Dick Allen

The White Sox crying about the cost of pitching is ironic. If Javier Vazquez goes 15-10 next season, he would be a career .500 pitcher, and in line to get $14million to $15 million in arbitration. That's as crazy as just about any contract handed out this offseason. Look at what he's done for the last 3 years and got paid $35 million or so.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:53 PM) I think the Cardinals, by missing out on Schmidt, will now have the big dough to spend on Buehrle next offseason. Let me assure you if the Cardinals sign Buerhle, all the love that Buerhle has shown the Cardinals while playing for the White Sox that not a lot of people seem to care about, the White Sox will care about, and they will file a tampering charge.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:34 PM) Well, this article is downright scary. http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines If KW isn't bluffing, things are about to get very ugly. So much for extending the deals on our starters. Its so sad that after the White Sox win the WS and the fans pick it up and sell out season tickets and they draw nearly 3 million, that money is still the issue. It always will be. Someone has a quote from KW in their signature, I believe its ss2k6 about mindset. It appears its all a bunch of BS.

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:30 PM) I just have seen too many people overrating Garcia. And, i'm somewhat banking on the 10 mil/prospects being used to do something else. Even if they aren't used to do that at all, replacing Garcia in McCarthy isn't a big deal IMO. Maybe Garcia pitches a season in Philadelphia and if Buerhle bolts or they decide Vazquez isn't worth his arbitration figure, they sign him again. I don't know what else was out there, but there are a few red flags with Freddy. His positive marijuana test, while really not that huge of a deal, he knew he'd be tested. His loss of velocity, maybe it comes back, but who really knows for sure. And his being out of shape. Ozzie can blame the conditioning guy for it all he wants, but Freddy's supposed to be a professional. Showing up his teammates a few times really grated on me too. Floyd at one time was a top of the line prospect. I don't put any credence in the "Coop can fix him" thinking, but he's still very young, maybe he can put it together. Gio has a lot of potential as well. Maybe he takes Cotts' role in 2007.

Bobby Jenks has "slimmed down" to 279 pounds. It was in the Sun-Times. They also said that the White Sox were concerned about his hip, but they think it is weight related, and his dropping a few may clear that up. Good to see he is working out. The White Sox need him badly.

If Ozzie sticks with this, its nothing but positive. The White Sox will benefit by having a CF would can play CF. 2003 Carl Everett in CF cost the Sox just as much as Mackowiak defensively. Ozzie wasn't around to see that. If he was, Mack might not have seen CF after a couple of his gaffes. I don't think of Ozzie as a great manager, but I do like the fact that he does seem to learn from his mistakes, even if it takes a while.

Maybe they are talking about a guy like Haeger or Phillips for some bullpen help, although I don't know who I would want from the Yankee bullpen. Sanchez would be sweet, although you would probably have to give up one of the starters to get him.

DeLeon was the Vazquez of his day. Nice talent, mediocre results. He did net the Sox the One Dog who played a big part on some very good teams.

QUOTE(spiderman @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 10:28 PM) Chicago Tribune Story I'm going to guess that this is probably just the Tribune fishing for a story here..... Vernon Wells is great, but if the White Sox get him, its for 1 season. He'll be in Boston or LA or NY or with the Cubs or Texas in 2008.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 10:13 PM) Zito should be getting about 100 mil a year based on this. Zito supposedly is going to get $17 million a year for 5 or 6 years.

There's a reason why McCarthy is the White Sox most popular pitcher with other teams, and its not just that he doesn't get paid as much. As long as the others would fetch more than they are worth, keep the young, cheap one. Some of the numbers he would be replacing look very replaceable.

QUOTE(RibbieRubarb @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 03:02 PM) I was at Disney World last month and stayed at the Dolphin hotel. Really, really nice place and a great location. You can walk to EPCOT or Disney Studios from there. Plus it's on the Boardwalk resot area which has the ESPN club and various bars and restaurants. No wonder it's been slow. They're in Disney and partying with the Mouse!! I thought they were in Naples.

The exact same things that are being now said about Anderson were said about Crede as recently as August 2005. Now half the board would rather have Crede than the best player in baseball, ARod.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 01:53 PM) For the price? I would like to know who you are thinking of, thanks Ryan Sweeney is better than Pods, and he will play for the mimimum. Or the White Sox could use some of the money they are making by drawing 3,000,000 fans + all the extra revenues, and at least have a major leaguer in LF. Right now the starting OF of Pods at $2.9 million, Anderson at about $400,000 and Dye with his $1,000,000 kicker to get him to $7,000,000 is less than they paid Magglio Ordonez in 2004. In fact, its less than they paid their LF in 1997. Pods is not a good leadoff hitter. He doesn't get on base enough. He doesn't make enough contact, and he now gets thrown out as much as anyone in baseball. It also is petrifying watching him try to play LF defensively.

