Kenny's First Comments On Off-Season...

[Lip Man 1]

"One of the biggest questions moving into this off season will be how many left handers can you have in your rotation..."-- Kenny Williams

Gonzo also talks to players to get their thoughts. Youk says where he signs will be in large part based on what his family thinks is best.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...0,142081.story

Lip

[kittle42]

Youk is not the 2013 3B solution. I wish him the best.

If Quintana is back as anything but the 5th starter, we gots some trouble.

[DSpivack]

Originally Posted by kittle42

Youk is not the 2013 3B solution. I wish him the best.

If Quintana is back as anything but the 5th starter, we gots some trouble.

The problem is the Sox do not have a better in-house 3B solution and the free agent list is rather thin at that position. And I don't think they have much to work with for a trade (Quintana for a youngish, overlooked 3B, maybe?).

[TaylorStSox]

Originally Posted by DSpivack

The problem is the Sox do not have a better in-house 3B solution and the free agent list is rather thin at that position. And I don't think they have much to work with for a trade (Quintana for a youngish, overlooked 3B, maybe?).

I'd rather have one of us at 3rd than Youk for 13M. That contract is awful.

[DSpivack]

Originally Posted by TaylorStSox

I'd rather have one of us at 3rd than Youk for 13M. That contract is awful.

They can deny the option and try to sign him to a cheaper deal as I have seen speculated elsewhere; and have also seen the same in regards to Peavy.

[BainesHOF]

We should exercise the option on Floyd and let everyone else walk. None of those guys is going to be worth the money they receive. A.J. was great for us, but I wouldn't be surprised to see our pitching improve with him gone. His attitude isn't conducive to working well with pitchers and his pitch-calling seems to be getting worse with age for some reason. Peavy had a really good season, and I'm guessing he's going to have an even better year in 2013, but I don't trust his health enough to give him big money. Youkilis looks like his gas tank is nearing empty.

[Tragg]

The only way I'd bring Youk back is if we were trading Dunn or Konerko and he'd get some 3B/1B/DH/Bench work to stay fresh. But as an everyday 3B? No.
The dude who played today - Johnson? - might be a decent backup DH/1B for next year too. Certainly better than any bench bat we had on this team most of the year prior to Sept

[MtGrnwdSoxFan]

Originally Posted by BainesHOF

We should exercise the option on Floyd and let everyone else walk. None of those guys is going to be worth the money they receive. A.J. was great for us, but I wouldn't be surprised to see our pitching improve with him gone. His attitude isn't conducive to working well with pitchers and his pitch-calling seems to be getting worse with age for some reason. Peavy had a really good season, and I'm guessing he's going to have an even better year in 2013, but I don't trust his health enough to give him big money. Youkilis looks like his gas tank is nearing empty.

I'm not sure Flowers is currently - or even ever will be - a capable full-time catcher. He strikes out way too much, and his defense leaves something to be desired. The only thing he has on A.J. is a slightly better arm. I wouldn't be opposed to bringing A.J. back.

Same thing with Youk - he's not the ideal choice, but we have absolutely no one else of worth at 3rd in the minors. Morel is the only option, and I really don't think we can afford two young, great-defense-but-no-offense players in the infield when our major downfall this season was lack of offense.

Peavy, I'm on the fence. I'd like to see him back, but he'll likely get a big deal from a pitching-starved team (Yankees?) and the Sox won't be able to match.

[TaylorStSox]

Originally Posted by DSpivack

They can deny the option and try to sign him to a cheaper deal as I have seen speculated elsewhere; and have also seen the same in regards to Peavy.

How often does this happen? Some people have damn near the whole team taking a "hometown discount." Peavy, AJ, Youk... I'm sure they'd all be willing to give up millions to play for 24,000 fans in a playoff race.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by TaylorStSox

How often does this happen? Some people have damn near the whole team taking a "hometown discount." Peavy, AJ, Youk... I'm sure they'd all be willing to give up millions to play for 24,000 fans in a playoff race.

