chisox2334 Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 White Sox make Pierzynski offer Catcher's representative confirms South Siders' pursuit By Scott Merkin / MLB.com A.J. Pierzynski was placed on waivers by the Giants on Dec. 14. (Gail Burton/AP) The on-again, off-again pursuit of A.J. Pierzynski appears on again for the White Sox, who have made an official offer to the free agent catcher. "That's true," said Steve Hilliard, Pierzynski's representative, when asked about the South Siders' offer to his client on Thursday morning. "That's all I'm going to say." Hilliard would not get into years or money offered by the White Sox, although the deal figures to be worth less than the $3.5 million Pierzynski earned with the San Francisco Giants in 2004. The Giants placed Pierzynski on waivers on Dec. 14, one day after they inked Mike Matheny to a three-year, $10.5 million contract. Pierzynski's offense is a step above Matheny's, as well as that of the White Sox combination of Ben Davis and Jamie Burke. But Matheny was a better defensive player behind the plate, causing the Giants to make Pierzynski a non-tendered free agent. Complete coverage > In his only season with the Giants, Pierzynski finished with a .272 average, 11 home runs and 77 RBIs. But it was not a year without troubles for the veteran catcher, who turned 29 on Thursday. According to an Oakland Tribune story in late April, some Giants players criticized Pierzynski for not being prepared and refusing to go over hitters with starter Brett Tomko before a game in order to finish a hand of cards. One player went as far as to anonymously refer to him as a "cancer." The article prompted a clubhouse meeting, in which the pitchers who were quoted -- but not named -- in the article approached Pierzynski. "They told me they were sorry it happened," Pierzynski said in the May 1 edition of the San Jose Mercury News. "But I said to them, 'Yeah, but now I'm branded the rest of my career as a bad guy.'" When asked about Pierzynski's reputation, Hilliard again stated that he only felt comfortable discussing his confirmation of the White Sox's offer. Outfielder Dustan Mohr, who played with Pierzynski in Minnesota and San Francisco, came to Pierzynski's defense after the early-season accusations. "A.J. doesn't have to justify himself," Mohr told the Mercury News. "He doesn't need to justify who he is. If A.J.'s guilty of anything, it's that he cares too much." Pierzynski holds a .294 career average with 37 home runs and 270 RBIs. He was a particularly feisty thorn in the side of the White Sox when he served as the Twins' starting catcher from 2001 to 2003. But when the Twins made the move to start rookie Joe Mauer in 2004, Pierzynski became expendable. He was traded to the Giants in exchange for Joe Nathan, who quickly developed into an All-Star closer for Minnesota. Hilliard also confirmed Thursday that the White Sox are not the only team interested in Pierzynski. The White Sox's reported interest comes in the wake of comments made by general manager Ken Williams' to MLB.com on Dec. 21. At that point, Williams said the White Sox had not offered Pierzynski a contract. More important, Williams sounded as if an offer would not be on the horizon, especially with his focus on a united, cohesive clubhouse. "We were doing some background work, some research on him, and determined he was not a fit with the White Sox," said Williams of Pierzynski. Williams was unavailable for comment Thursday morning. The signing of Orlando Hernandez last week left the White Sox with a couple of million dollars to work with in this offseason. The team also is interested in adding a middle infielder, with an offer to Japanese All-Star second baseman Tadahito Iguchi on the table at two years, $4 million Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KipWellsFan Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 Oh no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilJester99 Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 I feel a pitch in the dirt from the Sox on this one....hope I am wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmteam Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 That's interesting...at least it's now confirmed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KittleWalk83 Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 White Sox make Pierzynski offer Catcher's representative confirms South Siders' pursuit By Scott Merkin / MLB.com A.J. Pierzynski was placed on waivers by the Giants on Dec. 14. (Gail Burton/AP) The on-again, off-again pursuit of A.J. Pierzynski appears on again for the White Sox, who have made an official offer to the free agent catcher. "That's true," said Steve Hilliard, Pierzynski's representative, when asked about the South Siders' offer to his client on Thursday morning. "That's all I'm going to say." Hilliard would not get into years or money offered by the White Sox, although the deal figures to be worth less than the $3.5 million Pierzynski earned with the San Francisco Giants in 2004. The Giants placed Pierzynski on waivers on Dec. 14, one day after they inked Mike Matheny to a three-year, $10.5 million contract. Pierzynski's offense is a step above Matheny's, as well as that of the White Sox