Bear with me and read this. I think I've usurped some good exerpts from papers on the

trade.

Please read and comment on the writers' comments or my comments which follow.

 

Phil Rodgers, Trib:

"With Lee gone, Williams' next move should be to sign Konerko to a contract extension.

He and Mark Buehrle are the leaders of this team."

-- Agreed. We must keep these two.

 

Ken Williams in article in Trib:

Aaron Rowand may move to left field with Podsednik in center and Jermaine Dye in right.

"It's one of the better defensive outfields that we've had in a long, long time," Williams said.

 

--Nice to know we've got a great defensive outfield now. I can't complain about good defense in the outfield. That is a plus.

 

Ken Williams in Trib:

The Sox expect to have a bullpen hierarchy of Shingo Takatsu as his closer with Dustin Hermanson and Damso Marte as his prime setup men, and Cliff Politte and Vizcaino for the sixth and seventh innings.

"I can't tell you how thrilled I am," Williams said. "It will prove to be one of the better bullpens in the game."

 

--It will be nice if we indeed have one of the better bullpens in the game.

 

Milwaukee Sentinel columnist:

"Though broken-heart carpools will form for the short trip down I-94, Podsednik was expendable."

 

--Good to know he was a fan favorite. We could use a hustler, fan favorite guy.

 

Mariotti:

"When Juan Uribe is a team's third-best hitter, you again start hoping that Reinsdorf sells the franchise while wondering if the general manager has lost his lid."

 

--Yikes, his column was mighty scary as a whole, this line scaring me the most. I was pretty

optimistic, til I read Jay's take. Yikes!

 

Mariotti II:

"Who would have thought a team in Milwaukee would act like big spenders and make a Chicago team look so small-townish?"

 

--Yikes! This column sheds a lousy light on our trade with the Suds.

 

DeLuca, Sun Times:

''I told [brewers GM] Doug Melvin he is going to get an All-Star,'' Williams said of Lee.

Too bad Melvin couldn't return the favor."

 

--Another guy says we got fleeced. Yuk.

 

Sun Times story on the trade:

Now that Clement remains unsigned, Williams might make another push to obtain the right-hander. "We've heard of him,'' Williams joked. "We've seen him a little bit. I can't deny that I've talked to Matt's agent.''

 

--Let's hope so. We need Clement.

 

Phil Arvia, from my beloved Southtown:

"What have we got? A batting order something like Podsednik, Juan Uribe, Aaron Rowand, Dye, Paul Konerko, Carl Everett, Joe Crede, Willie Harris and Jamie Burke or Ben Davis.

Or, if you're scoring at home: A leadoff hitter with a .313 on base percentage, a guy who fell off the map after starting hot last season, a one-season wonder, a No. 5 hitter batting fourth, our Paulie, a has-been, a never-was, another guy getting another last chance, and one of two interchangeably forgettable backstops.

It's tough to see how this one makes the Sox better.

And it will be tougher to see Lee becoming an All-Star for the Brewers."

 

--Ouch. Phil is a damn good columnist and he hates the deal.

 

After reading the experts, I'd have to say our bullpen looks pretty darn good, our starting pitching is above average now and could get better, but our lineup looks pretty damn

anemic, especially for The Cell.

I read everything this morning. Loved seeing the Sox on the backpage of the Times.

 

Rogers is smart enough to realize something else is coming.

 

Mariotti has an agenda, and has always been a jagbag. The story he wrote today is I'm sure how some dopey Sox fans feel.

 

DeLuca has never had a thought that meant anything in his life.

 

Arvia is a Sox guy, I disagree with what he wrote today, but I know he's not some agenda pusher like Mariotti. So to me I can take his criticism.

It's not just local writers that are bashing the trade. Basically every single baseball analyst thinks this was an awful trade.

Here's some info from BA about the trade.

 

"One Brewers official at the Winter Meetings said Podsednik tried to hit for power too frequently in 2004, which resulted in more homers (he hit nine in 2003) but a worse approach at the plate (his on-base percentage dipped 66 points). A good center fielder with an average arm, he may push Aaron Rowand to an outfield corner in Chicago. Podsednik signed a contract extension in May that will pay him $550,000 in 2005 and $1.9 million in 2006. In 327 major league games, he has hit .275/.343/.400 with 22 homers, 105 RBIs and 113 steals.

 

Vizcaino was the Brewers' best setup man and the second key member of the bullpen traded in the last three days, following the deal that sent closer Dan Kolb to the Braves. The Brewers invested the money they saved in that move (which netted prized minor league righthander Jose Capellan) in this trade.

 

A 30-year-old righthander, Vizcaino had 21 holds in 2004, when he went 4-4, 3.75 in 73 appearances. Opponents hit .228 with 12 homers against him, and he struck out 63 and walked 24 in 72 innings. He works up in the strike zone with mid-90s fastballs that are hard to catch up to, but when hitters do he's vulnerable to homers. His second pitch is a slider. After making $550,000 in 2004, he's eligible for arbitration. Vizcaino's big league record is 15-12, 4.52 with seven saves and 52 holds in 273 games. "

I read everything this morning. Loved seeing the Sox on the backpage of the Times.

 

Rogers is smart enough to realize something else is coming.

 

Mariotti has an agenda, and has always been a jagbag. The story he wrote today is I'm sure how some dopey Sox fans feel.

 

DeLuca has never had a thought that meant anything in his life.

 

Arvia is a Sox guy, I disagree with what he wrote today, but I know he's not some agenda pusher like Mariotti. So to me I can take his criticism.

