You're the jerk... jerk: The comp system has changed, it would be very strange for them to get a pick from Youk in 2 years (they would have to offer arbitration, he would have to decline then he would have to sign for a certain amount).

No, that's not quite right. The system did away with the arbitration requirement. Now the team has to offer the player a one year deal (a "qualifying offer") worth more than the average of the top 125 contracts in the game. Right now, that's about 12.5 mil. If the player declines and signs elsewhere, the team gets picks.

The only other requirement is that the player must have been on the team for a full season. Otherwise, any free agent qualifies for compensation under this system, even if they suck.

So, yes, if the White Sox pick up the option, then offer a one year qualifying offer that he refuses, that's comp picks.

You're the jerk... jerk: I refuse to believe that Kenny Williams would ever win a trade.

Me too.

And part of my post disappeared.

You're the jerk... jerk: Your facts are mostly right (a high GB rate for is bad for a slow guy, the dropping fly ball rate means no more power, etc)

You don't have a guy like Youk for the power. His main role is making the pitcher throw a lot of pitches and trying to work a walk. Any power he gives you is a bonus. Even if Youk had never hit a HR in his career, he'd be a pretty useful player.

DeWayne Mann: You're the jerk... jerk: I refuse to believe that Kenny Williams would ever win a trade.

Me too.

With 20-20 hindsight, his acquisition of Carlos Quentin for Chris Carter, and his trade of Freddy Garcia for Gio Gonzalez and Gavin Floyd, both look pretty good. (Even if he did kind of squander Quentin and Gonzalez in later trades.)

Super Chronic: With 20-20 hindsight, his acquisition of Carlos Quentin for Chris Carter, and his trade of Freddy Garcia for Gio Gonzalez and Gavin Floyd, both look pretty good. (Even if he did kind of squander Quentin and Gonzalez in later trades.)

I went back through the list after my original post that came before my other posts and those were the only two I could come up with as Maybes. But then I remembered that time when he traded Swisher for Betemit and had to laugh for a couple of hours.

DeWayne Mann: You don't have a guy like Youk for the power. His main role is making the pitcher throw a lot of pitches and trying to work a walk. Any power he gives you is a bonus. Even if Youk had never hit a HR in his career, he'd be a pretty useful player.

To be fair, it should be easier to work a walk if you have at least the threat of power. If you're facing a Juan Pierre type with the bases empty, you might as well groove pitches when behind in the count. He's unlikely to do anything but single, and at least you have a ~65-70% chance of retiring him if he puts in in play.

You can't do that with Youk-- he's still probably a 30 doubles and 15-20 HR guy.

It can be a chicken-egg argument about whether ISO pushes up walk rates, or patient guys have high ISOs because they wait for mistakes, but they are correlated. Probably a little bit of both.

chimp_ninja: DeWayne Mann: You don't have a guy like Youk for the power. His main role is making the pitcher throw a lot of pitches and trying to work a walk. Any power he gives you is a bonus. Even if Youk had never hit a HR in his career, he'd be a pretty useful player.

To be fair, it should be easier to work a walk if you have at least the threat of power. If you're facing a Juan Pierre type with the bases empty, you might as well groove pitches when behind in the count. He's unlikely to do anything but single, and at least you have a ~65-70% chance of retiring him if he puts in in play.

You can't do that with Youk-- he's still probably a 30 doubles and 15-20 HR guy.

It can be a chicken-egg argument about whether ISO pushes up walk rates, or patient guys have high ISOs because they wait for mistakes, but they are correlated. Probably a little bit of both.

Well, when I said the thing about taking away the HRs, I was still assuming Youk would be hitting the line drive doubles, which should be enough of a threat.

DeWayne Mann: chimp_ninja: DeWayne Mann: You don't have a guy like Youk for the power. His main role is making the pitcher throw a lot of pitches and trying to work a walk. Any power he gives you is a bonus. Even if Youk had never hit a HR in his career, he'd be a pretty useful player.

To be fair, it should be easier to work a walk if you have at least the threat of power. If you're facing a Juan Pierre type with the bases empty, you might as well groove pitches when behind in the count. He's unlikely to do anything but single, and at least you have a ~65-70% chance of retiring him if he puts in in play.

You can't do that with Youk-- he's still probably a 30 doubles and 15-20 HR guy.

