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Odds & Ends: AL East, Mauer, D’Backs, Sheets

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Some links to read with Opening Day just a month away…

A.J. Pierzynski’s Next Contract

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Look ahead to the catchers who could be free agents after the season, and you'll probably notice Joe Mauer and Victor Martinez. But A.J. Pierzynski will hit the market too and he'll have a case for a multi-year deal if he's as consistent as usual. 

That doesn't mean the White Sox won't bring him back, though. GM Kenny Williams told the Chicago Sun-Times that the team will check in with Pierzynski's representation at some point this season and the catcher has maintained that he would like to re-sign with the White Sox. If not, Tyler Flowers, now 24, could take on a bigger role.

Pierzynski has been remarkably durable and consistent this decade. He averaged 132 games and 12 homers per season from 2001-09, posting a .753 OPS. He's been worth two wins per season more than a replacement level catcher during his White Sox career. That beats Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Kendall and Bengie Molina (though WAR's analysis of catcher defense is incomplete). Those three catchers are also older than Pierzynski, who is just 33, but they all got guaranteed contracts worth $4.5MM or more.

That proves that teams are willing to pay for dependable catchers, even if they're in their mid to late thirties. As a 33-year-old with a history of health and a decent bat, Pierzynski should be in position to command a multi-year deal, even if though it won't approach the one Joe Mauer will sign.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Utley, Matsui, Yankees, Lee

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On this date 44-years ago, Marvin Miller was elected as the first full-time president of the Major League Baseball Players' Association by the player representatives. Miller, who was previously the assistant to the president of United Steelworkers, negotiated the first collective bargaining agreement with the owners in 1968. Within his first ten years on the job, Miller was able to get salary arbitration included in the CBA and helped eliminate the reserve clause, ushering in the age of free agency. He is the reason the MLBPA is as powerful as it is today, but Miller has yet to be enshrined in Cooperstown. 

Here's a looking at what's being written around the web…

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

Guillen: White Sox Will Keep Beckham Around

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The White Sox plan on keeping Gordon Beckham around for a while, according to White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. He told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune not to overreact when Beckham's name comes up in trade rumblings.

"We plan to have Gordon for a long time," Guillen said. "I don't see why people talk about it."

Here's the main reason: Beckham is one of the game's most valuable young players. He posted an .808 OPS as a 22-year-old in his rookie season last year, playing respectable defense at third, a position he'd barely played as a pro.

But Beckham's performance is only part of the reason the White Sox like the idea of keeping him around. He probably won't be arbitration-eligible until after 2012 or eligible for free-agency until after 2015, so the White Sox figure to get a lot of relatively cheap production from Beckham.

Peavy Has Spoken To White Sox About Acquiring Adrian Gonzalez

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MONDAY, 6:08pm: Gonzalez said he is "flattered" by Peavy's campaigning on his behalf, reports Knobler.  But Gonzalez unsurprisingly re-asserted his commitment to the Padres and said he hasn't made any trade demands himself:  "I don't have any control about it. If [the Padres] trade me, they'll let me know after it happens. I don't even want to hear that they're talking about it."

SUNDAY, 5:58pm: GM Kenny Williams first spoke to Peavy about Gonzalez in January, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.  Peavy gave his stamp of approval, but the "feeling around 35th and Shields" was that it would take a package including Gordon Beckham to land the first baseman, and the White Sox weren't willing to go there.

1:58pm: Mark Gonzales at Chicagobreakingsports.com spoke with Peavy about his campaigning for Gonzalez earlier today. Peavy confirmed that he's spoken with Williams about the big first baseman. "I went into recruiting mode," Peavy said.

Peavy speaks highly of Gonzalez as both a player and a person, and says that while Gonzalez loves San Diego, he wants to win and would go anywhere for a chance to do so.

SATURDAY: Jake Peavy has already spoken to White Sox GM Kenny Williams about the idea of acquiring Adrian Gonzalez, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Williams didn't need to hear it from Peavy, because Knobler says he plans to be first in line whenever Gonzalez is made available.

"That's really what we need, a big left-handed hitter," one Sox person said. "They're saying Kenny would give anything to get him, maybe even [Gordon]  Beckham."

Although Chicago's lineup already features the lefty bats of Juan Pierre, A.J. Pierzynski, and Mark Teahen, none of them really qualify as a power bat. Gonzalez would certain rectify that, and since incumbent first baseman Paul Konerko may not be back next season, there's a natural fit. 

If the White Sox offer a package centered around Beckham, it's difficult to see any other team interested in the Padres' first baseman topping it. 

Konerko Open-Minded Entering Walk Year

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Paul Konerko told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he's prepared to move on from the White Sox after the season and willing to listen if the team wants to discuss an extension.

"I've enjoyed my time here," Konerko said. "They might call tomorrow. They might call in the middle of the season. They might never call."

And Konerko is confident that talks won't distract him if his phone rings during the season. But if the White Sox don't call and he doesn't like the opportunities out there, he might not play at all in 2011.

"I wouldn't force something if it's not there," he said.

Konerko, who turns 34 in a week, hit .277/.353/.489 for the White Sox last year, with 28 homers. His defense is about average, according to UZR/150, so he has all-around value. That could distinguish him from players like former teammate Jermaine Dye, whose defensive shortcomings have cost him this winter.

