2010 Options: Chicago White Sox
Today let's take a look at the 2010 options facing the White Sox after the season.
- Jermaine Dye – $12MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout. The 2010 option was a big factor for Dye when he signed his current extension in August of 2007. It seems possible that he could stay if the White Sox exercise their side. However, with the recent market trend for corner outfielders, a one-year, $11MM deal may seem steep despite Dye's production.
- Matt Thornton – $2.25MM club option with a $250K buyout. There's a good chance this is exercised, and if not Thornton will still be arbitration-eligible.
White Sox Release Mike MacDougal
According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, the White Sox released reliever Mike MacDougal today. He'd been designated for assignment a week ago. The White Sox will assume the $3MM remaining on his contract, less his salary for his new team.
The White Sox acquired MacDougal for pitchers Tyler Lumsden and Daniel Cortes back in July of 2006. That swap and MacDougal's extension were a couple of rare missteps for Sox GM Ken Williams.
Odds & Ends: Nationals, Garcia, Bonds
Links for Wednesday…
- Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com grilled various Nationals about the possibility of the team signing Stephen Strasburg for big bucks.
- Righty Steven Shell elected free agency, while Nats reliever Wil Ledezma accepted a Triple A assignment according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Chico Harlan of the Washington Post discusses the Nationals' bullpen construction in this post.
- Yahoo's Gordon Edes chatted with Evan Longoria as part of his article about David Price and Matt Wieters starting the season in Triple A.
- White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen commented about free agent Freddy Garcia, talking to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star thinks the Royals should sign Barry Bonds, and current team members seem receptive to the idea. In separate columns, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle and Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News try to figure out why Bonds hasn't retired.
Odds & Ends: Minaya, Bradley, McClain
Links for Friday…
- Yahoo's Gordon Edes on what might've been: Alex Rodriguez in Boston.
- MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone interviewed GM Omar Minaya.
- Milton Bradley is not a fan of the Chicago media. He explained why in an exclusive chat with MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
- Rob Bradford of WEEI talks about the scarcity of middle-of-the-order bats on the free agent market, as it relates to the Red Sox.
- Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald wonders if Luis Vizcaino could return to the White Sox.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a Sponichi report indicating that the Hiroshima Carp are in contract talks with minor league veteran Scott McClain.
- Mike Thomas of The Herald News caught up with Shea Hillenbrand and got the player's take on the various incidents in his career.
Odds & Ends: Valuations, Figueroa, Thome
Links for Thursday…
- Forbes' MLB team valuations are out. The Yankees top the list at $1.5 billion, while the Marlins are 30th at $277 million.
- Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News says Nelson Figueroa will refuse the Mets' assignment to Triple A and become a free agent.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports talked to Jim Thome about many topics, including his future and the Cleveland discussion with Manny.
- Peter Gammons spoke to Yankees GM Brian Cashman yesterday at Southern Connecticut State University. This AP article has a few tidbits, but let me know if you find a transcript. Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant has a few quotes.
- MLB.com's David Singh has the story of Darren O'Day's interesting day.
Mike MacDougal Designated For Assignment
According to WSCR 670 out of Chicago, White Sox reliever Mike MacDougal was designated for assignment to make room for Jack Egbert. MacDougal surprisingly broke camp with the Sox, but he's had a rough go of it in five appearances. He's still owed $3MM from the extension signed in December of '06.
Odds & Ends: Hunter, Keppinger, Swisher
Links for Monday…
- Become a fan of MLB Trade Rumors on Facebook! We're up to 9,828 fans.
- Jed Lowrie will have wrist surgery, and Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe learned that he could return by the All-Star break. Julio Lugo, recovering from knee surgery, should be ready to take over soon.
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. says "negotiations between the New York Yankees and Cuban exile prospect Felix Perez have broken down because of the outfielder's problem in obtaining a visa." Perez was set for a bonus north of $3MM, but questions have been raised about his age. The Yanks may have interest in a couple of other Cuban players, Noel Arguelles and Jose Iglesias, once they're declared free agents.
- According to Phil Miller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Torii Hunter would seemingly like to finish his career with the Twins.
- MLB.com's Alyson Footer says sending Drew Sutton to the Reds for Jeff Keppinger was "a great, great deal for the Astros." Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle explains why the move was made.
- Aaron Gleeman weighs in on the Twins' decision to swap out Philip Humber for Juan Morillo.
- David Pinto of Baseball Musings gives his opinion of the Ryan Zimmerman extension.
- South Side Sox and Sox Machine discuss the minor tiff between Ozzie Guillen and Nick Swisher.
- Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News says the Dodgers signed pitcher Chuck Tiffany to a minor league deal. They'd traded him to the Rays in '06 as part of the Danys Baez deal, and the Rays released him in March of this year.
Odds And Ends: Wieters, Guerrero, Gonzalez
A few links for Saturday morning…
- Steve Melewski of MASN.com spoke with the Orioles Director of Player Development, David Stockstill, about Matt Wieters, who left last night's minor league game with an apparent right hamstring cramp.
- More bad news for Angels fans, as Vladimir Guerrero is out for at least a month.
- Luis Gonzalez tells Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post that he's already missing baseball and he wouldn't ask for much salary-wise.
- Ozzie Guillen still doesn't have an answer in center field according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley wrote earlier in the week that the Giants are looking to unload Aaron Rowand.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law discusses high school prospect Donovan Tate, who's the son of former NFL running back Lars Tate. Law says Tate is the "top prep position player in this draft."
White Sox Acquire Andy Phillips
According to MLB.com's Jen Langosch, the Pirates traded utility man Andy Phillips to the White Sox for minor league pitcher Michael Dubee. Phillips had signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh during the offseason. The 32 year-old spent most of his career in the Yankees organization, and also spent time with the Mets and Reds. Dubee joined with White Sox in July of '07, when they sent Tadahito Iguchi to Philadelphia.
Giants Looking To Unload Rowand?
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times:
The San Francisco Giants are looking to unload the $44 million they still owe Aaron Rowand through 2012. The one problem? The Giants would have to be willing to pick up a big chunk of the deal to even get [White Sox GM Ken] Williams on the phone.
I'd venture to say the Giants would have to assume at least half of Rowand's contract to make it viable to the White Sox. The Sox were reportedly in on Rowand when he was a free agent in December of '07. Cowley also does a little speculating, suggesting the Sox should instead bring Washington's Willie Harris back to Chicago once he's healthy. What do you think the Sox should do about center field?