John Danks for Dellin Betances?

Bryan Hoch:

The Daily News indicates the Yankees may be interested in trading for the Cubs’ Matt Garza, but are unwilling to move blue chip prospects like Jesus Montero or Manny Banuelos for him. The New York Post also notes that the Yankees could consider dealing Dellin Betances to the White Sox for John Danks.

Here are Betances’ AA and AAA stats:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
2010	22	Trenton	EL	AA	NYY	0	0		3.77	3	3	0	0	0	0	14.1	10	7	6	3	3	0	20	1	0	3	55	0.907	6.3	1.9	1.9	12.6	6.67
2011	23	2 Teams	2 Lgs	AA-AAA	NYY	4	9	.308	3.70	25	25	0	1	0	0	126.1	102	61	52	9	70	0	142	10	1	7	554	1.361	7.3	0.6	5.0	10.1	2.03
2011	23	Trenton	EL	AA	NYY	4	6	.400	3.42	21	21	0	0	0	0	105.1	86	49	40	7	55	0	115	9	1	5	460	1.339	7.3	0.6	4.7	9.8	2.09
2011	23	Scranton/Wilkes-Barre	IL	AAA	NYY	0	3	.000	5.14	4	4	0	1	0	0	21.0	16	12	12	2	15	0	27	1	0	2	94	1.476	6.9	0.9	6.4	11.6	1.80
AA (2 seasons)				AA		4	6	.400	3.46	24	24	0	0	0	0	119.2	96	56	46	10	58	0	135	10	1	8	515	1.287	7.2	0.8	4.4	10.2	2.33
AAA (1 season)				AAA		0	3	.000	5.14	4	4	0	1	0	0	21.0	16	12	12	2	15	0	27	1	0	2	94	1.476	6.9	0.9	6.4	11.6	1.80

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 11/30/2011.

Hmm, a 2.3 K/BB ratio and 1.476 WHIP AA pitcher for Johnnie Danks? No thanks. Terry Doyle’s AA numbers were a 3.32 K/BB ratio and a 1.130 WHIP and the Sox left him unprotected in the Rule V draft.

Ask for 19-year old catcher Gary Sanchez to give them John Danks Kenny.

Ken Rosenthal says Mark Buehrle and John Danks won’t be playing for the White Sox next year

J.J. Stankevitz:

With the Winter Meetings less than a week away and White Sox news stagnating a bit in the last few weeks, maybe a reminder that Mark Buehrle and John Danks aren’t likely to be back is in order.

That’s precisely what FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal said on Tuesday’s edition of Chicago Tribune Live, telling the panel he doesn’t see either Buehrle or Danks playing for the Sox for 2012. …

Video (1:29) at the link.

Are the Sox trying to trade LHRP Matt Thornton? [UPDATE]

MLBTR:

The White Sox have been looking to trade Matt Thornton since July and are still trying to move him, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter). Before the 2011 season, the White Sox signed the left-hander to a two-year, $12MM extension that covers the 2012-13 seasons and includes a club option for 2014.

The 35-year-old posted a 3.32 ERA with 9.5 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 0.45 HR/9 and a 48.8% ground ball rate in 59 2/3 innings this past season. Armed with a fastball that averages 96 mph, Thornton figures to draw interest this offseason, as he did last summer, especially since the free agent market doesn’t feature lefty relievers of his caliber. The Yankees, Blue Jays and Rangers are among the teams that may seek left-handed relief this offseason.

Thornton commented on his brief and unsuccessful trial as a closer last spring:

“Was mine an interim thing? If I had success, I’m sure it wouldn’t have been,” said Thornton of his abbreviated run at closer. “Obviously everyone knows what happened in the games I was in. Things just didn’t go well for me in that role.

“Maybe it was a sign I wasn’t meant to be a closer here. Over the years, I’ve done a good job of filling in as closer, and I believe in myself in that role and think I can get the job done at any given time when they give me the ball in the ninth inning. But the surge of [Chris] Sale this past year, what he did, and how good Sergio was for most of the year, this is the way it worked out.

“It’s one of those things where things weren’t going good for us and I was part of that in the back end of the bullpen,” Thornton said. “They had to make changes at the time. Just the lack of performance was the most frustrating part for me, my inability to have success that I expect myself to have, prepare and dedicate myself to have all offseason long. It’s very frustrating when you let the team down.”

If Thornton is traded, with Chris Sale moving to the starting rotation, the only lefty in the bullpen will be Will Ohman.

UPDATE: Buster Olney in his video blog (1:52) says the Sox are trying to move Carlos Quentin, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, and Matt Thornton.

Other White Sox links:

• James says the Sox didn’t really lower ticket prices and looks on the latest hot stove rumors.
• J.J. says trading Sergio Santos, isn’t an awful idea and looks at the Matt Thornton trade rumors.
• FutureSox looks how the Sox prospects performed in the AFL.

