Early Trade Speculation

[captain54]

In other words, no to all of these moves...for now. First place teams can't afford to panic, or the season's already lost. There's too much veteran talent in that clubhouse and Chris Sale's smelling his first Cy Young. They should be able to keep it together, or Ventura will be shown the door.

 

Which brings up the point. The Sox have 11 games coming up with KC and CLE. Go 3-8, and they will be battling DET for 3rd place. A turning point in the season if there ever was one

 

(Of course, go 8-3, and this weeklong nightmare will be forgotten)

 

The point? Let's say come Memorial Day, the Sox are falling further back in the Central and we're back to exactly where we were in 2015. "In the hunt for the Wild Card"

 

How probable is it that Ventura is launched by mid-season?

 

 

 

[caulfield12]

That's a hard one to call.

 

On one hand is JR's noted loyalty, which is a double-edged sword at times.

 

On the other, 7 years and counting without a playoff appearance. If the organization decides Renteria's the better manager to get them to the promised land, then they'll make the move, but with a heavy heart.

 

Ventura's currently a lame duck manager (like Brad Ausmus) and doesn't have a contract for 2017, at least for now.

Edited May 19, 2016 by caulfield12

[Lemon_44]

I wish Jay Bruce would cool off a bit and his price tag may come down. I know Eaton has been stellar in RF but I think the team would be much better with Bruce in RF, Eaton in CF, and Jackson to the 4th OF role to which he is better suited.

[RockRaines]

I wish Jay Bruce would cool off a bit and his price tag may come down. I know Eaton has been stellar in RF but I think the team would be much better with Bruce in RF, Eaton in CF, and Jackson to the 4th OF role to which he is better suited.

No. Eaton is much better in RF and Jackson is a stellar CF. the defense needs to stay at that high level period.

Edited May 19, 2016 by RockRaines

[Whisox05]

I wish Jay Bruce would cool off a bit and his price tag may come down. I know Eaton has been stellar in RF but I think the team would be much better with Bruce in RF, Eaton in CF, and Jackson to the 4th OF role to which he is better suited.

 

Bruce is not a good outfielder. He's better suited for dh.

[caulfield12]

Jackson is very good...stellar is pushing it.

 

But Eaton definitely has been beyond stellar in RF so far. The only misplay I can remember was Hicks' ball over his head in the Quintana start, and anyone can make that mistake playing just once a year in Yankee Stadium because there's a jet stream carrying out there.

[Y2Jimmy0]

This slide isn't ideal but it's the reason why the hot start was so imperative. The White Sox are playing bad but are still in 1st place. The rest of the division is full of teams that are flawed like the Sox are. I expect them to be in it until the end and that's more than most people thought before the season. They can't have Mat Latos and Miguel Gonzalez in the same rotation and I think they know that. Need to win today and then go 4-3 vs KC and Cleveland. That would put them at 29-19 which is more than acceptable.

[Dick Allen]

Sox still at .600 which is a 97 win pace. It was obviously going to slow down and there are always bumps in the road. It's a 6 month season playing almost every day. Do that at your job, and notice the ups and downs. The 2005 World Champions once lost 7 consecutive games. The gamethreads really are ridiculous. All the problems with the team. No talent, the manager is horrible.... If the Sox have these problems and are playing .600, what exactly does that say about the other teams and the other managers?

Edited May 19, 2016 by Dick Allen

[Bob Sacamano]

Sucks that Latos has turned into a pumpkin. This team def needs to add another mid-rotation type of arm.

[Lemon_44]

Sox still at .600 which is a 97 win pace. It was obviously going to slow down and there are always bumps in the road. It's a 6 month season playing almost every day. Do that at your job, and notice the ups and downs. The 2005 World Champions once lost 7 consecutive games. The gamethreads really are ridiculous. All the problems with the team. No talent, the manager is horrible.... If the Sox have these problems and are playing .600, what exactly does that say about the other teams and the other managers?

I agree and think it's amusing we have so many fixes for, what to this point, is a very good team. Really, their main need is another starter and the rest should be okay, barring injury. It's just fun to speculate. However, adding the likes of Bruce and a guy like Santana, I think, would make them the prohibitive AL favorite.

[ChiSoxFanMike]

As much as I'd like to get another masher to complement Abreu and Fraz, I think getting a pitcher is a bigger need at the moment.

[he gone.]

