JUGGERNAUT

If by long term you mean 3 yrs then yes I think Kenny is trying to lock up Contreras for another 3 yrs. The guy is at the top of his game right now & if he continues to pitch the way he did for the 2nd 1/2 of 2005 there are few that can measure up to him. BMac wasn't traded up til now because the rotation was not solidified for 2 yrs like it is now. If Jose signs an extension then applying your logic that both Freddy & Mark are near locks to be re-signed then only Javier drops out of the equation in 2008. By 2008 you don't believe the White Sox will have another young pitcher ready to crack the rotation?

We all need to pinch ourselves to make sure we're not dreaming. By 2008 we are looking at one of the best stocks of talent in MLB at a $110 million payroll range. Could any one have imagined that a year ago?

Put it this way. No one would trade a pitcher who just signed a below market contract to remain with his team. It's a PR nightmare. It matters not what a team offers. It's not going to happen. The NYY's wouldn't even do that. Now I won't put it past Kenny to think about moving Javier or Jose with Jon signed but no way is he moving Jon in 2006. I'm guessing Jose is going to sign an extension. That leaves BMac & Crede as the highest trade value for the White Sox. The White Sox will try to avoid arbitration with Crede but if that's not possible I would not put it past Kenny to trade Crede to the Jays for a pkg including Koskie. As for BMac I think he will be traded to Tampa Bay for Crawford & change. One of the league's best run producers signed to a $30M/5 deal is something hard to pass on.

Kenny has to come to grips with what BMac's worth in a trade vs what he's worth in spot starter/long relief role for the White Sox. I see the Baseball World Cup as taking more away from ST than adding to the reg season workload. I'm not buying into this idea that it's going to take starts away from the reg season for our big 5: Mark, Freddy, Jon, Jose, & Javier. My guess is that Ozzie & Cooper will just factor the BWC into their work schedule & skip ST starts if needed. Likewise you can't underestimate the potential of Vazquez in this rotation. We are talking a power pitcher without a power fastball. The guy has proven in his career to be crafy, stealthy, & flat out dominating when he's happy. Based on everything said about him he was happy in Montreal, much less so in NYC, & the exact opposite in Arizona. Him & Ozzie developed a solid friendship back in Montreal so I'm expecting him to be a major workhorse in 2006. Each of our starters are going to get the opportunity to throw 90-110 pitches in every start. What that equates to in innings will be dictated by game situations. The defense should be as solid in 2006 as it was in 2005. Ninety pitches by one of our starters should get them thru the 7th. When you add all that up BMac's opportunities to start will be few & far between. If Contreras is going to be here past 2006 I think you have to trade BMac this year. A year in the pen is not going to enhance his trade value any more than what it is right now.

The same goes for Vazquez. The idea of moving an arm at that cost to the pen is ridiculous. He's definitely going to be in the rotation for the White Sox.

Contreras is on the clock. If he signs an extension that will solidify the White Sox rotation through 2007. I think it goes w/out saying Buehrle is going no where. He is a near certainty to sign a long term deal with the White Sox after 2007. He's the heart & soul of the roster right now. Sox fans can't imagine a team without Mark on it & they shouldn't have too. If Contreras signs expect BMac to be traded. If he doesn't sign expect him to be traded. Talk of moving either of them into the pen is ridiculous because Kenny can trade either of them for a more accomplished reliever & then some to fill that role.

Kenny did a great job in getting Garland to sign a 3 yr deal. If Jon were to have gone on & post a winning record in 2006 he would have been in line for a $60M/5 yr deal easy. No matter how you look at this Jon put winning ahead of the bucks. I'm hoping sports writers across the nation take stock of that.

They are so desperate to make the Cub contenders that they are including the White Sox's talent in hairbrain trades.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to everyone! Cubs <- Tejada Boston <- Prior O's <- Ramirez, & Garland White Sox <- Bedard No freaken way! There is no way the RedSox are accepting ONLY Prior in exchange for Manny. Likewise ChiSox accepting ONLY Bedard for Garland. Garland is coming off of his best year including a CG in the ALCS. How many pitchers in the game today can claim a CG in the ALCS? His trade value even as a rent a player is higher than Bedard. Cubs <- Tejada, Borchard Boston <- Prior, Perez O's <- Ramirez, Garland White Sox <- Bedard, Pie Depending on how much you value Borchy's solid year last year that still might not be enough.

