Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

White Sox Rumors

Jacque Jones Trade Near?

By | at

According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times yesterday, the Cubs are trying to trade another position player by Monday so they can add a 12th pitcher.

That position player probably is our good friend Jacque Jones.  Wittenmyer named the Padres, Rangers, and White Sox as interested parties.  Bruce Miles adds the Mets to the mix.  The Cubs would have to eat some of the $7.2MM or so remaining on Jones’ contract, which runs through 2008.  Another option would be to move shortstop Cesar Izturis, who has about $2.6MM left on his deal (assuming his ’08 option is bought out).

Buster Olney yesterday mentioned that the Cubs were one of the teams in one Milton Bradley, in addition to the Yankees and Padres.  Bradley is still fair game, and the Cubs may be looking to replace Jones with him.

Red Sox Emerge As Top Buehrle Suitor

By | at

Here’s something we didn’t see coming.  According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Red Sox have emerged as the frontrunner for southpaw Mark Buehrle.  They’ve jumped ahead of the Braves and Mets on the strength of their farm system. 

Cowley says talks between Buehrle and the White Sox regarding an extension are basically dead.  Now Boston has taken center stage, even sending assistant GM Allard Baird to watch Buehrle’s last start (a typical fine effort from him). 

Cowley believes a major motivation for the Red Sox is keeping Buehrle away from the Yankees.  The Red Sox would apparently give him a five year extension.  Possible targets for Kenny Williams: Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Jed Lowrie.  In my opinion: two of those guys, done deal.  Buchholz is arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors, and would make White Sox fans forget about Buehrle fairly quickly. 

Williams plans to sit back and listen to all offers first, of course.  According to Cowley, at least seven teams have made serious contact.

Rosenthal’s Latest

By | at

Ken Rosenthal has a new column up.  A summary appears below.

  • Rosenthal thinks the Tigers are unlikely to acquire Eric Gagne or Akinori Otsuka, perhaps preferring to look at internal options.  That’s a shame, as I think they really need to add someone.
  • The White Sox won’t be granting a 72 hour negotiating window if they trade Mark Buehrle.  Strictly a rental.  That could limit the market for him, but Kenny Williams will come up with at least one quality prospect.
  • The Dodgers don’t seem likely to trade for Adam Dunn or Jermaine Dye, but could go after Mark Teixeira.  Dye seems most likely to end up in the NL West somehow, but only if he is healthy and hitting.
  • Possible Dontrelle Willis suitors: the Rockies or Diamondbacks.  They’ve got the young trading chips, and the need in the present day.  The Rox could offer Aaron Cook plus prospects, and the D’Backs could try Livan Hernandez and youngsters.  If the D’Backs dare offer up Justin Upton, the Marlins would jump.  Of course, D-Train needs to be healthy and the Marlins would need to fall out of contention.
  • Barry Bonds’s agent really doesn’t see a trade happening.  Well, no one does, but it’s fun to speculate.  Rosenthal thinks only the Yankees could accomodate him.
  • Aside from the Pirates and Padres, the Astros, Cardinals, and Rangers could go after Milton Bradley. 
  • Rosenthal has a GM source who thinks the Reds could wait until this winter, exercise Adam Dunn’s $13MM option for ’08, and then trade him.  Dunn, however, would gain no-trade protection until June 15, 2008 and then be able to block 10 teams thereafter.
  • Troy Glaus isn’t going anywhere.  Even if the Jays wanted to trade him, his contract is prohibitive.
  • The Indians or Rockies could trade for Octavio Dotel for bullpen depth.  Dotel is developing into a fine trading chip for Dayton Moore, just as planned.  The Tribe has had interest in Dotel in past offseasons. 

What About Other White Sox Pitchers?

By | at

A couple of Chicago newspapers raised a logical possibility today: what if the impending White Sox fire sale extends beyond those who will become free agents?  Specifically, the Sox have three veteran starting pitchers under contract and any of them could be traded. 

Take Javier Vazquez.  He’s a fine addition to any team looking for a complementary, solid, healthy pitcher.  Vazquez is signed through 2010 at $11.5MM annually, about the market rate.  He’ll turn 31 soon, and has no health issues.  His strikeout rate is strong, his walk rate low.  Granted he’s HR prone and his ERA never quite seems to match his other stats, but he’s plenty valuable.