combination of Ben Davis and Jamie Burke. But Matheny was a better defensive player behind the plate, causing the Giants to make Pierzynski a non-tendered free agent. Complete coverage > In his only season with the Giants, Pierzynski finished with a .272 average, 11 home runs and 77 RBIs. But it was not a year without troubles for the veteran catcher, who turned 29 on Thursday. According to an Oakland Tribune story in late April, some Giants players criticized Pierzynski for not being prepared and refusing to go over hitters with starter Brett Tomko before a game in order to finish a hand of cards. One player went as far as to anonymously refer to him as a "cancer." The article prompted a clubhouse meeting, in which the pitchers who were quoted -- but not named -- in the article approached Pierzynski. "They told me they were sorry it happened," Pierzynski said in the May 1 edition of the San Jose Mercury News. "But I said to them, 'Yeah, but now I'm branded the rest of my career as a bad guy.'" When asked about Pierzynski's reputation, Hilliard again stated that he only felt comfortable discussing his confirmation of the White Sox's offer. Outfielder Dustan Mohr, who played with Pierzynski in Minnesota and San Francisco, came to Pierzynski's defense after the early-season accusations. "A.J. doesn't have to justify himself," Mohr told the Mercury News. "He doesn't need to justify who he is. If A.J.'s guilty of anything, it's that he cares too much." Pierzynski holds a .294 career average with 37 home runs and 270 RBIs. He was a particularly feisty thorn in the side of the White Sox when he served as the Twins' starting catcher from 2001 to 2003. At the time it happened and even more so now, this seems to be a case where the media blows things out of proportion. If Tomko asked AJ to go over hitters and AJ said let me finish this hand of cards. Well hell, at most it's only going to take 5 mins to finish a hand. Maybe Tomko got his panties all tied up and b****ed but really if that was the situation, is that really a big deal? I mean if AJ was getting treatment for an injury and a pitcher asked him to go over hitters, should he stop getting treatment? I'll admit AJ is one of those players you say is a jerk when he's on the other team but a great guy to ahve when he's on your team. And AJ certainly isn't the best defensive catcher. But he is better than anything the White Sox have currently. If he comes at a decent price, I would sign him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 A lot of people said Carl Everett was a "cancer" before we traded for him and he ended up being anything but. You gotta take a chance on this guy. He's got over 150 rbi's the last 2 years. It's worth the risk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AddisonStSox Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 It's gonna get interesting. If its not AJP, its going to be Iguchi or Cora, so either way, another improvement is on the horizon. I applaud Kenny's diligence and I believe whoever he brings in next will most certainly have been coveted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winninguglyin83 Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 Bring him on. He's the kind of guy you hate on the other team, but like if he's on your team. He's better than what we got and he wants to win. I'd guess Hawk told Reinsdorf the guy is OK because he played on the same high school team in Orlando, Florida with Hawk's son, Casey. Do it, Kenny. Do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 AJ would be a very big boost for us. Get it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southside hitmen Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 If KW signs AJ and a 2nd baseman he deserves a high five and hopefully no one will bash him at sox fest... My lineup would be 1Podsednik 2 Uribe 3 Rowand 4 Thomas 5 Konerko 6 Dye 7 Pierzynski 8 Iguchi 9 Crede Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AddisonStSox Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 If KW signs AJ and a 2nd baseman he deserves a high five and hopefully no one will bash him at sox fest... My lineup would be 1Podsednik 2 Uribe 3 Rowand 4 Thomas 5 Konerko 6 Dye 7 Pierzynski 8 Iguchi 9 Crede I love how you just assume we will be signing Iguchi. Sorry fella, ain't happening. Kenny will sign either Iguchi/Cora or AJP...it won't be both. We will be improved no matter who he signs out of those three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aboz56 Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 KW will relieve himself of a Soxfest ripjob from yours truly if he brings home AJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodAsGould Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 i dont think KW would hesistate to sign iguchi if he came only for 2 million... he would bring in more fan's just because he is asian because unlike shingo he is a position player who the fans would see more of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 I love how you just assume we will be signing Iguchi. Sorry fella, ain't happening. Kenny will sign either Iguchi/Cora or AJP...it won't be both. We will be improved no matter who he signs out of those three. Offers have been made to both. It's not