Chicago White Sox offseason thread

[Mike D]

Agreed. It's funny how Williams was quick to get a deal done with Carlos, and now is quick to move him. It was kind of expected after the Sox signed Dye. It frees up about 6 million for Kenny Williams to blow somewhere else, and unfortunately for Sox fans, I have great faith in him making a deal that will make this one seem like a genius move.

[BleacherBum]

Yep, I'm sure he's anxious to spend those $ shoring up the infield with the likes of Craig Counsell, Rich Aurilia, or Joe Randa. Or maybe Einar Diaz behind the plate. Can't wait.

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by BleacherBum

Yep, I'm sure he's anxious to spend those $ shoring up the infield with the likes of Craig Counsell, Rich Aurilia, or Joe Randa. Or maybe Einar Diaz behind the plate. Can't wait.

I'd rather have Counsell or Randa on my team than Joe Crede.

The only worse offensive 3B than Crede last year was Tony Batista. Crede blows.

[twins15]

Thank you Kenny Williams!

Signed,

Twins fans

[MisawaTD91]

Well, you finally got that speedy lefty leadoff man that everybody has been wanting for so long. One Cub Killer dealt for another, but really, who ISN'T a Cub Killer?!

I still love Pods though, for helping us reach the playoffs in 2003 by hurting the Astros in that final series. Think of it as '98 Neifi love, but I have a feeling that will be destroyed if he gets triple digits in plate appearances this season.

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by MisawaTD91

Well, you finally got that speedy lefty leadoff man that everybody has been wanting for so long.

Yet he's not any better than Willie Harris.

[MisawaTD91]

Originally Posted by JDOldSchool

Yet he's not any better than Willie Harris.

Especially at a corner outfield position, where he will have even less value than a similar hitter in the middle infield.

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by MisawaTD91

Especially at a corner outfield position, where he will have even less value than a similar hitter in the middle infield.

Unless the Sox move Aaron Rowand to left.

Hopefully, KW will use the rest of the salary he saved to get one or more of the following:

1) A second baseman - Placido Polanco? Maybe Grudzielanek? (That's be great! Podsednik AND Grudzielanek - an announcer's nightmare!)

2) Another starting pitcher - Matt Clement, Odalis Perez, Jose Lima, Eric Milton? Maybe even Loaiza again? I'd say Millwood and Lowe, but they're both Boras clients, so they're out of the picture. This would let them move Garland down to the #5 spot...if they could do that, they'd have a very solid rotation.

3) A third baseman, but the only good one out there is Adrian Beltre, who the Sox don't have a chance in hell of signing.

I hate to see El Caballo go, but Pods (again, especially if he can rebound to his rookie form) is exactly the kind of guy that the Sox need - a smart baserunner, something the Sox have been lacking. Willie Harris, for all his natural speed, has trouble swiping bases (19/26 last season), and just isn't smart on the basepaths. Podsednik has shown he has the ability to hit major league pitching (something Harris has yet to show) and will make pitchers think when he's on base.

And besides, any move that doesn't involve giving Joe Borchard a starting job is alright by me.

[BleedingCubbyBlue]

I'm not sure about this trade. It's a salary dump. Podsednik's speed is great, but other than that and his defense, you're losing a lot of runs producing.

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by BleedingCubbyBlue

I'm not sure about this trade. It's a salary dump. Podsednik's speed is great, but other than that and his defense, you're losing a lot of runs producing.

Yeah, playing for the 3-run bomb has worked so well for the Sox the past few years.

For years, the main problem the Sox have had offensively is that all of their studs are, to varying degrees the same type: slow right-handed power hitters. (Except for Valentin, who was a switch-"hitter", and a lefty in 2003). With the exception of Thomas, none of them had a tremendous OBP, and they couldn't do a damn thing once they got on. If Pods can even hit .280, he'll be a tremendous asset.

And Carlos wasn't nearly as poor of a left fielder as some people think. How many errors did he make last year? None, thank you, although I'm not sure how he stacked up range-wise.

And, again, I don't think Reinsdorf is going to spend the $6-7 million on doughnuts.

[MisawaTD91]

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

Unless the Sox move Aaron Rowand to left.

I doubt that happens, or Ozzie Guillen is a bigger idiot than I thought. Rowand is one of the top defensive center fielders in the league, while Podsednik is average or slightly below.

