Free agents?

[Shamrock4Life]

Any chance we bring the Gooch back?

[daa84]

Anyone else think we need to make a deal for a decent CF? What we have will not do.

absolutely...the only question is whether the organization will wait another year or not....we might be able to make it another year with swisher/anderson in center while PK plays first and thome DHs...but after that (assuming PK isn't dealt) i would imagine thome would go when his contract is up, PK goes to DH and swisher to 1b...so we need a CF either for 09 or for 10...assuming no major player from our team gets dealt now i think the sox might try to wait it out, but if they are able to get a solid CF this offseason i could see them moving now

[Kalapse]

Anyone else think we need to make a deal for a decent CF? What we have will not do.

Or you could just sign Furcal and Hudson (or trade for Roberts) and move Alexei to CF. He's supposedly great at both SS and CF and actually played more innings in center this year than he did short. Of course that would require a rather large and unrealistic payroll.

[Kalapse]

Any chance we bring the Gooch back?

He has no business starting at a major league position in 2009, he really should go back to Japan and try to salvage his career there.

[Kalapse]

It's nice to have a high OPS if you arent a station to station runner.

So . . .

 

1.) Slow as hit

2.) Can't turn on the inside fastball

3.) Can't play the field

4.) Guaranteed $13M next season

5.) Holds full no trade protection and has shown no desire to go anywhere outside of Chicago and Cleveland

6.) Plays for a team that does not eat portions of contracts

 

Yeah, should be easy to find a trade partner for that guy.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Yeah, should be easy to find a trade partner for that guy.

Dont we have to pick up his option? Or isnt their some buyout clause?

[Kalapse]

Dont we have to pick up his option? Or isnt their some buyout clause?

His option vested a couple weeks ago, he's now guaranteed $13M next season.

[HuskyCaucasian]

His option vested a couple weeks ago, he's now guaranteed $13M next season.

ahhhhhh ok. I didn't Know that. hmmm.... ok, I retract everything I've said in this thread. I need to rethink. I was basing my assumptions on more available money.

Edited October 7, 2008 by Athomeboy_2000

[daa84]

FWIW Cowley said this morning he believes the phillies will pay roughly 5 mil of Thome's contract

[Kalapse]

FWIW Cowley said this morning he believes the phillies will pay roughly 5 mil of Thome's contract

God damn I hope that's true. It was speculated at the time of the deal that Gillick made a hand shake deal with Kenny where he would kick in some cash if the option vested. George Offman actually alluded to this a few weeks ago as well which gives me hope. Jim thome at $8M is more than reasonable.

[daa84]

God damn I hope that's true. It was speculated at the time of the deal that Gillick made a hand shake deal with Kenny where he would kick in some cash if the option vested. George Offman actually alluded to this a few weeks ago as well which gives me hope. Jim thome at $8M is more than reasonable.

i definitely remember hearing about that handshake agreement, and i actually thought i remember hearing somewhere that they would pay half of his deal....either way, whether we are on the hook for 6.5 or 8, its a nice deal for a guy who still should be good for a .370 ish obp and 30 HR (barring injury)

Edited October 7, 2008 by daa84

[witesoxfan]

They gave $22 mill, and the only kicker was if it was over 3 years or 4...if you are smart, you can make it out to however many years you want it to. The White Sox front office is smart.

[caulfield12]

I guess the question is whether that $5-6.5 million is "new/found" money or part of the $22 million applying to the final three years?

 

Is this "handshake" agreement over the option year, if the Sox so chose to pick it up?

[witesoxfan]

I said it in a few other posts, but if the Sox find improvements at 3rd and 2B/SS(which ever spot Lexi isn't), and Dye is moved, you probably could get away with Anderson as your CF. You can get away with one below average hitter in your lineup is he is providing you with excellent defense at a pivotal position.

 

Now, if for some reason the Sox are planing on having Uribe or Getz as every day players(I know this isn't what Williams is thinking) than Anderson can't be in CF.

 

I've become very intrigued with the thought of Alexei in CF to be quite honest. He seems quick enough to cover a ton of ground, has the bat to play it, a strong arm...he'd be a pretty solid choice. The question then is, can you find 3 players for 2B, 3B, and SS?

[Kalapse]

I've become very intrigued with the thought of Alexei in CF to be quite honest. He seems quick enough to cover a ton of ground, has the bat to play it, a strong arm...he'd be a pretty solid choice. The question then is, can you find 3 players for 2B, 3B, and SS?

