Sox trying to resign PK and AJ

[southsider2k5]

http://news.bostonherald.com/sports/baseba...position=recent

 

White Sox trying to keep free agents and chase the Twins

By Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune

Sunday, November 7, 2010 - Added 1 hour ago

 

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CHICAGO - The White Sox haven’t been afraid in the past to aim high in the free agent market, as they tried but failed three years ago with Torii Hunter.

 

But now they have the issue of trying to close the gap with American League Central champion Minnesota while trying to re-sign Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski with other teams now allowed to make financial offers.

 

The Sox already have committed $80.4 million to 13 players for 2011. Left-hander John Danks already is in line for a big raise through the salary arbitration process, so the off-season stakes are raised for a team that hasn’t won a division title the past two seasons despite a player payroll exceeding $100 million and is looking for a left-handed run producer.

 

The Sox currently don’t have a match with St. Louis, which is looking for middle infield help while possessing 24-year-old left-handed hitting center fielder Colby Rasmus, who won’t be eligible for arbitration until after 2011. But a trade seems the best bet to address a left-handed hitter and a catcher (if Pierzynski isn’t re-signed).

 

Recently, general manager Ken Williams has tried to address several areas by trading one major piece, as he did after 2008 with Javier Vazquez (to Atlanta in a six-player trade) and Nick Swisher (to the New York Yankees in a five-player deal).

 

Both trades haven’t helped the Sox, but they have a surplus of starting pitching that could tempt them to deal and address other areas.

 

The Sox also have to decide whether right fielder Carlos Quentin is closer to returning to his 36-homer season in 2008, or if injuries will continue to stunt his growth.

 

At any rate, Alex Rios will need protection in the middle of the batting order.

 

With the deadline for teams to tender contracts to their remaining unsigned players moved up to Dec. 2, the Sox could look to trade soon, and then examine the list of non-tendered players that could saturate a shallow free agent market where affordable relief help (Jesse Crain, Randy Choate and Dennys Reyes) could be found.

© 2010, Chicago Tribune. Visit the Chicago Tribune on the Internet at http://www.chicagotribune.com/. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

[knightni]

They don't have many better options.

 

Both AJ and Paulie will be good for at least 1 more year, maybe two.

[Springfield Soxfan]

If the Nationals have offered Dunn three years already, KW can't go higher than that so yes we need to make a run at both of them and keep them.

[elrockinMT]

I hope we can get this done

[Balta1701]

They don't have many better options.

 

Both AJ and Paulie will be good for at least 1 more year, maybe two.

I wouldn't exactly say that AJ was good last year.

 

Anwyay...like it or not, tehy fill roster spots that we don't have obvious replacements for.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Keith Law came out with his top 50 Free Agents list. Not surprisingly, Konerko isn't viewed highly in Law's eyes.

 

He ranks Konerko as the 12th best Free Agent, behind the likes of Jake Westbrook, Jorga De La Rosa, Andy Pettite, and a couple other LOL names. About Konerko he describes Konerko as "The biggest time-bomb in this class as a low-defense, old man slugger". He says that whoever signs him will be an overpay based on his name, and says Konerko is very close to "the cliff".

 

[Dick Allen]

I know the article says the Sox are trying to re-sign both, but if they haven't made offers when they had exclusivity with them, it would seem the title of the article may not be accurate.

[Dick Allen]

Keith Law came out with his top 50 Free Agents list. Not surprisingly, Konerko isn't viewed highly in Law's eyes.

 

He ranks Konerko as the 12th best Free Agent, behind the likes of Jake Westbrook, Jorga De La Rosa, Andy Pettite, and a couple other LOL names. About Konerko he describes Konerko as "The biggest time-bomb in this class as a low-defense, old man slugger". He says that whoever signs him will be an overpay based on his name, and says Konerko is very close to "the cliff".

If you just read Keith Law and not watched any games, you would think the White Sox lose 120 games a season. Somehow, someway, KW must have done something to really piss Mr. Law off.

[greg775]

Keith Law came out with his top 50 Free Agents list. Not surprisingly, Konerko isn't viewed highly in Law's eyes.

 

He ranks Konerko as the 12th best Free Agent, behind the likes of Jake Westbrook, Jorga De La Rosa, Andy Pettite, and a couple other LOL names. About Konerko he describes Konerko as "The biggest time-bomb in this class as a low-defense, old man slugger". He says that whoever signs him will be an overpay based on his name, and says Konerko is very close to "the cliff".

 

Wow.

That may be true, but from start to finish, he had a great great season last year.

Low defense is unfair. He's not bad.

I agree he could regress and maybe drastically but he's worth a two-year deal.

Law basically is saying he's a mind reader and Paulie is just too old to offer a nice deal, to. Because nothing about his performance suggested he'll suck next season.