Seems the Sox haven’t tried to sign John Danks to a contract extension

Doug Padilla:

If the White Sox do consider John Danks a big part of their future, they aren’t in a hurry to get the left-hander locked in beyond the 2012 season. A source with knowledge of club’s contract negotiations said the White Sox have made no overtures to Danks’ agent regarding a long-term contract….

It doesn’t look good for keeping Danks on the Sox.

Sox thinking to trade a pitcher to Cincinnati to get Yonder Alonso?

Phil Rogers:

Can Yonder Alonso become a solid left fielder? That’s the question the White Sox are studying as the Reds shop the left-handed-hitting slugger for pitching. Alonso would be blocked with Paul Konerko at first base and Adam Dunn as designated hitter, although if the Sox really are willing to let Mark Buehrle walk you wonder if they also would approach Konerko about waiving his no-trade clause.

Other White Sox links:

• James looks to the Sox non-tendering Juan Pierre and to Kenny Williams hiring Robin Ventura.
• J.J. says the Sox better stock up on groundballers if they trade for Yonder Alonso.
• colin looks into Chris Sale as he joins the starting rotation.

Seems John Danks will be worth ‘Type A’ compensation next year [UPDATE]

Ken Rosenthal:

A different set of rules will take effect next offseason and for the remainder of the new agreement. The Elias rankings of free agents, which previously determined the value of draft-pick compensation, will be eliminated.

Teams can still receive direct compensation for select free agents by giving such players a one-year, qualifying offer for a predetermined amount. That amount will be more than $12 million in the first year of the agreement, then will rise in subsequent years.

A 1-year $12+ million offer to John Danks is a sure thing. This increases Danks’ trade value.

UPDATE: The Draft Pick Compensation section in the new CBA says:

1. Starting in 2012, “Type A” and “Type B” free agents and the use of the Elias ranking system will be eliminated.
2. The current system of draft pick compensation will be replaced with the following system:

A. Only Players who have been with their Clubs for the entire season will be subject to compensation.
B. A free agent will be subject to compensation if his former Club offers him a guaranteed one-year contract with a salary equal to the average salary of the 125-highest paid Players from the prior season. The offer must be made at the end of the five-day free agent “quiet period,” and the Player will have seven days to accept the offer.
C. A Club that signs a player subject to compensation will forfeit its first round selection, unless it selects in the top 10, in which case it will forfeit its second highest selection in the draft.
D. The Player’s former Club will receive a selection at the end of the first round beginning after the last regularly scheduled selection in the round. The former Clubs will select based on reverse order of winning percentage from the prior championship season.

So, the offer must be equal to the average of the Top 125. Jim Callis says the estimate is $10 million or more. MLBTR’s Ben Nicholson-Smith says more than $12 million. Danks will get that.

Other White Sox links:

• James looks at the free-agent market and the push to get Minnie Minoso in baseball’s HoF.
• J.J. wonders if Phil Humber can repeat his 2011 success in 2012.

Seems the Yankees like Sox pitcher John Danks and the Sox like Yankees catching prospect Austin Romine

MLBTR:

The Yankees like John Danks and the White Sox like many Yankees prospects, particularly Austin Romine. However, Danks is a free agent after 2012 and the Yankees are reluctant to over-spend on a pitcher they’ll have for just one year.

Romine got 20 PAs with the Yankees in 2011. Here are his minor-league stats:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB
2007	18	Yankees	GULF	Rk	NYY	1	3	2	2	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	.500	.667	1.000	1.667	2	0	0	0	0	0
2008	19	Charleston	SALL	A	NYY	104	436	407	66	122	24	1	10	49	3	0	25	56	.300	.344	.437	.781	178	8	3	0	1	0
2009	20	Tampa	FLOR	A+	NYY	118	481	442	61	122	28	3	13	72	11	5	29	78	.276	.322	.441	.763	195	13	4	0	6	2
2010	21	Trenton	EL	AA	NYY	115	497	455	61	122	31	0	10	69	2	0	37	94	.268	.324	.402	.726	183	13	2	0	3	1
2011	22	2 Teams	2 Lgs	AA-AAA	NYY	89	388	351	44	98	13	0	6	48	2	2	32	63	.279	.343	.368	.710	129	7	3	0	2	1
2011	22	Trenton	EL	AA	NYY	85	373	336	43	96	13	0	6	47	2	2	32	60	.286	.351	.378	.729	127	5	3	0	2	1
2011	22	Scranton/Wilkes-Barre	IL	AAA	NYY	4	15	15	1	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	.133	.133	.133	.267	2	2	0	0	0	0
5 Seasons						427	1805	1657	234	465	97	4	39	239	18	7	124	292	.281	.333	.415	.748	687	41	12	0	12	4
AA (2 seasons)				AA		200	870	791	104	218	44	0	16	116	4	2	69	154	.276	.336	.392	.728	310	18	5	0	5	2

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 11/19/2011.

