Now the interesting stuff begins. Do you pick up Floyd's option? Make an offer to AJ? What to do at 3B?

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Picking up Floyd's option is a no-brainer. The question is do they keep him or trade him. I say they keep him and see how the season plays out. If they keep him and he becomes a free agent I'm pretty sure he will be one of the rare players that will qualify for draft pick compensation.

They absolutely make AJ an offer but he'll probably get more money from someone else. If that's the case sign a veteran catcher to backup Flowers.

Try to resign Youkilis. If he signs with someone else give Morel another shot but have a veteran utility player on hand who can step in.

Yes to Floyd. He is frustarting at times but unhittable when he's on. His contract is also a very tradeable one.

Buyout Peavy, but make an offer.

I'd let Youk walk. He was hot for the first few weeks the Sox had him, but really looked broken down by August.

AJ is going to get $6-8million a year for at least 2 possibly 3 years. He took a discount to stay with the Sox a couple years ago. I'd love to have him back, but he will not be worth that kind of money. Get a verteran catcher and platoon him with Flowers

GET A BETTER BENCH. Ventura needs to have a viable option to rest the regulars. Fukudome, Hudson, Olmedo, etc are NOT viable options on the bench. The regulars ran out of gas because they really couldn't afford to take a day off. The bench and middle relief must be upgraded for next season.

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Tori Hunter?? The Angels are supposedly thinking about unloading him. He would be awfully close to where his son will be playing his college football and baseball if he were on the South Side.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

That would be such a KW move, getting a guy he's lusted for, years later. The problem is then, somebody else has to go. Rios, Dunn, Viciedo, DeAza.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Frank, I think Peavy, Floyd, Pierzynski & Youkilis are all goners, regardless if the White Sox make offers. I wouldn't be shocked if Francisco Liriano, Brett Myers & Matt Thornton are also sent packing, too.

As for the bench, I know many White Sox fans bitched & moaned to The SCORE's Chris Rongey when Ozzie did it and RV didn't do as much until the Sox were out of the money Monday night. I'm sure you remember the "Sunday lineup" , featuring quite a few reserves instead of the regulars. RV did it sparingly with Orlando Hudson, Ray Olmedo & Eduardo Escobar, now with the Twins, giving Gordon Beckham a breather at 2B as well as Youkilis at 3B.

Of the regular players that seemed to be in there every single day, SS Alexei Ramirez, RF Alex Rios & 1B/DH Adam Dunn RARELY got 1 day off, let alone 2 until the Sox were out of contention. The last 2 games in Cleveland, Rios, Beckham, Youkilis & Pierzynski weren't in RV's lineup, while Ramirez & Dunn sat out the final game. The last 2 games of that series appeared to be not only a makeshift lineup, but a lineup with no more than 2 regulars in it.

The point I'm trying to make is that for many of the regulars down the stretch, they seemed to be drained physically, but RV kept putting his regulars in there because they were in the business of trying to win games, not play for roster spots next year. I hope RV better utilizes his bench and gives his regulars a breather from the lineup so they don't wear out like they did the last 2 weeks. When the Sox lost that off day September 17th due to that makeup game vs. the Tigers as a result of a rain out the preceding Thursday, I think that was the beginning of the end.

I would keep Myers. He was damn good in the 8th inning for the Sox and he has closed before. The back end of that 'pen with Jones, Myers, Reed could be pretty good next year.

Alexei needs to be better next year. His numbers ended up looking OK but he was awful in the clutch for just about all of 2012. He can stop spinning on double plays anytime he wants as well.

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I wouldn't mind trading Alexei if somebody is in a hard spot for a SS.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

I thought only Cubs fans were more interested in the off season than the regular season.

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Frank, I'm pretty sure he had the highest average on the team with runners in scoring position.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Rios .348
Ramirez .336

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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

In any case, he had an inordinate amount of RBI for a guy with a .290 OBP. You could make a case for him as the most "clutch" guy on the team. He certainly performed at a higher level with men on base.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

http://t.co/Sw4G2mVd

Nightengale: A-Rod likely a Bronx goner


Tim Fuller, USA TODAY Sports

A-Rod sat once again in Game 4 of the ALCS, leaving him absolutely humiliated, becoming the richest man ever benched in baseball postseason history.

by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports

Updated: 10/18/2012 01:41am



DETROIT -- Take a good, long hard look at him.

This will be the last time you'll ever see Alex Rodriguez in a New York Yankees uniform.

We might have already seen him play his last game for the Bronx Bombers.

The Yankees, desperate for offense, and set to play in an elimination game Wednesday night, benched their greatest and most expensive star for the second consecutive game.

Though Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers was postponed by rain, the Yankees already tipped their hand and had him on the bench, leaving A-Rod humiliated.

The Yankees are making it loud and clear they want Rodriguez out as quickly as possible.

Rodriguez, his pride and ego damaged beyond repair, is now telling close friends that he won't stand in the way.

Rodriguez, who has a full no-trade clause, won't ask to be traded, a person familiar with Rodriguez's thinking told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation.

A-Rod has enough image problems without adding to his blooper reel.


Yet, when you are benched in the biggest games of the season, or removed for pinch-hitters in the most crucial situations, why would you want to play where you're not wanted?

"I come to the ballpark feeling I can help the team win,'' Rodriguez said, engulfed by reporters, "and when you see your name is not in the lineup, obviously it's disappointing.

"I want to play. I'll always believe the lineup is better with me in it.''

The Yankees aren't even giving Rodriguez a chance to fail anymore, with Yankee general manager Brian Cashman using a public forum to say: "That doesn't mean he's done. That he's finished. That he is not capable. ... Right now we are adjusting to what we're seeing.''

