Two Sox Plan
The White Sox are currently one of the top teams in baseball. They have a good team, GM, and good coaches. Some people suggest that the Sox sign one more outfielder. I disagree. The Sox already have a crowded outfield and bringing more players to this outfield, I just don't see this happening. The Sox have to either have start the rebuilding process like the Indians and Royals or build their farm system and major league roster at the same time.
1. Rebuild
If the Sox decide to start rebuilding, they will have to trade away Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, and Mark Buehrle. This will add some 13 prospects and maybe 2 or 3 draft picks extra. They also could pump a little more money into the draft and spend a lot more on scouting in Central America. Many teams are starting to pump money into scouting in Central America. They also could sign some quality talent out of high school and put them in their low farm system teams and have them develop from 17 or 18. if they do start to rebuild, they would have to fire GM Kenny Williams because he likes to trade for the best players, depleting the farm system again and again. It wouldn't be possible, but if they could sign up GM Billy Beane, he would build their team in 2 years for the long run. One other good GM would be Andy McPhail. He started the rebuilding of the Orioles and built up the Cubs, and he built the Twins for two world championshps. The Sox would be ready for the long run in 2 to 3 years after rebuilding for 2 seasons.
2. Rebuild and Buy at the Same Time
This is kinda like what the Sox are doing now, but they would trade for prospects at the same time. They could trade away Jim Thome or Mark Buehrle for prospects. If they planned on trading Buerhle during the Offseason or Season, they should sign either Derek Lowe or Jamie Moyer. They should also sign a third baseman. I would recomend that they sign Casey Blake. He provided run production and timley hitting for a playoff team, the Dodgers. He also could hit hard against the Indians who traded him away. The Sox are still the best team in their division. They just have to tweek their roster just a bit more.
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Not so sure the Indians are rebuilding.
They ended up decent this year and should be good next year.
Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.
Trading away a pitcher you can't afford in a walk year and getting max value for a declining third baseman doesn't qualify as rebuilding.
J.K.L.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 18, 2008 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
It was their ace, he loved it in Cleveland and he would accepted a little cheaper to stay in cleveland
Then maybe's he'll comeback.
If he loves Cleveland that much, he’ll see that his return+the prospects they got for him and Blake will make them a contender.
Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.
Wow, wtf was I typing?
*Then maybe he’ll comeback.
Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.
Right. There's nothing preventing CC from resigning with Cleveland if he wants.
But the fact is the Indians probably won’t be able to afford him considering the money the Yankees/Red Sox/whomever are going to be throwing his way. Also, considering the likelihood that there will be tremendous bargains available this offseason in terms of FA pitching, and they’ll probably be able to replace his total value for less money and risk than it would require to sign him.
J.K.L.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 18, 2008 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions
It all depends on how much he likes Cleveland.
Maybe he would be willing to take a substantial pay cut to be back with his old team.
Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.
they were traded only after falling out of contention
Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.
by Sky Kalkman on Oct 20, 2008 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm beginning to be of the opinion that "rebuilding" in the sense in which the term is generally used is an outdated idea.
Especially for a team with a front office as capable of finding value in the market as Cleveland’s. There are some situations in which it might make sense to “blow the whole thing up” but those situations are few and far between. I think it’s become a knee-jerk reaction for fans to scream “ZOMG WE MUST REBUILD!!!” coming off a disappointing season.
Lots of people are calling for the Mariners to trade away players of value like Beltre, Bedard, Ichiro, etc. and commit to a long term rebuild, but it’s just not necessary. Cleveland doesn’t have the financial resources the Mariners’ have, but they’re not nearly as talent poor, either. Younger players are trading a massive payday for long-term financial security, and the trade market for veteran talent just isn’t anywhere near what it used to be, unless we’re talking superstars. Or unless Bill Bavasi is involved somehow.
Unless your franchise has dug itself a massive hole by handing out awful, awful contracts (2010 Angels, I’m looking at you!) or has one or two star players, no money and a craptastic farm system, it just doesn’t make much sense.
J.K.L.
Besides that catcher that everyone is drooling over. Is he in the majors yet?
I stopped paying attention to them around May, unless they were playing the Sox or breaking Longoria’s wrist.
Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.
yes
Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.
And I like how I am refered to as:
that dumb gator/bears/sox fan
Give my thanks to walkoffwalk for saying after that:
but he’s not really all that bad
Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.
Clement? Yeah, but they shut him down in September because of knee problems.
He destroyed AAA this year but had some issues at the MLB level. I’m not worried about his bat, because he’s taken a little while to adjust to the competition at every level, but there are some legitimate concerns about his defense/durability.
The general consensus among people whose opinions I trust is that he should play at catcher in ‘09 before the idea of his sliding to 1B is explored. If he can’t catch at the big league level he can’t catch at the big league level, but if he fulfills his realistic offensive potential he’d be a perennial All-Star catcher. At 1B, his offense would be ~league average, and I think his defense would be pretty bad. That would be a major letdown.