I read everything this morning too...Did anybody like the trade?lol Moron makes my vomit my own vomit ...Everytime he brings up we're in the 3rd largest market and crap, but guess can't figure out we share the city with that other team on the North side :rolly

 

Deluca's horrible...and you're right..Phil Rogers is the only one putting this into perspective...There has to be another move Kenny is planning..people are taking this trade as that's it for us...

 

The only paper I can read without nodding my head is the Southtown

You know I'd really love Kotex Boy to own an MLB Team one day so he can learn 2 important words. Fiscal Responsibility.

Kotex Boy has a hard on for Reinsdorf... always has always will. He is a Cubbie bandwagoner... f*** him.

Phil Arvia, from my beloved Southtown:

"What have we got? A batting order something like Podsednik, Juan Uribe, Aaron Rowand, Dye, Paul Konerko, Carl Everett, Joe Crede, Willie Harris and Jamie Burke or Ben Davis.

Or, if you're scoring at home: A leadoff hitter with a .313 on base percentage, a guy who fell off the map after starting hot last season, a one-season wonder, a No. 5 hitter batting fourth, our Paulie, a has-been, a never-was, another guy getting another last chance, and one of two interchangeably forgettable backstops.

It's tough to see how this one makes the Sox better.

And it will be tougher to see Lee becoming an All-Star for the Brewers."

 

I agree with him, well not as harsh, but im not a fan of this trade

Kotex Boy has a hard on for Reinsdorf... always has always will. He is a Cubbie bandwagoner... f*** him.

I don't even think he's a Cub fan...He's just a front-runner.

Well isn't that about 75% of Cub fans anyway?? Front runners?

Good posts, we seem to agree Arvia is the best of the

bunch so are any of you concerned about his column?

Is our team now incredibly weak up and down the

order like he says???

 

I would feel a lot better if we had a catcher who could

rip the ball and/or Big Hurt of 7 years ago.

Good posts, we seem to agree Arvia is the best of the

bunch so are any of you concerned about his column?

Is our team now incredibly weak up and down the

order like he says???

 

I would feel a lot better if we had a catcher who could

rip the ball and/or Big Hurt of 7 years ago.

I think he over-estimates it. By my projections the Sox should have between 185 and 205 homers which would still rank them in the top half of major league baseball. So I tend to disagree.

 

However the key to this deal is filling another two holes, one being starting pitcher and another being catcher or middle infielder.

I read nothing in the papers today because i was already pissed off by the trade and i knew mariotti was gonna talk his bulls***.

I don't even think he's a Cub fan...He's just a front-runner.

You know that if we made a run to the World Series, we would be the greatest thing to hit Chicago to him.

"When Juan Uribe is a team's third-best hitter, you again start hoping that Reinsdorf sells the franchise while wondering if the general manager has lost his lid."

 

I think he's lost his lid by thinking Uribe is the teams 3rd best hitter.

SInce when is Juan Uribe the White SOx third best hitter?

SInce when is Juan Uribe the White SOx third best hitter?

Since Ordonez and Lee left, and Frank got hurt, you could make a very strong case for Uribe being behind only Konerko and Rowand.

Dye, Thomas, Konerko, Rowand> Uribe

I'll say this -- wanted to comment about Phil Rogers' Paul Konerko comment.

 

If Paully is willing to stay here for less than six million, then I re-up with him. If not, then there's no need to lock him to a multi-year deal that (if Kenny is dumb enough) might get him upwards of nine million a year. Maybe I'm wrong on those estimations, but I really don't think Konerko is worth anything above seven million.

 

I believe you can find a guy to give you power from first base for under four million, and you have Ross Gload, who's hit everywhere he's been.

 

Who knows, maybe Kenny will make me happy, trade Konerko and get a starting pitcher for Paully, and then sign a power bat (Ideally, JD Drew -- stick him at first, and I'll bow down to Kenny at Soxfest)...

I'll say this -- wanted to comment about Phil Rogers' Paul Konerko comment.

 

If Paully is willing to stay here for less than six million, then I re-up with him.  If not, then there's no need to lock him to a multi-year deal that (if Kenny is dumb enough) might get him upwards of nine million a year.  Maybe I'm wrong on those estimations, but I really don't think Konerko is worth anything above seven million.

 

I believe you can find a guy to give you power from first base for under four million, and you have Ross Gload, who's hit everywhere he's been.

 

Who knows, maybe Kenny will make me happy, trade Konerko and get a starting pitcher for Paully, and then sign a power bat (Ideally, JD Drew -- stick him at first, and I'll bow down to Kenny at Soxfest)...

Drew isn't exactly one of those "grinder" type players we are supposedly going to be going for.

Drew isn't exactly one of those "grinder" type players we are supposedly going to be going for.

Really? I think he is, he once had potential to be a 30-30 may before injuries. He still has good speed, can steal you 15 and is all out every play.

Really? I think he is, he once had potential to be a 30-30 may before injuries. He still has good speed, can steal you 15 and is all out every play.

I just know that in STL, he missed a lot of games, and people thought that he took himself out of the line up when he could have been playing.

I just know that in STL, he missed a lot of games, and people thought that he took himself out of the line up when he could have been playing.

You are correct. Their were certainly some grumblings in Cardinal Nation along those lines.

It's not just local writers that are bashing the trade.  Basically every single baseball analyst thinks this was an awful trade.

Most of these "analysts" aren't very familiar with specific players and such. They watch games, but nobody watches the White Sox as much as the people on this board, and I think we would all agree that Carlos Lee is NOT a team player. Anytime you can get a guy with the speed of Podsednik and an arm like Vizcaino AND save about $6M while dumping a selfish player, you're best served to do it.

 

The analysts basically go off of stats - and we all know that stats don't mean jack.