Edited November 7, 2010 by greg775

[Quin]

If you just read Keith Law and not watched any games, you would think the White Sox lose 120 games a season. Somehow, someway, KW must have done something to really piss Mr. Law off.

 

I think Kenny just took his soul...theres no other explanation.

[Balta1701]

If you just read Keith Law and not watched any games, you would think the White Sox lose 120 games a season. Somehow, someway, KW must have done something to really piss Mr. Law off.

Really, his ability to hold a grudge is remarkable.

[Pale Sox]

He also throws a shot at JP Ricciardi (who fired him from the Blue Jays) in his write up about Adam Dunn (with the whole "unless you're more concerned about whether he likes baseball" or whatever he wrote).

 

You may remember the whole controversy about Ricciardi saying that about Dunn on the radio.

Edited November 7, 2010 by Pale Sox

[Balta1701]

He also throws a shot at JP Ricciardi (who fired him from the Blue Jays) in his write up about Adam Dunn (with the whole "unless you're more concerned about whether he likes baseball" or whatever he wrote).

 

You may remember the whole controversy about Ricciardi saying that about Dunn on the radio.

There's a difference between taking shots at a guy and what Law does with the Sox. If Law constantly called KW dumb that'd be one thing...but he constantly underrates the Sox, the sox minor league guys, and the Sox major league guys. Taking amusing shots at a GM is one thing, consistently underrating a team and everyone who plays for it based on some grudge is another.

[Pale Sox]

I wasn't trying to suggest they were the same thing or anything like that. I was just showing another example of his pettiness.

[southsider2k5]

http://www.csnchicago.com/11/02/10/BBQ-Is-...amp;feedID=6662

 

BBQ: Is Paul Konerko heading home?

 

 

By Brett Ballantini

CSNChicago.com

 

With rumors, whispers, and “team sources” ever swirling through the offseason, turn to the BBQ to provide a bit of a reality check. Here’s a look at the supposed “breaking news” that Chicago White Sox free agent first baseman Paul Konerko is the object of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ desire:

 

Q: Konerko is from Arizona, right?

 

A: Yeah. He was rumored to be going “home” to play back in 2005 as well. Hey, did you fall asleep five years ago and just wake up now?

 

Q: Huh?

 

A: Indeed, Konerko starred at Chaparral High in Scottsdale. He was a prep Player of the Year. He led Chaparral to a state title in 1994, when Konerko hit a school-record .558. And if being a high school hero had bearing on where a superstar signs a contract in his mid-30s, well then, book PK to AZ.

 

Q: All right, simmer down, there’s a reason for all this Konerko-to-Arizona talk, right?

 

A: Absolutely. Although pitched today as the Diamondbacks being interested in Konerko, the reverse is actually true: PK is trolling for a new address. Konerko surprised many late in the season when he calmly commented that the White Sox not only wouldn’t be given the right to match any offer he got over the winter, but he might not return to Chicago even if the White Sox trumped all other offers. It was very clear—and written/videoed by yours truly—that PK had another suitor in mind.

 

Q: In 2005 he re-signed with the White Sox for less money than the Baltimore Orioles or Los Angeles Angels offered, now he may take less to sign elsewhere—what is this Konerko guy, nuts?

 

A: All the power is in Konerko’s hands. That’s what he earned back in 2005, when he led the White Sox to a World Series, then chose to remain with the team for less money than others offered. In fact, Konerko specifically mentioned that had he left Chicago after the 2005 season, he would have felt like there was unfinished business left on the table. Today, he says he knows he’ll be considered a White Sox no matter where his career takes him.

 

Q: Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound promising. Where do the White Sox rank on Paulie’s list?

 

A: From here it looks like Arizona and the White Sox are 1-2. It’s unlikely that will change until Arizona tells him no, or slips sneakily from “hometown discount” to “lowball.”

 

Q: But the White Sox want Konerko back, right?

 

A: The whole of the White Sox family, from Jerry Reinsdorf on down, told Konerko they wanted him back next season. The decision rests almost solely on Konerko—although Williams won’t dally if he needs to pull the trigger on a deal that bolsters his club, with or without Konerko.

 

Q: OK, what are Konerko’s demands?

 

A: Postgame brews? Seriously, PK is as low-key as they come. He isn’t going to demand a long-term contract like the five-year that just expired, as he admits he doesn’t know how much longer he wants to play. And he will be affordable—even after his best year since 2006, at his age and in a robust first base market, he won’t command a raise on his $12 million annual salary.

 

Q: What are the options for the White Sox if Konerko leaves?

 

A: There are myriad first basemen available to the White Sox, none preferable than Konerko himself. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dayan Viciedo could step in as the new first sacker—dumb math would project him to 25 homers, 65 ribbies if he’d played a full season in 2010, and his .840 OPS is downright decent considering he walked just twice last year.

 

Q: Dayan’s fine, but who else is out there for the White Sox?

