White Sox interested in SS Ian Desmond

[Buehrle>Wood]

Strange - it's just a blank page

Refresh a couple times and it'll eventually come up.

[Baron]

Honestly I'm just tired of this s***...just tell me who the team is so I know who for sure I'm going to be yelling at for the next few months.

[CWSpalehoseCWS]

Someone needs to create one of those parody twitter accounts for Nightingale and just report the complete opposite of whatever happens in the news. Guy is a complete buzzkill. I don't really want Desmond, but it's nice to have some rumors about the Sox every once in a while.

[fathom]

Nightengale is simply reporting what the Sox want the public to know. Not his fault the sox haven't gotten a big FA.

[BlackSox13]

Meh, I take it all with a grain of salt until Desmond signs with a team. We read similar things about how Lawrie talks had stalled and then days later the trade was made and IIRC the same thing happened with Frazier. I'm not saying the Sox will or will not sign Desmond, just patiently waiting to see how it all plays out. For all we know, " that ship has sailed" , could mean Desmond signed with another team and it hasn't been announced yet. Point is, we don't know since there's nothing to confirm either way. I find the conflicting reports to very interesting though.

 

It's the media, so lets not believe anything any of them have to say. If the Sox FO comes out and says something, THEN I'll believe it but until then its just some baseball rumors to talk about and its those rumors that help the off season fly by and get us to ST. Personally, I've enjoyed the hell out of this off season.

[BlackSox13]

Stop being rational and understanding how the process of the media works. When I read the above posts, all I can think about is this:

 

Well played, Tony!

[fathom]

Stop being rational and understanding how the process of the media works. When I read the above posts, all I can think about is this:

 

The Sox have been the ideal leveraging partner for agents this offseason for three reasons:

- they don't comment on rumors

- plethora of positions needing improvement

- haven't spent much this offseason

Edited February 12, 2016 by fathom

[GGajewski18]

Brian Bilek ‏@BrianBilek_ 5m5 minutes ago

Nightengale is posturing on #WhiteSox behalf. Rinse and repeat. That tweet actually makes me more inclined to believe a deal is close.

 

Interesting.

[fathom]

Meh, I take it all with a grain of salt until Desmond signs with a team. We read similar things about how Lawrie talks had stalled and then days later the trade was made and IIRC the same thing happened with Frazier. I'm not saying the Sox will or will not sign Desmond, just patiently waiting to see how it all plays out. For all we know, " that ship has sailed" , could mean Desmond signed with another team and it hasn't been announced yet. Point is, we don't know since there's nothing to confirm either way. I find the conflicting reports to very interesting though.

 

It's the media, so lets not believe anything any of them have to say. If the Sox FO comes out and says something, THEN I'll believe it but until then its just some baseball rumors to talk about and its those rumors that help the off season fly by and get us to ST. Personally, I've enjoyed the hell out of this off season.

 

Good stuff but I will have enjoyed offseason more if they add another starting player. Kind of sick of the excuse of "they wanted to go back to their team". After a while, you need to create an environment where players want to come play for you.

[Baron]

Stop being rational and understanding how the process of the media works. When I read the above posts, all I can think about is this:

 

 

That song is stuck in my head now thanks

[fathom]

Good stuff but I will have enjoyed offseason more if they add another starting player. Kind of sick of the excuse of "they wanted to go back to their team". After a while, you need to create an environment where players want to come play for you.

 

Just to add, I believe that environments exists for pitchers with the Sox.

[Chicago White Sox]

Brian Bilek ‏@BrianBilek_ 5m5 minutes ago

Nightengale is posturing on #WhiteSox behalf. Rinse and repeat. That tweet actually makes me more inclined to believe a deal is close.

 

Interesting.

Brian is spot-on. This stinks of the Sox being close and not wanting another to come in last minute with a topping offer.

[OmarComing25]

Well this isn't like the Big 3 situation. There were plenty of logical suitors for them. The Sox are literally the only logical fit left for Desmond unless he wants to try and become Ben Zobrist with the possible exception of the Rays, and giving up a top 15 pick would be very against the way they operate.

[BlackSox13]

Good stuff but I will have enjoyed offseason more if they add another starting player. Kind of sick of the excuse of "they wanted to go back to their team". After a while, you need to create an environment where players want to come play for you.

I still think the Sox will add another player, I'm just not sure who it will be. I still hold onto some hope for Jackson, but that's just my preference at this point.

 

Winning ball games would certainly help create that environment but unfortunately they have not been doing so for quite sometime. I hate to say it but the south side is probably not very attractive from a free agents POV.

 

I do find these rumors interesting in another way. Early in the off season when Desmond's name was first mentioned, many fans ( myself included) were staunchly against the idea. Look at us now.

Edited February 12, 2016 by BlackSox13

[fathom]

I still think the Sox will add another player, I'm just not sure who it will be. I still hold onto some hope for Jackson, but that's just my preference at this point.

 

Winning ball games would certainly help create that environment but unfortunately they have not been doing so for quite sometime. I hate to say it but the south side is probably not very attractive from a free agents POV.

