Three thoughts from Thanksgiving weekend before returning to the White Sox world:
No. 1: Missouri's potential championship game quest is a million times more enjoyable than the Bears' attempt last year. There's something to be said about fan bases that don't take runs like these for granted, and maybe that's why I like following the Sox as much as I do.
No. 2: It was fun watching Todd Sauerbrun look like a meathead at Soldier Field again, except this time with the other team.
No. 3: Ommegang beer is highly enjoyable.
Catching up on news from this weekend:
Phil Rogers offers a pretty lucid perspective of
the Sox's failure to acquire Torii Hunter. Fortunately or unfortunately -- you decide -- he doesn't mention Kosuke Fukudome as a possible replacement. He says Aaron Rowand is still his Plan B:
Rowand, of course, would return to the Sox and be lavished with a big
contract (call it five years, $60 million) after spending two years in
Philadelphia. The Phillies want him back, and the Los Angeles Dodgers
are interested, but he's a guy the Sox could get. Texas, which joined
the Sox and Kansas City in the bidding for Hunter, doesn't appear
interested.
While $6 million is a significant difference in salary, I have a feeling it's not going to go that far this offseason. Roughly all of the money (~$4.5 million) saved in the Jon Garland-Orlando Cabrera deal went to Scott Linebrink.
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If you're struggling to get excited about the Orlando Cabrera era,
this Sun-Times column might help. Unfortunately, it's difficult to tell who wrote it.
It bolsters the idea that the Sox are going to find a way to lock Cabrera up for a three-year deal. Let's hope the cost won't be prohibitive to improving in other areas.
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In case you're wondering why I haven't mentioned Coco Crisp in a while,
here 'tis:
Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp has become a target for both the White Sox and Rangers after Torii Hunter's sudden
turn to the Los Angeles Angels, but Boston isn't going to deal him
unless it gets a quality catcher, left-handed-hitting corner infielder
or right-handed setup man.
If only Mike MacDougal didn't completely butcher his trade value.
Here's where the skyrocketing salaries come into play again. Epstein can ask for the moon because Crisp is set to make only $4.75 million next year. Maybe that's a lot for a fourth outfielder, but keep in mind that the White Sox are paying Juan Uribe a quarter of a million less to be a backup shortstop.
Uribe has maybe one tool if you cobble a couple of partial ones together. Crisp does two things very well, at least, and that should be enough to ensure that the Red Sox get fairly compensated in any trade that involves him.
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Nice job by the Trib picking up
the story about the Black Sox files that could provide a greater understanding of the entire series of events. I only wish they had more than three pages of
Joe Jackson's testimony.