I think they are under new ownership. I remember reading something along the lines they would make every effort to keep what young talent they had & be aggressive in free agency. You asked why would a team under new ownership want El Duque? The Maddux effect. Much of Contreras success has been attributed to El Duque's mentoring. That certainly raises El Duque's value. Let's not forget that RP went thru the roof this off-season. That raises the trade value of all solid pen men. If Crawford really wants out & Tampa is serious about dealing him then I think it can be done with El Duque, Vizc, cash, & ml prospect. Say what you want about El Duque but on the D-Rays he's still likely to pitch more innings with his rag-tag health than their other candidates for their rot.

You have to look at his .258 in comparison to those hitting before & after him. Considering the new lineup: Pods, Uribe, Thome, Kong, Dye, Iguchi, AJP, Crede, Anderson .. with Iguchi hitting ahead of him he's certain to bring his average up.

Fughedabutit! It's a horribly backloaded contract that pays him an avg of $14M over the next 4 yrs. The White Sox aren't going to touch that.

Crede's celebrity status grew beyond his ability to play the game in CHICAGO. Boras may or may not be able to get him the best MLB contract but that decision might ruin any chance for him to earn money thru endorsements. When his career ends those endorsement opportunities will loom large. I have a feeling he is going to learn quickly what that means playing for the Chicago White Sox by looking at Kong. If Kong get the deals we expect him to get Crede would be a fool to stick with Boras. It's not just the White Sox who have grown tired with Boras' tactics. The NYY's are not budging from their $40M/4 deal which at this time looks to be Damon's best offer. That's a far cry from the $84M/7 yr deal his agent's been demanding. If the league as a whole has come to conclusion that it's best to wait out Boras' clients that's not going to help him or his clients. He might start losing more of them.

I think it goes w/out saying the White Sox have what it takes to get a deal done. They certainly have a better cash outlook going forward now to take on $49M/4 yrs. It's a financial risk of course but you are now talking about a franchise featuring 3 marquee players in Thome, Kong, & Tejada. That adds substantial value to the club's worth. Of course the competition for Tejada would be fierce. Any team with the funds to contend would be bidding against one another to get him.

The Mak trade makes several White Sox players expendable to put together a pkg for Crawford. Let's look at what's left on the contract: $13M/3, or $22M/4, or $32-33.5M/5 2005 .301A/15HR/81RBI/101R/46 They say any player than makes it into the 100 club (R or RBI) is worth at least $6M/yr. So if Crawford continues his current level of play he's worth his contract over 5 yrs. But because the contract undervalues his worth over the next 4 yrs it adds substantially to his trade value. The Rays will be looking for players in return that can fill current holes in exchange for Crawford. So let's look at their holes: (They have so many) 2B: Harris would be an upgrade over Green CF: Anderson or Owens : Rays would likely be allowed to pick 3B: It's not a hole with what Cantu' has done. 1B: Gload looks attractive here. RF: If they are trading Crawford they have to keep Huff. LF: Gathright would take over CF & Anderson or Owens to LF. Pitching-wise? They are embarrasment to the league. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/tam/stat...fied=0&sort=136 Not only did their starters fail to keep the other team from scoring but they failed to eat up innings as well. They might have the greatest needs in this area in all of MLB. That means the White Sox shouldn't have to give up great arms to get Crawford. No Garland & no BMac. Maybe El Duque & cash. Looking at the needs of the Rays the White Sox certainly have what it takes to pry Crawford away. Kenny, get it done.

Atlanta beat the Cub in getting Renteria from the Bo Sox. Now the Cub will compete with the BoSox in trying to land Tejada. If he trully wants out of Balt. It's starting to look like the Cub middle IF will be pretty weak next year.

We have Young, Sweeney, Owens, & Anderson all scratching & clawing their way at a chance to play in the OF for the White Sox? Bradley is not a need for the WC CWS. A starter who is a SB theat like Crawford is the only type of player that will unseat one of the young guys from playing for the White Sox next year.

If you read Frank's comments it's pretty clear he was not willing to accept a bench role. He was ready to move on when they got Thome. He was just upset that Kenny made public the issue of his health. Frank's shopping himself to get the best offer. He didn't need that coming from Kenny. The Sox got Thome because at the time it looked like they would lose Kong. But when Kong came back & said I can't accept anything less than a 5 yr deal because everyone else is offering me that .. the Sox said welcome home. So the rest is history. There's no point in debating it. We had to trade for Thome because we were going to lose Kong at the time. The rest of the cards fell into place after that.

