My question is how many of them do you want to have play 60 regular season and 16 playoff games for you and what will it cost? IDK.

- rpeters01

Most of them the answer is a resounding "no." I haven't watched or read enough about Griesse and Markstrom, but i see issues with them. And, are they good enough anyway? Lehner might prove to be.the best option.

He played 33 games.... he hasn’t played half and NHL season. I’m not bashing him just having some perspective.
- bhawks2241

It would be foolish to assume that Sikura cannot score some goals. How many.....15, 20 maybe 25 ...
.ok even if 15 is his top Sikura has at least Nylander and Perlini beat out of a job since he does enough of the other things well......as the board has about being responsible.

No one picks up on a point i made, which is Sikura's presence moreover playing time can be a motivating factor for a Nylander and or Perlini to imprive upon their shortcoming.

It would be foolish to assume that Sikura cannot score some goals. How many.....15, 20 maybe 25 ...
.ok even if 15 is his top Sikura has at least Nylander and Perlini beat out of a job since he does enough of the other things well......as the board has about being responsible.

No one picks up on a point i made, which is Sikura's presence moreover playing time can be a motivating factor for a Nylander and or Perlini to imprive upon their shortcoming.
- jhawk59

I would take 5 goals, 25 points from Sikura over 20 goals 35 points from Perlini. The way they play, Sikura will help flip the ice and prevent goals. He may contribute to 10 or 15 less goals than Perlini, but I think if you factor in goals prevented, Sikura is worth more than Perlini.

Random baseball thoughts on a boring Sunday:

Anyone think the White Sox are ever gonna become a contender with all these highly thought of prospects? Im seeing more development over these past couple years from the youth in Toronto, San Diego, and definitely Atlanta than I am with the Sox and it’s becoming frustrating. But I guess it’s still far too early to know what they might ultimately become, especially if they make good use of all that $$$.

As for the Cubs there’s no excuses anymore for them to be so inconsistent, not after making several solid moves to upgrade the roster. I like Heyward and Castellanos batting 1-2, gives the lineup tremendous depth. No more holes on offense. They’ve gotta be better, they have the offense and the pitching, at least on paper. If they can’t put it together with this amount of talent then Maddon needs to go.

I suppose none of it matters because nobody is beating the Astros anyways...
- SimpleJack

White Sox
The progression of a couple of hitters to the mlb roster next two seasons plus the maturoty of young pitchers, is the hoped for scenario. The progression of young players to a higher level of production - such as Giolittle, Anderson, Bummer - is telltale. I don"t know there is anyone they might move among their better players. Maybe one of their two top relief pitchers as defined before Bummer stepped up
They really could not affotd to part ways with Abreau. His batting average slipped but he is a top batter. McCann is a nice surprise. Might as well keep him.
Does Jimenez need another season experience hitting until his batting average increases.

Cubs
Their top hitters too often collectively cannot produce hits against a top pitcher. Their starting pitching really has no ace. The starters are capable but inconsistent.

Maybe Strop is moved if you believe that Wick is the real deal.

I am not a Schwarber fan. I do not buy the notion that he is a feared manacing lead off hitter. You can group Happ, Schwarber, Vogelbach as sluggers who are all (HR) or nothing (strike out). Those are slugers whom couldn't beat out the incumbent yet they aren't really at least not yet all too good.

Solar isn't much better although his recent hot streak cannot be ignored. His 34 HR to date beat Schwarber and Vogelbach but Solar is batting .254 which is easier to accept than the .225 mark from the other two.

Late Add: Solar an all or nothing hitter classification - ok - but omg his RBI jumped up to 87 already. It is not like he has good hitters around him in that pathetic lineup. Pitchers are trying to bury him and more often than they expect tbey are getting scalded.

Back to current Cubs

I just question if the Cubs are capable of advancing in playoffs. it is a struggle to get there too. Some say Madden over -manages. I say a maybe but actually Epstein hasn"t molded a team that is good enough to for sure take the next step. Bryant has numbers that look pretty good but whether it is his back issue or not, he is not a big star whom is all so feared. You might think Caratini is dealt but Contreras hasn' t been durable enough.

It would be foolish to assume that Sikura cannot score some goals. How many.....15, 20 maybe 25 ...
.ok even if 15 is his top Sikura has at least Nylander and Perlini beat out of a job since he does enough of the other things well......as the board has about being responsible.

