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While the courting of left-hander Mark Buehrle continued Monday, the White Sox face the prospect of not receiving a compensation draft pick if their free agent ace signs elsewhere.

 

The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association will be announced Tuesday at a news conference, and one of the potential changes in the new agreement involves the elimination of compensation for the loss of Type B free agents such as Buehrle.

 

Under the current CBA, teams that lose Type B free agents receive a supplemental pick, provided they offered salary arbitration.

 

The Sox have until Wednesday night to offer arbitration to Buehrle. The offer would give the Sox at least some hope of retaining Buehrle, but he is likely to reject it and would have until Dec. 7 to decide if the Sox offer arbitration.

 

Rejecting salary arbitration would allow Buehrle to continue to negotiate with other teams. Buehrle earned $14 million last season and is seeking a multiyear deal.

 

The Nationals were the latest team to make a sales pitch, as officials visited Buehrle and his agent at Buehrle's St. Charles, Mo., home Monday, according to the Washington Post.

 

The Nationals also are in the market for a right-handed hitter, and the Sox's Carlos Quentin could be one of their targets. Washington general manager Mike Rizzo selected Quentin in 2003 when he was the scouting director for Arizona.

 

Relations between the two teams soured around the July 31 trading deadline in 2010, when the Nationals were not interested in acquiring pitcher Edwin Jackson in a deal involving slugger Adam Dunn. Washington was seeking young prospects as part of any Dunn deal.

Didn't think I could hate a GM as much as I hate Rizzo.

 

Same.

 

f*** Rizzo

I suspect that Mark's world domination tour will end soon, and he and his agent will then come back to the Sox and lay it out on the table.

 

Problem is still the same though. I think KW would like to sign him, but I also think he's being forced to move some other salaries first. So as more time goes by without any trades, the likelihood of Mark's return diminishes.

 

I suspect that Mark's world domination tour will end soon, and he and his agent will then come back to the Sox and lay it out on the table.

 

Problem is still the same though. I think KW would like to sign him, but I also think he's being forced to move some other salaries first. So as more time goes by without any trades, the likelihood of Mark's return diminishes.

 

This won't be something Kenny does. I really believe this is a straight to Jerry deal.

This won't be something Kenny does. I really believe this is a straight to Jerry deal.

I think you are right about handling the final say on Mark, but I stick by my general point, that KW has to move some salary off first.

 

I'd love to drop Quentin on Rizzo, literally

I'd love to drop Quentin on Rizzo, literally

 

Dunn would hurt him more.

http://detroitnews.com/article/20111128/SP...ey-re-not-alone

 

Tigers' sights are on Mark Buehrle, but they're not alone

Lynn Henning/ The Detroit News

 

Six years ago next week, the Tigers signed a 41-year-old left-handed pitcher named Kenny Rogers to balance a starting rotation heavy with youth.

 

The Tigers are packing for next week's Winter Meetings in Dallas and hope to grab a modern-day version of Rogers for a staff top-heavy with right-handers and with starting pitchers in their 20s.

 

The pitcher who makes the most sense is free agent Mark Buehrle, an old friend who has pitched 34 times against the Tigers, piecing together a record of 18-10, with a 3.36 ERA.

 

Buehrle, 32, has become the hottest available pitcher during an offseason that has featured fewer elite stars and a slow-poke start to Hot Stove bidding.

 

The Tigers aren't talking about Buehrle, although it's known they have been one of many clubs inquiring what it might take to sign the fast-working, strikes-throwing, innings-gulping, finesse left-hander who is Rogers' virtual clone in style and consistency.

 

Buehrle's career numbers document why teams are lining up for the potential four-year deal that could be required to sign him: 161-119 record, 3.83 ERA, 223-inning annual average, and 1.28 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning).

 

The Tigers' motivation for signing Buehrle was obvious even last season when it became clear fifth starter Brad Penny would be a one-year option.

 

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111128/SPORTS...e#ixzz1f0dFwewt

Remember how stupid it was of the organization to let Jim Thome walk to Minnesota? Letting Mark! walk to Detroit would be 3x dumber.

Ok guys, start coughing up the cigars and rum. The latter is mainly you J4L.

 

This is gonna be a bumpy ride, that's for sure.

Feel the love 56

Remember how stupid it was of the organization to let Jim Thome walk to Minnesota? Letting Mark! walk to Detroit would be 3x dumber.