J.K.L.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 18, 2008 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
He's a better 1B than Jose Lopez would be though.
by R.J. Anderson on Oct 18, 2008 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Gah they cannot let that happen.
If the idea is flexibility, hey, that’s great. But I’ve learned over the last several years to figure out what the stupidest possible explanation for something is and assume that’s the motivation behind the team doing whatever it is they’re doing. I will be so happy when they announce the new GM and I can start being optimistic (or at least neutral) about my team again.
J.K.L.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 18, 2008 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
That's what I thought.
Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.
They have a lot of talent at the lower levels.
Halman, Triunfel, Saunders and Aumont are all really promising, and there are quite a few players in AA/AAA that look like they can be decent contributors. It’s not in great shape by any means, but it’s not terrible.
Also, the Mariners have lots and lots and lots of money.
J.K.L.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 18, 2008 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions
hey, we actually agree!!!
Because of a clutch performance down the stretch by Cliff Lee?
Remember when we were kids and we mixed sodas together and called them "suicides"? It was OK though, because Dr. Pepper was always there.
I love the Twins.
I am hoping for a Rays/Twin ALCS next year, because my God that would be the most fun series ever.
J.K.L.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 18, 2008 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Depending on what happens this offseason, I actually expect the Red Sox to decline a bit and the Blue Jays to improve.
If the Blue Jays do absolutely nothing and don’t find themselves the victims of tremendously horrible luck for the second consecutive year, they should be right in the thick of things. The AL East is just ridiculous.
J.K.L.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 18, 2008 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Your Right
The A.L. East had a disapointing season. The Baltimore Orioles were reallygood at hitting, but they couldn’t pitch. The Yankees just had a bad season, and everything else was at status quo
The Jays winning the ALE is not too much of a stretch.
by R.J. Anderson on Oct 18, 2008 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
And I know I've said it before, but Baltimore is much much better than people think.
They’re obviously not going to be ready to compete next year, but they’re not going to be an easy series win for the teams at the top, either.
J.K.L.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 18, 2008 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Wieters, Arrieta, Matusz, ect.
Plus financial resources.
They could be contending within 3-5 years.
by R.J. Anderson on Oct 18, 2008 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Tillman, Mickoliom the return they'll get for Sherill.
>:(
>:(
>:(
J.K.L.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 18, 2008 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions
The Jays are missing 2/5 of their rotation next year
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Yes.
However assuming they keep Burnett or sign someone like Lowe and then plug in someone like Ricky Romero with that defense I don’t think they’ll be too bad off.
by R.J. Anderson on Oct 19, 2008 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions
i'm still working on my "Ricciardi is the most underrated GM in the majors" post
seriously
Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.
by Sky Kalkman on Oct 20, 2008 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
I look forward to it
But only “underrated” in the sense that people think he’s one of the worst.
I think that expectations were so high from the sabermetric community (He’s a Moneyball guy~!!!111), that his schizophrenia has cost him a lot of “respect” from the nerds. But the team turned out pretty good despite predictably disappointing years in terms of injury/performance from Rios/Wells/Rolen.
if J. P. would just pick a plan and stick to it (i.e., avoiding deals like Frank Thomas, playing Shea Hillenbrand, Shannon Stewart, etc.), they’d be better off.
mgl said somewhere that J. P. is a sabermetrics poser — this was after J. P. said something about the only way to judge defense is through scouting or something.
OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG
by Matt Klaassen on Oct 20, 2008 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions
A few things...
a. How do the White Sox get “2 or 3 draft picks extra” from trading Dye, Thome, or Buehrle? You’re not one of those people still under the impression that draft picks are tradeable in MLB, are you? They may get compensation for Orlando Cabrera if he is offered arbitration, declines, and signs with another team(almost a certainty at this point given his comments about the team.)
They(the White Sox) first have to decide on the options for Griffey, Jr. and Thome for 2009. I would guess Griffey is as good as gone for 2009, but Thome could return. In that case, I still don’t see them trading Thome once they pick up his option. Why do that since he will, in all likelihood, be a Type A free agent after 2009?c. Billy Beane has a partial stake in the ownership of the A’s in addition to being GM and is, in all likelihood, going nowhere anytime soon.
d. As acblue said, the Mariners’ system is not in bad shape at all, especially at the lower levels.
(Don’t forget about Michael Pineda, Juan Ramirez, Adam Moore, and Jharmidy DeJesus.)
Test.
Sorry about the bolding of the 2nd paragraph...
It was supposed to be part b. I tried to get rid of the bolding before posting but couldn’t, no matter what I tried.
The Web hates me today. ;)

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