I've given up expecting Kenny to ever NOT overpay in a trade. Marte was heralded around the league as one of the best LH BP guys in the league. Electric stuff. We got a career .250ish hitter in return for him. That's not a fair trade by any stretch of the imagination. But like all KW trades it fills a much needed hole on our team. Kenny's success no doubt stems from one of the richest farm systems in MLB. Don't tell me about the Cub or Atlanta. Kenny has filled major holes on this team in the past 3 yrs using that farm talent to do it. So I don't care any more if KW overpays. He gets the players Sox fans want & the team needs. With Mak I think we can finally say sayonara to Timo. The strength of the rotation means the Sox can start the season with 5 on the bench. With Mak, Ozuna, Widger there are 2 spots open. What we need: 1) Either a backup at 3B or a backup at SS. With Uribe's experience & arm strength he could become #2 on the depth chart at 3B. In that case a new #2 is needed at backup for SS. Ideally a quality backup at 3B is what we want. Using Uribe is a plan of last resort. 2) A LH RP. Politte, Cotts, Hermy, Vizc, & Jenks are locks. Ideally a new LH RP but El Duque to the pen is a plan of last resort. 3) A quality CF. No matter how you spin it both Anderson & Owens are ? marks at CF. Anderson did not show enough in 2005 to not be one. Ideally a new speedy CFer but plan B could be a trade for Crawford that moves Pods to CF. Anderson/Owens would then compete for the final bench spot. Pods, Crawford, Thome, Kong, Dye, Iguchi, AJ, Crede, Uribe. WOW! Speed, Speed, Power, Power, Mix, Mix, Hits, Power, Mix.

We filled one hole today with Mak. The utilty guy. We still have 3 remaining: 1) LH RP 2) 3B backup / SS backup 3) CF with speed I did not see enough good things from Anderson last yr to where I'm convinced he will not struggle mightily playing everyday in CF. The fact he's had some surgery this off-season doesn't help his cause. Owens is tearing up Winter Ball & with his SB talent might surprise us all. But if KW has an opportunity to get Crawford & move Pods to CF he should do it. The plain simple fact with Harris is that he's worth more to the team as trade bait than as a player.

Dear Frank, I understand your pain. I think you were hoping to at least have a shot at competing against Thome in Spring Training for the job. I think you were hurt most by Kenny Williams telling reporters he didn't have enough medical info to make a decision. I wish Kenny would stop doing that. Two years in a row now he's done this. I hope you can accept my apology on behalf of all White Sox fans who admire what you've done over the years. We are very sorry that Kenny's comments made it sound like your playing days are over. You are a very proud man & you should be the one to announce that when the time is right. When a player like yourself is telling people you feel great Kenny should just let it go. He shouldn't challenge it by stating "I've not received enough medical information to base a decision on". I'm sure in your heart & soul you are good for 500 AB next year. Kenny made the move to get Thome because he had serious doubts that Kong would re-up. When that happened it was obvious the only role on the team left for you was that of a bench player. With the opportunity to be a starting DH elsewhere that just wasn't a realistic option. We will miss you Frank. You brought excitement to every game you played in. It mattered not what the score was or whether the team was on a losing or winning streak. When good ole number 35 stepped to the plate hopeful Sox fans every where were anticipating something would happen to ignite the White Sox. You were a reason alone to go to the ball park. With best wishes for good health God Bless you & all your loved ones.

Can't we keep these hypotheticals remotely close to something plausible? The Marlins just lost Burnett & Beckett. Willis isn't going any where.

Crawford is perfect for the White Sox at #2. But I seriously doubt the Rays are actively looking to trade what is now arguably the biggest name on their team.

The current CBA expires in 2007. I think the new deal will favor the White Sox more. It can't be any worse. Take Jon thru arbitration & then work a new deal under a new CBA.

That makes no sense at all. You are passing up Pierre because you want to give Owens or Anderson a chance .. yet now you are going to sit them down for a 40 yr old? Fughedabutit! If it's not Anderson/Owens (they will compete in ST for the job) then it will be a proven SB threat who can play in the OF. The White Sox are not against moving Pods to CF in order to add more speed to the team.