Harry Chappas

Here is why I think this gets done. 1) There appears to be a better return on Contrearas than Buerhle. I think most teams feel Buerhle will resign in Chicago or St. Louis and therefore are leary about giving up good prospects. Buerhle is a solid pitcher but Contreras may have more upside as far as carrying a team ala 2005 (I don't see this but maybe). 2) Now KW sees if he needs to rebuild and can get more for Jose than Mark, he needs to try and resign Mark to kept a good rotation in tack and then move Jose ASAP but signing Buerhle needs to be in place before Contrearas can be moved. Therefore the rush to see what Buerhle will sign for. The Sox blowing really helped this and may in the long run be the best thing that happened to this organization rather than finishing 6 games back. 3)The White Sox fans understand pieces need to be moved and Mark fits the PR better than Jose therefore it is a win/win for the fans. Maybe not KW as he may not want to allocate that kind of money to Buerhle. 4) Dye can not be traded while on the DL and although it hampers the Sox at this time, he can be moved and DL'd by another team retroactively and heal there. I assume the receiveing team would be fully cognizant of the ails of Dye. This is why a package of Dye & Contrearas plus a good ML arm could net something pretty decent from a SD/LA at this time. 5) Hahn is going back to Chicago to finalize something. If a deal was not completed wouldn't he want to try and work through it....unless they are far apart and there is no chance for a signing. Also to answer a question I have been asking for three days.....Buerhle's agent lives in Tampa therefore he being there has nothing to do with a contract negotiation and hence his stating that he has nothing new. We find out later that the talks may have started with Hahn and the Buerhle family. Buerhle was on the Sox pregame yesterday and it sounded like there may be something to his wife wanting to stay and get a deal done. PURE SPECULATION from me but I would not be surprised if this was all completed between Hahn and family members and the last couple of days were all the offical stuff. KW does not deal with this stuff. IMHOFWIW

Sox lefties 0-9 with 3 K's

Kazmir at 100 pitches through 5. That is one of the benefits of striking out.

Anyone find it odd that it appears that Ozzie Guillen and Mark's family (dad/wife?) are trying to iron out this deal? So much for Guillen being on the hot seat by the way he seems to be confronting KW head on with this. Let me throw this conspiracy theory out there, do you think this is Guillen and Reinsdorf trumping KW or nudging him toward signing Buerhle? Could Vazquez be the KW guy that Guillen has tired of who now will be moved to rebuild? Hey, I like soap operas. I gotta tell ya I like that Gonzalez kid at least today I do. How bad of an infielder is he that Cintron and Uribe are getting at-bats. Juan Uribe should be arrested not for shooting flares at the Italian Navy but for armed robbery of the White Sox, Mackowiak and Cintron could be as well. Those 8th inning at-bats by Uribe and Mackowiak made my eyes hurt. Don Baylor is 58 today.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jun 27, 2007 -> 02:48 PM) There probably isn't too much a difference to Buerhle if he makes $50 million or $100 million, but he would hate 20,30, 40, 50 years from now to find out there was. There's more than a couple of players who were apparently set for life, finding out otherwise. Also the union would be concerned about the effect it would have on similar pitcher's contract offers. It conceivable could lower the "market rate." You can be pissed off at the union all you want, but its probably been as successful as any in history. If he's considering signing this reported contract, you can be assured he's being pressured not to. There is no guarantee that there is a $100M contract out there for him. What is his value if he has a 5+ ERA the rest of the year. Also I go back to trying to pick where you want to play. I do not have the luxury of deciding to forego a ton of money to live whereeverI want so I can not speak of this personally but could he maybe only want to play four more years and raise a family and kick back and play with his kids? $50M goes a long way when your lifestyle is hunting and playing with dogs as oppossed to opening recording studios and building atrocious houses. If Buerhle plays in Chicago his wife is a few hour drive away from home as oppossed to palying on the coast where air travel is involved. Kind of sounds worth the $5 to $10M he could be giving up if you ask me but I am sentimental at heart and hate change.

Jason Hirsch looking like a nice pick-up. Rocks about to get swept. Zambrano's ERA falling like a rock.

QUOTE(Steff @ Jun 27, 2007 -> 02:29 PM) But it would prove that he likes it here... waa, waa, waa, bla, bla, bla, yadda, yadda, yadda... Good grief. I like it at my job too but I aint working for less than my decided value. Lifestyle v. money What % of your family lifestyle would you be willing to give up for the money you will recieve in giving up that lifestyle? There is a gamble involved in turning down the money at hand and going blind into the offseason. The MLBPA gets involved if he turns down 7/$140M from Boston to take 5/$60 from St. Louis. I do not know Mark Buerhle nor do I know what he is thinking but is it possible he wants to stay close enough to home that it is worth a few million dollars. At 32 he could probably get a another nice deal if he so desired as oppossed to what he could get at 34.

QUOTE(Steff @ Jun 27, 2007 -> 01:59 PM) I didn't post the comparison, so you can go debate that with the person that did. They will step in here because a player of Mark's ability should (and will) get more than $12M a year, and they will not allow the Sox to set the market that low to protect Mark as well as others. Bruce is going to lie on Mark's agent...? Are you serious? Oswalt signed a contract that could be described as below market value last year and he is a better pitcher then Buerhle. Buerhle is 2 and a half months off of a terrible season. Market value is a relative term. The union will not aid Buerhle should he play the season out and injure himself. As for Levine I personally can not stand the man. He seems to be the type of guy that would report something to make himself look good. The day Garcia was traded he was stating that the Sox would not be one of the teams in the running. Why would Buerhle's agent discuss anything with Levine? The agent really has nothing to gain by discussing this at length. What if the 4/$50M was the Spring Training deal and one the Buerhle camp is looking to take or work off of.

