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Thome's '09 Option
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times discusses Jim Thome's '09 option. Cowley says Thome needs 392 more plate appearances this year for the $13MM salary to vest. The White Sox can choose a $3MM buyout if it does not vest.
However, both Cot's Baseball Contracts and the Chicago Tribune indicate that Thome's '09 option vests if he tallies 564 PAs this year. He already has 274, so he needs 292 more. He should be able to pull it off if he starts 75 more games. The White Sox have 85 games left. Today's game is the last in an NL park, so Thome can go back to DHing regularly. This option will go right down to the wire.
Thome may be back regardless, according to the Tribune in February. The White Sox have been getting a half price deal on his contract; the Phillies paid them $22MM.
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With Thome being the only real lefty power in the lineup, and with not a lot of options available via free agency, it makes sense to keep him. What would also make sense would be to trade Konerko and move Dye to 1B, but Konerko has 10/5 rights and not much trade value right now anyway.
Posted by: cabiness42 | June 26, 2008 at 09:40 AM
Just an FYI: Thome has never had 600 AB's in a season. He hasn't even topped 500 since 2004. I don't see this option getting vested at all. Whether the Sox opt for it anyways is a different story.
Posted by: Silver | June 26, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Also, from what I could tell about the Phils contribution to all of this is that they would be on the hook for 1.5m of the 3m buyout. Though if the Sox opt for the option, I think the Sox foot the bill for the whole 13m. I'm not sure about this, so feel free to state where I went wrong.
Posted by: Silver | June 26, 2008 at 12:57 PM
"What would also make sense would be to trade Konerko and move Dye to 1B, but Konerko has 10/5 rights and not much trade value right now anyway."
Why would you move a GG defensive player to 1B, where he has played 1 game his entire career? Would be a huge waste of Dye's arm, range and ability.
Posted by: AA | June 26, 2008 at 01:07 PM
AA, I agree with a piece of your assessment. Dye shouldn't be moved to 1b, especially when you have Swisher to do that. On the other hand, Konerko is no where near a gold glove first basemen. He's bordering on bad this year, having trouble with scooping poor throws. Dye does have a cannon, but his range is akin to a wounded horse at this point in his career. Move him to LF, Q to RF and find yourself a CF or at the least, a platoon for CF. (Kenny Lofton)
Posted by: Silver | June 26, 2008 at 01:28 PM
Silver these are PAs and not ABs. Thome had 536 last year. Big diff. given his walks.
Posted by: Tim Dierkes | June 26, 2008 at 01:47 PM