 

I do find these rumors interesting in another way. Early in the off season when Desmond's name was first mentioned, many fans ( myself included) were staunchly against the idea. Look at us now.

 

Ha I remember being pissed when it came out Fowler was more likely than the big 3. Now it would seem like a big addition.

[BlackSox13]

Just to add, I believe that environments exists for pitchers with the Sox.

Agreed!

[BlackSox13]

Ha I remember being pissed when it came out Fowler was more likely than the big 3. Now it would seem like a big addition.

Yep. I didn't want much to do with Fowler or Jackson and now I would welcome them with open arms, just like good old Steve Perry!

 

On the flip side, its that desperation that reminds me of just how bad the Sox could use an upgrade, any upgrade, in RF. Good grief I feel like a desperate Baseball prom date...

[hi8is]

Refresh a couple times and it'll eventually come up.

Ah. Thanks, it worked and thus... My reading of regurgitation is complete. That article was like when you throw up in your mouth and then swallow it, for whatever reason.

[Bigsoxhurt35]

If this happens, I love it because we could have one helluva powerful infield.

Edited February 12, 2016 by SouthSideSale

[ronkark]

here's why no to desmond.

 

1 - draft pick loss

2- blocks tim anderson any beyond this year

3 - average to belpw average D on a team that cannot afford any weak or average defenders. think about it. no sanchez at 2b. no alexei. abreu at firstl yikes.

4 - saladino is a plus defender. and while a light hitter, he can bunt, baserun, hit behind runners. he's a smart player. we need those.

5- walks and k's. desmond's ratio is awful. we have enough k's between frazier lawrie, garcia, etc. we need obp.

6 - garcia. if demond means no OF add then NO THANK YOU!

[SoxSteve]

here's why no to desmond.

 

1 - draft pick loss

2- blocks tim anderson any beyond this year

3 - average to belpw average D on a team that cannot afford any weak or average defenders. think about it. no sanchez at 2b. no alexei. abreu at firstl yikes.

4 - saladino is a plus defender. and while a light hitter, he can bunt, baserun, hit behind runners. he's a smart player. we need those.

5- walks and k's. desmond's ratio is awful. we have enough k's between frazier lawrie, garcia, etc. we need obp.

6 - garcia. if demond means no OF add then NO THANK YOU!

Agree 100%. I don't get he fascination with him. It seems the masses just want to sign anyone. 180 strikeouts a year with below average defense. So your infield and outfield defense is worse than last year on a team that already plays bad D. No thanks. He was the one guy out of all the possible free agents that i didn't want. That and the Austin Jackson talk. Stay away from both. . Fowler, trade for Markaikas or go big and get Puig. I'd take Fowler or Markaikas and sacrifice Power for OBP. Just sayin.

[Chicago White Sox]

Agree 100%. I don't get he fascination with him. It seems the masses just want to sign anyone. 180 strikeouts a year with below average defense. So your infield and outfield defense is worse than last year on a team that already plays bad D. No thanks. He was the one guy out of all the possible free agents that i didn't want. That and the Austin Jackson talk. Stay away from both. . Fowler, trade for Markaikas or go big and get Puig. I'd take Fowler or Markaikas and sacrifice Power for OBP. Just sayin.

The problem with your argument is Desmond is not a below average defensive player. He's been pretty much average and when combined with his bat it's made him a top 5 SS prior to last season. Unless you believe his one bad half in the last four seasons, which happened to occur last year, is predictive of the player you'd be getting, signing Desmond to a reasonable contract could be the streal of the offseason.

 

And no offense, but the Markakis idea is terrible. He is a bad defender with no power, who is being paid a lot of money. Yes we need more OBP, but he's the absolutely wrong guy to get.

[Bob Sacamano]

The problem with your argument is Desmond is not a below average defensive player. He's been pretty much average and when combined with his bat it's made him a top 5 SS prior to last season. Unless you believe his one bad half in the last four seasons, which happened to occur last year, is predictive of the player you'd be getting, signing Desmond to a reasonable contract could be the streal of the offseason.

 

And no offense, but the Markakis idea is terrible. He is a bad defender with no power, who is being paid a lot of money. Yes we need more OBP, but he's the absolutely wrong guy to get.

 

Agree. What do you think a contract will be? I expect any contract to include an opt out after this season.

[Chicago White Sox]

Agree. What do you think a contract will be? I expect any contract to include an opt out after this season.

I actually think the Sox see Desmond as a guy who could slide to another position once Anderson is ready, so I'm thinking they target a three year deal. I could something like 3/$42M getting it done.

[BlackSox13]

I think a potential hangup in a Desmond deal is that teams could be looking to buy low by getting him on a short 2-3 year contract whereas Desmond could be looking for a 1 year contract to hopefully bounce back and recoup some of the money he passed on ( 7/100M+ with Nat's) by hitting FA next year. If he bounces back in '16, he'll easily be one of the most sought after fre agents next winter.

 

This, to go along with the comp pick has probably led to some difficult negotiations for both sides.