If the Sox think that Konerko's 2013 was due to an injury that they don't believe will bother him in 14, I am OK with it. Again, he isn't going to be a starter (I am assuming Dunn will be back), and he isn't blocking anyone.

 

Then again, seeing what contracts are already being talked about, maybe Dunn becomes a tradable commodity again?

If you look at the 2012 White Sox, no non regular had as many as 170 plate appearances. It's really not a waste of a roster spot. There are better fits, and Paulie knows this. I'm thinking if he decides to come back, he's feeling well and thinks he can still play at a high level. I don't think he cares to embarrass himself and he has plenty of money. I read an article a few years ago where his dad said he still pulls money out of an ATM $20 at a time.

 

From the interview he gave a month or so ago, it sounded to me that it's coming down to him being sure he wants to commit to being done. Seems like he feels like he has lots of time to be retired, but not lots of time to play, and knows that once he does it, he's closing the book forever. So he's trying to decide if he shouldn't squeeze as much more playing in as he can.

If the Sox think that Konerko's 2013 was due to an injury that they don't believe will bother him in 14, I am OK with it. Again, he isn't going to be a starter (I am assuming Dunn will be back), and he isn't blocking anyone.

 

Then again, seeing what contracts are already being talked about, maybe Dunn becomes a tradable commodity again?

 

I think Dunn could be moved with most of his contract, I just don't think we will get anything useful back.

 

And, given Hahn's recent assertion that he seeks left-handed offense (http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/11/white-sox-targeting-lefty-bats-have-received-calls-on-pitchers.html), I think it's extremely unlikely that he'd dump Dunn simply to save money or open a roster spot.

If you look at the 2012 White Sox, no non regular had as many as 170 plate appearances. It's really not a waste of a roster spot. There are better fits, and Paulie knows this. I'm thinking if he decides to come back, he's feeling well and thinks he can still play at a high level. I don't think he cares to embarrass himself and he has plenty of money. I read an article a few years ago where his dad said he still pulls money out of an ATM $20 at a time.

 

Well, 100's are completely impractical.

Well, 100's are completely impractical.

Well that and the fact that you don't want to be carrying wads of cash around as a famous athlete...

Well, 100's are completely impractical.

 

And the only places they dispense larger bills are strip clubs and casinos.

Konerko returning next season is the biggest non-story with the Sox. Come the middle of May, if he's not producing he'll walk away.

And the only places they dispense larger bills are strip clubs and casinos.

I think he meant he gets them out like one $20 per visit...

I think he meant he gets them out like one $20 per visit...

 

When you have a 16,000 square foot house...

I wonder, though, why his OPS was so much higher in games where a LH pitcher started.

 

With such a small sample size, it wouldn't be difficult for a handful of homers off righty relievers in those games could have a big effect on that number.

 

Edit: in reality, he hit 6 homers off lefties last year. He hit 9 homers in games in which a lefty started. So he hit at minimum, 3 homers off righty relievers in the 26 games he started against a lefty.

Edited November 14, 201312 yr by Vance Law

With such a small sample size, it wouldn't be difficult for a handful of homers off righty relievers in those games could have a big effect on that number.

 

Edit: in reality, he hit 6 homers off lefties last year. He hit 9 homers in games in which a lefty started. So he hit at minimum, 3 homers off righty relievers in the 26 games he started against a lefty.

 

B-R has a HR log. All 6 homers vs. LHP were given up by starters.

 

Matt Moore

Jon Lester

Tommy Millone

Scott Diamond

Bruce Chen

Brett Obelhotzer

From the interview he gave a month or so ago, it sounded to me that it's coming down to him being sure he wants to commit to being done. Seems like he feels like he has lots of time to be retired, but not lots of time to play, and knows that once he does it, he's closing the book forever. So he's trying to decide if he shouldn't squeeze as much more playing in as he can.

I think that's exactly what came out of the interview. He said he talked to many players and I think you have captured the message. I think he wants to play if he has the skills to do a reasonable job. I don't know why his power has been completely zapped. Weird.

 

Konerko returning next season is the biggest non-story with the Sox. Come the middle of May, if he's not producing he'll walk away.

Exactly.

When you have a 16,000 square foot house...

 

You have an ATM machine in your foyer.

 

I think that's exactly what came out of the interview. He said he talked to many players and I think you have captured the message. I think he wants to play if he has the skills to do a reasonable job. I don't know why his power has been completely zapped. Weird.

 

Because he's a 37 year old - going to be 38 next year - who's had wrist and hand problems for most of his career. At some point, your body just doesn't bounce back. Greg, I don't know how old you are, but whatever age you are, I bet there are certain things you do that take longer to recover or that you've simply lost the ability to do. This is Konerko, but with 20+ years of abuse on those hands/wrists/forearms. His power is gone.

I think that's exactly what came out of the interview. He said he talked to many players and I think you have captured the message. I think he wants to play if he has the skills to do a reasonable job. I don't know why his power has been completely zapped. Weird.

 

 

Exactly.