There’s Jon Garland, who’s only 27 and has quietly posted a 3.51 ERA.  I’m quite skeptical, because his strikeout rate is at a career low but his hit rate is too.  That’s not sustainable.  Nonetheless, he can really eat up innings and has been healthy for years aside from minor concerns this spring.  Garland makes $10MM this year and $12MM in ’08.   

Jose Contreras is the riskiest White Sox pitcher.  Contreras earns $9MM this year, $10MM in ’08, and $10MM in ’09.  His control this year has been his worst since ’04, and his strikeout rate is a career worst.  He’s 35 and looks like he’s 40.  He is compensating for his declining skills by getting more groundballs. 

Any of these three could be available in the coming weeks.  Williams might find that he can get much better prospects in return for pitchers who will not walk after 2007.  Imagine what he could get if he were to package two of them.  That would be almost unprecedented.

Latest From Gammons

By | at

The man himself, Peter Gammons, had a blog posting on Saturday that I neglected to mention here.

  • Gammons mentions some suitors for Mark Buehrle: the Mets, Cardinals, and Mariners.  He draws the Jermaine Dye/Padres connection we have seen in the past.
  • Gammons believes the Astros will move one of Brad Lidge, Dan Wheeler, or Chad Qualls.  However, that was written before Lidge hit the DL for a strained oblique.  Houston would also love to move Morgan Ensberg, but that’s nothing new.
  • The Dodgers are looking for a corner infield slugger, but aren’t interested in Troy Glaus or Scott Rolen.  Adam Dunn isn’t in the Dodgers’ plans, either.  Dunn’s defensive limitations really seem to be hindering a deal.  If they are going to give up multiple young future stars, it’s going to take Mark Teixeira.  In other words, they’d go all-in. 
  • Bill Stoneman is "cautiously looking for a bat."  Cautious is the name of the game with Stoneman.  It’s a seller’s market for power hitters.  Imagine what the Marlins could get for Miguel Cabrera. 

Stark’s Latest

By | at

ESPN’s Jayson Stark has his latest Rumblings and Grumblings column up, and it’s chock full o’ rumors.

  • Stark speaks to one NL exec who thinks any Barry Bonds trade rumor is hogwash.  That source believes that there would be no market for him.  Personally, I don’t buy it.  There would only be $8MM or so left on the deal, and as a two-month DH Bonds could make a huge impact on a contender.  And he did indicate he’d waive his no-trade clause.
  • Word is that the Mets wouldn’t trade Lastings Milledge for an impending free agent – Mark Buehrle included.  Milledge could go in a Dontrelle Willis deal though.
  • The Braves are seen as a more likely suitor for Buehrle, once he’s truly made available in a week or two.  Atlanta won’t settle for a Mike Maroth type.  What would the Braves give up for Buehrle?  Kenny Williams should pry away Jarrod Saltalamacchia if he can.  Otherwise a package involving Brent Lillibridge or Brandon Jones would make sense.
  • Meanwhile, the market on Jermaine Dye seems tepid.  It would help if he was healthy and hitting.  Ah, alliteration.
  • Stark debunks the popular Ken Griffey Jr. to Atlanta rumor.  He says the Braves aren’t looking for big contract commitments and are more focused on pitching than offense.  Rightfully so.
  • The Yankees have added Scott Hatteberg to their list of first base targets.  As if they needed more OBP. 

Should White Sox Break Their Rules For Buehrle?

By | at

The White Sox have a rule: no contracts exceeding three years for pitchers.  This is because they signed Jaime Navarro for four years before the 1997 season and Navarro was terrible.

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune urges Jerry Reinsdorf to break the rules and give Mark Buehrle a five-year deal.  Rogers feels that Buehrle compares to Billy Pierce and Tom Glavine, southpaws who remained successful for their age 29-33 seasons.  Baseball Prospectus equates Buehrle with Jim Kaat, who was also better than average at that age.  Even #2 comp Jerry Reuss would’ve been a strong buy for his age 29-33 seasons.

Rogers thinks the Sox should offer five years and $75MM, publicly.  If Buehrle chooses the free market over that, the team at least made a legitimate, reasonable offer.  Even better would be to pull off a four-year agreement.  One problem is that Buehrle is riding high on a .264 BABIP, and it’s giving him an artificially low ERA.  Regardless, the Sox do not seem likely to pony up that kind of cash for Buehrle.  While signing him truly could work out, it’s quite possible Kenny Williams could better allocate that money and fill his spot internally.

