Kalapse

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Jul 23, 2007 -> 01:01 AM) I thought Boston was kicking in $11M although I don't know how that's distributed. It doesn't really matter, since I think the Sox need to trade Garland for multiple young position players. That part of the story that bugged me was the report Garland was off limits. The makes no sense....maybe it's just posturing. The Red Sox paid all $8M of Renteria's '06 salary and the remaining $3M goes towards the '09 buyout.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Jul 22, 2007 -> 10:28 PM) If that's all true then Williams...well, I only have unkind words for him. If the Sox think a 31 year old Renteria (lifetime .290 hitter with a .350 OBP) is too old I could understand that. Or maybe ATL won't pass along the cash from Boston and so he's too pricey, But the Sox should be trying to trade Garland every chance they can get. He's basically a league average pitcher in terms of ERA who eats a lot of innings and will cost a ton of money to re-sign. Since he's not signed long-term he should get moved now before his value erodes. No interest in trading Garland? That would be stupid. The only money Boston is kicking in is $3M for the '09 buyout if the team option is not exercised. That team option for '09 is $11M. The Sox can't afford to be paying a SS $9M next year and then $11M in '09, they still have like 13 other holes to fill and adding another near 8 figure player to the payroll is not going to help matters.

QUOTE(3E8 @ Jul 22, 2007 -> 11:09 PM) It'd be a completely lateral move. We need prospects which will allow us to fill multiple holes or at least fill one position on the cheap and let us redirect the traded salary towards free agency. No surprise KW balked at this one. Agree on all counts.

QUOTE(spiderman @ Jul 22, 2007 -> 07:49 PM) Are we talking about AJ, Konerko, Thome, Buerhle, Garland, MacDougle, Thorton, Jenks, Vazquez, and Contreras ? Is Uribe included in this ? Jenks does not have a guaranteed contract for next season but Pablo Ozuna does, the other 9 you have are correct. Uribe has a $5M team option for next season, so he does not have a guaranteed deal for 2008.

You don't give out 5 year, $45M deals to players who achieve clear career highs across the board in their contract year. How much fun would it be paying a 35 or 36 year old Eric Byrnes $9M a year or possibly $23-$24M over the last two seasons of a back-loaded contract?

It has been over 6 years since the White Sox last found themselves alone in the cellar of the American League Central. You have to go all the way back to May 25th, 2001 to find the last occurrence that did not take place in the month of April. The White Sox have never finished a season any lower than 3rd place in the AL Central. If the Sox lose tomorrow and the Royals win it will be the latest in the season that the Sox have ever found themselves in 5th place (7/23) with July 12, 1998 being the previous low point. The last time the Sox finished a season alone in last place of their division was 1989 when they finished 29.5 games back of the Oakland Athletics in the American League West. Days spent alone in Last place of the AL Central (May 1st or later): 2007: 0 (tied for last) 2006: 0 2005: 0 2004: 0 2003: 0 2002: 0 2001: 12 (latest: 5/25) 2000: 0 1999: 0 1998: 4 (latest: 7/12) 1997: 8 (latest: 6/20) 1996: 0 1995: 0 1994: 0 Total: 25 days Days spent alone in last place of the AL West (May 1st or later): 1993: 0 1992: 0 1991: 3 (latest: 6/21) 1990: 0 1989: 134 (finished in last) So going back to 1990 the Sox have spent a grand total of 28 days alone in last place from May 1st or later.

It's 10 players that are guaranteed ~$79M.

QUOTE(GoGoWhiteSox! @ Jul 22, 2007 -> 05:26 PM) The worst part about this season is that Kenny Williams and Ozzie still believe in this team, even guys like Uribe, Terreo, and A Gonzalez. It's horse maneure!! Lets get some real prospects up here if we're gonna finish in last place this year and see what we got! There are no more prospects to promote unless you're ready to see Ryan Sweeney again.

I'll take 95 losses and a top 5 pick over a 84 losses and a mid first round pick. But hey, that's just me.

QUOTE(RibbieRubarb @ Jul 22, 2007 -> 03:35 PM) I can't wait to see the threads next year about how should have kept Iguchi, Contreras and how the White Sox screwed up a dynasty in the 90s by not keeping Dan Pasqua. You guys are so bi-polar its hysterical!! Where are the threads saying we should have kept Maggs and Lee? Funny, I can't find them anywhere.