Look. It's obvious we have a problem at catcher. Avila is horrible; Navarro is OK as a backup. So fix the problem now. We have a pretty decent team, but obviously it can win nothing without better catching. So trade a nobody for AJP. Release Avila and let AJ and Navarro catch/hit. If you don't want AJP, then target another team's backup, somebody who can hit .240 for gawdsakes and catch a halfway decent game. At the very least, quit playing Avila and catch Navarro til he runs out of gas. He should be catching 6 of 7 games a week.

Catcher must improve or Sox are going nowhere.

Have Coop work work work with Rodon. He must turn into a stellar No. 3. Have Coop work work work with Latos! He must be an average No. 4. Get rid of that current guy who is at No. 5 starter. Give Johnson one more start. Have a revolving door at 5; do something.

 

Start playing Saladino way more than Rollins. If Saladino sucks, fine. Rollins is done, finished, kaput. If Anderson is ready, bring him up to split time with Saladino. But get rid of Rollins now. Finally, find room for Matt Davidson, even at DH splitting time with Avi there. Davidson is ready folks. Seven homers, 24 RBI, hitting .250.

 

Comments??

 

As Aaron Rodgers said a few years back. R-E-L-A-X

 

Long season. AJP adds nothing to this team. His arm is nothing. His bat has declined. Rollins isn't great, but offers a league average SS with some good clubhouse presence (and I hate saying that stupid phrase)

 

Latos is what he is. He wasn't going to be what he was his first 4 starts. He isn't going to have the lack of control he has over the past few. Long season. Bullpen wasn't going to throw only zeros.

 

We've had the lead in a lot of these last 7 games. Ball isn't bouncing our way -- no big deal. We aren't a 100 win team. We aren't a 80 win team. Somewhere in between.

 

Yes, another arm would be nice. Latos is a 5.

 

When ultimately Anderson is called up hopefully he'll add some speed and pop to the team. (August/September). I'd like to add an OF, and an arm -- but to be honest, don't want to give up a ton. I'm comfortable with this team.

 

Don't worry wins will come. 8 games left on the homestand. Lets go 5-3.

[Texsox]

As much as I'd like to get another masher to complement Abreu and Fraz, I think getting a pitcher is a bigger need at the moment.

 

While an upgrade is an upgrade anywhere in the lineup, I agree. Not only at the moment but looking to September and October.

[Black_Jack29]

As much as I'd like to get another masher to complement Abreu and Fraz, I think getting a pitcher is a bigger need at the moment.

 

I absolutely agree with this. The Sox gambled by relying on Latos and suffered some bad luck with Danks' velocity drop-off. Relying on Latos and Miguel Gonzalez going forward may cost them a shot at the playoffs.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Black_Jack29

[Bob Sacamano]

Look at how things were going when Latos was good and kept them in games/was on. That's what we're capable of being with another solid arm.

[bulokis]

We need another good SP, Latos then becomes our 5h starter. Any bullpen guys we can bring up from the minors? A long reliever will be a good help to our bullpen.

[joejoedairy]

I think we should make an offer for James Shields. Price tag is a little high but its only two more years after this one and perhaps SD could throw in a couple million.

 

I'm thinking an offer like Sanchez and EJ and maybe another lower level prospect. Is that enough?

 

 

[ChiSox59]

I think we should make an offer for James Shields. Price tag is a little high but its only two more years after this one and perhaps SD could throw in a couple million.

 

I'm thinking an offer like Sanchez and EJ and maybe another lower level prospect. Is that enough?

 

The Padres would give the Sox James Shields. If you're giving them Sanchez and EJ, they need to pick up more than "a couple million".

[Lillian]

The spots which could really use an offensive upgrade are CF, SS and catcher. Those spots are all defensively too critical to downgrade the defense, in order to improve the offense.

 

Anderson's bat has heated up at AAA but he is probably not ready to provide steady enough defense to consider him this early.

Is there a good offensive shortstop, who can defend on a level somewhere between that of Rollins and Saladino, or better.

 

Is there a good defensive centerfielder, who could be as good as Jackson, but hit better?

 

I can't think of a single catcher who would be available, to upgrade that position.

 

Conclusion: I don't know how Hahn is going to make this team better, unless he can get another SP.

[captain54]

Sox still at .600 which is a 97 win pace. It was obviously going to slow down and there are always bumps in the road. It's a 6 month season playing almost every day. Do that at your job, and notice the ups and downs. The 2005 World Champions once lost 7 consecutive games. The gamethreads really are ridiculous. All the problems with the team. No talent, the manager is horrible.... If the Sox have these problems and are playing .600, what exactly does that say about the other teams and the other managers?

