The White Sox and Matt Thornton have agreed to terms on a 2yr/$12M contract extension with an option for 2014. The deal won't affect Thornton's $3M salary for 2011, but will pay him $5.5M annually in 2012 and 2013. The club option for 2014 is worth $6M, with a $1M buyout.

This is fantastic news. Kenny's run of great moves continues.

wish kenny was the gm for the cubs

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This isn't closer money. Scott Downs signed a 3yr/$15M contract, Brian Fuentes signed a 2yr/$10.5M and for some reason Joaqin Benoit signed a 3yr/$16.5M contract and none of them will be closers. Thornton is clearly the better reliever and if he does end up closing that makes this deal even better.

Who knows how much a desperate team would have offered if Thornton were to reach free agency after the season. I'm happy we're not going to find out.

that is not "closer money" have u seen what guys make to set up and close? raphel soriano makes like 11 million per

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Arguably the best left-handed set up man in the majors. Money well spent.
End argument. No need for discussion debating the other side.

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I'm bringin Sellars back..

Probably shouldn't use the Yankees as your example of what a player in a particular position should make.


Thorton is really good no doubt. Probably a good deal especially if he ends up closing this year which I suspect he might

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Team Cutler.

i used soriano because he is great like thorton....kenny cut a good deal. thorton would get paid more money if he hit open market. probally the same deal soriano got

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

so thorton will make about 500 k more than kevin gregg each year for this year and next....outstanding deal by kenny. and everyone outside piniella and hendry know gregg is garbage

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yeah, i concur with the general consensus in this thread, this is another excellent move by the white sox. there's no need to talk closer/setupman salaries, but when you add this alongside the shrewd alexei ramirez contract it's lookin good in the southside.

still tho, i'd have chris sale close and keep thornton in his role so you can use his talents at any point from the 6th-9th as needed.

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actually, i think they knew gregg was meh but as bernstein would say, piniella used marmol as his security blanket in 2009, much like i want ozzie to do with thornton.

this is not just because i fucked up my closer system in the winner's league not knowing that billy wagner retired... fuck. =D

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I love the move. You locked up a guy that could be a dominate closer for a below market closer price.

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Typically, in this type of situation the contract includes some number $$ for GAMES FINISHED. So IF Thornton becomes the premier closer, he gets paid per save or per GAMES FINISHED and you didnt pay for a Closer, so if he loses the job they save some money.

It is done with almost every guy who might Close.

Yes, this was the case with LaToya Hawkins. Who got paid an extra $50K for each one of his 12 blown Saves with the Cubs! because he FINISHED the game! So the guy Blew 12 Saves and got $600K for that!!!

Think Thornton took a deal that pays him less than Jenks got? Ia ms ure some very nice bonuses exist.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I doubt he finished the game for every 12 blown saves.



This is an excellent signing by Kenny. He turned Joe fucking Borchard into Thornton. What an awesome move!

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Didn't Joe Borchard get the biggest signing bonus ever at the time? That's a high price to pay for an above average reliever.

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thorton's agent did him a dis service , thorton will probaly be the 3rd highest paid closer in his own division

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$5million, but that was Ron Schueler. Not a Kenny Williams doing.

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It's 2 more years of cost control for one of the premier left handed flamethrowers out there.
What's amazing about watching Thornton, he's basically a 1-pitch pitcher.

'06: 8.17
'07: 8.79
'08: 10.29
'09: 10.82
'10: 12.02

Those are his STRIKEOUT/9 numbers the last 5 years. That's what you call getting it done.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Soria and Nathan are two of the best in the game, but I think Soria is still in his arbitration years.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

nathan has not pitched in a LONG time, he was very good 2 years ago, and i was refering to valverde as making equal money

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AWESOME MOVE!

2 BS, 3rd Bad Appearance and this was not just one bad pitch and he lost a game, this was 4 hits, 5 runs over .2 innings.

Where is my guy Ranger to tell everyone not to worry? Read enough posts here to say that is no longer the case already.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Wow bigfan. Excellent insight here

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See, now you know how the rest of us Cubs fans feel.

I'll be a meatball, but nowhere near as bad as bigfan.

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The challenge is being an entertaining/funny meatball.

I am very mildly so. bigfan is neither.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

So this was a bad move by Kenny because Alexei threw a ball away, and Pierre dropped a pop-up? If these routine plays are made, the inning is over, and Johnson never bats.

bigfan = Captain Meatball

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Along with being smart, which bigfan's recent comment was anything but.

5 runs yes bigfan, all unearned.

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