After signing a one-year deal worth $4MM that includes a club option for 2015, Scott Downs says he's on board with the White Sox's plan. “The talks that I had about rebuilding, about going young, about needing some extra veteran leadership in the clubhouse and on the field — it all appealed to me,” Downs said on a conference call, according to Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. “I want to win and be a part of something special and I think we have that here.”
- Twins GM Terry Ryan says that even at a projected payroll of about $84MM, the club won't have to unload salary to add another piece, tweets Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
- Ryan also said that as they get ready to take care of their arbitration cases, he's not discussing multi-year deals with Trevor Plouffe, Anthony Swarzak, or Brian Duensing (Twitter links). “I’m not saying it’s an impossibility,” Ryan said, “but we are not talking to any of the three about a multi-year deal."
- The White Sox's level of interest in Masahiro Tanaka remains to be seen, but whatever interest is there has certainly been sparked by the level playing field, Hayes writes.
Based on previous seasons and new TV $, the Twins should have no problem having a payroll between $100 and $125 million. I would put the odds pretty low, but wouldn’t be shocked if they signed either Drew or Garza. That would put them at about $100 million.
I sure hope you’re right. The last couple years it has felt like they really weren’t interested in spending all they could afford to put a better team on the field.
They were more likely worried about spending that could hurt them down the road while being only marginally better on the field. This season seems like a good opportunity to start taking some chances because they have some talented young players about to come up unlike in previous years.
Twins would be wise to make sure they can eventually pay Buxton and Sano. With both of them playing with Mauer, add in some pitching and they will usher in a new era of exciting baseball up in the twin cities. If they shocked the baseball world and won the Tanaka sweepstakes, Wow! Major League Baseball would not know what hit them!
They will have to keep that in mind, but their service clocks haven’t even started yet, so they have 3-4 years before either will make significant money and 6-7 years before they will be free agents. Nobody that they sign now will likely make too much of a difference by then. Even Mauer only has 5 years left on his deal, so he will be a free agent before they have to pay Buxton, Sano, or Alex Meyer.
There are plenty of holes other than pitching and Sano/Buxton that don’t have uber-prospects rocketing thru the system to fill them. Ryan has to keep his eyes open for an upgrade at SS or 2B, for example. And he has to make basic improvements in slugging anywhere in the lineup. Last year’s crater in LF and the four hole has to be filled by Willingham far better than in 13, and if he’s hurt again there’s no good alternative when Arcia is in RF. (I’m not a Colabello/Parmasaen believer.)
Certainly not every prospect is going to pan out, but I think the Twins are generally pretty happy with where they are with Mauer & prospects at every position other than SS and SP.
C-Pinto
1B-Mauer
2B-Dozier/Rosario
3B-Sano
OF-Buxton, Arcia, Hicks, Rosario
SP-Meyer, May, Stewart, Thorpe
Sale Tanaka Quintana Johnson Danks/Paulino/Surkamp/Rienzo…get it done Rick
equal
splenda
Money wont be an issue for the White Sox….really it depends on where Hahn has him valued and if they can convince Tanaka to come here during a rebuild. Although I think the difference between us and the Cubs may be that we wont be rebuilding for much longer. The Cubs rebuild seems to have been pushed back a few years but that can change with FA additions and their young players being called up/playing well. But I’m just glad they are taking a good look even if we dont land him.
Money isn’t much of an issue for about half the teams in the league these days. It’s a very different market than in the past and it’s part of what makes Tanaka’s contract process so fun to watch.
I think the White Sox are a serious dark horse candidate for Tanaka – building around Sale, Abreu, and Tanaka sounds nice.. Rios and Peavy have gone off the books. Konerko’s salary has been substantially reduced and Dunn’s contract expires after 2014. They’ll trade De Aza, who has a projected 4.4 MM in arb.
I don’t think money will be a major impediment for the White Sox — like the article states, the level of interest remains to be seen.
And add into the fact that the white sox could simply salary dump danks and clear even more money. If it can be done for swisher after he god awful season he had with the sox it can be done for a solid left handed pitcher. It won’t be money like you al have said. It might come down to years in another thread on here a poster, sorry I forgot your name, replied to a post about tanaka I wrote saying that reinsdorf does not like to go long term on pitchers. And while he is right traditionally. But recently jerry has allowed his gms to do their jobs. Buehrles last contract with the teams was longer than 4 years which is what jerry likes to cap it at. Danks was longer and so was sale. A core of sale, tanaka, Quintana, Johnson, Abreu, Davidson, eaton, and Garcia is a really good team that should compete sooner than most people thought. Then Hahn could trade one of the guys competing for the 5th spot for A catcher and bullpen piece.