If Kenny trades John Danks he better ask for someone with a career minor-league OBP higher than .333. A higher ISOP [ISOP=SLG-BA] too.

Ex-catcher and A’s bench coach Joel Skinner will manage AAA-Charlotte

Corey Brock:

Joel Skinner, who spent last season as the bench coach for the A’s, has been named as the manager of the White Sox Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte, N.C. Skinner spent nine seasons on the Indians’ Major League staff, with stints as the third-base coach, interim manager and bench coach. Skinner appeared in 564 games as a catcher with the White Sox (1983-86), Yankees (1986-88) and Indians (1989-91).

Other moves are Tim Laker will be the Minor League roving hitting instructor, Andy Tomberlin will be the hitting coach at AAA-Charlotte, Brandon Moore will be the hitting coach at AA Birmingham, and Bobby Thigpen will be the pitching coach at AA-Birmingham. Van Schouwen has a rundown of the Sox developmental instructors.

Other White Sox links:

• James explains how the draft provisions in baseball’s next CBA could be moving the rest of the league to the White Sox way and gives us Kenny Williams tickle index.
• J.J. can’t understand why is there speculation that Alejandro De Aza won’t be the Sox leadoff hitter in 2012. Damn right. And Kenny better not have any Chone Figgins plans.
• THT’s Jeffrey Gross looks on the White Sox off-season.
• Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron says John Danks is a left-handed Edwin Jackson.

Sox pitchers John Danks and Gavin Floyd drawing trade interest

Ken Rosenthal:

For teams seeking to trade for a starting pitcher, the White Sox can offer one from Column A and one from Column B.

Lefty John Danks appeals to high-revenue teams – he will get a raise from $6 million in his final year of arbitration, then hit free agency.

Righty Gavin Floyd, on the other hand, fits nicely for low-revenue clubs – he is signed for $7 million next season with a $9.5 million club option for 2013.

The White Sox are drawing interest in both pitchers, major-league sources say. Whether they trade one, both or neither likely hinges on the trade offers they receive. …

Will the Sox trade Danks or Floyd, or let Mark Buehrle go? At least they brought back Jason Frasor…

Jon Heyman tweets the Rangers “are believed interested” in Danks.

Other White Sox links:

• James takes a look around the AL Central and the White Sox regarding their off-season moves.
• Fangraphs’ David Cameron tries to find out what’s behind Mark Buehrle’s success. J.J. takes a look.

Another game, another walk [UPDATE]

It took Viciedo 2 games to match the walks (2) he drew in 106 PA last year.

UPDATE: Viciedo’s stats:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	Pos	Awards
2009	20	CHW-min	AA	130	540	504	72	141	20	0	12	78	5	2	23	89	.280	.317	.391	.708		197	12	7	0	6	4	BIR · SOUL
2010	21	CHW-min	AAA	86	363	343	42	94	15	0	20	47	1	1	11	78	.274	.308	.493	.801		169	16	6	3	0	1	CHR · IL
2010	21	CHW	AL	38	106	104	17	32	7	0	5	13	1	0	2	25	.308	.321	.519	.840	121	54	5	0	0	0	0	5/3D
2011	22	CHW-min	AAA	119	505	452	60	134	28	0	20	78	2	1	45	83	.296	.364	.491	.856		222	10	5	0	3	6	CHR · IL
2011	22	CHW	AL	2	8	6	3	4	0	0	1	4	1	0	2	1	.667	.750	1.167	1.917	411	7	0	0	0	0	0	/D9
2 Seasons				40	114	110	20	36	7	0	6	17	2	0	4	26	.327	.351	.555	.905	139	61	5	0	0	0	0
162 Game Avg.				162	462	446	81	146	28	0	24	69	8	0	16	105	.327	.351	.555	.905	139	247	20	0	0	0	0

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/30/2011.

2010: 2 BB in 106 PA. 2011: 2 BB in 8 PA. Keep it up Dayan!

Other White Sox links:

• J.J. says the Sox don’t need to trade Gavin Floyd (or John Danks) in the off-season.
• James recaps the past week and looks to next year’s rotation.
• Brett Ballantini updates his Sox player value calculations.
• Tango wants you to grade the ballplayers you see for his 2011 Fan Scouting report.

Matt Thornton is a wanted man

Sources: #Rangers pursuing #WhiteSox's Thornton. White Sox want Holland in return. #tradedeadline #MLB—
Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 30, 2011

Did you say Derek Holland Kenny?

