After the first day of the GM meetings, let's take time to take inventory of names linked to the White Sox:
Johnny Damon:
A Crede-for-Damon trade would hit the White Sox in the wallet, as Damon is due $13 million in 2008 and 2009. But the deal could be expanded to include some pitchers the Sox are making available—most likely Jon Garland (with the Yankees sending back another player or two) but possibly Jose Contreras or reliever Mike MacDougal. The Sox believe they are six-deep in starting pitchers (Jon Danks, Gavin Floyd, Mark Buehrle, Javier Vazquez, Garland and Contreras) and could use that pitching depth to try to fill holes in the outfield and at shortstop.
Thinking out loud: If Jose Contreras ever had an average switch, somewhere in between the ones for "17 consecutive victories" and "17 losses in a season," he'd be worth a lot more than Damon when factoring in market rates. This seems like selling quite low. Ultimately, I don't think I'd like to see Damon on the Sox unless the Yankees throw in enough money to where the Sox are paying him only seven figures instead of eight -- and even that seems pricey.
Kosuke Fukudome:There's a lot of talk about Fukudome, the Japanese free-agent center
fielder. Word is the Cubs are very much in pursuit of him, in part
because he's a left-handed hitter and an on-base machine.
Fukudome sat out part of 2007 with an elbow injury but still wound up
hitting .294 with 13 homers and a .443 on-base percentage for the
Chunichi Dragons. He has hit for power in Japan (31 homers in 130 games
in 2006), but some U.S. scouts compare him to Seattle outfielder Raul
Ibanez, who has had three seasons of 105-plus RBIs but only one hitting
more than 24 home runs.
Thinking out loud: If their contract demands were anywhere near equal, I'd put
Fukudome well ahead of Jose Guillen. The Sox could use an Ibanez something fierce, especially one who can actually play the outfield well. I don't know if Jerry Reinsdorf will hang with the Cubs, Rangers or Barry-free Giants, though.
Coco Crisp:The White Sox seem interested in Crisp but there's a lot of Johnny
Damon-for-Joe Crede talk here between the White Sox and Yankees. The
White Sox need to get a name player and Damon is definitely one player
they're considering strongly.
Thinking out loud: If Kenny Williams does pull the trigger on a Damon-Crede deal, I wonder if that would knock the Sox out of the Crisp sweepstakes. A Damon-Crisp-Jermaine Dye outfield would be a projector's nightmare -- two guys in their decline phases sandwiching another guy who hasn't put his game together in two years.
New York Mets:The White Sox are open to dealing Contreras, who has two years and $20
million left on his contract, and Garland, who has one year and $12
million. The Mets were intrigued by Contreras in the past, as they
think the presence of Orlando Hernandez could help El Duque's fellow
Cuban native.
In return for starting pitchers, the White Sox are looking for outfield
bats, bullpen arms and possibly a shortstop, as Juan Uribe is a
potential free agent. They are not particularly high on Milledge, a
person familiar with the team's thinking said.
Thinking out loud: This is unfortunate, because Lastings Milledge is the kind of cheap, upside-laden production the Sox could use in their outfield. He posted an OBP of .341 as a 22-year-old last year, and owns a .380 OBP in his minor-league career. He's had discipline issues, but he's younger than Brian Anderson, and already has enjoyed far more success.
The Mets have another young outfield bat (Carlos Gomez) and a shortstop (Fermando Martinez), but they're not going to part with either of them unless their September collapse has driven Omar Minaya insane.
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While thinking of a possible trade destination for Paul Konerko, I came up with the Texas Rangers. Stop me if you've heard this one before...
Before the trade deadline this year, the Rangers sent their All-Star first baseman, Mark Teixeira, to the Atlanta Braves for a big package of players, the centerpiece being uberprospect catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Of course, that left them a first baseman short. Brad Wilkerson, Frank Catalanotto and Saltalamacchia filled in the rest of the year, but Wilkerson is likely gone (because he's not good) and Catalanotto's worth is maximized as a utility player.
Now that Saltalamacchia is entrenched behind the plate, he potentially blocks one of the Rangers' better prospects --
Taylor Teagarden. Teagarden is considered a defensive whiz, and his bat is coming around faster than anticipated after Tommy John surgery. In his first full year of pro ball, he hit .310/.426/.586 between High-A ball and Double-A.
Meanwhile, the Sox have no projectable catching prospects -- the closest is
Francisco Hernandez, who has spent two consecutive seasons in Kannapolis. A.J. Pierzynski is nearing the age where catchers hit a wall, and Teagarden, a righty, could be ready to step into a platoon situation as soon as 2009.
Initially, it makes a lot of sense to me. But there are two questions for which I don't have answers:
- Will Tom Hicks want to buy when Konerko likely won't be the difference-maker?
- OK, Konerko for Teagarden and who else?
Here's my best guess:
No. 1: This Dallas Morning News story sums up the state of the Rangers' first base situation:
While center
field is the top priority, the Rangers are also considering first
basemen and veteran relievers. Because the market is thin, however,
Daniels might wait until later in the winter to address those issues.
The Rangers have touched base with the representatives for Mike Lamb
and could also look into acquiring Kevin Millar. More likely, the
Rangers will go slow at those spots, waiting for the entire market to
be determined. Arbitration-eligible players who are not tendered
contracts by Dec. 12 become free agents. Seattle's Ben Broussard could
be among that group.
Mike Lamb? Kevin Millar? Ben Broussard? If Hicks is concerned about the Rangers teetering on the brink of irrelevancy in the Metroplex, Konerko could be a godsend when compared to this motley crew.
No. 2: Trading a perennial 30-homer guy with a catcher who hasn't spent a full season at Double-A is overpaying something fierce, but the Rangers don't have a lot of other high-impact youth to choose from, which is how they got into their mess in the first place. Maybe some bullpen help (
C.J. Wilson) or middle-infield prospects with potential (19-year-old
Elvis Andrus), but I don't see anybody else Jon Daniels has who he wouldn't keep for himself. The Rangers and White Sox are pretty much in the same boat, farm-wise.
Konerko is a tough guy to trade, because it seems the teams he would impress don't have the goals to make adding him worth it. There's always the Angels -- maybe Tony Reagins will do what Bill Stoneman couldn't and actually make a trade....