Rodriguez, in turn, is adjusting to the Yankees' actions.

He will welcome a trade, the person says, but it must to be to another big-market club. Hint: He won't be going to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The most likely choices would be the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cashman vehemently denied a report by Keith Olbermann for MLB.com that said the Yankees have already discussed a deal to the Miami Marlins.

"I've had no discussions whatsoever with the Florida Marlins,'' Cashman said, but then again, didn't deny talks with the Miami Marlins. "I can tell you there are no discussions whatsoever, 100% false. We are not down the line on any trade talks on any of our players, including Alex.''


What Cashman failed to say was, "If the Marlins truly want him, we'll purchase 10,000 season tickets for you, and take manager Ozzie Guillen, too."

The deal that makes the most sense is trading A-Rod to the Angels for outfielder Vernon Wells. The Angels don't want Wells, who has two years and $42 million remaining in his deal. They need a power-hitting third baseman, and want to make room in the outfield for free agent Torii Hunter, who has been offered only a one-year contract at a heavy pay cut from his $18 million salary, while seeking at least a two-year deal.

The Yankees would gladly take Wells for Rodriguez, but the problem, of course, will be money: How much will the Yankees have to kick in? Rodriguez has five years, $114 million remaining on his deal, and four general managers and executives say that Rodriguez is probably worth about $7 million to $10 million a year, and certainly not more than $12 million.

"I'm sure there's going to be a lot of speculation where A-Rod might go,'' says Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, who signed Rodriguez to that staggering 10-year, $250 million contract in 2000 while with the Texas Rangers. "Who knows what will happen?

"We used to go to the winter meetings and make trades. Baseball has always had the best off-season of any sport. But now with some of these contracts, we've become like the NBA. You take my two guys, I'll take yours, and we'll release them at the end of the year.

"They're not trades. They're business deals.''

It was quite a different picture, back in 2000, when Rodriguez signed his deal. He was 24 years old. He was the best player in baseball. Melvin and his staff told owner Tom Hicks that Rodriguez was easily a $20-million-a-year player. Hicks paid him $25 million a year instead, figuring he'd be worth the extra loot in ticket sales and marketing, with Rodriguez even vowing to move to Texas.

Rodriguez bought a house in Dallas, just as he promised, he just never happened to live in it.

Yet, while the Rangers never won anything while Rodriguez was around, he still was a star. He led the American League in homers each of his three years in Texas, with 52, 57 and 47 homers in 2001-2003, and drove in 395 runs.

"I can't say it was an awful contract,'' Melvin told USA TODAY Sports, "he was the Mike Trout of baseball. From 25 to 31 (years old), he was the best player in baseball, and playing a premium position. "We viewed it as a seven-year contract, not a 10-year deal. We knew he would opt out.''

It was the Yankees who panicked, and blew it, when A-Rod opted out after the 2007 season. He bluffed, and the Yankees went for the bait, giving him a 10-year, $275 million contract that pays him until the age of 42.

"When a player gets to the age of 32 to 34,'' Melvin said, "you start to get concerned about the age factor. You start to see injuries. And if they're locked into a long-term deal, those contracts are very hard to walk away from.''

Welcome to the Yankees' world.

They have the highest-paid player in baseball history who never plays, but has become a sideshow for the tabloids. The latest escapade was getting caught in Game 1 by the New York Post for flirting with two women after he was removed as a pinch-hitter.

Rodriguez denied it, but no one else has, only for Yankee executives to say that A-Rod isn't being benched for his pick-up lines.

When you have to wonder if it's the poor production or the off-field distractions, well, it's time to go. The circus is over.

The Yankees are making it clear they want Rodriguez out as soon as possible.


Unless the Yankees pay a considerable amount of money, around $100M, then no thanks.

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Hope is a dangerous thing.

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Lowering ticket and parking prices

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... es-in-2013

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@whitesox: The #WhiteSox have agreed to terms on a two-year, $29-million contract extension with an option for 2015 with @JakePeavy_44

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Fantastic.

That money would be better spent on two SP in the "Paul Maholm" mode.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

#2013 World Series

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@whitesox: The #WhiteSox also exercised the 2013 club option on the contract of RHP Gavin Floyd. Floyd will earn a base salary of $9.5 million in 2013

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Now the Sox should pick up Gavin's option and trade him. I also wouldn't mind seeing them resign Liriano to a 1 yr deal.

@whitesox: Additionally, the #WhiteSox have declined 2013 options on the contracts of RHP Brett Myers and 3B Kevin Youkilis

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I'd have kept Myers. He was solid in the bullpen as the setup guy.

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Maybe they try to get him for less money.

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Going to be fun watching them pay Peavy for another rehab stint

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Myers option was for $10M. That's way too much for a reliever. Maybe if they would have turned him back into a starter but with resigning Peavy that isn't neccessary. They can find another 8th inning guy for much cheaper.

Obviously if he pitches like he did this year that will be a nice deal. But can he stay healthy for 2 more years? Man not sure on that one. Probably a good risk to take for the Sox, but a risk nonetheless.

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

Peavy won a Gold Glove

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The guy threw well over 200 innings with the last one being a complete game IIRC. I don't think the back muscle is a concern any longer and the other injuries had nothing to do with his arm. Anyway, and this was critical for JR, you can get insurance on a two year contract so there is zero risk to management. From the team's perspective, the have coverage with some young starting pitchers should things not work well with Peavy.

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

When you shell out $14.5M per year, there is always risk. Especially for a team who gets poor attendance. If Peavy makes 90% of his starts, it will be worth it. If he gets injured or sucks, the Sox will not be able to trade him and will have to eat the money.