THURSDAY, 1:04pm: The White Sox exercised their $2.75MM club option on Ramirez rather than go to arbitration, tweets MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
WEDNESDAY, 10:51am: Alexei Ramirez opted out of his $1.1MM salary for 2011 and will go to arbitration with the White Sox unless the team exercises a $2.5MM option within a week, according to Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune. The shortstop had until today to decline a set $1.1MM salary for next year. The White Sox now have a week to choose between their $2.5MM option and taking the 2010 Silver Slugger winner to arbitration. MLB.com's Scott Merkin reports that the White Sox have until December 15th to decide between arbitration and a $2.75MM option (Twitter link).
Ramirez batted .282/.313/.431 with 18 homers, 29 doubles and 13 steals in 626 plate appearances last year. In three big league seasons, all with the White Sox, the Cuba native has a .283/.321/.430 batting line. Ramirez, 29, would be “very willing to discuss” a multiyear extension, agent Jaime Torres told van Dyck.
Sox should take the $2.5 mil, it’s lower than what he’s going to get in arbitration.
That might be one of the easier calls of the week.
trade him to the Yankees!
You’re stuck with no shorstop
I don’t know what a “pud” is; clearly you’re a Tigers or Twins fan, so you must be right.
I think an extension after the 2.5 million option of, 4 years and 30 million would be fitting. He was the best SS in the AL this year and is only 29 years old. If Uribe can sign for 7 million per, than this would be a huge bargain. He, Bacon, and Rios up the middle form a solid core for the forseeable future. All are bargains, including Rios who had one of the best seasons of his career.
Rios is only a bargain in Bizarro World.
not really considering he got shafted for a GG he is one of the better defensive CF in the game and if he can just stop throwing side arm he will be unstoppable. Plus he had a huge bounce back season last year and looks to get even better and is still young. I seriously look to see him have a 30/30 next season…
Don’t get me wrong, Rios is a very nice player. He brings alot of tools, and is far from a one-dimensional player.
But at $12M, he’s not a bargain. On the open market he’d get right around $10M.
He’s not a “bad deal” if he can repeat on last year’s resurgence, but he’s not a bargain either.
I dont know about that if he can have the same season as he did last year if not a little better as he gets even more comfortable and as the players in front of him are producing more(pierre and beckahm), hopefully, he might even have a better year offensively and that added to his stellar D he could easily get 12+ on the open market due to his tools and age. and playing great D at a premium position in the out field but i agree at the same time with you
Sure, if he can have a repeat next year, or improvement, that would obviously increase his value. But in looking at his value *right now*, I have trouble believing anybody would offer him $12M/yr or more. He’s a Carl Crawford, but without the consistency.
At the same time, based on his production last year, he’s not nearly the hideous contract he was when he shipped to Chicago.
Theres still time for things to go back to normal.
Listen, I’m a Sox fan, and I’m going to go ahead and tell you that Alex Rios is anything but one of the better center fielders in the game. He doesn’t know how to take an angle forward. He scrambles around like a crazy person. His arm strength AND accuracy is absolutely horrendous, and he doesn’t have any confidence. Bam.
He’s lazy and stupid, but I always though Rios had a pretty darn good arm myself
Alex Rios? Bargain???
two words you never want to hear
He actually only made $10.2 last year, and then 12 million for the next four years. For a player with all five tools, yes that is a bargain. He was on pace for .300 30-50 season for most of the year. I would say that is worth 10 million.
I think the Sox should just try to lock him up long-term. He’s an excellent shortstop defensively and he posted the best OPS among SS in the AL.
6 year deal worth 50=60 mill+ some incentives I know 6 yrs is long for a 29 year old but he could eventually DH or play in the outfield with his Cannon arm
Whenever I see someone say a low on base, low to average power, defensive and/or speed guy can DH later in their career, I have to assume they’re a NL fan cause they have no concept of the position. Alexei hits for power as a Shortstop, but compared to every other hitter (should he DH) his power is low to average. DH is for a hitter period, not someone whose hitting value is derived from the marginal advantage at their position (see Victor Martinez, catcher).
That’s a pretty good option to have in your contract. Is this only available to international free agents? I imagine this isn’t allowed to drafted players, per MLB rules.
Id much rather see them lock up Alexi for 4 years or so. I have to admit that I wasnt all that impressed at first but this guy can play. If he isnt the best defensive SS in the league, hes close and now that he seems to have found his patience at the plate, he would be one of the players to build around.
Get er done Kenny
Williams would be wise to lock him up long term, he’s going to be a perennial 3+WAR player now that he’s taken a big step forward defensively.
He’s alright, but wheres the veteran leadership, and does he play the game the right way?
^^^^ sarcasm
…No real leadership qualities and doesn’t play the game the right way… but he dates beautiful women.
…and is he the decade’s dominant player, a first-ballot hall of famer and the face of the franchise?
is he grindy enough, does he play Ozzie ball
I could see a 4 year deal around 28-30 mil. Sox have a little leverage with 2.5 mil option and could gamble and see if he could repeat. Most likely he will have a similar year, or have a huge year, and cost them even more. He and Uribe are very comparable players. I know nothing about how contract negotiations work, just my two cents though.
Alexia Ramirez’s head looks like an alien.
……..The White Soxs opening argument in arbitration.
“We dont wanna pay him all that money, we are pretty convinced hes gonna get on the space ship from Space Jam.”
Pay the man Sox.
Give the poor guy the money…he obviously needs a sandwich!
That was fast, they’ll probably talk extension at the end of next season.
This is one of the least surprising bits of news this week, as obvious as Oki Doki being non-tendered.