J.J. Putz declined arbitration from the White Sox, making him a free agent.
The White Sox have expressed a desire to re-sign Putz, but they’ll have to wait in line.
“Eight or nine teams have shown preliminary interest,” Putz told Comcast SportsNet. “Some for closer roles, others to be a set-up man with a chance for closing.” …
A.J. Pierzynski is talking to multiple teams too. One of them is the Dodgers.
UPDATE: Merkin tweets:
Konerko declines salary arbitration, as expected
Q: Bruce, the Sox need a left handed bat to help balance out the line-up. With [Adam] Dunn being the biggest bat out there, do you see them signing him or looking elsewhere for a bat? If so, who do you see being a fit for the Sox?
A: The White Sox want Dunn and have been trying to make that happen. However Dunn is telling people close to him that he’d like to play left field. The White Sox would rather have him be a DH/1B and maybe a part-time outfielder. But Dunn is below average at almost every position on the field. The Sox have some interest in Hideki Matsui, who at 35 still has some pop. That would also be a short-term deal.
and
Q: Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Edwin Jackson…which is more likely to be traded?
A: Most likely Jackson with one year and $8 million left. I just don’t see them trading starting pitching unless they get it back. That’s the strength of their team.
and
Q: Will Rick Hahn ever take over for Kenny or is he going to end up elsewhere?
A: Dear Mrs. Hahn, Rick will be a GM somewhere in the next couple of years and possibly with the White Sox if Reinsdorf decides to make Kenny the president of the team.
Silly to talk about Rockies and Gavin Floyd. White Sox would only want Dexter Fowler and Ian Stewart.
UPDATE: From Bruce Levine’s chat:
Q: Did the Sox ask the Rockies for Ian Stewert and Dexter Flower for Floyd? If so then will they talk again?
A: Unaware of that scenario. Highly doubftul the Sox trade a pitcher without getting one in return especially with the unknown status of Peavy.
Tuesday marks the deadline for first baseman Paul Konerko and right-handed reliever J.J. Putz to accept or decline the salary arbitration offered by the White Sox on Nov. 23. If either player accepts, he will be under team control for 2011 at an increase from last year’s respective salaries. Konerko earned $12 million in 2010 in the finale of a five-year, $60-million deal, and Putz earned $3 million.
Both are expected to turn down arbitration in pursuit of multiyear deals. Their decline would mean that the White Sox would receive two Draft picks for Konerko and one for Putz. It wouldn’t mean that the White Sox are done with an organization staple for the past 12 years, in Konerko, and a key cog to a talented bullpen, in Putz.
You can sign players that turned down arbitration this year.
Victor Martinez never received a contractual offer from the White Sox, as confirmed by a Major League source to MLB.com on Monday.
The White Sox had interest in the switch-hitting catcher/first baseman/designated hitter, who could have provided a needed run-production presence from the left side. But contrary to published reports, the White Sox did not make any sort of $48 million offer over three or four years.
UPDATE: Merkin @ CWS:
Victor Martinez appears to be the most significant signing to date as far as the White Sox are concerned, as the catcher/first baseman/DH agreed to a four-year, $50 million deal with American League Central rival Detroit. Although it was reported that the White Sox presented Martinez with a $48 million deal, either at three or four years, a Major League source has confirmed to MLB.com that an official offer was never made.
There was interest in the talented switch-hitter on Chicago’s part, but clearly not at this particular level.
THT’s Chris Jaffe takes a look:
Unique.
If I had only one word to describe Omar Vizquel‘s Hall of Fame case, it’s unique. Bizarre would be the alternate, but unique works best. …
Derek Jeter to the White Sox?
It may not be as far-fetched as you think.
The Rangers continue to talk with Vladimir Guerrero, to whom they did not offer arbitration. According to the source, they also are showing interest in a surprising name — free-agent first baseman Paul Konerko. Such a move would make sense, considering the Rangers were willing to sign [Victor] Martinez in addition to Cliff Lee, as previously reported by FOXSports.com.
Konerko, if he does not stay with the White Sox, would prefer to join a team near his home in Scottsdale, Az. The Rangers are not as close as the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Angels, but the club trains in Arizona and the flight from Dallas to Phoenix is only about 2.5 hours. From Chicago to Phoenix, it’s about four. The White Sox offered salary arbitration to Konerko, but that should not be a deterrent to the Rangers, who were willing to sacrifice their first-round pick for Martinez. That selection, due to the team’s 90-win season, will be only No. 26 overall. The Rangers would not lose a pick if they re-signed Lee and gain one – likely a first rounder — if he signs with another club.
Another White Sox free agent, catcher A.J. Pierzynski, also could be a possibility for the Rangers, who are looking for catching help. The White Sox did not offer Pierzynski arbitration, so a team can sign him without forfeiting a pick.
Q: Hey Bruce is it true that the White offered Victor Martinez a 3 year $48 million dollar contract, and he chose the 4 year $50 million dollar deal from Detroit instead?
A: Don’t know if the money is exactly what you say, but they were negotiating. At the same time, the Sox have talked to many agents, including Adam Dunn‘s, who is still their primary target.
Washington offered arbitration to Dunn, so if the Sox sign him you can wave goodbye to the 23rd draft pick.
