Young Core will help Sox compete in '13

[southsider2k5]

http://www.csnchicago.com/baseball-chicago...tm_medium=email

 

DAN HAYES

 

The development of Chris Sale and a handful of young players was critical to the White Sox success in 2012.

 

With a difficult offseason ahead, similar production will be needed from Sale, Jose Quintana, Dayan Viciedo, Addison Reed, Nate Jones, Hector Santiago and Donnie Veal if the White Sox hope to challenge the Detroit Tigers in 2013.

 

The White Sox have committed already $72.25 million to seven players in 2013 and still have decisions ahead on A.J. Pierzynski, Jake Peavy, Kevin Youkilis, Gavin Floyd and Brett Myers.

 

Each of the club’s choices, whether it’s to retain a free agent or exercise a team option, promises to be costly. Jake Peavy’s team option is for $22 million while Pierzynski, a free-agent-to-be, should receive a raise from $6 million after blasting a career-high 27 home runs.

 

The buyouts alone for the options held on Peavy, Youkilis and Myers will add $8 million to the White Sox 2013 payroll. Even with tough choices to make on five key players, general manager Kenny Williams is confident the White Sox have a sturdy foundation established and prepared to contend next season.

 

“It absolutely shows that these guys are not just ready for the major leagues, but ready to compete on a championship level,” Williams said last week. “So that gives us great comfort and flexibility when it comes to how we’re going to have to manage our payroll and juggle things to have good, young players under control and affordable, at least at this point.”

 

The team’s 2012 opening day payroll of $97.669 million was down $30 million from 2011, according to Baseball Prospectus. Since 2006, the White Sox payroll has averaged $108.17 million.

 

How much spending power Williams and assistant GM Rick Hahn will have hasn’t yet been established.

 

A team source said, as tradition, the club doesn’t set its payroll until after the organization holds its budget meetings for the upcoming season. Those meetings normally take place in late October/early November, the source said.

 

But with attendance in decline for a sixth straight season (it went under 2 million in 2012 for the first time since 2004) the White Sox may be limited this offseason.

 

That’s where Sale and Quintana, who combined for 23 victories and threw 328 1/3 innings this season, enter the picture.

 

Sale earned $500,000 this season and isn’t arbitration eligible until 2014 while Quintana -- a rookie with no previous service time -- likely earned the major league minimum ($480,000). Neither is due a hefty bump in salary headed into next season unless the White Sox choose to give them one.

 

The same goes for Reed (29 saves), Jones (8-0 with a 2.39 ERA) and Santiago (4-1, four saves, 3.33 ERA) and Donnie Veal (19 strikeouts in 13 innings) as all earned $480,000 last season. Dayan Viciedo (25 homers, 78 RBIs) also is under team control and not arbitration eligible though a major league contract that paid him $2.5 million last season has expired. The abundance of affordable talent allows the White Sox to mix young players who have experienced success in the big leagues in with pricey veterans.

 

“(They won’t be affordable) for long because they’re pretty good,” Williams said. “But that’s one of the things the offseason is for. To sit and evaluate where we’ve been, where we are and where we want to be. We got some free agent issues we got to deal with and we’ll find a way.”

[hogan873]

Brings up some interesting questions. Would the Sox try to sign Sale to a multi-year deal now? If so, what type of deal would/should he get?

 

I'm okay with buying out Youkilis and Peavy (although re-sogning Peavy to an affordable multi-year deal would be nice). I'd like to see AJ back on a two year deal, but not for more than $7M per.

 

Regardless of what happens this offseason, I'm thinking that the 2013 offseason could see a lot more changes. Depending on what happens during the 2013 season, we could certainly see more of a rebuilding year in 2014.

[NorthSideSox72]

Brings up some interesting questions. Would the Sox try to sign Sale to a multi-year deal now? If so, what type of deal would/should he get?

 

I'm okay with buying out Youkilis and Peavy (although re-sogning Peavy to an affordable multi-year deal would be nice). I'd like to see AJ back on a two year deal, but not for more than $7M per.

 

Regardless of what happens this offseason, I'm thinking that the 2013 offseason could see a lot more changes. Depending on what happens during the 2013 season, we could certainly see more of a rebuilding year in 2014.

This will be a really interesting offseason. As I mentioned before, I think there are three possible paths, depending on the magic number KW/Hahn get from the ownership. And I could honestly see it going any of those three ways.

 

As for Sale, I think signing him to a long term deal right now is a very bad idea. The guy had a massive workload increase this season, and I am always nervous about his arm. I'd say you wait another year or two, and see what you have.

 

[southsider2k5]

Brings up some interesting questions. Would the Sox try to sign Sale to a multi-year deal now? If so, what type of deal would/should he get?