No one picks up on a point i made, which is Sikura's presence moreover playing time can be a motivating factor for a Nylander and or Perlini to imprive upon their shortcoming.
- jhawk59

As for your last point, I hope you're right, but Nylander and Perlini come off as entitled to me. I don't know if they really can be motivated to be more than what they've shown so far.

As for your last point, I hope you're right, but Nylander and Perlini come off as entitled to me. I don't know if they really can be motivated to be more than what they've shown so far.
- tvetter

The competition is what they need.

Maybe they cannot be motivated. We shall see.

So maybe half of a season to really sink in....assuming they do not grab a regular role. There are plenty of prospects practicly on the brim for an opportunity. So competition is the factor to well to factor in. You have to guess just what amount of patience Bowman and Colliton will have especially after next season when more and more prospects filter in.

Just a word now about all the dmen prospects. This notion.that Boqvist plays NHL next season appears too illogical. He has too far to develop defensively. I wonder how close Beaudin and Carlsson are. And how good is Laakinen? His strength and weakness?

I would take 5 goals, 25 points from Sikura over 20 goals 35 points from Perlini. The way they play, Sikura will help flip the ice and prevent goals. He may contribute to 10 or 15 less goals than Perlini, but I think if you factor in goals prevented, Sikura is worth more than Perlini.
- tvetter

If Sikura produces those stats and the Hawks win more games than they would with Perlini, we will lose a lot of games...

White Sox
The progression of a couple of hitters to the mlb roster next two seasons plus the maturoty of young pitchers, is the hoped for scenario. The progression of young players to a higher level of production - such as Giolittle, Anderson, Bummer - is telltale. I don"t know there is anyone they might move among their better players. Maybe one of their two top relief pitchers as defined before Bummer stepped up
They really could not affotd to part ways with Abreau. His batting average slipped but he is a top batter. McCann is a nice surprise. Might as well keep him.
Does Jimenez need another season experience hitting until his batting average increases.

Cubs
Their top hitters too often collectively cannot produce hits against a top pitcher. Their starting pitching really has no ace. The starters are capable but inconsistent.

Maybe Strop is moved if you believe that Wick is the real deal.

I am not a Schwarber fan. I do not buy the notion that he is a feared manacing lead off hitter. You can group Happ, Schwarber, Vogelbach as sluggers who are all (HR) or nothing (strike out). Those are slugers whom couldn't beat out the incumbent yet they aren't really at least not yet all too good.

Solar isn't much better although his recent hot streak cannot be ignored. His 34 HR to date beat Schwarber and Vogelbach but Solar is batting .254 which is easier to accept than the .225 mark from the other two.

Late Add: Solar an all or nothing hitter classification - ok - but omg his RBI jumped up to 87 already. It is not like he has good hitters around him in that pathetic lineup. Pitchers are trying to bury him and more often than they expect tbey are getting scalded.

Back to current Cubs

I just question if the Cubs are capable of advancing in playoffs. it is a struggle to get there too. Some say Madden over -manages. I say a maybe but actually Epstein hasn"t molded a team that is good enough to for sure take the next step. Bryant has numbers that look pretty good but whether it is his back issue or not, he is not a big star whom is all so feared. You might think Caratini is dealt but Contreras hasn' t been durable enough.
- jhawk59

You are forgetting 2/5 of the Sox rotation, Kopech and Rondon blew out their arms and are on the shelf this year. Throw in Giolito, Cease, Nova/Lopez and the starting rotation begins to look like something.

Most of them the answer is a resounding "no." I haven't watched or read enough about Griesse and Markstrom, but i see issues with them. And, are they good enough anyway? Lehner might prove to be.the best option.
- jhawk59

Let me re phrase, for everyone not wanting to pay Lehner market rate and letting him walk, how many of those goalies do you want playing 60 regular season games and 16 playoff games and what will they cost compared to Lehner's market rate?

*NEW* blog up: http://bit.ly/2Mbc4yU

Who's going to round out the top 6? I examine exactly that in my latest.

I like the idea of a Saad-Dach-Sikura line.

Kubalik - Toews - Kane
DeBrincat - Strome - Shaw
Saad - Dach - Sikura
Smith - Kampf - Cagguila

Perlini gets the boot.
- DarthKane

Sikura starts in Rockford 100%. If Perlini signs, Nylander goes to Rockford and/or Dach goes to Saskatoon. Carpenter/Quenneville for 13th.