good dolphin wrote:
Obviously there are several players other teams would take. I'd like to know who is tradeable for legitimate prospects without eating salaries. I think that shortens the list. There are some players the Sox might be better off keeping, offering arbitration and getting compensatory picks:
Thome- someone will want him with his high OBP and left handed bat but I think it will be a salary dump. He can only be traded to an AL team and only to a team in need of a DH. How about the Red Sox.
Dotel- he should be the one to really bring in some players. EVERY contender from both leagues will be coming to KW for him
Dye- He would be a nice pickup because he can play the field and DH, has lots of playoff experience, hits for power and when he gets hot, is MVP level hitter. He might be a nice fit with the Cardinals. He would look pretty sweet batting behind Pujols.
Podsednik- what a crazy world it is when Pods is pulled off the scrap heap and then can be traded for prospects. He would be a nice playoff pickup for some team because he can pinch run, makes nothing and is on a 1 year contract. To tell you the truth, he might look good in Cubbie blue if they can close the gap.
Contrearas- if he can string together a few more good starts, he suddenly would look very attractive to a contender. He is expensive, but is done after this year. He has playoff experience and can be dominant.
Colon- If he can pitch, someone will take a flyer on him. The Sox will get nothing, but someone will think he might be decent down the stretch as a 5th, someone like the Mets.
The other two possibilities are Konerko and Pierzinski. The rumors have always swirled about Konerko and the Angels. I don't think they can just get rid of everyone and Konerko has another year on his contract. I know that Allen is giving lots of hope for the future at AA, but I think Paulie stays.
AJ might get you something. He is a lefthanded contact hitter with a little bit of pop. He is a playoff tested catcher. Still, I don't think the Sox would feel comfortable handing the job to Flowers just yet and AJ has another year on his contract. I think he stays as well.
I am extremely skeptical that the White Sox would get back anything more than a mid-level prospect for any of the players who are free agents after this season (Dye, Dotel and Thome). Unless there is an unexpected bidding war amongst a few teams, or the White Sox pay the remaining salaries (which they don't have a history of doing), they are going to get back guys who, at best, are decent prospects.....Contreras had a great outing against the Tigers, but I think there's a much stronger possibility that he reverts back to his 5.00+ ERA form over a dependable/effective starter, and with the remaining salary he'd be owed in the last 2 months+ of the season, the Sox should just be happy to find a team that would even chance taking a guy like that.....What I hope doesn't happen is a Bobby Jenks deal, which I'm worried that Williams can justify beacuse he has some hard throwing (Thornton and/or Poreda comes to mind) options, and Jenks can probably bring a bundle of younger players being a few years from free agency.....Looking at the club, with Contreras, Thome and probably Dye/Dotel off the books for next season, the Sox are going to save approximatley $40 million dollars so, in what could be another buyer's market next off-season (depending on the economy), the White Sox could put some of that money (though I would highly doubt that they spend all of this freed up money) on a few holes (2B, OF, or more pitching), add in some of their younger players like Beckham for a full season, and then lean on guys like Buehrle, Danks and Floyd as a base for a competitive rotation in a weak division.