Buck Weaver's Ghost

Interesting commentary from Jim Callis during a Baseball America chat today: Brett (WI): Jim, John Perrotto is reporting a possible White Sox / Mets deal involving Jermaine Dye, Bobby Jenks, and Fernando Martinez. How much more would the Mets have to include to land that and do they even have enough on the farm to get that done? Jim Callis: (2:37 PM ET ) If that happens, that would make me continue to think the White Sox were going to grab one of the big free agents. My guess is there would be 3-5 more prospects involved, maybe Jon Niese among the others.

How am I the first to post this? Minor league pitcher Jeff Marquez is headed to Chicago in the deal. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3700869

How am I the first to post this? Minor league pitcher Jeff Marquez is headed to Chicago in the deal. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3700869

Live by the home run...die by the home run. That's been this club in a nutshull. The Twins top the majors with a .315 average with runners in scoring position. Granted this isn't the only reason why the Twins have stayed in this race, but in games like this it becomes all the more apparent when we can't get men over and in when they're on second with less than one out, at how without a homer we're out of games like this. Let's not even talk about our inability to lay down a bunt... Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=443736

Here's BA's take: White Sox Add Power Arm Posted Jun. 7, 2007 3:30 pm by John Manuel Filed under: Draft Day: June 7 After two years of taking pitchers better known for strike-throwing rather than stuff, the White Sox took San Francisco lefty Aaron Poreda, who instantly becomes one of if not the hardest thrower in the organization. He’s topped out at 97 mph and has a big, physical frame, and fits in with the organization’s appreciation of lefthanders. Imagine a future White Sox rotation with lefties John Danks, Mark Buehrle, Gio Gonzalez and Poreda in it . . . that’s not bad. The A’s probably are fuming that Poreda’s off the board because he fills up the strike zone with power stuff, and would have been a nice find at 26. The A’s have taken high school players high the last couple of years, and Georgia lefty Josh Smoker–whose stock fell in late May–is the highest-ranked non-Boras client on the board.

Why do you think the Sox would choose Davis over Burke? While I'm a fan of Burke and what he did last year, I feel Davis because of his age, MLB experience over the past few years, and the way he BA improved when he moved over from Seattle to the Sox would have me lean towards him if I had to pick one of the two.

Any idea what Kenny had in mind when he signed Kevin Walker? I'm not so sure the spot dropped from the roster will be Paulino Reynoso. This was in the latest issue of Baseball America which speculates on Reynoso's future: BASEBALL AMERICA - 1.30.05 From First To The Bump CHICAGO—Paulino Reynoso's presence on the White Sox' 40-man roster goes to show why pitching coaches pay attention during infield. The lefthander signed out of the Dominican Republic in 1998 as a first baseman. Along with two others, he was given a chance to pitch in the spring of 2001. It was the idea of Don Cooper, the organization's minor league pitching coordinator at the time, and then-farm director Bob Fontaine. Four seasons later, none of the three has made it out of Class A. Righthanders Julio Castro is among this year's pool of minor league free agents, and Rolando Garza left as a minor league free agent a year ago. But Reynoso's star is on the rise. After spending the last two seasons at low Class A Kannapolis, the 24-year-old spent 2004 with high Class A Winston-Salem. He made 19 starts, second only to righthander Sean Tracey, and compiled a 3.95 ERA. He held hitters to a .256 average. But Reynoso was a piddling 3-2, bringing his career record to 14-19. Those aren't numbers that normally get a pitcher protected, but farm director David Wilder said Reynoso is headed for a breakthrough season in 2005. He felt his arm was too good to risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft. "His velocity is quite good, really," Wilder said. "He was up to 94 (mph). He's also got a good slider. He's a very interesting kid." Reynoso will get his first look at advanced hitters in spring training. He projects to take the next step to Double-A Birmingham, where the Sox should learn just how much he has benefited from the on-the-job training he's gotten since putting his bat down. My vote is for Kevin Walker...

From WhiteSox.com: White Sox agree to terms on one-year contract with catcher A.J. Pierzynski CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.25 million contract with free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Pierzynski, 28, batted .272 (128-471) with 28 doubles, 11 home runs and 77 RBI with San Francisco in 2004, his only season with the Giants. His 77 RBI ranked fifth among major-league catchers behind only Cleveland's Victor Martinez (108), Detroit's Ivan Rodriguez (86), the Yankees Jorge Posada (81) and Florida's Paul LoDuca (80). "A.J. is one of the premier offensive catchers in the game and provides us with another left-handed bat in the lineup," said Ken Williams, White Sox general manager. "After speaking with A.J. a number of times during these negotiations, I am confident his signing will make us a better baseball team." Pierzynski, 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, is a career .294 (558-1,899) hitter with 37 home runs and 270 RBI in 561 games during his seven-year major-league career with Minnesota (1998-2003) and the Giants (2004). Over the last four seasons (2001-04), he ranks second among all major-league catchers with 127 doubles, third with a .293 average, sixth with 522 hits and 255 RBI and seventh with a .438 slugging percentage. Pierzynski has twice batted above .300 (2002-03) and hit 30-plus doubles in three straight seasons from 2001-03. His best season came in 2003 with the Twins when he hit set career highs in average (.312), hits (152), runs scored (63), doubles (35), on-base percentage (.360) and slugging percentage (.464). He was named to the 2002 American League All-Star Team and was a member of Minnesota's playoff teams in 2002 and 2003. Pierzynski is the fourth free agent signed by the White Sox this offseason, joining RHP Dustin Hermanson, OF Jermaine Dye and RHP Orlando Hernandez. The Sox also acquired OF Scott Podsednik and RHP Luis Vizcaino from the Brewers in a trade on December 13. LOVING THIS!

Since we're dreaming... SP: Mark Mulder would change Chicago, and I'm all about Southside pride. -- Second Option: Vazquez or Perez - enough said. SS: Placido Polanco because he has some pop and his bat, and I could see him shoring up the middle infield with Uribe for the next couple years. -- Second Option: Renteria at 2B, Uribe at SS -- not a bad runner up. C: AJ Pierzynski while I hated him with the Twins, would add some fire and emotion to the Sox, and may have ripped off Hunter's head had he been knocked over like Burke last year (and I really like Burke). -- Second Option: Charles Johnson -- Not quite the player he used to be, but I would imagine could be had relatively inexpensively, and I liked what I saw when he was here.