A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko to be Type-A free-agents

MLBTR:

Type A

Matt Thornton – 86.094
A.J. Pierzynski – 80.804
Paul Konerko – 78.095
Manny Ramirez – 76.154

Type B

J.J. Putz – 61.876

Here are the spreadsheets.

White Sox attendance down 4%, Minnesota up 36%. MLB revenues up.

Maury Brown (BoB) @ FG:

Team	# Gms	2009 Attend	2009 Avg	# Gms	2010 Attend	2010 Avg	Diff	Dif Per Gm	% (+/-)
Twins	81	2,362,149	29,162	81	3,223,640	39,798	861,491	10,636	36.47%
White Sox	81	2,284,163	28,200	81	2,194,378	27,091	-89,785	-1,108	-3.93%
Tigers	81	2,567,192	31,694	81	2,461,237	30,386	-105,955	-1,308	-4.13%
Royals	81	1,799,686	22,218	81	1,615,327	19,942	-184,359	-2,276	-10.24%
Indians	81	1,766,242	21,805	81	1,391,644	17,181	-374,598	-4,625	-21.21%

However, MLB is projected to pull in a record $7 billion in revenues:

Major League Baseball is projecting gross revenues of $7 billion for 2010, continuing a run of record-breaking years, and bucking the chilly economy. … In 2009, final revenues were $6.6 billion up from $6.5 billion in 2008. The increase from 2009 to the projected 2010 figure is a remarkable 6.06 percent increase, an incredible jump in an economy that continues to run chilly.

How were the increases reached? Sources at Major League Baseball say one big component is local television deals that have annual escalators. The other is for expiring TV deals in the very competitive market where regional sports networks (RSNs) are clamoring for more live content, there are significant increases.

NY Mets to interview White Sox Assistant GM Rick Hahn?

Cerrone @ MetsBlog:

According to people close to the team, as well as around baseball, expect the Mets to speak with Terry Ryan and Rick Hahn, among other potential candidates, about replacing Omar Minaya as GM.

more from Cerrone:

I’ve heard from people close to the Mets that he is seen as being very business savvy, a successful negotiator, and he’s got a thick skin from experience working for a ‘dramatic franchise.’