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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rasmus, Manny, Phillies

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On this date in 1969, the Mets moved into sole possession of first place for the first time in franchise history. They swept the Expos in a doubleheader to move ahead of the Cubs by a full game in the NL East. The Miracle Mets went on to defeat the Orioles in the Fall Classic for the first World Championship in their history, more than eight years after they played their first ever game.

Let's take a look at some links from around the baseball netweb…

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The White Sox And A.J. Pierzynski

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Not long ago, it seemed unlikely that the White Sox would have room for A.J. Pierzynski after 2010. They had Tyler Flowers, a minor league catcher who ranked among baseball's best prospects. Flowers, 24, was coming off his second consecutive season with a .900 OPS and seemed ready to hit in the majors.

But Flowers has slumped in Triple A this year and Pierzynski has posted the lowest on base and slugging percentages of his career. The White Sox appeared to have two sure things just five months ago, but now a lot of that certainty has vanished. Despite his slump, Flowers is hitting .220/.334/.434 with 16 homers in Triple A, so the White Sox don't have to fret too much. Their catching prospect can still hit – he has just struggled to produce like he did earlier in his minor league career, when he posted an .800 OPS everywhere he went.

Flowers still hasn't made the transition from heir apparent to everyday player, so GM Kenny Williams will likely want a veteran catcher on the roster going into 2011. The Indians (Carlos Santana) and Giants (Buster Posey) both cautiously ushered young catchers into the majors this year and the White Sox could aim to do something similar. Santana and Posey hit so well in the minors that their teams created space in the majors and called them up by mid-season. 

Pierzynski is still just 33 and he hit well in 2009, but this year he's hitting just .265/.297/.381. He was consistently productive in Chicago from 2005-09 and it's doubtful that the White Sox are going to weigh five so-so months over five full seasons when they decide whether they're interested in re-signing Pierzynski this offseason.

If the White Sox offer Pierzynski, a projected Type A free agent, arbitration, he could accept and return to Chicago on a one-year deal. If he turned it down and signed elsewhere, the White Sox would obtain two high picks in next year's draft.

The White Sox may let Pierzynski walk and rely on Flowers and a veteran catcher, as we would have predicted before the season. But if they don't want to hand the starting catcher's job to a rookie whose minor league numbers are fading, the White Sox can always offer Pierzynski arbitration and deal with the consequences if and when Flowers hits his way to the majors.

White Sox Hope To Retain Garcia

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White Sox GM Ken Williams says that he hopes to re-sign Freddy Garcia after his contract runs out this season, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.  There was some speculation that there might not be room in the rotation for the veteran righthander.

Earlier this month, Garcia told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that a proverbial game of musical chairs could leave him without a place to sit.

"Look around," said Garcia. "Now they got (Edwin) Jackson, another pitcher with a lot of money. So they want to get (Jake) Peavy back next year, who knows? They got (John) Danks, (Mark) Buehrle and (Gavin) Floyd. I don't know what the situation is for me."

Having six starters in the mix would give the White Sox some much needed insurance as Peavy might not be healthy by Opening Day.  Rookie Chris Sale is also likely to being the season in the minors to convert back into a starting pitcher. 

In 25 starts this season, Garcia has turned in a 4.82 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9.  His 142 major league innings so for in 2010 eclipse his combined IP from 2007-2009.

Kepner’s Latest: Astros’ Future, Jackson, Pirates

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Tyler Kepner of the New York Times has some odds and ends from around the baseball universe; let's take a look at some of the highlights:

  • The trades of players like Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt signify that the Astros have finally moved on and are looking ahead. Wandy Rodriguez is the only remaining player who played in the 2005 World Series with the club.
  • General manager Ed Wade refuted speculation that he prefers to trade with the Phillies, the team for which he served as general manager from 1998-2005. Instead, he simply says that the Phillies provided the best offers to improve the Astros. Wade has traded both Oswalt and Brad Lidge to Philadelphia.
  • Wade praises first-year manager Brad Mills for keeping the Astros focused after a 17-34 start to the season. Houston went 17-12 in August and has recently swept both the Phillies and Cardinals.
  • Edwin Jackson is happy to be in Chicago on a fresh start. “It’s like a new season,” Jackson said. Earlier today we heard that Daniel Hudson, one of the players the Diamondbacks received in the deal, is experiencing similar enjoyment in Arizona.
  • Kepner points out that the pitchers acquired from the Yankees in recent years haven't panned out for the Pirates. Ross Ohlendorf has experienced some success, but Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen have both disappointed. All three came to Pittsburgh in the trade for Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady. It's worth pointing out that the other component of that trade was Jose Tabata, who has played very well in his first taste of the big leagues this year.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Francoeur, Lilly, Loney

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On this date two years ago, instant replay was used for the first time in baseball history, resolving a fair or foul call on an Alex Rodriguez home run against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Third base umpire Brian Runge originally called the ball a homer, and that call stood upon further review. Numerous umpire gaffes have some clamoring for expanded use of instant replay, but so far Major League Baseball hasn't budged. 

