Chicago White Sox 2007-2008 Offseason Thread

[eriqjaffe]

According to Comcast SportsNet, KW has met with (dun-dun-DUN) Aaron Rowand.

Sox fans are intensely polarized about Rowand...it'll be interesting if this comes to anything.

[eriqjaffe]

It wound up getting its own thread, but the Sox just sent Jon Garland to the Angels for Orlando Cabrera and cash.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...2007&fext=.jsp

[Goodsox]

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

It wound up getting its own thread, but the Sox just sent Jon Garland to the Angels for Orlando Cabrera and cash.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...2007&fext=.jsp

I am so confused by this trade. I would much rather have Cabrera than Uribe, but what are they going to do with Uribe? I assume either he or Cabrera will be part of a deal somewhere else. I swear, sometimes I think Kenny makes deals just to make deals.

[eriqjaffe]

I predict that Uribe will be sent to the Twins for Johan Santana.

[Goodsox]

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

I predict that Uribe will be sent to the Twins for Johan Santana.

I predict that KW will sign Mike Lowell to play third base with Joe Crede and Josh Fields We will have tons of starters on the left side of the infield

[eriqjaffe]

Can't hit the ball through the left side if we build a wall!

Apparently, Kenny was on WSCR and alluded to the following:

- He is going to try and sign OC "long-term"
- He is going to try and trade Uribe
- He has more "big fish" to get
- Torii Hunter is still a target

So...uh...there's that, huh?

[MogulChamp]

While I am glad to see an upgrade at the SS position over free swinging Uribe, I still think we could have gotten more for Garland.

I like Cabrera a lot, but at 33 I just dont see him being much help for very long.

I also dont like the fact we havent moved Jose at all. Certainly someone can take him off our hands.

The rotation doesnt look very promising, and now we have two SS and two 3rd basemen. Something has to give here....

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by MogulChamp

While I am glad to see an upgrade at the SS position over free swinging Uribe, I still think we could have gotten more for Garland.

After 2006, sure. His trade value was severely lessened by his mediocre 2007. Heck, he has really only had one front-of-the-rotation worthy season, and that was two years ago.

Originally Posted by MogulChamp

I like Cabrera a lot, but at 33 I just dont see him being much help for very long.

I agree. He's decidedly an upgrade over Uribe. At the very least, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Garland was going to test free agency after 2008 anyways. The Angels have as good a chance at extending him as anybody. FWIW, OC's a free agent after 2008, as well, so if he doesn't work out, the Sox could at least get a draft pick out of it, same as if they had kept Garland and let him walk.

Originally Posted by MogulChamp

I also dont like the fact we havent moved Jose at all. Certainly someone can take him off our hands.

$10 million a year for 2 years for a pitcher of indeterminate age who has put up a 5.59 ERA over his past 275 innings? Yeah, teams are just lining up for a piece of that action. The Sox' best chance at unloading him probably involve a deal with Castro.

Originally Posted by MogulChamp

The rotation doesnt look very promising, and now we have two SS and two 3rd basemen. Something has to give here....

You're assuming Crede will be healthy. If he is, I'd expect him to be trade bait - especially considering his agent is Scott Boras, whom the Sox have a pretty clear policy of refusing to deal with. KW has already said he's going to try to trade Uribe, although I doubt he'd get much in return. Maybe some bullpen help, but Uribe strikes me as the kind of guy who gets dealt for a PTBNL that you never hear about again. If Uribe is untradeable, he'll get used as a utility guy. A five million dollar utility infielder.

[eriqjaffe]

Scott Podsednik was designated for assignment today.

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news...=.jsp&c_id=cws

Not too surprising, really. I think we all saw this coming last year.

[eriqjaffe]

AM1000 is reporting that the Sox have signed Scott Linebrink to a 4-year, $19 million contract.

[Jestor]

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

It wound up getting its own thread, but the Sox just sent Jon Garland to the Angels for Orlando Cabrera and cash.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...2007&fext=.jsp

Ugh.

[Jestor]

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

According to Comcast SportsNet, KW has met with (dun-dun-DUN) Aaron Rowand.

Sox fans are intensely polarized about Rowand...it'll be interesting if this comes to anything.

Please please please oh please bring back Rowand!

[eriqjaffe]

So I take it you're neutral on the Linebrink signing?

I've long stated that, between the two of them, I'd rather have Rowand than Hunter - they strike me as similar players, and Rowand has the advantage of 1) already being a fan favorite around here, 2) being 2 years younger and 3) not having the marquee-name-price thing.

Mind you, I think that if the Sox wind up going out-of-house for a centerfielder, it's far more likely that we'll be seeing somebody like Coco Crisp (at best). I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Jerry Owens out there next year.

[TheRaven]

From an outsider perspective that cant stand the Sox, I actually like the two moves they made. Not a bad start to the offseason.

[eriqjaffe]

So the Linebrink signing is official, and the Sox have waived Alex Cintron to make room on the 40-man roster.

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotr...ink-in-ci.html

At the moment, that means Pablo Ozuna and Juan Uribe are the utility infielders for 2008.

[eriqjaffe]

Hmm.

According to this article, Aaron Rowand was KW's first target for the centerfield job, but talks never progressed beyond the number of years, and Torii Hunter was "Plan 1B".

Of course, that kind of contradicts what he said here, which implies that Hunter was plan 1A all along.

Perhaps plan 1B is Andruw Jones? The fact that Jones is represented by Scott Boras makes that seem...uh...unlikely. So what does that leave around? A trade! Probably somebody like Coco Crisp. Meh.

[Goodsox]

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

Hmm.

According to this article, Aaron Rowand was KW's first target for the centerfield job, but talks never progressed beyond the number of years, and Torii Hunter was "Plan 1B".

Of course, that kind of contradicts what he said here, which implies that Hunter was plan 1A all along.

Perhaps plan 1B is Andruw Jones? The fact that Jones is represented by Scott Boras makes that seem...uh...unlikely. So what does that leave around? A trade! Probably somebody like Coco Crisp. Meh.

I really thought KW would have addressed the outfield problems by now. I am starting to worry that we will end up seeing an outfield of JD, Owens, and Sweeney/Anderson It would be nice to get at least one more proven outfielder to go along with JD and let the youngsters compete for the 3rd spot.

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by Goodsox

I really thought KW would have addressed the outfield problems by now. I am starting to worry that we will end up seeing an outfield of JD, Owens, and Sweeney/Anderson It would be nice to get at least one more proven outfielder to go along with JD and let the youngsters compete for the 3rd spot.

Kenny has proven himself pretty much incapable of landing sought-after free agents.

In fact, here's a list of top-tier free agents that have signed with the Sox during KW's time:

[eriqjaffe]

Oh, wait, I guess Paul Konerko was a free agent, technically.

[Go Tribe]

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

Kenny has proven himself pretty much incapable of landing sought-after free agents.

In fact, here's a list of top-tier free agents that have signed with the Sox during KW's time:

hey don't rip KW - at least he didn't give up much to get Pods...