Thornton

[LITTLE NELL]

Red Sox buy out Thornton. I could see him back on the Southside to face lefties only at a reduced salary, who else do we have?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,4350461.story

[TDog]

Originally Posted by LITTLE NELL

Red Sox buy out Thornton. I could see him back on the Southside to face lefties only at a reduced salary, who else do we have?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,4350461.story

The buyout was expected. The six-figure cash sum that the White Sox sent the Red Sox along with Thornton in the deal (something that sounds counterproductive for a team looking for salary relief) was expected to pay for most of the buyout that the White Sox were planning anyway.

[Bobby Thigpen]

Originally Posted by LITTLE NELL

Red Sox buy out Thornton. I could see him back on the Southside to face lefties only at a reduced salary, who else do we have?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,4350461.story

No.

[soltrain21]

Why do people always want to bring back every single player that has put on a White Sox uniform?

[A. Cavatica]

Coop'll fix him again.

[kittle42]

Originally Posted by soltrain21

Why do people always want to bring back every single player that has put on a White Sox uniform?

It's ridiculous, isn't it? Remember the one a few years back about bringing back Crede even though he hadn't been in the league for two years? That one may have been my favorite.

[rdivaldi]

Originally Posted by kittle42

It's ridiculous, isn't it? Remember the one a few years back about bringing back Crede even though he hadn't been in the league for two years? That one may have been my favorite.

Apples and oranges. Thornton has shown to still be an effective major league pitcher against lefties. At the proper price, he would not be a bad signing.

[Foulke You]

Originally Posted by rdivaldi

Apples and oranges. Thornton has shown to still be an effective major league pitcher against lefties. At the proper price, he would not be a bad signing.

Exactly. Considering the left handed bullpen alternatives are currently David Purcey and Donnie Veal, I'd be fine with Thornton as a cost effective LOOGY. However, if he is looking for big money and more than one year, it wouldn't be worth it given his age.

[kittle42]

Originally Posted by Foulke You

Exactly. Considering the left handed bullpen alternatives are currently David Purcey and Donnie Veal, I'd be fine with Thornton as a cost effective LOOGY. However, if he is looking for big money and more than one year, it wouldn't be worth it given his age.

I fear Robin would use him as more than a LOOGY.

[TheVulture]

Originally Posted by soltrain21

Why do people always want to bring back every single player that has put on a White Sox uniform?

The complete and utter lack of a decent lefty in the bullpen maybe?

[rdivaldi]

Originally Posted by kittle42

I fear Robin would use him as more than a LOOGY.

That is a legitimate concern, I'm with you on that.

[MeteorsSox4367]

Not that I'm advocating bringing Thornton back, but wasn't Purcey DFA'd or outrighted?

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by MeteorsSox4367

Not that I'm advocating bringing Thornton back, but wasn't Purcey DFA'd or outrighted?

He was but he accepted his demotion to Charlotte so he's still in the White Sox organization.

[blandman]

Originally Posted by kittle42

I fear Robin would use him as more than a LOOGY.

Should the inability of our manager to utilize players correctly prevent us from signing players that are useful pieces?

You're not wrong, though....

[TDog]

Originally Posted by blandman

Should the inability of our manager to utilize players correctly prevent us from signing players that are useful pieces?

You're not wrong, though....

You could make the argument that any time a team loses it is because a manager used his players incorrectly. Jim Leyland didn't make the World Series because he used his bullpen in the eighth inning of Game 2 of the ALCS when he had a starter the Red Sox found unhittable through seven. (Maybe there's a discussion thread somewhere insisting that's is why Leyland was forced to resign.) Bruce Bochy didn't just lose a game in 2012 (although he was forgiven because his team would sweep the Tigers in the World Series a few months later), but by putting Aubrey Huff at second base for the first time in his career, no one covered second on a play that could have ended the game with a win, and shortly thereafter Huff suffered a mental breakdown that pretty ended whatever career he had left. Any time a designated hitter goes a game without hitting the ball out of the infield, you could blame the manager for not utilizing him correctly.

On the other hand, teams that win frequently have players stepping up to do things out of their comfort zone. Often that's why they win. Often asking a player to do things fans in retrospect looking at their failure is the only chance a team has to win.

Complaining about a manager's inability to utilize players correctly is more tired than insightful.

I'm confident that anyone managing the White Sox (with the possible exception of Terry Bevington) has a better idea of how to use his roster to succeed more than fans do, regardless of how fashionable it might be to complain that Robin Ventura is a bad manager based on a hypothetical signing and a hypothetical use of the signed player.