SoxFanForsyth

Well I think they will need to limit Bard's innings, that's for sure. So I think that if you go with Bard for about 10-12 starts this year and then the bullpen for a half of a year, you're good to go. You get Bard 12 starts and around 75-80 IP, and then another 40 out of the bullpen, and you are getting that gradual innings increase that you want so you don't blow out an arm. As far as the package, likely a younger position player. Maybe a guy like Che Hsuan Lin would be the guy to go over along with Youkilis.

I still think there is a great situation to send Youkilis to Chicago for Thornton for the following reasons (for all discussion purposes, contracts will not be prorated): 1. Youk + $3mm + a mid-ceiling prospect to Chicago. Youkilis has a $11.5mm contract this year. Eat $3mm of his salary, and it's down to $8.5mm. 2. Thornton is under contract for two years at $5.5mm each year, at a total of $11mm. 3. By taking on Youk's $8.5mm this year, and getting rid of Thornton's $5.5mm next year, they are essentially riding themselves of $2.5mm, and in the process, are getting out of the deal 1 year sooner. 4. The White Sox are a rebuilding team. They are a team who would love to free up money to spend on the draft, international FA, etc. If they can relieve themselves of Thornton's salary next year, that's one step closer to rebuilding their franchise into a young organization. So, in essence, the White Sox aren't really trading "for Youkilis". What's essentially happening is that the White Sox are getting a young prospect, and are taking a discount on Thornton's contract and getting 3/4 of a year of Youkilis. I can absolutely see that happening, and I can see the back of this bullpen being helped out tremendously by a swing and miss guy like Thornton.

It happened because he was going to outgrow SS. If he was a defensive liability at SS, why would they put him at 3B rather than OF? That doesn't make any sense at all. You are acting like WMB hasn't fielded a GB since he was 12. He has been playing on the left side of the infield for the past 7+ years. Aviles has played recently in the OF. I understand that both will see growing pains, but if you want to minimize the growing pains, you go with WMB at SS. Either way, WMB should stay at 3B. Moving him to the OF is, as pumpsie put it, extremely short sighted. I'm not punting the season, but at the same time, I don't want to be absorbing lumps this season by putting WMB in the OF and then just have to re-absorb more lumps next year because he's moved back to 3B. If we're going to have him up here, you leave him at 3B where he is comfortable and swinging the bat well. A solid defensive 3B that hits for average and power is extremely rare right now in the farm systems. We have to realize that this is a commodity, and you can't just throw him in the OF as a bandaid.

The poll was conveniently posted while Youk is on the DL and Middlebrooks is smoking everything in sight. Not a gay reference. Having said that, I say Youk to the block.

Can someone please explain something to me - Why are we clamoring so much for a guy who has hit the DL 4+ times in the past 1.5 years, cannot play defense, and has hit .192 with a .648 OPS since July 23rd last year?? He was a great player when he was consistently healthy. Those days are long gone. Do we really think that we're the only people who are figuring this out?? We don't think that other GM's have figured this out? Even if Youk gets hot for a week or two, the past 2 years aren't going to just go away. I don't think any GM's are so reactionary that they will deal for a 3B with his injury history and give us any more significant value than we will get if he turns hot during a rehab assignment.

He is transitioning from one spot on the left side of the infield to another spot on the left side of the infield!! It's not like he hasn't taken a ground ball since 2006. He's shifted over to 3B from SS. I don't understand how you can justify moving him to a position in LF which he has never played before, rather than a position in SS which he has played a significant amount of time AND which his current position translates to well. He's athletic enough to make the transition to one of the most difficult LF in baseball, but he's not athletic enough to transition over to SS? And you completely disregard that Aviles has outfield experience. He was being prepped to play OF. It's unfathomable that, rather than moving a natural SS to SS and a guy who played OF all winter to OF, you want to move a natural SS to LF and leave the guy who trained for OF at SS. It's just mind boggling.

You eat 3mm. You trade for Thornton. Chicago gets $5.5mm off their books next year for the price of 3mm (11.5mm Youk Salary - 3mm eaten = 8.5mm. 8.5mm - 5.5mm owed to Thornton this year = 3mm owed vs 5.5mm owed to Thornton next year). The ChiSox dont have a 3B anyway, so it's a deal that would work out. Try to trade him during his rehab as a salary dump for the White Sox.

Yeah that's specifically range oriented. I'm not arguing that Aviles has been bad because he hasnt. So don't misunderstand that. I'm just saying he at least has OF experience and WMB has SS experience.

That's not true. You trade Youkilis or bench him. Tell him sorry. Buy him some headphones. Hes too inconsistent both health wise and production wise to be a regular player.

Fangraphs has his RngR at 0.6 which is virtually right at league average.

And I said this in a different thread. You're wanting to put the same guy who stopped running during a big, extra innings at bat because he thought a fly ball was clearly foul, you want to put that guy in LF to battle that same wind, the monster, in a position that he's never played before? You watch Ross, a guy who is a good OF, get fooled a lot. You watch Crawford, an elite defender, get fooled a lot. How did Youkilis fare out there when he was healthy and moving well??

So you're comfortable with putting WMB in LF, a place he's never played before, but you won't be open to putting him at SS, the position be played when drafted? And Aviles played a season of winter ball this offseason in the outfield.

Why would you sacrifice defense at TWO positions? WMB is better than Youk at 3B. Much better. I don't understand why you want to move WMB to LF and give up defense in LF and at 3B. If anything, I'd rather have WMB at SS, Youk at 3B, Aviles in LF. At least Middlebrooks has played some SS, he came up as a SS. Aviles isn't exactly the most rangey SS in the MLB.

2B to SS is an interchangeable position. 3B to OF is a much, much different situation.

While the Sox are facing 2 more against the Royals, and then the Thursday game against the Tribe, the Yanks and Rays will be playing. So this is a big opportunity for the Sox to pick up some games on one or the other. Game 1: Shields vs Nova Game 2: Niemann vs Phelps Game 3: Price vs Sabathia Pick up 2 against the Yankees, 1 against the Rays. Also, the Orioles are in a 4 game set with the Rangers. Keep winning and the Sox can pick up 2 more against the O's. Like I said earlier, In 2010, the Sox started 11-14. After that, they went 38-18 (.678) over the next 56 games and were 0.5 games out of 1st place on July 2nd. In 2011, the Sox started 11-15. After that, they went 72-37 (.661) over the next 109 games and were tied for 1st place on May 30th. In 2012, the Sox started 11-16. Lets see how they rebound.

And now Alex Gordon is your everyday starting LF. I repeat - You do not want to move him away from his primary position. You keep him at 3B so he continutes to develop there. He's not a guy like Aviles who will end up being a utility player. This is a full time, occasional all star third baseman. Don't mess with that.

It's not the question of "How much worse could WMB in LF?" It's the fact that this kid isn't going to be your utility player. He's going to be your future third baseman, you don't want to throw him in LF. You want him to either continue his growth at 3B in Boston or in Pawtucket.