Q: What’s the White Sox greatest need in this offseason?
A: They still need another pitcher. I hear Williams has looked at fourth or fifth type starters who could fill in for Peavy while he’s working his way back from the detached latissimus dorsi muscle in his right posterior shoulder, but then could move into the bullpen when Peavy comes back. Someone like Ian Snell, John Maine or Jeremy Bonderman could be a candidate.
Of course, the team could add another reliever and move Sale into the rotation. Then, they would examine the rotation when Peavy returns and see where Sale belongs. That plan was explained by Williams to MLB.com back in September.
December 22, 2010
Kenny Williams has looked at 4th/5th type starting pitchers
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The positive remarks regarding Flowers’ defense are encouraging. I also read negative comments about Flowers’ defense but sometimes a player gets a tag and can’t lose it.
From what I’ve read, Flowers poor offensive performance was attributed to swing changes suggested by Walker and Williams with which he just never felt comfortable and therefore he never really bought into the swing changes. However, during his September call up, he spoke with Konerko and other Sox players about his swing. Supposedly, he bought into their advice and now feels comfortable with the swing changes. It will be interesting to see the results.
The comments about Phegley were extremely enlightening. I hope the kid can stay healthy all 2011 and really open more eyes. And at least replace Castro as the backup catcher in 2012.
As for Sale, Cooper’s comments were spot on. It doesn’t make sense to put Sale in a revolving door between the starting rotation and the bullpen. Stick him in the bullpen this year. But long term he should be a starter. Sending him to the minors in 2011 is just throwing away a valuable ML asset for a year. Plus I still remember Mauer looking totally out of sorts vs. Sale and I want to see more of that in 2011.
For 2011, if Peavy doesn’t break from the gate, then acquire a cheap fifth starter or make do with Pena as a SP until Peavy returns. Also, we’ve got a guy with ML experience like Dolsi on our 40-man roster for a reason. If he’s capable, give him a shot as a temporary starter or bullpen long man. If the Sox don’t have confidence in him to help at the ML level, then he’s just taking up space on the 40-man roster.
With the 5th starter concerns,it would have been nice to have a lot of off days early in the year. Unfortunately, the Sox play 28 games in April with only 2 off days.
Comment by Buford — December 22, 2010 @ December 22, 2010 9:58 pm |
sale: I guess I’m OK for 2011 in the bullpen as long as they have a path to starting. But isn’t it easier for him to learn/develop the younger he is?
flowers: I’m nervous about his bat because all his good stints in the minors were accompanied with high BABIPs:
http://firstinning.com/players/Tyler-Flowers-a/
Comment by The Wizard — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 5:02 pm |
I’m of the thought that if you have a ML talent use him at the ML level especially pitchers whose every pitch could be their last one. Derek Lowe has had a long career after transitioning from reliever to starter and more recently C J Wilson of Texas. I’m sure the Sox know they can convert Sale into a starter with no ill effects otherwise they would have just left him as a starter.
Let’s see if Flowers new swing can provide good overall results including a normal BABIP. If he turns into another bust propspect, Josh Phegley may be an alternative.
Comment by Buford — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 6:41 pm |
yes, flowers’ year will be interesting to track. and hopefully phegley makes a full recovery.
do you know if we had lost 2 more games in 2007 we’d have the no. 5 draft pick in 2008? the sox won 72 and the giants 71. I said 2 and not 1, because a tiebreaker would be won by the giants since they had won less games in 2006. and
kennylaumann said his first target was buster posey, who went at #5.Comment by The Wizard — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 7:56 pm |
“Maybe [Buster] Posey would get to us if not Beckham…”
I’m interpreting this as “If Beckham doesn’t get to us then Posey would” which would mean Beckham was their 1st choice. But my interpretation doesn’t matter because the following is a fact: Beckham signed for $2.6M and Posey signed for $6.2M.
The Sox would have known beforehand of Posey’s extravagant demand and never would have drafted him with Beckham available at less than half the price.