[statfreak]

Originally Posted by MisawaTD91

I doubt that happens, or Ozzie Guillen is a bigger idiot than I thought. Rowand is one of the top defensive center fielders in the league, while Podsednik is average or slightly below.

I'm sorry, but what are you basing this ludicrous statement on?!? I don't think it's a stretch to say Podsednik is one of the top 5 defensive CF. Scott has consistently been above the league average in fielding percentage and range (according to baseball-reference.com).

I don't disagree that Rowand may be better, but say Podsednik is average or slightly below is just an ignorant statement.

[eriqjaffe]

Further news: The Sox have inked Juan Uribe to a 3-year, $9.75 million contract extention, thus avoiding arbitration.

A very good move, IMHO. Uribe's got nothing but upside and will soon make everybody forget the severely over-rated Jose Valentin.

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

Unless the Sox move Aaron Rowand to left.

Which would be stupid since Podsednik is a bad center fielder and Rowand is one of the best in the league.

1) A second baseman - Placido Polanco? Maybe Grudzielanek? (That's be great! Podsednik AND Grudzielanek - an announcer's nightmare!)

Polanco is nice, but Willie Harris is just fine.

2) Another starting pitcher - Matt Clement, Odalis Perez, Jose Lima, Eric Milton? Maybe even Loaiza again? I'd say Millwood and Lowe, but they're both Boras clients, so they're out of the picture. This would let them move Garland down to the #5 spot...if they could do that, they'd have a very solid rotation.

Millwood blows.

Pods (again, especially if he can rebound to his rookie form) is exactly the kind of guy that the Sox need - a smart baserunner, something the Sox have been lacking.

Of course, being a smart baserunner doesn't mean a thing when the guy doesn't get on base. Willie Harris is just as good already, if not better. He's also younger and improving while Podsednik was a flash in the pan for one season. Podsednik is nothing more than a fourth outfielder.

Podsednik...will make pitchers think when he's on base.

Studies have shown that wreaking havoc on the basepaths is overrated and really doesn't exist all that much.

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by statfreak

I'm sorry, but what are you basing this ludicrous statement on?!? I don't think it's a stretch to say Podsednik is one of the top 5 defensive CF. Scott has consistently been above the league average in fielding percentage and range (according to baseball-reference.com).

I don't disagree that Rowand may be better, but say Podsednik is average or slightly below is just an ignorant statement.

No, it's not. It's 100% accurate. If you think fielding percentage and range factor are the stats to look at, you're not the statfreak you claim to be.Here is a composite of four defensive metrics. Podsednik is in the bottom half of center fielders. Plus, he has a poor arm. That's for 2003 and Rowand isn't listed, but you can go here to see that Rowand ranks right near the top.

[BleedingCubbyBlue]

Originally Posted by JDOldSchool

Millwood blows.

He's an improvement over much the White Sox staff as it is today. I do think Contreras will have a solid year, and Garcia is a good #1 or #2. The White Sox staff is terrible after those 2.

[Karros270]

They just added Jermaine Dye for two years at just over $10M

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1942614

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by Karros270

They just added Jermaine Dye for two years at just over $10M

See post #38 in this thread.

Pods has said that he was trying to swing for the fences too much last year, and his average (and OBP) suffered as a result. He says he is going to go back to being more of a contact hitter, spraying to all fields.

I'd say the Sox rotation is very good at the 1 & 2 spots, and Garland would make a very good #4 or #5 guy. Contreras is a question mark. He has very nasty stuff and can make hitters look like a fool, but he relies on his forkball too much and has a tendency to get rocked because of it. If he can lay off the forkball...save it for an "out" pitch...and rely more on his fastball, he could be a 17-20 game winner. Of course, that's a pretty big "if".

Basically, the Sox have a gaping hole in the middle of their rotation. A guy like Clement or Perez would fit in very nicely. Even Millwood would be an improvement, since he'd make Garland into the #5 guy.

All the free agent pitchers that JDOldSchool says blow are still better than trotting Jason Grilli out there 20-25 times a year.

[seth70liz76]

Isn't Buerhle still with the ChiSox? With the defector and Garcia, that should be a solid 1-3, but that really hasn't been the Sox prob. It's the D-Ray level back end of the rotation that dooms them.

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by BleedingCubbyBlue

He's an improvement over much the White Sox staff as it is today. I do think Contreras will have a solid year, and Garcia is a good #1 or #2. The White Sox staff is terrible after those 2.

You're forgetting Mark Buehrle.