Cuban Links: Ruiz, Anderson, Serrano

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Get out the Spanish-English dictionary and put on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…

  • Morgan Campbell at the Toronto Star posits that Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos' recent scouting trip to the Dominican Republic could mean the team is "closing in" on Jose Julio Ruiz. Yesterday, Ruiz's trainer told the Nuevo Herald that the first baseman's most recent tryout, his "last before signing," was against Blue Jays players. The blog cubanballplayers.com also reported on Tuesday that Ruiz had a private tryout with the Jays. Both the team and Prestige Sports Agency, which represents Ruiz, remain mum on any communication.
  • Cuban first baseman/outfielder Leslie Anderson tells Angel Mazariego of the Mexican newspaper Sipse that he is willing to play in Mexico this season if nothing materializes for him in the majors. Anderson lists the Red Sox, Yankees, Mariners, Dodgers, Giants and Brewers as the teams he knows to have scouted him recently. Mazariego adds the Dodgers and Tigers to the list.
  • Amaury Perez Torres at the Cuban baseball blog Las Avispas cites a "source close to" pitching prospect Juan Yasser Serrano saying that the right-hander has worked out for 10 major league teams this winter. Most recently, the source says, Serrano struck out four in a two-inning simulation for the Cubs on February 19, with a fastball that touched 93.
  • If it seems like there is more chatter about Cuban defectors than ever before, that's no coincidence, writes Campbell in the Toronto Star. In a lengthy article, he outlines how more Cuban players are now aiming at the major leagues thanks to the success of Kendry Morales and Yunel Escobar, neither of whom was a starter in Cuba. Equally significant was the contract that third base prospect Dayan Viciedo signed with the White Sox in 2008. A Cuban baseball expert in Canada tells Campbell that Viciedo made players on the island think, "If he can get $10 million, then what am I worth?"
  • Speaking of Morales, Jorge Arangure Jr. adds a new dimension to the first baseman's recent switch from Hendricks Sports Management to Scott Boras in an article in ESPN the Magazine. Rodney Fernandez, who recruited both Morales and Aroldis Chapman for Kendricks, is being investigated by the MLBPA and Florida police in regard to $300K that disappeared from Morales' bank account.

Odds & Ends: Halladay, House, Felipe Lopez

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Links for Wednesday…

Offseason In Review: Chicago White Sox

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Next in our Offseason In Review series, the White Sox.

Major League Signings

  • J.J. Putz, RP: one year, $3MM.
  • Mark Kotsay, OF: one year, $1.5MM.
  • Omar Vizquel, IF: one year, $1.375MM.
  • Freddy Garcia, SP: one year, $1MM.  Club option exercised.
  • Ramon Castro, C: one year, $1MM.  Includes $1.2MM club option for '11 with $200K buyout.
  • Andruw Jones, OF: one year, $500K.
  • Total spend: $8.375MM (not included in this number is Matt Thornton's $2.25MM club option, as he would've been arbitration-eligible anyway).

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • Mark Teahen, 3B: three years, $14MM.  Bought out two arbitration years and one free agent year.

Trades and Claims

Notable Losses

Summary

The White Sox made a pair of big moves last summer, acquiring Jake Peavy and Alex Rios.  Peavy has three years and $52MM remaining, while Rios has five years and $59.7MM.  While those were huge commitments, GM Kenny Williams was still pretty active this offseason.

Williams managed to spread $8.375MM over six veteran free agents, keeping his risk low.  Williams' riskier moves were the acquisitions of Pierre and Teahen, who will both be given starting jobs.  On the open market, would Pierre have matched the two-year, $8MM commitment taken on by the White Sox?  And why not go year-to-year with Teahen, who hasn't hit like a corner infielder since '06?

Based on CHONE projections and the Baseball Musings lineup analysis tool, the Sox should score around 780 runs in 2010.  That'd place in the middle of the AL and above last year's output, though the projection is probably optimistic since it doesn't account for injuries.  There is a decent chance Chicago's offense remains below-average.  It would've been worth putting the $2MM used on Jones and Kotsay toward a more productive free agent DH.

Using CHONE projections for earned runs while tweaking their innings estimates, it does seem reasonable to envision the club ranking second in the AL again in starter ERA.  The highest projection among their front four is Gavin Floyd's 4.33.  Bullpen-wise, the addition of Putz and a full season of Tony Pena offsets the losses of Dotel and Carrasco.  Defensively, the Sox will benefit from the subtraction of Dye.

The 2010 White Sox will potentially suffer subpar production at traditionally offensive spots – left field, third base, and designated hitter.  They still look like contenders, but it'll be on the strength of their run prevention.

Odds & Ends: Tigers, White Sox, Lannan, Looper

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Monday night linkage..

  • The Tigers went from sellers to buyers this offseason, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.
  • Hank Blalock's former teammates are surprised to see him still without a job, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.  Earlier today we heard that the Rays and Marlins are thought to have interest in the 29-year-old.
  • Pitcher Cha Seung Baek tried out for the Mariners today, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com.  Baek last pitched in the majors in 2008 and was released by San Diego in October of 2009.
  • Chuck Garfien of CSNChicago.com spoke to White Sox GM Ken Williams, who said that he nearly pulled off a deal that would have possibly given the club the best rotation in the history of the game.  Williams wouldn't name names, but Garfien believes that he was referring to Roy Halladay.
  • Nats pitcher John Lannan has decided to part ways with agent Andrew Mongelluzzi and latch on with Brodie Van Wagenen of Creative Artists Agency, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.  Lannan will be arbitration-eligible after the 2010 season and become a free agent after the 2013 campaign.
  • While the Dodgers remain in contact with Braden Looper's representation, the chances for a deal are slim as they cannot offer him a spot in the rotation or the salary he wants, writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
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