Also, if both Washington and Houston had both lost their final season games rather than them both winning their season’s finale, the Sox would have drafted 10th. They would have likely missed out on Beckham.
Comment by Buford — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 9:12 pm |
you’re probably right. if beckham wanted $2.6M and posey $6.2M the sox would’ve picked beckham. the sox aren’t big draft spenders…
ps. and it was laumann, not kenny. my bad
Comment by The Wizard — December 24, 2010 @ December 24, 2010 2:10 am |
the sox should trade viciedo, quinton, harrell, lillibridge to Indians for tony sipp, arron laffy (who can start) and shin shoo choo.
Comment by Anonymous — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 12:31 pm |
I like shin shoo choo. I think he’s the perfect player. consistant bat, fast, and a gun in right field!
Comment by Anonymous — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 12:51 pm |
I like choo too. But would the indians trade him to us?
Comment by The Wizard — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 5:15 pm |
we would be giving them lots of young talent in return, plus cq who is fairly young and could put up big numbers. they are trying to rebuild and I would assume players like viceido and harrell would interest them, don’t you think?
Comment by Anonymous — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 5:39 pm |
I agree they’d be interested in viciedo. but I don’t think they’d be interested in the rest. q will be 28 next year and harrell and lilli have very low ceilings. the indians should have players like harrell and lilli at their minor league teams.
they’d want viciedo and sale. or beckham and escobar. would you do either of those?
Comment by The Wizard — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 7:30 pm |
hmmm… no not a chance, but the sox slogan this year is “were all in” and if you told me that we can win a world series by trading some of those guys I would do it in a heartbeat. most seasons no but this year might be different. I’m thinking about the right now.
Comment by Anonymous — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 7:41 pm |
yeah, it sure is tempting if you knew that we can win a world series!
Comment by The Wizard — December 24, 2010 @ December 24, 2010 2:16 am |
1. Choo is a 28 year-old playing a non-premium position (corner OF). His agent is Scott Boras which means you would have Choo for only 3 years before Boras takes him to free agency and a desperate team overpays for him. And we might not even receive 2 draft choices if speculation is right and draft choice compensation for free agents is eliminated when the Collective Bargaining Agreement is renegotiated after the 2011.
2. Sale is a 21 year-old playing a premium position (pitcher) and Beckham is a 24 year-old also playing a premium position (middle infield). And both would be under Sox control for more years than Choo. I would never trade either of these 2 guys for Choo.
3. If people believe Quentin could have a big year, why even consider a trade in the first place ?
4. Finally, the original proposed trade would make the Cleveland GM die from laughter. And Kenny would be in jail for involuntary manslaughter.
Comment by Buford — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 9:41 pm |
oh, 3 years. I didn’t look that up. and Q is on arbitration.
Comment by The Wizard — December 24, 2010 @ December 24, 2010 2:22 am |
buford, I never said sale or beckham in the trade, and I don’t think q will have a big season, that’s why we should trade him for a better offensive/deffensive right fielder. so don’t make fun of my trade opponions because it’s just wishfull thinking on my part and probably would never happen anyways.
Comment by Anonymous — December 23, 2010 @ December 23, 2010 11:30 pm |
yeah, I was the one who threw the beckham and sale names out there. I was trying to think what cleveland’s GM would ask for and those names popped on in my mind!
Comment by The Wizard — December 24, 2010 @ December 24, 2010 2:27 am |
And Beckham and Sale are exactly the names Cleveland would want in return for Choo. Even though I wouldn’t trade either for Choo, you made the trade realistic.
Comment by Buford — December 24, 2010 @ December 24, 2010 1:38 pm |
choo would be a perfect fit in right. left handed bat with power speed and average. he’s a very underated player. and I understand that the Indians wouldn’t want to trade their best player, I just wish they would. he would be better than cq and or teahen in right. that’s why I threw his name out there.
Comment by Anonymous — December 24, 2010 @ December 24, 2010 3:56 pm |
oh yeah. no doubt about it. choo would be perfect indeed!
Comment by The Wizard — December 24, 2010 @ December 24, 2010 5:41 pm |