I'm not an Aaron Rowand fan, but I almost hope KW reaquires him so we can stop discussing reacquiring him.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 06:31 PM) If you add in all the caught stealings, Pods OBP last season was around .296. He's not good. Even during the 2005 season when everyone was calling him the ignitor of the White Sox offense, the guy that made the White Sox go, he scored 80 runs and drove in 25. He wasn't in the Top 50 in baseball in OBP or BA. If he was such a distraction on the bases, how come he only scored 80 runs?

I do like the idea of trading 2 starters, but I would keep McCarthy. I also wouldn't mind Crede being traded if they could come up with a better replacement than Fields. Crede is a great defender, but he's has as many great offensive seasons as Gary Matthews Jr., and his agent and his back will most likely always be an issue.

QUOTE(shoota @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 03:57 PM) Yes, which is why I'm uncomfortable with his lack of quality, agressive deals this offseason (so far). Relax. The Winter Meetings haven't even arrived yet. The 2 main free agent pitchers haven't signed yet. KW is actually being wise waiting this out. Teams aren't going to suddenly not need pitching. He has all the cards. When one of the big market teams gets shut out of the Zito/Schmidt sweepstakes, the price for a White Sox starter should skyrocket.

I think this Ramirez song and dance will have the ending it does every year with Manny playing LF in Fenway in 2007.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 12:51 PM) So you're expecting every journey man reliever and minor leaguer the Sox bring into Spring Training to have a plus fastball and always be able to pitch in pressure situations? Good luck finding him. Do the Sox or any team need all 6 of their relievers to meet those qualifications? The ones that are making $2+ million do. The White Sox need to stack their bullpen. That's what they did in 2005. Even that year, they had to use 3 closers, and none of the 3 got paid what Riske would get in arbitration. BTW, the rules have changed. Just because the Sox didn't offer arbitration doesn't mean they must stop negotiating with Riske. They could still try to sign him at a number below what his arbitration figure would be. I don't believe there is even a deadline anymore for that.

FWIW, Gammons said this morning that Manny Ramirez to the White Sox is still a possibilty. He claims OG has convinced KW that Manny would not be a distraction. He also said McCarthy is who Boston wants. Everyone wants McCarthy except Ozzie.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 12:41 PM) You honestly believe the Sox will be able to find a journeyman pitcher to sign a 1 year deal around $2.5 million with him knowing his role in the bullpen would be limited? Oh yeah, he better perform well wnough to compensate for those two draft picks not gained that could've been used to get a "young guy making close to if not the league minimum." Also, who's to say Riske is such a lock to accept arbitration after making only $1.8 million last season. It would be a pretty good bet that he would accept the arbitration. If the chances were that it would be declined, the White Sox would be smart enough to offer it. Riske is not any good. He has lost his fastball, and if he's placed in a pressure situation, Hawk's plyers couldn't get the greased tee out of his ass.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 11:51 AM) Well if we indeed would have been stuck with him he would have never had to pitch with the game on the line. He's not a great reliever by any means but having a guy with a high 3's era in the back end of your bullpen isn't exactly the worst thing in the world. This honestly makes no sense to me, we either get picks or get "stuck" with a guy who isn't very bad at all. But you could fill that roll with a journeyman or young guy making close to if not minimum. I think a lot of people think Riske is the David Riske of 3 or 4 years ago. Cleveland insisted Boston take him in the Crisp trade. Guys that go to arbitration or get offered it generally get raises, and Riske would be in line for a significant raise, not based on what he is, but based on what he was, and some misleading numbers. KW doesn't want to pay him what the cost would be to keep him and I don't blame him. I think he has his sights set higher. At least I hope he does.

KW talking about the insanity of contracts is kind of amusing. Are any of the contracts being signed very far out of line with Javier Vazquez's. KW unloaded a lot for Vazquez and if he wants to keep him in 2008 will have to pay him probably $13million to $15 million. He is making $12 million a year and has a career record of 100-105 with a 4.32 ERA. Last year on a 90 win team, he wasn't even .500 and had a 4.84 ERA.

Riske can't be used when the game is on the line. Cleveland found that out, then Boston, then the White Sox. No team is going to give Riske enough money not to accept arbitration and give up a draft pick. Face it, Riske isn't very good and the White Sox don't want him. Offering him arbitration would almost guarantee they would be stuck with him at a price a lot higher than what a similar replacement, a minimum salary guy would cost. If the Sox wanted him, I'm sure they tried to negotiate a contract to avoid arbitration and the 2 sides obviously couldn't agree.