Orioles DO NOT Sign Fowler

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If you aren't looking to replace your worst position player with an absolute steal (3 for $33M!) I don't know what you're doing.

[Dick Allen]

If you aren't looking to replace your worst position player with an absolute steal (3 for $33M!) I don't know what you're doing.

It is hard to understand. I have been the one preaching different prices for different players, but if $11 million a year is too much for Dexter Fowler, I am coming to the realization that they really couldn't have been very serious about any of the others. at least they can still get an upgrade.

[LDF]

I don't think there is any question he is a better defender than Fowler, the question would be offense. He has struggled since being traded from Detroit, and wasn't so great his last couple of months there, but he is only 29 and could bounce back. I really like him ,but really wonder about the cost, and think he hits from the wrong side of the plate for the White Sox brass. They seem to wanted a lefty bat. But OBP is really not a strength. It would be great to have a legit gold glover everywhere, but you can get by with mediocre defense in the OF at USCF. There isn't much space. Small parks, you can get away with it. The Cubs won a lot of games with Schwarber, Fowler, and Soler. Their defensive prowess is questionable at best.

 

excellent break down, to be honest, i was at a lost to see the gain, maybe i was too focus on fowler or some else.

 

so the bottom line is is his defense will be the best part of him to over come the offense or lack of.

[LDF]

It is hard to understand. I have been the one preaching different prices for different players, but if $11 million a year is too much for Dexter Fowler, I am coming to the realization that they really couldn't have been very serious about any of the others. at least they can still get an upgrade.

shiiteee a blind man donning a sox uni can play better defense that what the sox have to answer the OF question.

 

ok, maybe i exaggerated, Eaton will probably play better defense. but we are talking 2 different positions.

[Whisox05]

I really honestly believe they need a lh run producing bat. Fowler didnt do well vs right handers last year. If Laroche doesn't bounce back the only real run producers in the lineup up is Abreu and frazier. They need another potent bat to extend the lineup

[blackmooncreeping]

The Sox personal finances should have nothing to do with you judging the price a player recieves on the open market. They are two separate items and need to be looked at as such.

 

A little over 11 million dollars a year for three seasons of a 29 year old Dexter Fowler is something the Sox should have been all over based on value alone, not to mention the glaring need on this team for a RF and a top of the order hitter.

I've backed off Fowler of late so I'm ok with not signing him, but it's hard to argue with the above...

[fathom]

I really honestly believe they need a lh run producing bat. Fowler didnt do well vs right handers last year. If Laroche doesn't bounce back the only real run producers in the lineup up is Abreu and frazier. They need another potent bat to extend the lineup

 

Ethier?

[blackmooncreeping]

I really can't answer your question, as I have no idea of the intricacies of the White Sox finances.

 

I'd guess that they would've been in on him in the $20-$25 million range though. Just a guess.

A day ago the report was 'O's are close with Fowler on 2 yr/$24 million offer'. Suddenly it became a 3 year deal and done. I bet the O's had competition at 2 years, quite possibly from the Sox, and therefore upped it to 3 years to get it done, especially once the Gallardo deal fell through. They obviously didn't want to end up missing on both.

[kevo880]

Ethier?

 

I have thought Ethier is a pretty solid fit for most of the offseason. With how creative the gm's of both teams are I don't really understand why they can't strike a deal. One would think the Dodgers would want to move him before his no trade clause kicks in when the season starts.

[LDF]

A day ago the report was 'O's are close with Fowler on 2 yr/$24 million offer'. Suddenly it became a 3 year deal and done. I bet the O's had competition at 2 years, quite possibly from the Sox, and therefore upped it to 3 years to get it done, especially once the Gallardo deal fell through. They obviously didn't want to end up missing on both.

 

nice thinking and just maybe you are right.

[Balta1701]

A day ago the report was 'O's are close with Fowler on 2 yr/$24 million offer'. Suddenly it became a 3 year deal and done. I bet the O's had competition at 2 years, quite possibly from the Sox, and therefore upped it to 3 years to get it done, especially once the Gallardo deal fell through. They obviously didn't want to end up missing on both.

Just to note...if that were true...the end result is that the White Sox were willing to put a worse team on the field in 2016 and 2017 because they couldn't commit money in 2018.

[Soxfest]

Glad the Sox passed on him.

[Thad Bosley]

Hopefully Hahn and KW and JR prove to be correct

 

[GreenSox]

I have thought Ethier is a pretty solid fit for most of the offseason.

He's not a fit defensively.

[Dunt]

He's not a fit defensively.

 

Ethier is a large upgrade defensively over Avi

[Vance Law]

Ethier is a large upgrade defensively over Avi

 

Yep. The guy played 500 innings in CF in 2014 at spacious Dodger Stadium. He's a huge upgrade over Avi in the outfield (and at the plate).

[Y2Jimmy0]

He's not a fit defensively.

 

 

Fowler shouldn't be either then.

[caulfield12]

That's the problem, there aren't any perfect candidates left right now.

