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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.

Andruw Jones Wants To Play Five More Years

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Andruw Jones told MLB.com's Scott Merkin that he hopes to play for five more years. The 33-year-old hits free agency after the season and says he would like to stay in the Windy City.

“I would like to be here again and be a part of the Chicago White Sox," Jones said. "Hopefully, we can finish strong and make the playoffs and get on a streak."

As Jones pointed out to Merkin, he is no longer a threat to hit 50 home runs, but he still has value. In 171 games since the beginning of the 2009 season, Jones has hit 35 home runs and posted a .214/.322/.466 line. The power is still there, and at $500K plus incentives this year, he has been a bargain.

Jones suggests that he'd like to see more playing time, but that seems unlikely with Manny Ramirez about to join the White Sox. Still, as long as Jones' contract demands remain reasonable, teams should have interest in him as a bench bat and part-time outfielder. Jones is not the defensive standout he was when he won ten consecutive Gold Gloves, but UZR suggests that he is still a capable outfielder.

Kenny Williams Talks Manny Ramirez

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Manny Ramirez did not ask for compensation from the White Sox when he waived his no-trade clause to come to Chicago. GM Kenny Williams said Ramirez and agent Scott Boras did not ask for an extension or anything but the chance to play. It’s not surprising, since Ramirez was no longer contributing in L.A. and now has the chance to build his free agent value down the stretch.

The White Sox could have sent the Dodgers a prospect in exchange for some salary relief, but Williams says he’d prefer to keep the talent and spend the money nine times out of ten.

“Talent is hard to come by and when you get higher-end talent, you try to do your best to hold onto it,” Williams said.

Williams expects Ramirez to adjust his appearance to respect the club’s policy. But even if he shortens his dreadlocks or cuts them off completely, the GM realizes Ramirez is no cookie cutter player.

“Is there a [perfect] fit anywhere for a personality like Manny?” Williams asked. “What’s wrong with a little flair?”

The Red Sox and Dodgers might have some answers to Williams' rhetorical question, but the White Sox aren’t worried about any of their new DH's history. When Ramirez joins his new team in Cleveland tomorrow, he’ll join a group intent on winning in 2010. And if all goes well for the White Sox, they could even bring Ramirez back next year.

“I go into this with an open mind,” Williams said. “Let’s see how it goes, let’s see how it fits.”

White Sox Acquire Manny Ramirez

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The White Sox officially acquired Manny Ramirez from the Dodgers, tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale.  MLB Network's Peter Gammons tweets that the Sox decided to take on Manny's entire salary in lieu of surrendering a prospect, so this is a straight waiver claim.  $3.8MM of Ramirez's $20MM salary remains, though three-quarters of that is deferred without interest.  The move bears some similarity to Chicago's waiver claim of Alex Rios from the Blue Jays on August 10th of last year – both players were simply handed over for salary relief.  In this case, Ramirez waived his no-trade rights without compensation.

Ramirez has worn out his welcome at each of his three previous stops, as chronicled by Yahoo's Jeff Passan.  Still, he represents the best possible designated hitter upgrade the White Sox could have made.  Manny is still a near-lock for a .400 OBP and .500 slugging percentage, and he may be motivated by his impending free agency and damaged reputation.  The White Sox are running out of time to close the 4.5 game gap with the Twins.  With 32 games remaining, Baseball Prospectus pegs Chicago's playoff chances at 8.9%.

Arbitration Eligibles: Chicago White Sox

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A look at the small group of White Sox players who will be arbitration-eligible after the season…

Look for relievers Jenks and Pena to be non-tendered - Jenks because he's already earning $7.5MM, and Pena because he's had a rough year.  With J.J. Putz eligible for free agency, the Sox may have to revamp their bullpen again.

Danks, as well as Tampa Bay's Matt Garza, may be willing to buck the extension trend and go to arbitration a second time.  Recent compares are scarce, but both could earn $6MM or so.  That'd put Danks about $1.5MM up on teammate Gavin Floyd, who will earn $8.5MM for the same slice of his career after signing a four-year deal in March of last year.  As of November of '09, Danks hoped to sign long-term with the Sox.

Quentin's .251 career batting average will hurt his arbitration argument, but with a likely 100 home runs and 300 RBIs under his belt he'll have a case for beating the $1.65MM raise earned by Josh Willingham and Luke Scott last winter.

Heyman On Ramirez, Yankees, Diamondbacks

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Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated has a new column up this evening.  Let's dive in and see what he has for us..

  • Heyman writes that a deal sending Manny Ramirez to the White Sox would be in the best interests of all parties involved.  Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has lamented the monster deal given to Ramirez ever since he signed off on it, so it wouldn't make sense to hang on to him, particularly when they're not playing him regularly.  Some close to the slugger believe that the Dodgers are simply trying to rankle him enough so that he'll happily leave.  If that is indeed the plan, then it seems to be working.  Earlier today it was reported that Ramirez is telling friends that he can't wait to join the White Sox.
  • Dodgers starter Ted Lilly would be a great get for the Yankees but he likely wouldn't make it down to them.  Even if it were to fall all the way to the Bombers, there's little chance the Dodgers would deal him anyway. With Andy Pettitte sidelined, the Yankees could certainly use a pitcher before the deadline strikes.
  • The Padres' success on the field makes former GM Kevin Towers look good and could boost his candidacy for future openings.  Heyman opines that Yankees' scouting director Damon Oppenheimer would be a fine choice for the job as well.
  • By putting in a claim on Ramirez, the Rays showed that they are serious about winning this season.  Their window may be closing as Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, and Rafael Soriano can all leave via free agency after this season.

Multiple Teams Interested In Troy Glaus

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Multiple American League teams have some interest in Troy Glaus, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Glaus has been on the disabled list since August 18th, but has been hitting well on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett.

When Glaus returns from the DL, the Braves plan to give him some playing time at third base and as a pinch-hitter. However, given his defensive limitations, he would make more sense for an AL contender in need of some power at first base or designated hitter. The Red Sox, Rays, Twins, White Sox, and Rangers could all be fits, particularly at Glaus' affordable price – he has about $340K remaining on his $1.75MM deal.

We've yet to hear whether or not Glaus has passed through waivers already in August. Buster Olney of ESPN.com reported earlier in the month that players could not clear waivers while on the disabled list, but Morosi later indicated that, as long as the player exhibited good health, he could be placed on waivers prior to being activated. Given Glaus' .391 average and two homers on his rehab assignment, he appears to be healthy, so that shouldn't be a roadblock.

White Sox, Phillies Eyeing Relief Options

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The White Sox and Phillies, having recently placed relief pitchers on the disabled list, are looking into acquiring bullpen help, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Phillies placed Danys Baez on the 15-day DL Friday, while Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz, and now Erick Threets are out for the Sox.

One team who may match up with both clubs, and the White Sox in particular, is the Toronto Blue Jays. We heard this weekend that Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Kevin Gregg, and Shawn Camp were all claimed on waivers by unknown teams. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Sox, who have waiver priority over the American League's other contenders, placed claims on one or more of Toronto's arms, though ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link) doesn't expect the Jays to make any trades.

The Reds may also kick the tires on available bullpen options; Morosi adds in a second tweet that they're open to upgrading their 'pen. George Sherrill and Brian Tallet are among the relievers we know have cleared waivers and can be traded to any club.

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