It can be a chicken-egg argument about whether ISO pushes up walk rates, or patient guys have high ISOs because they wait for mistakes, but they are correlated. Probably a little bit of both.

Well, when I said the thing about taking away the HRs, I was still assuming Youk would be hitting the line drive doubles, which should be enough of a threat.

What about the fact that the white sox will have three base cloggers hitting in a row? I mean with Dunn, Konerko and Youk how will they ever get the bases unclogged?

You're the jerk... jerk: What about the fact that the white sox will have three base cloggers hitting in a row? I mean with Dunn, Konerko and Youk how will they ever get the bases unclogged?

Ah, you miss the best part of this plan! The bases will be so clogged that the opposing pitcher will see an opponent everywhere he looks. This is cause him to become scared and balk. The White Sox will actually never be awarded an RBI again; every run (and there will be many) will be balked in.

DeWayne Mann: A lot of Stewart's major league problems have been luck related. In 2011, he had a .357 BABIP. This year, he's allowing HRs on 26.3% of flyballs. Neither of those make a lot of sense

It makes a lot more sense if you watch him. Last year looked like some bad luck, but this year he's leaving meatballs over the plate repeatedly. If they don't go over the fence, they're usually still hit pretty hard. And he's not striking guys out either (less than 5 per 9). Maybe the Red Sox think they can fix him, but Don Cooper couldn't fix him, which isn't a good sign.

Lillibridge is a useful bench player as long as you don't let him hit. Good defensive replacement in the outfield, can play IF if you need it, and can run. Strikes out at a rate approaching Adam Dunn without the big walk rate and last year's power surge was a pretty clear fluke (although he's got more power than the complete zero he's shown this year).

GQueue: DeWayne Mann: A lot of Stewart's major league problems have been luck related. In 2011, he had a .357 BABIP. This year, he's allowing HRs on 26.3% of flyballs. Neither of those make a lot of sense

It makes a lot more sense if you watch him. Last year looked like some bad luck, but this year he's leaving meatballs over the plate repeatedly. If they don't go over the fence, they're usually still hit pretty hard. And he's not striking guys out either (less than 5 per 9). Maybe the Red Sox think they can fix him, but Don Cooper couldn't fix him, which isn't a good sign.

Lillibridge is a useful bench player as long as you don't let him hit. Good defensive replacement in the outfield, can play IF if you need it, and can run. Strikes out at a rate approaching Adam Dunn without the big walk rate and last year's power surge was a pretty clear fluke (although he's got more power than the complete zero he's shown this year).

SIERA rather likes Stewart: 3.93 last year, 3.75 this. It's essentially saying that while he could use more strikeouts (SIERA loves strikeouts) his batted ball profile isn't that bad.

Like I said, when all is said & done, he'll probably be a little better than average. His xFIP this season is 4% worse than average, so it's not a big stretch.

Lillibridge is just because they didn't have anyone in the system who could play INF/OF. Spears could play INF/COF, but that was about it.

Scruffinator: Great. He'll have more opportunities to think twice about charging Porcello. Maybe this time he wont make a jackass of himself.

He probably will, but maybe not.

I was watching a game last month against the sox and the sox pitcher had plunked a couple jays and youk came up. Plunk up high and he said something to the effect of 'DAMNIT! Keep it DOWN if you have to hit me'. I liked that... Seemed like an old school ballplayer thing to do. I've always seen him as such... But also a douchebag.

Hope he does well in Chicago because I dislike no baseball team as much as the red sox. Effin A-Holes the lot of them, and their fans.

Funny how Boston and Chicago have the same record too. Except one is in 1st place and the other is in 4th. Every team in the AL East is above .500 right now.

Nana's Vibrator: inclemency: Scruffinator: Great. He'll have more opportunities to think twice about charging Porcello. Maybe this time he wont make a jackass of himself.

He probably will, but maybe not.

I was watching a game last month against the sox and the sox pitcher had plunked a couple jays and youk came up. Plunk up high and he said something to the effect of 'DAMNIT! Keep it DOWN if you have to hit me'. I liked that... Seemed like an old school ballplayer thing to do. I've always seen him as siuch... But also a douchebag.

Hope he does well in Chicago because I dislike no baseball team as much as the red sox. Effin A-Holes the lot of them, and their fans.

