Are we really going into the season with no veteran catcher?

[ohiosoxfan]

I don't have a big problem with giving Tyler Flowers a shot to show what he can do as the starting catcher. . .BUT I am really surprised that we didn't sign a veteran catcher as a backup. I know Gimenez is a lefthanded hitter, but I figured that with all the veteran backup catchers out there as free agents that one would find his way onto our roster. But with Barajas signing with Arizona over the weekend, it looks like Matt Treanor is the only FA left out there.

What is Ramon Castro doing these days? With a year off, he should be well rested.

[SephClone89]

Originally Posted by ohiosoxfan

What is Ramon Castro doing these days? With a year off, he should be well rested.

Signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers.

[ohiosoxfan]

Originally Posted by SephClone89

Signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers.

Thought he might have retired. . . another one we missed out on.

[amsteel]

We're also going into the season with a DH that Ks or HRs, an LF that can't BB, a CF that's a career AAAAer until last year, and a soft hitting 2B who's time is almost up.

Every team is flawed, and I'm as excited to talk about tangible baseball topics as the next guy, but there are some things that aren't worrying about until late April/May when we actually have some samples to study.

[LoveYourSuit]

As Sox fans we need to be ready once again for a season full of quality start loses by the pitching staff.

[blandman]

Originally Posted by LoveYourSuit

As Sox fans we need to be ready once again for a season full of quality start loses by the pitching staff.

Hey now suit, leave the negativity to the experts!

Won't matter because it's not like our pitching staff is gonna put up many quality starts.

SEE! That's how to be negative!

[Lip Man 1]

Am very, very surprised the Sox haven't done more to this point.

For right now, Hahn is taking a chance, we'll see how it turns out. Apparently all his talk about things in the works around Sox-fest time were simply BS.

Not a good start by him in my opinion.

Lip

[Noneck]

Lip,

Maybe it wasnt bs but just a reality check when he found out that the Sox dont have anyone they can afford to give up to get someone worth a darn. The Sox system is quite thin and the players with worth are needed for this season. After they decided not to go deep in FA this year, playing with what they had was their only option.

[DeadMoney]

Originally Posted by Lip Man 1

Am very, very surprised the Sox haven't done more to this point.

For right now, Hahn is taking a chance, we'll see how it turns out. Apparently all his talk about things in the works around Sox-fest time were simply BS.

Not a good start by him in my opinion.

Lip

I'm willing to let this off-season go.

I just think that this past off-season's FA class was pretty top heavy and fairly light after that. I really don't there there was much there for the Sox.

On top of that, we all know where the Sox Minor League system stands. The system doesn't - and won't - get fixed by dealing off prospects (no matter the perceived holes a team has).

When you look at the biggest reasons that the team spent 150+ days in First Place last year - pitching, defense and not beating themselves - none of the key players in that have really changed (and we improved defensively at C).

I'm not supporting the decision to do much pretty much nothing this off-season, but I certainly understand it.

[Falstaff]

Originally Posted by ohiosoxfan

I don't have a big problem with giving Tyler Flowers a shot to show what he can do as the starting catcher. . .BUT I am really surprised that we didn't sign a veteran catcher as a backup. I know Gimenez is a lefthanded hitter, but I figured that with all the veteran backup catchers out there as free agents that one would find his way onto our roster. But with Barajas signing with Arizona over the weekend, it looks like Matt Treanor is the only FA left out there.

What is Ramon Castro doing these days? With a year off, he should be well rested.

I am thinking its time for Sandy Alomar to return to the White Sox. Its been a few years since we relied on him, should be fresh. Also maybe Carlton Fisk will get some kind of community service for the cornfield incident, and be required to catch one game a week? Grasping at straws, but yeah, we need vet backup. Wasn't Hank Allen a BP catcher?

[russ99]

Originally Posted by DeadMoney

I just think that this past off-season's FA class was pretty top heavy and fairly light after that. I really don't there there was much there for the Sox.

Have to disagree with that in part. Currently our bench is Gimenez, Sanchez, Danks and Wise, and there were surely inexpensive FA's available to improve on that.

I have to wonder if Hahn is taking a wait and see approach to clear some of Kenny's bad contracts off the books in 2 years without adding any other major commitments so he can make more of a splash with more to spend when Paul, Dunn, Rios and Peavy are off the books. And if any of the kids turn into stars, that's even better.

[shingo10]

If this team comes out and tanks I will be more upset than at any point in my time as a Sox fan...there has been very little effort to address any of our needs this offseason. It is very frustrating. Its like they just want to stay in a perpetual state of mediocrity...do something Hahn!

[DSpivack]

It does appear, however, that we will be going into the season with quite a few veteran kvetchers.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by shingo10

If this team comes out and tanks I will be more upset than at any point in my time as a Sox fan...there has been very little effort to address any of our needs this offseason. It is very frustrating. Its like they just want to stay in a perpetual state of mediocrity...do something Hahn!

I'm really not sure how much more anyone could have expected the Sox do to this offseason. Payroll's already stretched thin and the farm system is absolutely atrocious, there's not much wiggle room. But they will be chipping $32 and $41 million of salaries off the books in the next two years so there will be some money then, and hopefully Hahn is a little more proactive at building something in the minors.

This team is in really bad shape right now, it's definitely going to be muliyear process.

[DeadMoney]

Originally Posted by doublem23

I'm really not sure how much more anyone could have expected the Sox do to this offseason. Payroll's already stretched thin and the farm system is absolutely atrocious, there's not much wiggle room. But they will be chipping $32 and $41 million of salaries off the books in the next two years so there will be some money then, and hopefully Hahn is a little more proactive at building something in the minors.

This team is in really bad shape right now, it's definitely going to be muliyear process.

Exactly.

For all of the people saying they didn't do enough... What did you want/expect them to do this off-season?

I know a lot of the criticism comes from not filling up the catcher spot with a veteran and not getting a left-handed bat. And in turn, many jump on not re-upping with Pierzynski as the evidence of the team not doing enough this off-season (which would've filled both holes). Well, another year of AJ at $7.5M is a $7.5M they couldn't have paid Peavy/Floyd/Lindstrom/Keppinger. On top of that, they would've set themselves back another year in finding out if Flowers can offensively contribute at this level.

Again, I'm not supporting the decisions made this off-season, but I understand. With significant money coming off of the books over the next two seasons, it certainly seems like they let Hahn transition into the GM role during an off-season with which they had little flexibility.

I'll admit, there isn't a lot to be overly excited about with the 2013 team, but I'm just trying to accept the following and hope for the best...
This team spent 126 days in First Place last season. And, nearly the same team adds a hopefully healthy Danks, a strong bullpen arm in Lindstrom, a 3B who can't be any worse than what we saw for 6 months (sans a 2-3 week period), and the continued development of LF (who's still only 23 years old), 2B (at that hopefully special breakout age of 26-27), SP #1, SP #4, SP #5, and a very young bullpen. We lost a big LH bat and offensive force at catcher, but replaced him with a sound defensive replacement who most would argue calls a better game.