Mark Shapiro
Mark Shapiro
above among certainly offered signed
I know we were certainly among the finalists. But, dollar-wise, we offered above what he signed for.
allow offer ownership pay
I feel ownership will allow us to make a very competitive offer, ... Will we pay more and offer more years than we're comfortable with? Yes.
average fastball lots major paul pitch
Paul had an average fastball and average curve. He was going to pitch in the major leagues, but there was nothing that would particularly distinguish him from lots of other guys.
approach discipline great plate progress quality year
He made great progress from a year ago in approach and plate discipline. The quality of his at-bats were significantly better.
best career definitely
He's definitely an option. This is the best he's pitched in his career with us.
character fit great
He's a high-character guy, and when he's healthy, he wins. I just thought he'd be a great fit here.
against best measure ourselves
Let's get it on. We think we're pretty good. They are the best. Let's measure ourselves against the best right off the bat.
believe error injuries larger margin market survive win
Do I believe our margin for error is tiny? Yes, it is tiny. Can we survive injuries like the larger market teams? No, we can't. But if you're a competitive person, you have to believe you can win to do this job.
approach beyond exemplary extremely far game good player trying
His approach to the game is far beyond his years. He's completely exemplary of the kind of player we're trying to get. He's a good teammate, good person, reliable, and extremely gifted.
against bad last power question unknown
The question and the unknown on him is going to be how much more power he's got. That's an unknown. ... Last year, he was very bad against left-handed pitching. Very bad.
both energy game impact sides
He's an energy player, and he can impact the game on both sides of the ball.
both came heads white won
I called heads in both of them, and that's how it came up. Actually, we won with heads on all three, because the White Sox called tails, and it came up heads.
good man next
I feel good about our 25-man roster. And also about the next 10, which is also important.
coming ecstatic guy keeps leadership light
He's a cornerstone guy. He's come a long way, defensively. From a leadership standpoint, he's a guy that's come light years and keeps coming every day. We're ecstatic about who he is and how he plays.