unrealistic to think we can land both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxbadger Posted December 30, 2004 Share Posted December 30, 2004 I think the Sox will sign Iguchi regardless of whether we spend on other free agents, if it is at the right price. Many claim that Reisndorf is about the bottom line, well the bottom line is having 2 Japanese "stars" on the team, will give them much more leverage in the Asian market. $2mil a year to try and buy into a market is a good investment, regardless of how well Iguchi does. AJ and Iguchi would give the Sox one of the deepest teams on offense, defense, and pitching that I can remember. SB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 You may not think so, but this is a good thing for us. If we trade another few people, its because they didn't work out for us and that they need a change of scenery... I don't mind if they deal Jon Garland, but i'd feel a special obligation to keep PK, and if he was traded, I guess we'll be a whole new team...thats okay, I'll take something new at the cell, its always nice to win close games if we have a chance, instead of blowing up during mid season and underacheiving in ball games where we have the chance to win but fall short with lower level players. We're breaking the habit of this, and so we are bringing people in and trying something new, which would be good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AddisonStSox Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 I'm just forseeing some major form of heartbreak if Kenny doesn't sign both. The bottom line is if he signs just one of these guys, he will have produced a top-notch off-season...one of the best in recent memory. So, before we have our hearts set on landing both Iguchi and AJP, lets take a look at payroll and past Sox expenditures. Iguchi and AJP would mean 5 free agent aquisitions; that doesn't seem like the Sox practices I am used to. On that note...I would love to be wrong on this. I would sing the prasies of Kenny from now till' the end of 2005 if he nails both of these guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 I'm just forseeing some major form of heartbreak if Kenny doesn't sign both. The bottom line is if he signs just one of these guys, he will have produced a top-notch off-season...one of the best in recent memory. So, before we have our hearts set on landing both Iguchi and AJP, lets take a look at payroll and past Sox expenditures. Iguchi and AJP would mean 5 free agent aquisitions; that doesn't seem like the Sox practices I am used to. On that note...I would love to be wrong on this. I would sing the prasies of Kenny from now till' the end of 2005 if he nails both of these guys. I totally agree with you. I would LOVE to have both. But if we sign just one of them "I hoping it's A.J." i'll be satisfied with this off-season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southside hitmen Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 Im hoping we sign both AJ and Iguchi along with trading Garland and Marte for Javier Vasquez& cash. Than just maybe we can take on the Yankees and than advance to the series for the first time in 45 years.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AddisonStSox Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 Im hoping we sign both AJ and Iguchi along with trading Garland and Marte for Javier Vasquez& cash. Than just maybe we can take on the Yankees and than advance to the series for the first time in 45 years.. Baby steps shooter, baby steps. EDIT: Vazquez will go to Baltimore in the Johnson-to-the-Yanks trade. In turn, the O's will ship one or two big leaguers to the D'Backs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 Im hoping we sign both AJ and Iguchi along with trading Garland and Marte for Javier Vasquez& cash. Than just maybe we can take on the Yankees and than advance to the series for the first time in 45 years.. I like Vasquez. But we've got a solid 5 man rotation. No way in hell would it benefit us to trade Marte. Lets just upgrade at catcher and hopefully second base and call it an off-season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-Pod Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 A lot of people said Carl Everett was a "cancer" before we traded for him and he ended up being anything but. You gotta take a chance on this guy. He's got over 150 rbi's the last 2 years. It's worth the risk!(Jordan4Life 2004) good point and thanks for reminding us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southside hitmen Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 We got a good rotation but not solid... I wont count on Hernandez being healthy for the entire year and Contreras and Garland are avg pitchers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southside hitmen Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 We need a stud pitcher to go along with Buherle and Garcia like a Vasquez or AJ Burnett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmteam Posted December 31, 2004 Share Posted December 31, 2004 Contreras and Garland are avg pitchers Correction, currently average, with the chance to be very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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