 

I'm okay with buying out Youkilis and Peavy (although re-sogning Peavy to an affordable multi-year deal would be nice). I'd like to see AJ back on a two year deal, but not for more than $7M per.

 

Regardless of what happens this offseason, I'm thinking that the 2013 offseason could see a lot more changes. Depending on what happens during the 2013 season, we could certainly see more of a rebuilding year in 2014.

 

Unless Sale offers the Sox something ridiculous, I wouldn't touch a long term deal with him. You could be looking at the next Jason Bere.

[lasttriptotulsa]

Agree on Sale. If he has a similar season again next year, maybe then look into signing him to maybe a 4 year deal. That would buy out his arbitration years and 1 year of free agency. If he really is as good as it appears, they do not want to go to arbitration with him because it will be costly.

[Rooftop Shots]

http://www.csnchicago.com/baseball-chicago...tm_medium=email

 

I'll tell ya. One thing that really concerns me about the attendance going uder 2 mil, and falling for the 4th straight year.............along with what kind of budget we may have for 2013......................is in fact, will we really be ablw to contend with Detroit next year? Granted there is a lot of hope in the young mix that we have. but there are some things to take in consideration.

1) Hard for us to spend money on existing players........... or bring in other REAL VETERAN studs due to our lack of attendance and finances

2) Depending how deep Detroit goes..............they may even have more money to spend on another quality starter to their mix. Add a stud to Verlander and Porcello..................and they could have a pretty darn good knock out 1-2-3 punch on a regular basis.

3) Along with what they may have revenue to bring in for 2013, they also have VMart coming back. Add him along with Cabrera and Fielder and you have Another 1-2-3 punch from ANOTHER aspect that is covered on this team.

4) Cabrera and Fielder are on the upsides of their career and continue to get better and better where as we have no idea what PK, A.J. and Dunn will bring next year. Granted PK had a good start. Dunn had a nice bouncback year but still struck out WAYYYYY too much. AJ had a great year................but I dont think that his reliability for a great season next year is on the same upswing level as Detroits 1-2-3 punch. My point?? Sure we have some good veterans.....but their upswing in their careers is not NEARLY as bright as what Detroit brings to the table. we have toooo many "if's" in pitching and in the middle of the line up...... whereas they have many "Solids" that are already in place........and have Vmart being added to the equation without even having to address anything else until the offseason comes. Going deep (or even winning it all) will just add to Detroits pursuit of showing "No Mercy" next year by what they may acquire in the offseason.

5) We have it in our heads that we cannot beat these guys on a regular basis....which is also a "HEAD THING" type hurdle that we have to overcome going into next season.

6) Granted we have some GREAT young talent that is hungry and we hope will develope into the studs that we hope thatbthey will be. I dont meant for this to be a Negative post. I just want to bring out some real scary REALITY and real hurdles that need to be overcome.

Our attendace

Our revenue

Detroits attendance

Detroits revenue

the upswing in their veterans....compared to the "iffyness" of the upswing in our veterans

What they will have to spend (depending how deep they go this year) compared to what we will have to spend compared to how deep we went.

 

But then again..................look what Oakland did this year with that young team. hopefully our kids will have that same drive and mentality along with talent that will take us over the top. Only time will tell. win or lose I AM REALLY looking forward to seeing all of our young guys get better with their talent and with their HUNGER. Come ON 2013. Cant wait!!

[Marty34]

If that article wasn't written by an employee of an entity partially owned by the Sox it would not be as laughable as it is.

[SI1020]

I'll tell ya. One thing that really concerns me about the attendance going uder 2 mil, and falling for the 4th straight year

Attendance fell for the 6th straight year.

 

 

 

[caulfield12]

If that article wasn't written by an employee of an entity partially owned by the Sox it would not be as laughable as it is.

 

 

What do you think WGN and the Tribune did for the Cubs all those years? And attendance is down to only 20-25% of the team's overall bottom line, it's not the driver of payrolls that everyone keeps assuming it is...but KW and Reinsdorf have used it as a wedge or leverage against the fans for many, many years.

 

 

As far as the other point about the Tigers, it might be better for us were they to win the World Series. They'll have a lot less drive and hunger next year, it's almost impossible to repeat and the wear and tear of the season got to Scherzer a bit down the stretch.

 

The scariest thing about the Tigers isn't Cabrera and Fielder, it's Verlander/Scherzer/Fister/Porcello/Smyly (Sanchez will probably leave as a FA).

 

The first two are Cy Young arms. Fister has been absolutely great the last two stretch drives.

 

And even in Valverde's their weak link, along with infield defense, they can use Alburquerque/Villarreal or sign someone off the FA market to fix that glaring problem.

Edited October 13, 2012 by caulfield12