C: Pierzynski

1B: Konerko/Swisher

2B: Roberts/Hudson

3B: Beltre

SS: Furcal

LF: Quentin

CF: Ramirez

RF: Swisher/Dye

DH: Thome/Dye

 

[ThunderBolt]

I've become very intrigued with the thought of Alexei in CF to be quite honest. He seems quick enough to cover a ton of ground, has the bat to play it, a strong arm...he'd be a pretty solid choice. The question then is, can you find 3 players for 2B, 3B, and SS?

Ellis, Fields, Furcal would work perfectly in my mind. I mean people are nostalgic all the time for the speed + Bat handling Combo that Scottie Pods and Tad Iguchi used to proved at the top of the order. Furcal and Ellis would provide just this. The problem being that both these players are injury prone necessitating the constant presence of Getz, and A Uribe/Bourgeois(Sp?) player on the roster. Assuming Fields surgery goes smooth, and he returns to a somewhat respectable form. We'd have:

 

Furcal (SS)

Ellis (2B) 1 or 2 year deal geared towards slotting Beckham in after it expires

Q (LF)

Thome (DH)

Konerko (1B)

Dye (Rf)

Alexei (CF)

AJ ©

Fields (3B)

 

It could work, but I’d still prefer a consistent lineup with Swisher in the of, and the Missile in the IF over this

Edited October 8, 2008 by Thunderbolt

[witesoxfan]

Quentin would play RF silly.

 

There's like a zillion different scenarios that could play out too if you did that, which is one of the reasons it's so intriguing.

 

Right now, with potentially decent offers, I'm looking at something like

 

Hudson - 2B (probably the worst of them all, but he gets on and is quick enough to handle it)

Ramirez - CF

Quentin - RF

Thome - DH

Konerko - 1B

Hardy/Beltre - SS/3B

Pierzynski - C

Beltre/Hardy - 3B/SS

Swisher - LF

 

The only real kicker in mine is if Tampa Bay is ready to get Price into the rotation, because their situation in RF was only so-so this year (.771 OPS from their RFers) and willing to spend a little money. I have Dye going there for one of Garza/Sonnanstine/Jackson, in that preferred order.

[caulfield12]

Tampa Bay doesn't need Dye playing in that dome, unless they want to make him the full-time DH.

 

I really don't think Friedman would consider trading a "cost-assured" young pitcher for a one year rental on Dye...it would be nice, but I doubt it.

 

If they do make that trade, I doubt it would be Garza or Jackson...it would be Sonnanstine, and I'm not sure how well his flyball-offspeed style of pitching would translate in a full season of US Cell.

 

The Rays can always use Baldelli there, and Gomes perhaps will get his act together, like Cantu did after leaving Tampa. If the Red Sox just overpower TB, then the Rays might need to consider it...they also have Reid Brignac potentially ready for SS, that's the kind of player I wouldn't mind having on the White Sox (Bartlett), as long as we were getting some pop from 3B and CF in the trade-off.

 

I also think the Rays would have the most interest in Jenks of any of our players...because Wheeler, Percival and Balfour are so-so. At least, I thought that about Balfour until this series...throwing 93-95 fastballs over and over again, and they don't seem to have much movement. I don't think Boston's better offensive players will miss those like our aging guys did.

[GoodAsGould]

I think the Rays will be looking to address the DH or RF positions in the off-season. Dye definitely would be better suited as the DH for them, I dont think they give up Garza for him though and Im not really interested in Sonnanstine or Jackson.

[max power]

I don't see kenny making deals with an AL contender. I can't recall him doing that recently.

 

I don't consider Oakland a contender. They are in another rebuild process.

Edited October 8, 2008 by MAX

[witesoxfan]

At this point, it's just a thought as I haven't had time to even think of who needs a RFer, but they would trade one of their cost-effective pitchers because they have another one waiting in the wings who could be better than all 3 of those I mentioned.

 

Also, so long as Balfour's magic doesn't completely wear off, he could easily close for them next year. He appears to have the mentality and he was absolutely dominant this season.

[kjshoe04]

I don't see kenny making deals with an AL contender. I can't recall him doing that recently.

The Angels are contenders? He traded with them last offseason.

[max power]

The Angels are contenders? He traded with them last offseason.

I was wrong then, what new?

[max power]

I guess its the fact that they just beat us out of the playoffs that makes me think a deal is unlikely, but I'll probably be wrong about that too.

[witesoxfan]

I guess its the fact that they just beat us out of the playoffs that makes me think a deal is unlikely, but I'll probably be wrong about that too.

 

At this point, everything is conjecture, so nothing should be taken too seriously.