QUOTE(Steff @ Jun 27, 2007 -> 01:45 PM) You bet your ass they would. If they get involved in this and Buerhle blows his elbow out next week who gives him the $50M he turned down? The Boston deal was A-Rod forfeiting money was it not? Buerhle is not giving anything away here.

Is Buerhle's agent in Tampa as reported? If so, did Bruce ask him why he is there and thus explain why this rumor should not be going on? I think Levine comes off as an egomaniac. He is also very biased toward the cub and would like nothing more than to keep the press away the Sox and focused on the cub.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jun 27, 2007 -> 09:47 AM) Yes...yes...yes. I hope they can get someone to come into Tuscon's park and than I can start seeing the Sox play in the Phoenix area and never have to make that drive to Tuscon again. I thought the Indians had agreed to take ove the Tucson agreement.

I posted this is in a thread last week. Here is 4 yr $50M (actually $49M) scenario I laid out. Didn't Contreras and Garland sign the same deals? Did Jose get 4 years? He signed after 2005, was this for 2006-2008? Was his an extension for 2007-2009? Was Garland's a pure three years for 2006-2008 becasue he was arbitration eligible? With Buerhle you have to remember that Konerko and Thome will be coming off the books or valued at a lower price after year three. This is where Rick Hahn is invloved something like this 2008 - $12M 2009 - $12M 2010 - $15M So far 3 yr $39M with other starters on the books also player can opt out of deal 2011 - $20M guaranteed if 500 innings reached in first three years - Team buy out $10M if 500 not reached - player opt out as well Guaranteed 4 yr $49M - Potentially $59M if healthy or Mark can walk 2012 - $20M guaranteed if 700 innings reached through four years - Team buy $10M is 700 not reached - player can opt out as well This deal guarantees Buerhle 4 yr $49M but allows him to leave or renegotiate after year three and lets the Sox out of the deal for $10M if he is done prior to the start of year 4.

Think Buerhle would do a Tom Brady and out of respect for the organization take less money. Think he said, I'd take 4/$50 but you need to sign Garland..............or Rowand

QUOTE(SoxPride56 @ Jun 27, 2007 -> 10:46 AM) http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6967378 Well, this says that sorces are telling FoxSports he could sign. Does Contrearas have no-trade protection?

If true Monday better be a sellout.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jun 27, 2007 -> 09:43 AM) Ladies & Genteleman bring out the brooms!!!!! Send me your address and I'll send you a pocket schedule to tape next to your computer screen.

I think this is a result of Buerhle thinking, I am going to be moved and what do I want long term? The Sox sucking right now will get his deal done as should a playoff run as was thought to occur have been taking place right now, there is no trade or extension talk. If this signing happens, I hope MB shows up wearing a Cardinal hat at a press conference. This team blowing also gives the team time to find the 5th starter. The schedule gets real hard after the break and seeing them perform against the Indians and Tigers wheather it be Floyd, Broadway or whoever should answer questions for next season.

The Brewer rotation is one injury after another. If healthy they would walk away with the division. Buerhle would move Bush to the pen where would most likely excel.

Think they would take Fields and include Braun? If Iguchi is included they may have a shot at Weeks.

Once the team trades for Buerhle they are free to negotiate with him. Allowing the 72 hour window only allows the team to call off the trade if they can not sign him long term. This has nothing to do with the Sox after the trade and the offseason.

How do you think Boras is feeling about A. Jones and Crede right about now?

I think Contrearas would be great in Seattle and San Diego as he could pitch more to contact in those parks.

QUOTE(Steff @ Jun 25, 2007 -> 11:41 AM) What does Mark's personal life have to do with his trade talks? From a business stand point none. I was referring to the post that they should trade him and go after him in the offseason. If Buerhle does not want to leave and they trade him my thoughts are that he would be less inclined to resign with the Sox in the offseason if he left and felt he was treated unfairly in the dealings. If the White Sox have no intention of of resigning him, trade him. By trading him the "hometown discount" is gone and the Sox would have to possibly be higher then another team thus there can be no option ot let him walk and try signing him later.

Mark Buerhle's wife is going to have their first baby late in July. If they trade him, they will not be getting him back and I think he ends up with the cubs out of spite more then anything if he likes Chicago. They will not be able to trade him and pull a Sid Ponson and get him back. Also there is a 90% chance Ichiro resigns with the Mariners and if A-Rod hits the open market the White Sox will not pony up the cash necessary. The only hope for 2008 and beyond is to trade Contrearas and Vazquez and lock up Garland and Buerhle long term. This is a complete 180 from when I thought the hitting should be sacrificed for the pitching. The bullpen and abysmal hitting has changed my outlook for htis organization. Relying on who may and may not be available is stupid as there are to many factors on what can happen with a given player. Say the Braves let Jones go and go after Ichiro, suddenly the cost of Ichiro rises beyond what the Sox had hoped to spend.

QUOTE(daa84 @ Jun 24, 2007 -> 05:07 PM) the fact that gonzalez has gotten more ABs in the last few games than mackowiak is a horrid job of mismanagement by ozzie....andy shouldnt even be at AAA, let alone the bigs and starting almost everyday...i hate to play the race thing but i honestly feel ozzie plays him only because he is hispanic...ill prolly get blasted now but gonzalez primarily played SS his entire career in the minors, and now he comes up and takes ABs away from mackowiak instead of uribe??????? The treatment of Anderson and Iguchi v. Uribe, Cintron, Terraro, and Gonzalez is kind of a head scratcher. Iguchi is far and away a better player then Uribe yet he seems to find his way to the Guillen doghouse and Uribe who could be one of the worst players since the beginning of last season in all of baseball gets a free pass. If Anderson was healthy it would be an interesting scernario. It is a head scratcher.