There isn't going to be a huge selection of quality relievers in free agency this year anyway. RELIEF PITCHERS: 1.) Scott Linebrink 31 2.) Joe Kennedy 29 3.) Joe Beimel 31 4.) Jorge Julio 29 5.) Aaron Fultz 33 '08 TO worth $1.5M or $150K BO 6.) David Riske 31 '08 TO 7.) Byung-Hyun Kim 29 8.) Joel Piniero 29 '08 MO 9.) Trever Miller 35 10.) Luis Vizcaino 33 11.) Joe Borowski 37 '08 TO worth $4M or $250K BO 12.) LaTroy Hawkins 35 '08 MO worth $3.75M or $250K BO 13.) Julian Tavarez 35 14.) Rob. Hernandez 43 '08 TO worth $3.7M or $200K BO 15.) Scott Williamson 32 16.) Mike Myers 37 17.) Ryan Franklin 35 18.) Octavio Dotel 34 19.) Ron Mahay 36 20.) Kerry Wood 31 21.) Jon Lieber 38 22.) Elmer Dessens 37 23.) Chris Reitsma 30 '08 TO worth $2.7M or $700K 24.) Eddie Guardado 37 '08 TO worth $3M 25.) Daren Oliver 37 '08 TO worth $2M or $250K BO OTHERS: Alfonseca, Carrasco, DeJean, Mesa, Timlin, Witasik, King, Romero, Villone CLOSERS: 1.) Joe Nathan 33 '08 TO worth $6M or $1M BO 2.) Francisco Cordero 33 3.) J. Isringhausen 35 '08 TO worth $8M or $1.25M BO 4.) Mariano Rivera 38 5.) Eric Gagne 32 6.) Armando Benitez 35 OTHERS: T. Jones, B. Wickman Aside from maybe Linebrink who on this list would you really be excited to add? And closers likely can't be had without opening up the closer's role for them first.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Jul 21, 2007 -> 09:52 PM) I pretty much agree. Rowand is playing himself out of the Sox price range. And that might not be bad -- I think he's probably a lot closer to a .750 OPS player from here on out than .900. The wild card is how much Rowand wants to a be a Sox. If he's willing to take 4yr/$28M deal, the Sox might do it (just don't get picky about a NTC Aaaron...). I think he probably won't give the needed discount will end up back in PHI. The scary thing about Rowand is, he's still not slowing down. Since the break (34 AB) he has 9 2B, 2 HR and a .500/.553/.941/1.494 line. I thought he was going to drop off at the start of May, then again at the beginning of June but he's still going strong through July, with only 2 months to go there's a damn good chance he finishes with a .900+ OPS and if that happens I have no idea what kind of deal some desperate team could offer him.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Jul 21, 2007 -> 09:18 PM) Because teams are getting burned by all those wasted big dollar contracts for mid level guys. The few stars will get their money--Arod is sniffing glue if he thinks he'll get $30 mill. Yet guys like Rowand won't get the extreme dollars that guys like Roberts, Matthews got last year. Teams have been getting burned for years yet Barry Zito just got a little more than 1/8 of a billion dollars to suck for the next 8 years, Jason Schmidt and Dave Roberts are making more combined than the entire Marlins roster and Juan f***ing Pierre is getting $45M to get on base in 31% of his PAs. Nothing is going to change next year, Eric Byrnes and Aaron Rowand will demand Matthews money and some one will pay up, Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones will get larger contracts than Johnny Damon did 2 years ago and all will be merry until the first injury of '08. Rowand is putting up a .924 OPS, the highest of any CF in baseball, he's outproducing '06 Gary Matthews Jr. in every offensive category while playing similar defense and supplying pretty good speed. He's a very popular player in both the media and with the fans and he's 3 years younger Little Sarge. There's no reason for his best offer to be $24M, none at all. Vernon Wells inked a 7 year, $126M deal just last season, Ichiro just got $100M 2 weeks ago and Eric Byrnes' agent is already throwing Gary Matthews' name around. Teams are just going to stop paying up for the best free agents.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Jul 21, 2007 -> 08:59 PM) Rowand is likely to get $7, 8 mill a year. Probably a 3 yr deal. He's likely to be the highest paid free agent they'll target. And the sox should get a home town discount. Why should Rowand get any less than what Gary Matthews got last offseason?

QUOTE(briguy27 @ Jul 20, 2007 -> 11:06 PM) A sub-.500 team. This year- 46-50. Then shouldn't you be emailing like half the teams in baseball? I expect Brooks Boyer to have an email from you on his desk by Monday morning. $50 to sit down the 3rd base line and watch one of the absolute worst teams in baseball? That's outrageous!

QUOTE(beck72 @ Jul 21, 2007 -> 08:40 PM) Thanks. With Rowand probably a sure thing to sign, why not also sign a guy who has played college ball and is friends with Aaron? From all I've heard and read, Johnson is also a "grinder" and hard worker. I'm sure Aaron would give him a good recommendation to Kenny and the sox. Rowand is looking at a ~$50M pay day after this season, the Sox can't afford anything close to that. I really don't think Rowand signing here is anywhere near a sure thing.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Jul 19, 2007 -> 06:20 PM) I haven't listened yet, but I seriously doubt we stand pat. Having said that, almost anyone of any value whatsoever sucks ass, I'm not sure what we can get. Dye is starting to come around... so he can fetch something. I don't think anyone wants one of our starters (Javy or JC). Javier Vazquez could fetch a very nice package of young talent if made available, being one of the better pitchers in baseball this season and all. (3.73 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) but he's probably more valuable just staying put in the rotation with Garland and his pending huge $$$ contract leaving via trade.

QUOTE(briguy27 @ Jul 20, 2007 -> 09:49 PM) I emailed the Jays on Monday about how they should be ashamed of setting ticket prices $63 to watch a sub-.500 team, and when they wonder why they get no people in that place, maybe they should look at the dollar amounts. Still no response- go figure. The Blue Jays finished in second place and 12 games over .500 last season.

He has to be trying to get s***-canned. There's no other logically explanation.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jul 20, 2007 -> 09:01 PM) Yep, someone who saw a ton of games involving Sox minor leaguers last year thought that Logan and Wasserman were their only relievers in the system who could help. BTW, is he Jewish? German I believe.

Wow. This is probably the most baffling game I've ever seen.

Wasserman's success is only making Ozzie's terrible decisions look even worse.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Jul 20, 2007 -> 08:54 PM) I'm having a hard time following this with Yahoo and CBS. Is Contreras still out there? WTF? Who hit the homer, Lugo or Youkilis? Youk got hit on the handle of the bat which bought Contreras another hitter. That hitter was Lugo. Lugo hit a granny.

If a manager should ever be fired for a single game's worth of decisions, this is it.