 

 

Maybe because he's in his late 30's and most likely never used PED's. That is most likely the cause of his power being "zapped".

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/11/...retire-or-play/

 

I don't believe Konerko is still thinking about playing in 2014. He wants to play in 2014. It's just a matter of the White Sox finding out if they can trade Dunn in the next month.

 

So they'll lie until then and say he's still thinking about it.

Edited November 19, 201312 yr by flavum

Not that Dunn is particularly good or anything, but getting rid of him to keep Konerko is one of the most illogical moves I've seen. It makes no sense on any level.

Konerko returning next season is the biggest non-story with the Sox. Come the middle of May, if he's not producing he'll walk away.

 

You seem pretty sure about this. It's not often you see a player retire in the middle of a season.

 

Not that Dunn is particularly good or anything, but getting rid of him to keep Konerko is one of the most illogical moves I've seen. It makes no sense on any level.

 

C'mon man. If you look at it through the casual fan's eye it makes sense. The casual fan absolutely hates Dunn with a passion. They don't say "Oh 30 hrs at the end of the year, nice." You always hear something like "that motherf***er strikes out or fails every time I see him bat" or "why the f*** can't he get over his self-quoted 'stupid, stubborn ways' and learn to hit the baseball away from the shift."

 

This is the casual fan. Not my opinion but what you hear on the streets, at the game, at backyard bbqs, playing bags etc.

 

How can you pretend this line of thinking isn't everywhere in Chicago? It doesn't make sense on any level? That's ludicrous man when you know damn well the city generally despises him more than any Sox I can think of in recent memory. I'd even try to argue Dunn's presence results in tickets not being sold.

You seem pretty sure about this. It's not often you see a player retire in the middle of a season.

 

It also wouldn't be a non-issue at all -- if you committed to Konerko and gave him a role that subsequently ended in his midseason retirement, you'd likely also have made some roster moves that led to being completely irrelevant very early in the season.

Not that Dunn is particularly good or anything, but getting rid of him to keep Konerko is one of the most illogical moves I've seen. It makes no sense on any level.

 

-Drops a large chunk of salary (potentially freeing up money for another move), even if the team has to pick up some money.

 

or

 

-Probably makes the team worse for 2014, insuring a better draft pick in 2015. If you are in the camp that thinks this team will suck in 2014, it makes perfect sense.

-Drops a large chunk of salary (potentially freeing up money for another move), even if the team has to pick up some money.

 

or

 

-Probably makes the team worse for 2014, insuring a better draft pick in 2015. If you are in the camp that thinks this team will suck in 2014, it makes perfect sense.

 

On point number 1, you are likely going to have to pick up $10 million and take nothing in return. If you wait until July 31st to do that (or August 30th, neither matters), you are doing essentially the same thing but at least maintain the possibility that you can trade him and pick up a young, talented piece. You aren't trading Konerko.

 

On number 2, Konerko is still a more talented player than Dunn. Yes, he's probably going to be a poor player, but I think the odds of Konerko putting up an .825 OPS far outweigh the odds that Dunn will do so.

On point number 1, you are likely going to have to pick up $10 million and take nothing in return. If you wait until July 31st to do that (or August 30th, neither matters), you are doing essentially the same thing but at least maintain the possibility that you can trade him and pick up a young, talented piece. You aren't trading Konerko.

 

On number 2, Konerko is still a more talented player than Dunn. Yes, he's probably going to be a poor player, but I think the odds of Konerko putting up an .825 OPS far outweigh the odds that Dunn will do so.

 

I'm not saying I would do it, I am just giving rationale here.

 

Back to #1, I doubt it is $10 million based off of what free agents have gotten. We might get away with giving up $10 million or so, and paying only $5m, if we didn't take a real player back.

C'mon man. If you look at it through the casual fan's eye it makes sense. The casual fan absolutely hates Dunn with a passion. They don't say "Oh 30 hrs at the end of the year, nice." You always hear something like "that motherf***er strikes out or fails every time I see him bat" or "why the f*** can't he get over his self-quoted 'stupid, stubborn ways' and learn to hit the baseball away from the shift."

 

This is the casual fan. Not my opinion but what you hear on the streets, at the game, at backyard bbqs, playing bags etc.

 

How can you pretend this line of thinking isn't everywhere in Chicago? It doesn't make sense on any level? That's ludicrous man when you know damn well the city generally despises him more than any Sox I can think of in recent memory. I'd even try to argue Dunn's presence results in tickets not being sold.

 

 

It's still illogical. Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

I'm not saying I would do it, I am just giving rationale here.

 

Back to #1, I doubt it is $10 million based off of what free agents have gotten. We might get away with giving up $10 million or so, and paying only $5m, if we didn't take a real player back.

Then we lose a couple million to sign Konerko.

 

Then our draft position is higher and so we have to spend more money on a draft pick too.

Then we lose a couple million to sign Konerko.

 

Then our draft position is higher and so we have to spend more money on a draft pick too.

 

Still, say you pick up $7 million on Dunn, and drop $3 million on Konerko. That still leaves the team ahead $5 million.