 

You make some decent points, however.. IMHO I believe your logic is flawed on a couple of different levels…

 

- The average working Joe has room for error in terms of performance over the course of the year.. If their performance however, results in below average performance over multiple years, they will likely be replaced.

 

– If your took your vehicle to have service done at a particular establishment and they just couldn't get it quite right over the course of the years.. let's say you were even stranded a few times because of a breakdown.. I doubt you would be very understanding of their tendency over the years to f***k things up..

 

- The 2005 Sox lost 7 in a row while being around 12 games up in the division with 6 weeks to play..plus they had multiple home run mashers, a stable rotation, and a bullpen that had performed consistently for 75% of the season to that point... slightly different scenario

 

- a .600 record is meaningless, both positively and negatively, with only 25% of the season in the books…

 

- It's not a question of Rick Hahn not being capable of trying to improve the team, or Robin not being competent, or this.. or that… The problems with the Sox run deeper.. The entire organization has crapped the bed, collectively, in terms of results... since the fiasco in late - mid September 2012.. that's a disappointing end to one season, followed by three full seasons of very underwhelming baseball….coming into 2016 we have the same exact (for the most part) conglomerate of decision makers responsible for not only everything post 2012, but a playoff drought now entering it's 8th year… So given all of that, what kind of money would YOU put down in Vegas on a 97 win record, or even a 90 win season, when all was said and done?

 

-

Edited May 19, 2016 by captain54

[Harry Chappas]

A slightly above average bat is needed.

 

A 3/4 type starter is the only hope of a playoff.

 

 

[ChiSox59]

A 3/4 type starter is the only hope of a playoff.

 

???. Cmon now.

[he gone.]

James Shields actually isn't a bad name. I like it. I like a guy who can get a job done, maybe not great, but can get it done and not cost us a lot of talent. I'll pay money. Not talent. Laroche is off your books. Danks next year.

 

However my theory is if you believe in Rodon - and I do. I don't want to go out and spend a ton on a great pitcher. When you get to the playoffs it'd be Sale, Q, Rodon, Sale, Q for the first round. You may have to throw in one more guy in that rotation - but he'd be on a short, short leash. Bullpens are critical in the playoffs too. They pull guys quickly when in trouble.

 

So I'd want to trade for a #3 if we are going to do it big. Also trade for a bullpen guy that is worthy if we're going to do it big. (Not really in favor of this)

 

One team I think you look at is the Rays. I love the makeup of that team, but if they are willing to sell on a few of their guys?? They have so much pitching depth, also have some nice pieces in the OF.

 

Smyly, Moore, Cobb, Odorizzi, Archer, Erasmo Ramirez, Alex Colome, Andriese, Snell

 

I mean, looking at that list they have 9 viable starting pitchers. I'd take all except Colome (as a starter) over Latos IMO.

 

I'd target someone like Ramirez who is set to be a FA and Colome. That gives you a #4 and a set-up guy who has experience as a starter too. Would make this team a ton better. And not sure it'd cost a whole ton.

 

 

 

 

[caulfield12]

It all depends on how willing you are to trade Fulmer or Adams (young pitching being the most desired asset these days)...

Since the odds of trading Anderson go down by the minute. We need to produce our own All-Star caliber player to counter Lindor at the same position. Feel like Timmy is close to untouchable right now.

 

The Teheran and Arodys Vizcaino idea is just as good as any out there, IMO.

 

As far as setting this up for a playoff rotation, that would make sense if there weren't only 3 teams in the major leagues with longer playoff droughts. At this point with Hahn and Ventura, it's all about just surviving and getting there (at least for this season). We always argued 2017 would be the BEST chance, so my only request this year is at least to make it as a wild card team.

 

And we've never had a weaker division to take advantage of...it's a bit reminiscent of that 2007-2009 time period in the division, where there really wasn't one dominant team and it kind of bounced back and forth between the Tigers, Twins (bookended by two really good teams in 2006 and 2010), White Sox and Indians.

Edited May 19, 2016 by caulfield12

[Kyyle23]

caulfield, every trade proposal doesnt have to end with "well you have to trade Fulmer or Adams"

 

 

Just because they are some of the better players in the farm system does not mean that they are the only players that will be traded.

 

 

Shields should not cost either of those two, he has a large contract, he is on a bad team, and he is an older player whose skills have declined somewhat and arent likely to get better