Q: Assuming the Sox don’t get Adam Dunn, would [Hideki] Matsui be the left handed bat we go after next? And is [Miguel] Olivo the Sox starting catcher in 2011?
A: I can’t see how Olivo fits with the White Sox. The reason they got rid of him initially is he called a terrible game. Unless he’s gotten a lot smarter over the last five years, I don’t see it. Matsui is someone they are interested in. The agent and the Sox have had a solid history of communication.
Also, J.P. Morosi @ FS says:
After whiffing on [Victor] Martinez, the pressure is on the Chicago White Sox to come away with Dunn or their own free-agent slugger, Paul Konerko.
At this point, the White Sox will have a lot of splainin’ to do if they don’t re-sign their captain. Konerko hit .312 this year with 39 home runs and 111 RBI.
Dunn, meanwhile, could be a fit on the North Side.
White Sox offer arbitration to Konerko, Putz; Decline arbitration on Pierzynski and Manny Ramirez.
UPDATE: Konerko, Pierzynski and Ramirez are Type-A free-agents. Putz is a Type-B. Merkin explains what happens now:
Konerko, 34, has been classified as a Type A free agent, meaning the White Sox will receive two extra Draft picks in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft if Konerko declines arbitration and signs with another team. Konerko and Putz have one week to decide if they will accept the arbitration offer, with Nov. 30 standing as the deadline.
A first-round pick would go to the White Sox from the Konerko-signing team, as long as that team’s pick is not protected in the Top 15. The White Sox also would receive a sandwich pick in between the first and second rounds.
It’s unlikely for Konerko to accept this arbitration offer, meaning he would be under the White Sox control for just the next season at an increase from his $12 million salary in 2010. Konerko figures to command a multiyear offer, based on his overall body of work, his leadership skills and his .312 average, 39 home runs and 111 RBIs put up last year, with the White Sox certainly remaining in the picture.
Putz, 33, meanwhile, has Type B classification, meaning the White Sox would receive a supplemental selection between the first and second round if he declines arbitration and signs elsewhere. If Putz accepts arbitration by next Tuesday, the White Sox would have an important bullpen cog back in the fold for 2011 at a cost slightly above the $3 million Putz earned in 2010.
UPDATE #2: Padilla @ ESPN:
Williams suggested that not offering arbitration to Pierzynski was a sign of respect:
“We felt that if we did offer arbitration to A.J. and there were [compensation draft] picks involved that it would potentially hurt a guy that is loyal to us and has been a stud behind the plate and brings it every day,” Williams said. “We just didn’t want to do that. The market will define what his worth is and there will be a time in the offseason when we will get together with his guy and discern the options for bringing him back and whether it’s affordable.”
UPDATE #3: Here’s MLBTR’s Free-Agent compensation primer. and MLBTR’s Free-Agent compensation offer tracker.
Serrano reports that Martinez’s deal with Tigers will be for four years, $50 million, and that team outbid Red Sox, White Sox, Orioles
BTW, Martinez is a Type-A free-agent. And Aaron Gleeman looks on the 4-year, $50 million contract the Tigers are reportedly giving to Victor Martinez.
UPDATE: Serrano says the White Sox offer was 3-years, $48 million! That averages to $16 million per year! The Orioles offer was 4-years, $48 million.
Serrano says:
Actualización: Los Medias Blancas, agregó la fuente, dieron a escoger al careta entre un contrato de cuatro años por 48 millones de dólares, lo que no igualaba a Detroit, u otro de sólo tres campañas, con algo más de dinero anualmente. Esto corrige la versión inicial que publicamos, en la que aseguramos que los Medias Blancas ofrecían una bolsa apenas inferior al paquete total de Detroit, por solo tres campeonatos.
The google translation of that is:
Update: The White Sox, the source said, were to choose the mask from a four-year $ 48 million, which equaled not Detroit, or one of only three campaigns, with some more money annually. This fixes that we published the initial version, which assured the White Sox offered a bag just below the total package of Detroit, for only three championships.
It seems like he says the White Sox offer of $48 million was less than the $50 offer of Detroit, but the White Sox offer was for 3 years and Detroit’s for 4. Thus the White Sox offered $16 million per year, while Detroit offered $12.5 million per year. $16 million per year for Victor Martinez. Oh my!
UPDATE #2: MLBTR has learned the White Sox offer to Victor Martinez was $48 million over 4 years and not 3 as Serrano reported. That’s a $12 million per year average.
Here’s the Spring Training schedule. Here’s the White Sox Spring Training page. The Spring Training broadcast schedule will be released in a few weeks.
The following table presents the average number of runs that scored, from that base/out state, to the end of that inning.All data is from 1950-2010, courtesy of Retrosheet, our sabermetric sliced bread.Note: Only includes: completed innings; through the 8th inning.
The RE24 values for 1999-2002 are:
RE 99-02 0 1 2 Empty 0.555 0.297 0.117 1st 0.953 0.573 0.251 2nd 1.189 0.725 0.344 3rd 1.482 0.983 0.387 1st_2nd 1.573 0.971 0.466 1st_3rd 1.904 1.243 0.538 2nd_3rd 2.052 1.467 0.634 Loaded 2.417 1.65 0.815
Don’t forget, Run Expectancy by the 24 base out states (RE24) is THE single most important thing to know about baseball.
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