 

We spent weeks debating how imperfect Gordon, Cespedes and Upton were, and whether any of them could even be considered "superstars"/impact bats/difference makers, etc.

 

 

So it's no surprise we can pick apart all of the remaining candidates:

 

Jackson=Boras client, terrible offensive slumps the last two seasons, no clear or obvious reason for decline

 

Bruce=too expensive, defensive liability, strong downward trend offensively

 

Saunders=injury prone

 

Ethier=too expensive, shouldn't play much against lefties, not a great defender but certainly capable

 

Crawford=only in the case of the Dodgers eating almost all of his remaining contract, injury-prone

 

Markakis=too expensive to pay for high OBP with no power and declining defense

 

Victorino=old, injury-prone, could be a quite productive player for the right price but ONLY if healthy

 

Alex Rios=just put here to annoy Greg with the possibility

 

Guyer=Rays rarely trade their "platoon/supersub studs" for anything less than full value and often see declines outside of TB system

[caulfield12]

And if you look at the list of "left-handed run producers," not even considering position and fielding ability, the list is quite limited.

 

Prince Fielder, CarGo, Adam Lind, Jay Bruce, Mitch Moreland (probably not available anyway), Ryan Howard, Pedro Alvarez, Josh Reddick, Dickerson (already traded), Blackmon, Justin Morneau, Brandon Moss, Chase Utley, Domonic Brown, Josh Hamilton, Pablo Sandoval, Daniel Murphy (already signed)

 

So essentially, you're very quickly down to CarGo, Bruce, maybe Ethier, Josh Reddick and taking fliers on either Alvarez or Domonic Brown...

[Jerksticks]

And if you look at the list of "left-handed run producers," not even considering position and fielding ability, the list is quite limited.

 

Prince Fielder, CarGo, Adam Lind, Jay Bruce, Mitch Moreland (probably not available anyway), Ryan Howard, Pedro Alvarez, Josh Reddick, Dickerson (already traded), Blackmon, Justin Morneau, Brandon Moss, Chase Utley, Domonic Brown, Josh Hamilton, Pablo Sandoval, Daniel Murphy (already signed)

 

So essentially, you're very quickly down to CarGo, Bruce, maybe Ethier, Josh Reddick and taking fliers on either Alvarez or Domonic Brown...

Would you trade Beck to the Dodgers for Trayce back? Talk me out of it.

[Quin]

Would you trade Beck to the Dodgers for Trayce back? Talk me out of it.

 

That would be hysterically amazing.

[caulfield12]

Would you trade Beck to the Dodgers for Trayce back? Talk me out of it.

 

In isolation, I'd make that trade every time because it would be very helpful to have an excellent defender/pinch-runner and also a guy with some offensive pop coming off the bench.

 

That's if it is the final move and no other options are left.

 

Assuming they're not going to sign Austin Jackson, it's more than likely we're choosing between Shuck, Sands and whatever veteran castoffs/misfits are wiped out by waivers the last two weeks of spring.

 

Once again, I'd rather have Thompson in that case (going with the youngster over a veteran)...but it's still not easy to be convinced the White Sox would actually start Thompson over Garcia and make Avi into LaRoche's DH partner.

 

 

If KW is making the decisions, I'm sure he and Harrelson would love to get Carl Crawford in a Josh Hamilton-like deal where the Sox are paying almost nothing...

[caulfield12]

That would be hysterically amazing.

 

 

I would even include Quinarvy with Beck in the trade, but I'd probably miss seeing his signature quotes too much.

 

However, we should be willing to part with all the extra bags of balls we got back for Beckham from the Angels and in the Alex Rios/Leury Garcia deal as well.

[Quin]

I would even include Quinarvy with Beck in the trade, but I'd probably miss seeing his signature quotes too much.

 

However, we should be willing to part with all the extra bags of balls we got back for Beckham from the Angels and in the Alex Rios/Leury Garcia deal as well.

 

[LDF]

That's the problem, there aren't any perfect candidates left right now.

 

We spent weeks debating how imperfect Gordon, Cespedes and Upton were, and whether any of them could even be considered "superstars"/impact bats/difference makers, etc.

 

 

So it's no surprise we can pick apart all of the remaining candidates:

 

Jackson=Boras client, terrible offensive slumps the last two seasons, no clear or obvious reason for decline

 

Bruce=too expensive, defensive liability, strong downward trend offensively

 

Saunders=injury prone

 

Ethier=too expensive, shouldn't play much against lefties, not a great defender but certainly capable

 

Crawford=only in the case of the Dodgers eating almost all of his remaining contract, injury-prone

 

Markakis=too expensive to pay for high OBP with no power and declining defense

 

Victorino=old, injury-prone, could be a quite productive player for the right price but ONLY if healthy

 

Alex Rios=just put here to annoy Greg with the possibility

 

Guyer=Rays rarely trade their "platoon/supersub studs" for anything less than full value and often see declines outside of TB system

 

i would add kemp in that list

 

ref to sunders, that is if you are talking about Michael Saunders - tor, i think he was the one that held up the 3 way trade with him still being hurt or something. i really don't know the whole thing.