 

A: It’s no dis on Konerko, whose leadership ability is hard to quantify in dollars, but there may be smarter money to be spent elsewhere for both the White Sox and Diamondbacks. Adam Dunn, Victor Martinez and Aubrey Huff are front-line free agent options, with Derrek Lee, Lance Berkman and Carlos Pena as “comeback” candidates Williams could by low on. And don’t forget that Prince Fielder is another top-notch first baseman long coveted by Williams, and one who the Milwaukee Brewers will likely put on the trade market over the winter.

 

Q: But we want Paulie back. Is there a down side to suiting Konerko up for a few more years?

 

A: Decorum alone would see Konerko getting, say, $10 million over three years from the White Sox—and that’s a starting point. Per FanGraphs value data, Konerko outperformed his recent, $12 million per season contract in just 2006 and 2010, putting up $56.3 million in value over the course of his $60 million deal. It will be exceedingly hard to match his future contract value when he starts a new deal at age 35. Also, advanced fielding stats—as well as the good-old eye test—indicate PK’s generally solid work in the field took a significant step back in 2010.

 

Q: So, is Konerko coming back?

 

A: I said it then, and I’ll stick it now, but I don’t think so.

 

BBQ Verdict: Stale

 

Brett Ballantini is CSNChicago.com’s White Sox Insider. Follow him @CSNChi_Beatnik on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Sox information.

[macsandz]

http://www.csnchicago.com/11/02/10/BBQ-Is-...amp;feedID=6662

 

Not bad. Nice to see a journalist that does his research.

I have to agree. PK is out.

[joeynach]

I hope we can get this done

 

Are you really gonna be that upset with Castro over AJ at catcher next year.

[Dick Allen]

Are you really gonna be that upset with Castro over AJ at catcher next year.

If Ramon Castro is the White Sox regular catcher next year, and I give it about a zero percent chance, eventually everyone who wants the Sox to win will be upset.

[Milkman delivers]

I think we end up with Carlos Peña or Aubrey Huff. I'd put my money on Peña, though.

[LittleHurt05]

I think we end up with Carlos Peña or Aubrey Huff. I'd put my money on Peña, though.

 

I hope you are wrong.

[greg775]

I think we end up with Carlos Peña or Aubrey Huff. I'd put my money on Peña, though.

 

Didn't Pena hit under .200?

For some reason I also could see him coming to the Sox.

[southsider2k5]

This is the thing I am hanging my hat on for Paulie to get resigned.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=5784703

 

The tight bond between free agent Paul Konerko and Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf figures to be a factor in contract negotiations, a source told ESPNChicago.com.

 

At the end of the season it was also suggested that the Konerko-Reinsdorf relationship would play an interesting role this winter.

 

Paul Konerko

Paul Konerko

#14 1B

Chicago White Sox

 

2010 STATS

 

* GM149

* HR39

* RBI111

* R89

* OBP.393

* AVG.312

 

At the very least, the bond figures to afford the White Sox one last chance at matching any deal Konerko might have on the table from another team.

 

The situation is unique, although not unprecedented, because it will give the White Sox a bargaining chip that other clubs won't have. Call them naive, but because Konerko and Reinsdorf are so close, the club expects that whatever dollar amount it could be asked to match will not be an artificially inflated one.

 

"Well, as I just told him, I said under my tenure at least, he is the classiest player that has put on a uniform," general manager Kenny Williams said on the last day of the season. "And I'm not just talking on the field and in this clubhouse. I'm talking outside of the game as well. You'll never hear me say a disparaging word against Paul Konerko."

 

In the end, that might be a bit of good news and bad news as far as the White Sox are concerned. If they can afford the offer on the table, they are expected to at least match it. That's the good news.

 

If budget restraints show they can't afford it, though, it could leave fans the perception that they had a chance to keep a productive player and fan favorite but declined.

 

"We don't know how it's going to play out," Williams said. "There are variables at play we have to go through, to see where we are, project our revenues and how the team fits as a whole. He has some things he has to work through in his mind as well.

 

"If at the end of the day, even if we are the ones who choose him and he doesn't choose us, you will never hear out of anyone in the White Sox halls a disrespectful word about Paul Konerko because he is that good of a player but also that classy of a man."

 

Over the weekend, the White Sox's five-day window of exclusive negotiating rights with Konerko expired. It is not clear if the White Sox made an offer during that time. Konerko, though, said at the end of the season that he was going to explore all his options, so even if the White Sox made an offer he was still going to gauge interest from other teams.

 

Doug Padilla covers the White Sox for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000.

[justBLAZE]

Mark Gonzales: Buehrle said he had no inside information, other than exchanging texts, but just his feeling that AJ had a better chance to stay over PK.

 

Thanks for everything Paulie.

[witesoxfan]

Thanks for everything Paulie.

 

I don't think that's really anything ground breaking...the average fan could figure that AJ is more likely to come back than Konerko.