Sign Tanaka… trade Danks, Beckham, De Aza and a prospect in basically three team deal with Houston & Toronto for Aaron Sanchez & Jason Castro. Other pieces would be moved but those are the big names being moved. Something like this: Danks, Beckham & a prospect go to Toronto for Sanchez & a prospect and Houston would end up with De Aza and the prospect from Toronto for Castro.
2014 Sox rotation- Sale, Tanaka, Quintana, Johnson & Rienzo
2015 – subtract either Johnson or Rienzo and add Sanchez.
In next years off season, trade Johnson or Rienzo and get a 1B or LF upgrade. With Konerko and Dunn coming off the books after 2014, they would need a 1B. Abreu would DH’s full time.
I like the idea of acquiring Jason Castro. The White Sox have no clear incumbent at catcher. I’m not sure how it will be done but it would be a great addition.
De Aza along with Beckham (Kepp, Leury, or Semien) are both expendable, but I’m not sure about Danks. Sox would get little in return and would have to eat a big chunk off that hefty salary.
I think Danks is a good rebound candidate. His xFIP indicates he might have been a little unlucky, and the injury couldn’t have helped.
Either way, it’s going to be a big, big problem if there’s a Flowers/Phegley platoon behind the dish.
No chance i would want De AZA at that price. In would have non-tendered him after the Eaton trade. He has very little or no value at all.
De Aza isn’t a giveaway player. He won’t bring that much, but he would bring some interesting players from the low minors; Sox still need farm depth.
I agree, De Aza is an (almost) 20-20 player who posted 2 WAR and entering his prime. I’d almost have him rather than Viciedo, but I think his power potential is still good, as long as he gets some better plate discipline.
De Aza isn’t a giveaway player. He won’t bring that much, but he would bring some interesting players from the low minors; Sox still need farm depth.
Funny Downs calls it a rebuild because as a Chicago native you never hear either club call it a rebuild. The White Sox organization in particular seems loathe to admit it because they often have attendance issues in down years though the Cubs fans are also not showing up. I like Hahns moves this year and I’m a Cubs fan. Though I feel the Cubs might have a brighter future but I’m biased.
I think this is definitely debatable. Generally, good pitching tends to take you very far. The Cubs have a LOT more work to do in that department than the Sox. I would find it hard to disagree position player-wise though.
Good point re. the pitching. I like how the Cubs draft hitting at the top of the draft and then loads of pitchers. I figure a few will hit eventually. I’m curious to see how Sale’s arm holds up and if Danks rebounds for you guys and Edwin Jackson rebounds for my team.
Well, they’re not going to put “rebuild” on their billboards. Hahn has been pretty clear about what they’re doing, though. I heard him asked point-blank on the Score about whether this was a rebuild and he said he doesn’t get hung up on words but pointed to the kinds of moves they’ve made and investments they’e made in areas like scouting, development, and international signings. It’s actually amazing how much he’s done with this team in just the last 7 or 8 months.
Wren not done. Maholm on a 4 year/$48M contract. Get it done, Wren.
That is an outrageous overpay for a decent workhorse starter like Maholm.
Seems like the price of innings-eating pitchers skyrocketed this offseason…
Who is “we”. I hope for the Sox’ sake you’re talking about the Twins.
Who is “we”. I hope for the Sox’ sake you’re talking about the Twins.
Sign Tanaka send Vicedo to Cincy for Bailey and challenge for the central division title if not to be considered the favorite
Viciedo has negative value as a zero WAR player on offense, a negative WAR player on defense, and owner of a high salary.
We could throw in Beckham and Danks and take back Phillips
Beckham, Danks, and Vicedo
For
Bailey, Phillips, minor leaguer
The Reds would never consider that. They are better off playing out the season and getting the draft pick. Bailey will only get traded for a top prospects that save them money.
Tanaka visiting Chicago with the coldest weather in 40 years. Good luck chi town.
Never really thought the White Sox would be a landing spot for Tanaka, but the more I think about it, the more I think it would make a bunch of sense. They’re hiding in the shadows on this one.