November 4, 201114 yr http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/whitesox-ta...tm_medium=email Buehrle negotiations could put Sox in squeeze November 3, 2011, 9:41 pm Mark Buehrle's agent says his client is willing to play anywhere. (US Presswire) JJ STANKEVITZ csnchicago.png Jeff Barry is doing what every good agent does: try to get the most money for his or her client. So when he told Ken Rosenthal Mark Buehrle is open to signing with any team, he was only doing his job. Except in this case, teams around the Midwest -- specifically, the White Sox -- would be smart to call Barry's bluff. While Buehrle isn't talking about retiring, missing his children during spring training in 2009 was enough for him to openly contemplate ending his baseball career after his contract ended in 2011. That doesn't sound like somebody who would be willing to pick up and move across the country for the most lucrative contract. Although perhaps the pull of playing for Ozzie Guillen again in Miami would be enough for Buehrle to leave the Midwest, where he's lived his entire life. The Nationals and Yankees have been rumored to be interested in signing Buehrle as well, with the Cubs potentially interested if Buehrle's asking price isn't too high. Of course, the White Sox will have interest in bringing Buehrle back, although the process of retaining him could be a bit tricky. While the club hasn't officially named Chris Sale a starter for 2012, it seems to be a fairly likely move to be made before spring training. Unless the Sox come out and say Sale will be in the 2012 bullpen, they'll have to trade somebody for Buehrle to fit in the rotation. And therein lies the problem. If the Sox deal a pitcher -- say, Gavin Floyd -- before re-signing Buehrle, suddenly they've lost all leverage in negotiations. Whatever hometown discount would be gone, as Barry would know the alternative to Buehrle would be the shaky Zach Stewart. The Sox would need Buehrle in a way they don't need him now, giving the other side the upper hand in negotiations. But if they don't trade a starter before dealing Buehrle, then the Sox could very well lose any power in negotiating a trade of a starter. Teams would know the Sox would have to get rid of somebody -- and when it's common knowledge in baseball circles that a team needs to dispose of a player, you end up getting Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez in return. The Sox will have to tread carefully with Buehrle this offseason -- maybe he really wants to come back enough that he'll take a discount. But his agent -- again, just doing his job -- won't let that happen without a fight.
November 4, 201114 yr I hope we don't have a million billion gazillion of these types of threads this off season. I hope MB stays, but know there is a good chance he might not. nuff said on that
November 4, 201114 yr Author http://mlbbuzz.yardbarker.com/blog/mlbbuzz...ns_open/7851631 Buerhle keeping options open 17 hours ago by KenRosenthal For all the talk about left-hander C.J. Wilson in free agency, another lefty might hold even greater appeal. Mark Buerhle, coming off his 11th straight 200-inning season, is “wide-open” to any team, according to his agent, Jeff Berry. Buerhle, 32, has spent his entire career with the White Sox, and has spoken in the past about joining the Cardinals, the team closest to his home in St. Charles, Mo. But Berry repeated Wednesday what he said in September – that Buehrle was not wedded to any club. In fact, Berry said, Buehrle might find the National League especially attractive; he is 24-6 with a 3.32 ERA lifetime against NL teams. “Mark is not going to eliminate any team from free-agent consideration,” Berry said. “But having pitched 12 years in the American League, the National League certainly will have some appeal to him. “There is no DH. It’s obviously less of a hitter’s league. And Mark has had great success in his career against the National League.” Buehrle, of course, has been pretty good in the AL, too – he went 13-9 with a 3.59 ERA for the White Sox last season and also won his third straight Gold Glove.
November 4, 201114 yr I just saw a rumor that Buehrle is strongly considering going to Miami with Ozzie......oh no!
November 4, 201114 yr QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Nov 4, 2011 -> 11:00 AM) I just saw a rumor that Buehrle is strongly considering going to Miami with Ozzie......oh no! I think Mark will end up staying here. If not it was an amazing run and he is my favorite white sox pitcher of all time.
November 4, 201114 yr If Buehrle is on any other team next year, I will cry. If it's for the Cubs, I'll cry and be pissed.
November 4, 201114 yr A hometown discount is the only way Buehrle stays, cause someone is gonna offer him way more cash than the Sox are willing to shell out (and rightfully so) Going to the NL should give his career a nice boost...