There was chatter involving both 1993 expansion teams and Buehrle this morning.  Buster Olney quotes a rival GM pondering whether the Marlins could make a surprising play for him.  Right now GM Larry Beinfest still thinks his club is a contender.  Meanwhile, Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post urges the Rockies to acquire Buehrle as part of a playoff push.  It would definitely be an unexpected move, but the Rockies are two games over .500 and only 5.5 out.

A final note on the White Sox: Mark Gonzales reports that scouts from the Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, Orioles, and Devil Rays were in attendance at the White Sox-Marlins game last night.  Those scouts could’ve been looking at a number of Sox players.  Or perhaps Marlins starter Dontrelle Willis.

White Sox Trade Winds

By | at

Tons of articles today about the plans of Kenny Williams and the Chicago White Sox.

Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune speaks of a rumor involving both Mark Buehrle and Jermaine Dye going to the Mets for prospects.  This one may have originated on ESPN.  Or maybe it’s a contortion of Saturday’s Newark Star-Ledger rumor.  When you see a rumor like that, a red flag should go off.  Why would Williams trade both in a package deal?  Maximum value is extracted with separate deals. 

Both van Dyck and Buehrle himself give much credence to this particular trade talk.  Buehrle wants to stay, but chances are slim because he’s looking for a five-year contract.  He deserves it, but it’s not the White Sox way.  Five years, $70MM sounds appropriate.  Poor guy’s got a kid coming soon; I’m sure he’d rather not go through this.

Van Dyck also reports that GMs have been "circling Williams like vultures."  At least publicly, Williams is saying that he has not yet decided whether to wave the white flag on the 2007 season.  The Sox are 10.5 games out in the AL Central and 9.5 games out of the wild card.  It would take a miracle.  Williams, Ozzie Guillen, and Paul Konerko met yesterday to discuss the current club and came up empty on fresh ideas.  If Scott Podsednik and Darin Erstad don’t spark the lineup when they return later this month, the Sox will likely officially give up.

Williams has more to offer than his future free agents (Buehrle, Dye, and Tadahito Iguchi.)  He’s also receiving interest in some of his relievers.  Perhaps Mike MacDougal or Matt Thornton could be sent packing. 

Mets Inquire On Buehrle, Lidge

By | at

Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger writes that the Mets have inquired as to the availability of starter Mark Buehrle as well as reliever Brad Lidge.

According to Graziano, a Buehrle acquisition would allow the Mets to move Jorge Sosa to the bullpen, helping two areas at once.  Apparently Omar Minaya has been a big Buehrle fan for a while.  Something involving Lastings Milledge would make a ton of sense.  Would a Mike Pelfrey or Philip Humber be required as well? 

Kenny Williams and Omar Minaya have matched up a couple times before, when Minaya was GM of the Expos.  The Sox plucked Bartolo Colon and Carl Everett from the Expos in separate deals, sending away Rocky Biddle, Orlando Hernandez, Jon Rauch, and Gary Majewski.  With over a month to spare, it sounds like Williams will sit back and see what offers come to him.  On the other hand, the acquiring team can’t afford to wait.

Graziano says the Mets believe Lidge would be very comfortable working behind Billy Wagner, his former mentor.  The availability of Lidge is still in question however.

Olney Speculation: Dye To Diamondbacks

By | at

Buster Olney had an idea today worth discussing.  With the Diamondbacks in the thick of a pennant race and Carlos Quentin pressing, how about acquiring Jermaine Dye from the White Sox as a rental?

GMs Josh Byrnes and Kenny Williams seem to get along, matching up on the Javier Vazquez/Chris Young deal in December of ’05 and the smaller Alex Cintron trade in spring 2006.  Olney believes Williams is ready to trade Dye now.  So far the Padres and Dodgers seem to be the main contenders, so keeping Dye away from those clubs would provide an additional benefit.

Earlier this month Williams said he wouldn’t be trading for prospects, but I don’t think that rules out good young players.  The Diamondbacks won’t be returning Chris Young, but they do have expendable quality guys like Alberto Callaspo, Mark Reynolds, and Scott Hairston.  However, I have a feeling KW would ask for Micah Owings given the demand for Dye.  25 year-old reliever Tony Pena could be a target as well.  Dustin Nippert is another intriguing arm for the White Sox, even if the results haven’t been there recently. 

Owings may be off limits or simply too much for an impending free agent.  But two of the other players mentioned above would make a nice package for Dye.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top