The White Sox girded their loins for the opening of free agency, creating a couple of spots on the 40-man roster and adding a couple of eulogies to White Sox Outsider 2011:
The Chicago White Sox have outrighted catcher Donny Lucy and left-handed reliever Randy Williams to Class AAA Charlotte.
Both players will become minor-league free agents.
Both of these moves are inconsequential for everybody except for Larry at South Side Sox, who might be buried with requests from people canceling their Donny Lucy Fan Club memberships. A shame, since it was always a bargain at $7.95.
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Here we go into the final weekend of plotting...
Shinons' 2011 offseason plan
MUST-MAKE DECISIONS
1) Would you offer arbitration to:
*A.J. Pierzynski? (Type A) - Yes. I don’t think we should offer him arbitration unless we’re OK with it if he accepts, and I am. If we ended up with him it’d give us the chance to flip him if Flowers plays well next year, the alternatives to A.J. aren’t particularly good, and with such a bad season last year he wouldn’t likely clean house in arbitration. And of course, the picks would be nice if he doesn’t accept arbitration.
*Paul Konerko? (Type A) – Of course.
*Manny Ramirez? (Type A) -- No. Although with Manny talking Toronto, it’d be a tempting for half a second.
*J.J. Putz (Type B) – Yep.
2) Would you pick up Ramon Castro’s $1.2 million option for 2011, or buy him out for $200,000?
Done.
CLUB CONTROL (explain if warranted)
3) One-year contract for John Danks? If not, what would you pay to extend him?
I’d offer him the same extension Lester signed last year (five years, $30 million).
4) Would you tender a contract to Bobby Jenks?
Nope. But I would give him a Golden Corral gift card in appreciation of all he’s done for us.
5) Would you tender a contract to Carlos Quentin?
Nope. But I would give him a personalized edition of Operation in appreciation of that one good year he had for us.
6) Would you tender a contract to Tony Pena?
Yes. One year, $2 million, and his name in pencil as the fifth starter until Peavy’s ready.
FREE AGENCY: WHITE SOX
7) Which of the following impending White Sox free agents would you attempt to re-sign, and at what price:
*Paul Konerko: Yes, but I’d expect to be out-bid. Something along the lines of two years, $20 million. I imagine he’d want a third year at least, so it probably wouldn’t work out.
*A.J. Pierzynski: Same thing with Pierzynski.two years, $8 million would be as high as I’d be willing to go, and I wouldn’t expect that to be quite enough with how little there is on the market for catchers. My backup plan for catcher would be 1) Molina as a free agent, 2) trade for a bounce-back candidate like Dioner Navarro, shouldn’t cost much as he’s alienated himself with TB 3) Castro gets the full time job. I’d want Flowers in AAA ball until he gets his stuff figured out – I think catcher’s too tough of a job to learn on the fly.
*J.J. Putz: Yes, but again, I’d expect him to get a higher offer elsewhere. I’d not want to spend more than $6 million for two years.
*Manny Ramirez: No.
*Omar Vizquel: One year, $1 million.
*Andruw Jones: Yes. Two years, $3 million. He platoons in right field, primarily with Teahen. He had a .945 second half OPS (when he played less) and .931 OPS against righties. I know folks wouldn’t be keen on the idea of Jones and Teahen spending most of the time in right, but I think they’re pretty ideal as a platoon – and there’s a pretty easy argument to be made that Jones outplayed Quentin last year.
*Freddy Garcia: Why not? The same contract as last year, One year, $1 million. I’d want Pena to get first crack at the rotation, so Freddy would have to be all right with a move to the bullpen – I’d try to sell him on the fewer innings, more of a chance to stay healthy. And with how well Jose Contreras did in the bullpen with Philly.
*Mark Kotsay: No.
FREE AGENCY: OUTSIDE HELP
8) Which positions are in the most dire need of an upgrade?
DH.
9) Name three (or more) free agents you’d consider, and at what price.
My strategy for improving the offense would revolve around Adam Dunn and Lance Berkman – they would be my biggest priority of the offseason. The idea is they give Ozzie his flexible DH, only it doesn’t suck. I’d expect around five years, $60 million for Dunn (same as what we gave Konerko), and honestly I really don’t know what Berkman will go for, but I’ll put a number on him – three years, $12 million sounds reasonable. Many would be scared away by Berkman’s declining numbers – I don’t think he’s washed up, just that he’s been banged up the last two years.
Bengie Molina, although I’m sure his stock is going to be up after playing for both World Series teams. Anything over $2 million is too much for me, and I doubt I’d get him for that.
We’d need at least one more cheap bullpen arm. Contreras?
TRADES
10) Name a couple (or more) realistic trades that could improve the Sox.
I’ve always liked Dioner Navarro, and perhaps having a few Venezuelans on the team could help him get his career back on track. Tampa Bay certainly seems to be done with him, so he shouldn’t cost much.
If anyone would like to take on Jackson at full price, that’d be nice of them.
I’d call up the Yankees and see if they were interested in giving up on Joba Chamberlain. I wonder how they like Dayan…?
I’d give Kevin Towers 50 bucks to tell Mike Rizzo he’d totally be willing to part with Justin Upton, but only if the Nats could offer Scott Linebrink and Mark Teahen. Then after the Nats acquire those two, Towers says he changes his mind. Then I’d send Rizzo a framed picture of Don Cooper with his quote he made before Strasburg’s injury about how Strasburg reminds him of Prior and Wood.
SUMMARY
And finally:
11) Sum it all up in a paragraph or nine, and give a ballpark estimate of the total payroll.
The plan would be for us to have the flexible kind of lineup that Ozzie says he wants, only with the right type of personnel. I think this lineup leads to a higher OBP, more power, and even a little more speed – and catcher is the only position where we move backwards at all while we wait for Flowers. It’d also be possible for us to have as many as six guys hitting from the left side – I can’t even imagine it. I’d have Pena take the first shot at the rotation while waiting for Peavy, with Garcia and Contreras also able to give us some starts if we need them to. I’d implement Jim’s flexible closer idea with Santos, Sale, and Thornton taking care of the late-inning work. We will be more flexible than Dominique Dawes.
LF – Juan Pierre, $5 M
2B – Gordn Beckham, .5 M
DH/1B – Lance Berkman, $4 M
DH/1B – Adam Dunn, $12 M
CF – Alex Rios, $12.5 M
RF – Mandruw Jonehen, $1.5 M and $4.75 M
SS – Alexei Ramirez, $1.225 M
3B – Brent Morel, $.3 M
C – Ramon Castro and Dioner Navarro, $1.2 M and $2.1
Primary reserves:
Omar Vizquel, $1 M
Alejandro De Aza, $300K
Rotation:
Buehrle – $14 M
Peavy – $16 M
Danks – $3.75 M
Floyd – $5 M
Jackson – $8.75 M
Pena - $2 M
Pen:
Thornton – $3 M
Sale – $.3 M
Santos – $.3 M
Linebrink – $5.5 M
Garcia - $1 M
Contreras - $1 M
Total: $107 M
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Arizona Fall League:
- Peoria Javelinas 13, Peoria Saguaros 5
- Charles Leesman allowed two runs on three hits and two strikeouts over an inning of work.
- Jared Mitchell went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Jason Bour walked and struck out.