Coming and Going; A Tale of 2 Kevins:
Kevin Youkilis, argues with teammates and opponents, common target of beanballs, charges mounds, has not had a plate appearance where he didn't argue with an umpire:

"Hope he does well in Chicago..."

Compared with Kevin Garnett, who has always talked trash, screamed at opponents, and uses the media to criticize anyone and everyone
- The heart and soul of the Minnesota Timberwolves, #1 to everyone, deserves better.
- Comes to Boston: Dirtiest player in the NBA, just another A-hole in Boston

Next up:
If the "Overrated" Tom Brady were the quarterback in Tampa Bay, would he be regarded by all football fans as Jesus Christ Himself?

So... You're mad because people hate Boston due to overwhelming evidence of inbred retaaaaahds!!! Acting as such consistantly with regard to sporting events?

DeWayne Mann: Like I said, when all is said & done, he'll probably be a little better than average. His xFIP this season is 4% worse than average, so it's not a big stretch

I don't buy the underlying assumption of xFIP, because unlike BABIP I absolutely do not believe that HR/FB is out of the control of the pitcher. Stewart has lost velocity and throws a bunch of meatballs over the plate. He's been getting hit hard all year. That HR/FB number looks fluky now, but 4 out of his 10 HRs allowed came in his last game (although since it was against the putrid Cubs, that's not a good sign either), and he'd already been terrible before that with a HR% number that looked like last year's already-bad number. Unless the Red Sox can figure out how to make him throw 95 again, he's not going to be average, he's minor league filler.

GQueue: DeWayne Mann: Like I said, when all is said & done, he'll probably be a little better than average. His xFIP this season is 4% worse than average, so it's not a big stretch

I don't buy the underlying assumption of xFIP, because unlike BABIP I absolutely do not believe that HR/FB is out of the control of the pitcher. Stewart has lost velocity and throws a bunch of meatballs over the plate. He's been getting hit hard all year. That HR/FB number looks fluky now, but 4 out of his 10 HRs allowed came in his last game (although since it was against the putrid Cubs, that's not a good sign either), and he'd already been terrible before that with a HR% number that looked like last year's already-bad number. Unless the Red Sox can figure out how to make him throw 95 again, he's not going to be average, he's minor league filler.

I essentially agree...except this HR rate has come out of absolutely no where. There's no way a guy with those minor league numbers has the HR rate that we would expect from a high schooler pitching in the majors.

Compare him to Mark Melancon, who basically let up a HR with every pitch at the start of this season. He was getting hit hard, just like what you're describing...except then he went down to AAA, immediately turned into a wizard, came back to the majors, and has been pretty dang good.

DeWayne Mann: Compare him to Mark Melancon, who basically let up a HR with every pitch at the start of this season. He was getting hit hard, just like what you're describing...except then he went down to AAA, immediately turned into a wizard, came back to the majors, and has been pretty dang good.

My memory is that this April, he was giving up closer to eleventy home runs per pitch. He was the Worst Living Ballplayer.

Back to Stats 101 with you.

chimp_ninja: DeWayne Mann: Compare him to Mark Melancon, who basically let up a HR with every pitch at the start of this season. He was getting hit hard, just like what you're describing...except then he went down to AAA, immediately turned into a wizard, came back to the majors, and has been pretty dang good.

My memory is that this April, he was giving up closer to eleventy home runs per pitch. He was the Worst Living Ballplayer.

Back to Stats 101 with you.

My favorite part was the game where he allowed 3 HR in 0 IP. BEST. HR/9. EVER.

Nana's Vibrator: inclemency:
So... You're mad because people hate Boston due to overwhelming evidence of inbred retaaaaahds!!! Acting as such consistantly with regard to sporting events?

Who's mad? Boston hate is a pretty interesting phenomenon, if you ask me. For instance, your unwarranted and uncited insults about inbreeding and being mentally/physically handicapped were meant to make Boston fans out to be problematic, when in actuality the person typically producing the unprovoked attack is not from Boston. Fascinating.

I disagree with your final assertation. But stand by my previous post.

skoobx: My jersey curse continues. 2003, I buy a Nomar jersey. 2010, I buy a Papelbon jersey for my wife. Four years ago my wife buys me an official mlb Youklis jersey.

Go buy a Lackey jersey. I'm sure they are cheap and worth every dollar if your streak continues