Here's a look at what's been written around the baseball blogosphere…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

The White Sox’ 2011 Rotation

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The White Sox have five solid starters under team control for 2011 and no impact prospects ready to take over a rotation spot, so Chicago heads into this offseason with a clear sense of Ozzie Guillen's options for next year. Mark Buehrle, Jake Peavy, John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Edwin Jackson can all be retained for 2011 and all but Danks are already under contract.

Freddy Garcia's contract is up after the season, but he has said he'd like to return to the White Sox. The team doesn't have much MLB-ready pitching in the upper minors, so bringing Garcia back on a one-year deal would make some sense.

The White Sox have called on 27-year-old right-hander Carlos Torres to make occasional starts this year and last year, but he doesn't project as a regular starter. Baseball America explained before the season that Torres "profiles as a long reliever/ sixth starter" and that's how the White Sox have used him. His major league ERA (6.21) is high, but his minor league numbers are more respectable (3.52 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 4.0 BB/9).

Chris Sale, the team's 2010 first rounder, has yet to start a pro game, but could be converted back to starting. Sale would need minor experience out of the rotation before starting in the majors, but he could eventually join the team's rotation.

It's not hard to explain why the White Sox don't have much in the way of starting pitching prospects. They have traded a number of young pitchers away since last year, including John Ely, Daniel Hudson and Clayton Richard. However if the White Sox had held onto those pitchers, they wouldn't have Jackson, who has been tremendous for Chicago, or Peavy.

The White Sox could make more trades, of course, but their rotation appears set for 2011. They have to determine whether to sign Garcia or another similar pitcher, but they'll be able to focus on other parts of the team this offseason. That's a good thing, since their catcher, DH and first baseman hit free agency and their entire bullpen could be in flux. 

White Sox Designate Clevelan Santeliz For Assignment

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The White Sox designated righty Clevelan Santeliz for assignment, according to a team press release.  The move created a spot on the 40-man roster for Gregory Infante, who was called up along with Alejandro de Aza and Tyler Flowers.

Santeliz, unfortunately, was designated on his 24th birthday.  The reliever has a 4.65 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 5.9 BB/9, and nine home runs allowed in 50.3 Triple A innings this year.  Heading into the season, Baseball America ranked Santeliz ninth among White Sox prospects.  He has a closer mentality and a fastball/slider combo that can be "eye-popping," but clearly has command issues.

Odds & Ends: Webb, White Sox, Accardo

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Links for waiver trade deadline day, as the Reds prepare for Chapmania…

Odds & Ends: Angels, Edmonds, Chapman

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More links for Monday, as Ryan Zimmerman does some damage to the Sun Life Stadiu(m) scoreboard…

Manny Ramirez Claim Reactions

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The move that sent Manny Ramirez to Chicago wasn't as dramatic as the one that sent him to L.A., but it's still one of the biggest transactions of the summer. Two years ago, we had many teams bidding on Manny and Jason Bay heading to Boston. This year, the Dodgers could only negotiate with the White Sox and no players headed back to L.A., but Manny can still hit at an elite level, so baseball players and writers are buzzing about him:

  • ESPN.com's Keith Law says Ramirez is a definite upgrade for the White Sox, even though his stat line may be inflated since "he's done a lot of his damage this year against pitchers with fringe-average fastballs."
  • Multiple White Sox told MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince that they were pleased to see that Manny will be joining the team.
  • ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says Ramirez's difficult personality is "a gift he just keeps on giving."
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that Ramirez had no choice but to waive his no-trade clause. The 38-year-old has a much better chance of restoring his free agent value in Chicago.
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs believes the White Sox made a "bold, intelligent" decision.
  • Click here to read Kenny Williams' thoughts on the claim.
  • It's time to hear your reaction: did the White Sox make the right decision? Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.
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