Nobody is talking about anyone getting a hometown discount, there seems to be very little chance Peavy or Youk will find a suitor on the FA market that will pay them what their options for 2013 are worth so they're probably going to have to take a deal that pays them less... Why can't the Sox be the one that does? I haven't heard anything about Youkilis, but Peavy has been pretty clear he likes Chicago and would prefer to come back. Don't know how much truth there is to that, but I think there's at least a pretty good chance he might return unless some other team comes out swinging for the fences. We shall see.

[Tragg]

Originally Posted by doublem23

Nobody is talking about anyone getting a hometown discount, there seems to be very little chance Peavy or Youk will find a suitor on the FA market that will pay them what their options for 2013 are worth so they're probably going to have to take a deal that pays them less... Why can't the Sox be the one that does? I haven't heard anything about Youkilis, but Peavy has been pretty clear he likes Chicago and would prefer to come back. Don't know how much truth there is to that, but I think there's at least a pretty good chance he might return unless some other team comes out swinging for the fences. We shall see.

Peavy's option price is $22 million; what do you think his market value is - 2/28 or so? Well, for the Sox to do that, we have to pay 2/32. You almost just as soon do 1/22 and negate the year 2 risk. But the Sox have said that's out of the question. Well if that's out of the question, 2/32 probably is too. But they certainly could do it.
As for Youk, the Sox need a regular 3B. NOt sure Youk is that and we have enough 1B/DH. So to keep Youk, it seems to me we'll have to move Dunn or Konerko and find a regular 3B or 2B (Beckham could move to 3B).

[Bucky F. Dent]

IMO, you've got to count on the fact that Danks is coming back healthy, that Sale, and Quintana, and perhaps Santiago are going to continue to improve, and let Peavy go. His record with injuries in combination with his price tag dictate that result, IMO.

Youk has me scratching my head. Youk is alot like A.J., IMO. Hate playing against him, but love having him on the team. I can barely stomach the price tag of bringing him back, but what are your other options either within the organi-I-zation or on the FA market.

[TaylorStSox]

Originally Posted by doublem23

Nobody is talking about anyone getting a hometown discount, there seems to be very little chance Peavy or Youk will find a suitor on the FA market that will pay them what their options for 2013 are worth so they're probably going to have to take a deal that pays them less... Why can't the Sox be the one that does? I haven't heard anything about Youkilis, but Peavy has been pretty clear he likes Chicago and would prefer to come back. Don't know how much truth there is to that, but I think there's at least a pretty good chance he might return unless some other team comes out swinging for the fences. We shall see.

LOL. That's called player speak, they all do it. That's some great logic though. "Maybe we'll be the ones." Youk's pretty awful anyway. I'd rather move Beckham to 3rd and bring Sanchez up. We'd improve defensively, at least. Youk's a statue at this point.

I'm not sure Flowers is currently - or even ever will be - a capable full-time catcher. He strikes out way too much, and his defense leaves something to be desired. The only thing he has on A.J. is a slightly better arm. I wouldn't be opposed to bringing A.J. back.

Flowers is better than AJ at every aspect of defense, including pitch calling. He won't be the hitter AJ is, but I'd be willing to bet he'd stay within .050 OPS of AJ. He also won't show up Peavy, Dunn, Rios and anybody else who he deems to have made a mistake.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by TaylorStSox

LOL. That's called player speak, they all do it. That's some great logic though. "Maybe we'll be the ones." Youk's pretty awful anyway. I'd rather move Beckham to 3rd and bring Sanchez up. We'd improve defensively, at least. Youk's a statue at this point.

LOL and if you bothered reading, again, not suggesting Jake would turn down a better offer elsewhere to stay in Chicago, just dispelling the Mystery Non-Real Poster you're arguing with that says Youk, Jake, and AJ would all be willing to give the Sox hometown discounts. Nobody has made that argument, yet it's the central point of the post I responded to. So easy to win arguments when you're countering nobody!

[TaylorStSox]

Originally Posted by doublem23

LOL and if you bothered reading, again, not suggesting Jake would turn down a better offer elsewhere to stay in Chicago, just dispelling the Mystery Non-Real Poster you're arguing with that says Youk, Jake, and AJ would all be willing to give the Sox hometown discounts. Nobody has made that argument, yet it's the central point of the post I responded to. So easy to win arguments when you're countering nobody!

Those hometown discounts have been suggested in just about every thread discussing next year's roster.