November 4, 201114 yr QUOTE (Soxfest @ Nov 4, 2011 -> 05:15 PM) If someone is going to overpay MB so be it, I do not want it to be the Sox. Heaven forbid the Sox overpay for somebody who actually would earn the money.
November 4, 201114 yr QUOTE (Soxfest @ Nov 4, 2011 -> 01:15 PM) If someone is going to overpay MB so be it, I do not want it to be the Sox. That's what I'm saying. 3 yrs/$36 is probably my limit.
November 4, 201114 yr QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 4, 2011 -> 04:12 PM) Heaven forbid the Sox overpay for somebody who actually would earn the money. Will he though? There are no guarantees he does.
November 4, 201114 yr QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 4, 2011 -> 06:09 PM) Will he though? There are no guarantees he does. If we're going to use that as an argument against m-56, then we pretty much shouldn't sign anyone, ever, because that statement can be applied more strongly to almost everyone else.
November 4, 201114 yr QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Nov 4, 2011 -> 05:58 PM) That's what I'm saying. 3 yrs/$36 is probably my limit. Hypothetically imagine it took $6 million more than that to lock him up. Would you really be willin to lose him over that? I wouldn't.
November 4, 201114 yr I'm willing to see the Sox overpay, a bit, for a few more years of Mark. And I'd rather they do that than extend Danks, who will cost a lot more in money and years.
November 4, 201114 yr QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 4, 2011 -> 06:38 PM) I'm willing to see the Sox overpay, a bit, for a few more years of Mark. And I'd rather they do that than extend Danks, who will cost a lot more in money and years. Completely agree.
November 5, 201114 yr I kind of think that the teams performance next year has little to do with if mark is around or not. For that reason I would not overpay the guy. Of course, mark has sentimental value. Please spare me the war argument btw. You can't predict what sale's value will be. If they don't sign mark ill assume they are more likely to keep danks and floyd.
November 5, 201114 yr QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 4, 2011 -> 05:27 PM) If we're going to use that as an argument against m-56, then we pretty much shouldn't sign anyone, ever, because that statement can be applied more strongly to almost everyone else. Definitely not, I am all for re-signing Mark. That was just a response to greg's overpay comment, that at his age Mark could be a FA bust just like some of the other recent signings. I am willing to take the chance though.
November 7, 201114 yr Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal To repeat from other day: #Marlins' top priority is adding LH starter: Wilson, Buehrle. Not to say they won't dabble in other areas. #MLB 8 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply jcrasnick Jerry Crasnick If things don't work out with C.J. Wilson, #Rangers also expect to be involved in the Mark Buehrle hunt. #paralleltracks 3 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply
November 8, 201114 yr The only way Mark is staying here is if management really wants him here and if Buehrle really wants to stay, kinda like the last contract he signed... however, he has said he wouldn't mind seeing how other organizations are run. Maybe he had his fill with the drama show the past few years, maybe its a negotiating move. Either way, many teams will be courting him... I really hope he doesn't want to go.
November 8, 201114 yr The season will be much more enjoyable for me just having MB there. I like winning, so that also makes me happy. I just don't think he'll cost the Sox wins that they'd get some other way, so it'd "only" cost money. It's not my money, so I really hope that he stays.
November 8, 201114 yr Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal Sources: #Marlins will meet with Buehrle on Tuesday, Reyes on Wednesday and Cespedes on Thursday. #MLB 54 seconds ago Favorite Retweet Reply
November 8, 201114 yr QUOTE (DirtySox @ Nov 7, 2011 -> 10:30 PM) Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal Sources: #Marlins will meet with Buehrle on Tuesday, Reyes on Wednesday and Cespedes on Thursday. #MLB 54 seconds ago Favorite Retweet Reply No Mark. No.
November 8, 201114 yr QUOTE (DirtySox @ Nov 7, 2011 -> 10:30 PM) Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal Sources: #Marlins will meet with Buehrle on Tuesday, Reyes on Wednesday and Cespedes on Thursday. #MLB 54 seconds ago Favorite Retweet Reply It would probably extend his career to go the NL, I'm just not sure I'd want to pitch for a team nobody cares about (then again, he just came from the White Sox) and maybe he has Ozzie hangover (then again, if Florida's willing to pay)....
November 8, 201114 yr It's not about telling n o to Mark, it's about telling the GM/Chairman to pay him.
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