 

That depends how much money they sign him for. The Sox let Thome walk for $1.5 million and because they liked Mark! Kotsay more. If Detroit offers him more than the Sox can afford, I don't think dumb is the correct term.

That depends how much money they sign him for. The Sox let Thome walk for $1.5 million and because they liked Mark! Kotsay more. If Detroit offers him more than the Sox can afford, I don't think dumb is the correct term.

 

The situations really aren't comparable.

In a bit of poetic license I am now predicting a 4/$56 contract for Mark.

The situations really aren't comparable.

 

 

No but Mark hits like Dunn

I think you are right about handling the final say on Mark, but I stick by my general point, that KW has to move some salary off first.

 

 

I think that would make it easier to approve, but JR may authorize it anyway. Which leads to an interesting gambit by K-Dub. If you think you will have Mark regardless of dumping any salary, does he try and keep pieces in place, this having his cake and eating it too?

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AsDs...e_agents_112711

 

4. Mark Buehrle(notes) gets $60 million for four years, can teams really justify giving Wilson a couple more years at $5 million extra a pop? Probably not. Where Buehrle ends up – and for how much – “may set the price for the pitching market for the rest of the offseason,” one executive surmised.

 

The Chicago White Sox seem to have Peavyed, Dunned and Riosed themselves out of the bidding, and the Cardinals, Buehrle’s hometown team, can’t fork out eight figures a season without knowing Pujols’ decision. Funny how this game works: The two teams for whom Buehrle said he could envision himself playing no longer make much sense for him.

 

That whittles down the interested parties to, oh, about one-third of the sport’s remaining teams. Washington wants Buehrle bad. The Yankees are enamored of him, too; the feelings are not mutual, thanks more to Buehrle’s fear of New York since 9/11 than his distaste toward the team. He could take the Red Line north a few miles to the Cubs, cross the border to Toronto or round out a monster staff with the Angels. Buehrle has choices, the sort every free agent wants

The situations really aren't comparable.

In both cases, it would be letting a key member of our team go to the division rival who won the division last year because we didn't want the guy back enough to offer a fair deal. The money numbers are different, but there's a lot of comparison there. Especially when that player beats our heads in for several years afterwards.

 

Soft tossing lefty with good control and a changeup? Mark may no-hit the Sox 6 times in the next few years if he winds up in detroit.

In both cases, it would be letting a key member of our team go to the division rival who won the division last year because we didn't want the guy back enough to offer a fair deal. The money numbers are different, but there's a lot of comparison there. Especially when that player beats our heads in for several years afterwards.

 

Soft tossing lefty with good control and a changeup? Mark may no-hit the Sox 6 times in the next few years if he winds up in detroit.

 

 

 

Sad but true!

Soft tossing lefty with good control and a changeup? Mark may no-hit the Sox 6 times in the next few years if he winds up in detroit.

 

Balta FTW!

In both cases, it would be letting a key member of our team go to the division rival who won the division last year because we didn't want the guy back enough to offer a fair deal. The money numbers are different, but there's a lot of comparison there. Especially when that player beats our heads in for several years afterwards.

 

Soft tossing lefty with good control and a changeup? Mark may no-hit the Sox 6 times in the next few years if he winds up in detroit.

 

There is no comparison at this stage of the game. Thome was nearly 10 years older and a DH coming off of another injury riddled season who a sizable chunk of the fan base wanted chased off. Mark Buehrle is a top level LH SP who is getting massive offers and interest from all over baseball because he is still a really good pitcher. Think about it. We are talking about a guy who had to sign a one year deal for $1.5 million, versus a guy who is going to get somewhere around 10 times that, per year, for four to five years.

 

Not to mention Buehrle is one of the biggest names in Sox history.

Mark has a fear of NY since 9/11? Um, huh?

Mark has a fear of NY since 9/11? Um, huh?

 

If he does, I know I couldn't blame him. I can only imagine at what being caught up in a terror attack like that would do to my mind. Hell, if I hear a plane over downtown Chicago, I stop and watch it until it clears the skyline. And I was 1000 miles away on 9/11!

If he does, I know I couldn't blame him. I can only imagine at what being caught up in a terror attack like that would do to my mind. Hell, if I hear a plane over downtown Chicago, I stop and watch it until it clears the skyline. And I was 1000 miles away on 9/11!

 

I could see being a little spooked by planes. But NY itself? Kinda silly if true.