we should give some time before writing-off it's Adam.

Plus if we wanted his numbers to be better we could just stop playing him against lefty starters.

[caulfield12]

Ok. For all of you Smart Alecks, I would be satisfied if Adam La Roche could hit .260, with an OBP of close to .375.

If he hits 20 homers and 25 doubles, and doesn't strike out 35% of the time, which is what he is doing now, I'll stop complaining. Oh, and Robin has to find a way to be sure that he doesn't start against any lefties.

 

Does anyone disagree that the Sox would have been better off with K. Morales, Adam Lind or Andre Ethier?

 

 

Well, we definitely would have been better off with Nelson Cruz (at his salary) versus Melky (and both are PEDs guys, so no moral high ground with Melky either)...because what's our biggest issue offensively, at least right now? Not stolen base percentages or team speed or even defense, it's a lack of consistent power in a stadium that cries out for 3 run homers.

 

Clearly, since around July of last year, opposing teams have learned to limit the damage Abreu can do, pitching him much more carefully.

Edited May 20, 2015 by caulfield12

[Lillian]

I don't know, I'm not sure Teddy Ballgame would have been good enough for Lillian. He did struggle against lefties. He had just a .944 OPS against LHP versus a 1.156 against RHP.

 

How you can bring up Ted Williams in a discussion about Adam La Roche, is beyond me.

Adam is currently hitting: .207 .281 .310 vs lefties. That is not good enough to play, let alone bat in the heart of the order.

Last year, it wasn't much better .204 .284 .336

 

Pardon me, if I expect better from our clean up hitter. I wish that some of you

would think about what you write, instead of racing to try to disparage someone else's observations. Look, you're entitled to your

opinions, but I hardly think that criticizing the move to acquire A. La Roche is worthy of ridicule.

 

And, while I'm at it, my interest in acquiring Grady Sizemore, a couple of years ago, turned out to be a disappointment. Ok. so what.

He was only 31, at the time, and had been a terrific player, before all of the injuries. All I ever said was that I thought that he would have

been a good gamble. He could have been acquired for practically nothing, while other guys, his age, like Choo and Cano, were signing enormous

long term deals. Sizemore had put up similar numbers to Cano, at the same stage of their careers, before the injuries.

 

I have always had a soft spot for a comeback story, and with all of the hard work that he put in, to try to come back, it was

intriguing to me. So I have been wrong on that assessment, so far, but there were other teams who were willing to make the same gamble.

It's a matter of risk vs reward. Put it to rest already, guys. Geez, will I ever live that one down?

Edited May 20, 2015 by Lillian

[Eminor3rd]

Ok. For all of you Smart Alecks, I would be satisfied if Adam La Roche could hit .260, with an OBP of close to .375.

If he hits 20 homers and 25 doubles, and doesn't strike out 35% of the time, which is what he is doing now, I'll stop complaining. Oh, and Robin has to find a way to be sure that he doesn't start against any lefties.

 

Does anyone disagree that the Sox would have been better off with K. Morales, Adam Lind or Andre Ethier?

 

Yes, Lillian, we would be better if we had all the players having better seasons. Let Hahn use your crystal ball next year, please. There was literally no reason at all to believe that any of those guys would outproduce LaRoche in the offseason, which is when the decision had to be made.

[Balta1701]

How you can bring up Ted Williams in a discussion about Adam La Roche, is beyond me.

Adam is currently hitting: .207 .281 .310 vs lefties. That is not good enough to play, let alone bat in the heart of the order.

Last year, it wasn't much better .204 .284 .336

So the simple solution would be...again...put him on the bench when there's a lefty starter on the mound, and have versatile guys on the bench who hit right handed and can fill that role.

 

For example...Bonifacio in the OF and Garcia at the DH spot, with Beckham at 3b, leaves Eaton as a lefty in the lineup so it's not 9 righties, improves the defense that day, and has the bench ready with 2 LH pinch hitters if a righty comes out of the pen.