I just wish the Sox invested more in the draft and the international market

Sources told the Sun-Times the player was touted young slugger Mike Stanton, but Reinsdorf said it wasn’t Stanton. He declined to identify the player, but speculation points to first baseman Logan Morrison.

”We were never going to let Ozzie go, but if they would have given us this particular player,” he said, ”I would have let anybody go. … Everybody is available at a price. The only player I had that wasn’t available was Michael Jordan.”

Because if the Sox finish in 3rd place 10 games out with this expanded payroll, you don’t pick up the option. And this assumes no more off-the-field problems. But Jerry’s is nobody’s fool. He’s keeping his 2012 options open.

I still believe this exercised option gives the Sox leverage over a Marlins owner who desperately wants Guillen for the 2012 season.

“I would hope there’s a lot of thought behind everything we do,” Reinsdorf said. “It was just the right time. We anticipate Ozzie will be here for a long time. Ozzie says he doesn’t want to manage anyplace else. We just thought let’s eliminate the uncertainty. We knew we were going to pick it up at the end of the year, so why not do it now.”

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/01/reinsdorf-said-guillens-2012-option-was-in-works.html

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=morris001log

I still believe that Florida wants Guillen to manage in 2012 when their new stadium opens. This is why they signed their current manager to a one-year contract. Now that the Sox have exercised the option, Florida has to come to us if they want Guillen in 2012. Depending on how each team performs in 2011, there could be some interesting discussions.