Source: #Rangers would only move Holland for Thornton if #WhiteSox expanded deal to include a starter such as Danks. #tradedeadline #MLB—
Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 30, 2011

John Danks? Kenny just hung up:

#chisox telling teams john danks is not available. makes sense. they are only 2 out in L column. #tradedeadline—
Jon Heyman (@SI_JonHeyman) July 30, 2011

But there is another suitor:

#mlb #Red Sox pushing hard for Carlos Quentin and LHP Thornton, but #White Sox would have to be overwhelmed with prospects# tradedeadline—
Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 30, 2011

You mean the Yankee$ aren’t among the suitors? Well:

Sense #Whitesox have really fallen out love with Thornton, would love move $13M owed '12-'13. #Yankees among teams watching the LHR—
Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 30, 2011

One more:

Dbacks would love LHP Matt Thornton, but source says it "can't happen" given White Sox demand of top prospects whom Dbacks won't give up.—
Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) July 30, 2011

Dayan Viciedo goes walk crazy! [UPDATE #2]

Dayan drew 3 walks in yesterday’s game!:

Charlotte Knights
Player	Pos	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
Viciedo	RF	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	.324

Dayan is hitting .324/.371/.530/.901 with 23 BB and 65 K in 336 AB.

3 walks in one game! Dayan has seen the light!

UPDATE: That’s a 6.3% BB% and a a 17.9 K%. Other numbers: .369 BABIP, 48% GB%, 17% LD%, 61 RC, 6.92 RC/27, .384 wOBA, 120 wOBA+, 145 OPS+.

Other White Sox links: J.J. gives us his roster changes thoughts, James does the same (offensive improvement is the object of both), Chuck Garfien writes about the Most Intersting Man in the Sox locker room (photo gallery) (J.J. says ‘yeah, but’), and MLB Daily Dish’s Adam Bernacchio gives us the 5 best Free-Agent bargains this off-season (Brett Ballantini has been beating this drum for aquite some time now).

UPDATE #2: John Sickels talks about Dayan Viciedo:

Cuban defector signed to $ 10 million contract in 2008. Hitting .322/.364/.528 with 15 homers, 20 walks, 65 strikeouts in 335 at-bats for Triple-A Charlotte. Power to all fields, should produce a solid batting average with plenty of homers despite so-so strike zone judgment. Poor defender at any position and likely a born DH, but he’ll hit. Age 22. Major League ETA: 2011.

Dr. Fishbein is trying to straighten out Adam Dunn

Remember Dr. Fishbein? His new assignment is trying to straighten out Adam Dunn. Padilla @ ESPN:

As if Adam Dunn’s head wasn’t messed up enough, he just got schooled on the golf course by the team psychologist.

Talk about mind games.

The good news, though, is that Dunn spent the time last week talking things through with Jeffrey Fishbein, who has been with the club off and on since spring training. …

Other White Sox links: J.J. says Jake Peavy doesn’t belong to the bullpen and puts on his GM hat, James identifies the White Sox All-Star players, FutureSox recaps the moves in thew Sox minor league system, John Danks’ MRI reveled only a mild strain of his right obligue and he’s expected to return after one rehab assignment, Patrick Newman at Fangraphs recaps Herm Schneider’s greatest hits, and Joe Posnanski says 2011′s Adam Dunn is the least exciting player ever.

John Danks down (DL), Hector Santiago up [UPDATE]

Merkin @ CWS:

Danks will be making the first trip to the disabled list in his nine-year professional career. Left-handed reliever Hector Santiagohad his contract purchased from Double-A Birmingham to replace Danks.Santiago, 23, has split the season between Class A Winston-Salem and Birmingham, going a combined 6-5 with a 4.08 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 14 starts during his first season as a starter. The 6-foot, 210-pounder was 2-3 with a 3.68 ERA in eight starts with Winston-Salem and 4-2 with a 4.58 ERA in six outings with the Barons.

… Santiago learned of his promotion on Sunday morning, when Birmingham manager Bobby Magallanes asked if the southpaw could work out of the bullpen. When Santiago said he could, Magallanes said he would be doing it for the White Sox. The young man arrived at U.S. Cellular in the sixth inning and already was warming up in the bullpen by the eighth. …

Santiago was a reliever until this year. He added a screwball this year.

UPDATE: Josh Phegley, Santiago’s catcher in Birmingham, talks about Santiago’s screwball:

“I haven’t quite figured it out yet,” Barons catcher Josh Phegley told the Birmingham News. “It’s a pretty interesting pitch.

“I’ve heard hitters ask me what it is. It’s like a right-handed curveball from a left-hander. The 95-96 (mph fastball) from the left side is going to be hard enough.”

Alex!

you can put it on the boardddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd!

video: http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=16045733&c_id=cws (0:58)

BTW, John Danks has a very hard head!