White Sox batting .000

[southsider2k5]

Here's how poorly the off-season has gone for the White Sox: They wanted to re-sign all six of their free agents but are on the verge of a shutout.

 

"It's back to the drawing board," general manager Ken Williams acknowledged Monday.

 

Williams repeated that statement later during a brief interview. He apologized for cutting it short, but he has many holes to fill on his roster.

 

One of them is a starting pitcher. Until Monday, Williams held out hope that he could re-sign Bartolo Colon, who had rejected the club's three-year, $36 million offer in late October.

 

But even after Williams increased the offer late last week by lowering the percentage of deferred money in the deal, Colon's camp turned it down.

 

"It appears as though he's headed elsewhere," Williams said.

 

Sources say that destination is Anaheim, which was willing to guarantee a fourth year on a contract believed to be worth $48 million. An official announcement is expected Tuesday.

 

Williams wouldn't add a fourth year because of the risk involved with signing a pitcher to a long-term deal. He also noted that teams have been unable to acquire the insurance that goes hand in hand with lucrative contracts.

 

"Nothing personal against [Colon], but it's a high-risk occupation," Williams said. "If something should turn sour, we could be stuck. And if a team such as ours is stuck with that high a percentage [of the payroll] with one guy, it could be devastating."

 

While Williams took the high road, some members of the organization feel betrayed by Colon, who went 15-13 with a 3.87 ERA last year, completed nine games and finished second in the American League with 242 innings pitched.

 

They believe they created a cocoon for Colon, an enigmatic sort whom some teams have shied away from signing because of his hefty frame and reputation for keeping late hours.

 

Colon also is not fond of flying, so sources say the Sox sometimes let him fly separately from the team so he could arrive in a city with more time to recover before taking the mound.

 

With Colon apparently out of the picture, the Sox will look to supplement a rotation composed of Mark Buehrle, Esteban Loaiza, Jon Garland and Scott Schoeneweis.

 

They've long been interested in free agent Sidney Ponson, who went 17-12 with a 3.75 ERA last season for Baltimore and San Francisco. The Giants did not offer Ponson arbitration, so the Sox could sign him without losing a draft pick.

 

But the Sox have some concerns about Ponson's health. After the 27-year-old right-hander struggled late in spring training, there were reports that Ponson had a partial tear in the labrum of his right shoulder.

 

After getting shelled in his first start of the season, Ponson appeared to put those fears to rest by winning five of his next six.

 

Another possibility for the Sox is 30-year-old right-hander John Thomson, who went 13-14 with a 4.85 ERA for Texas. The Rangers did offer arbitration to Thomson, who earned $1.3 million last season.

 

The Sox also have a gaping hole in their bullpen after Tom Gordon agreed to a two-year deal with the Yankees and the team did not offer arbitration to reliever Scott Sullivan, who made $2.8 million last season.

 

"We would have liked to have him back, no doubt," Williams said of Sullivan, who had a 3.77 ERA in 15 games for the Sox last year. "But what it would have cost us in arbitration, we don't have right now. He has multiple-year offers out there, and we couldn't match it."

 

The Sox will sign at least one reliever to bolster a group that consists of Billy Koch, Damaso Marte and Kelly Wunsch and a bevy of inexperienced in-house candidates that includes David Sanders, Matt Ginter, Arnie Munoz, Jon Adkins, Felix Diaz and Enemencio Pacheco, who went 12-2 with a 2.56 ERA at Birmingham.

 

There's also a good chance the Sox will move Dan Wright to the bullpen. The 25-year-old right-hander was 0-7 with a 6.85 ERA as a starter last season and 1-0 with a 3.24 ERA as a reliever.

 

After losing six free agents, Williams couldn't hide his disappointment.

 

"We have to work a little harder in the future to retain players with the resources we have," he said.

 

Williams had hoped to re-sign all of them. He thought he had an oral agreement with Roberto Alomar on a one-year, $3 million deal in September. He was close to bringing back Gordon with a two-year offer. His package to Colon was the richest ever offered to a Sox pitcher. He negotiated with Sullivan's agent until the final weekend. He offered two years to Tony Graffanino, a favorite of owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Williams even held out hope he could convince Carl Everett to return for far less than the $9.15 million he earned last season.

 

The Sox won't even be compensated with a first-round draft pick for losing Gordon or Colon. Because Anaheim's 77-85 record left the Angels with a pick in the first half of the first round, they have to surrender only a second-round selection if they sign Colon. The Sox also would receive a "sandwich" pick between the first and second rounds.

 

The Sox will get another sandwich pick after losing Gordon, plus the Yankees' second- or third-round selection. Gordon is ranked below other free-agent signees Gary Sheffield and Paul Quantrill

[marsh]

here's my take on it so far.

 

1. colon, would have loved him for 3yrs, 36mil. would have been very leery of a 4yrs @ 48. he had 9 complete games 170+ strikeouts, good whip, 230+ innings, good k/w ratio. but i can't see giving him four years guaranteed to a pitcher who's physique is a bit questionable. so i don't blame the sox for not signing him.

 

2. gordon, this is a tough won, fiery competitor, you can just tell he wants to win badly, but has a long history of injury and i think manuel really blew his arm out last year. if he would have taken a two year deal for around 6 mil that would have been acceptable, but i believe he got more $ from the yanks so i don't blame the sox for not signing him, at least we get a two picks for him.

 

3. graffanino, not much to say about him, he played hard here, didn't complain about playing time, but i think uribe will be a capable replacement, especially defensively.

 

4. everett, a true grinder, comes ready to play. don't care for him in centerfield, more of a corner outfielder range wise. if i'm picking between him or c.lee, i'll take lee.

 

5. alomar, great number 2 hitter, above average defense, although not nearly as good right now as he was in his heyday. he's at the point, or maybe already reached the point with the mets where he could just fall apart at any minute. might show a glimpse here and there but won't be consistently good. i would have been fine with a one year deal, ok with two years for about 2 mil a year, but i'm really not upset over not signing him. plus i just have a gut feeling about willie harris for next year, i think something will just click all of a sudden.

[israel4ever]

Hey Marsh!

 

I liked your previous analysis, but, what are you replacing the lost players with? THAT is the question!

 

 

:fthecubs

[marsh]

i'll leave that up to kenny.

 

actually i think that the sox will sign a front of the rotation free agent pitcher. either ponson or millwood, more likely ponson.

 

they will make a trade for a starter, maybe with florida, montreal or the giants.

 

they will start either willie harris or uribe at second.

 

i think rowand and reed will split time in center to start the year.

 

the bullpen will include koch, marte, wright, and probably a rookie.

 

i think they will hold on to konerko because the dodgers deal will fall through.

 

i think there will be a big trade this winter, with us getting some pitching and giving up some offense/minor leaguers and honestly there are so many scenarios i couldn't even guess who would be incuded.

 

has there been a boring offseason since kw has been gm?

[The Critic]

Batting .000?

I thought maybe Willie Harris was playing winter ball!!!

[slick03]

Batting .000?

I thought maybe Willie Harris was playing winter ball!!!

[Texsox]

My favorite quote

 

"We have to work a little harder in the future to retain players with the resources we have," he said.

 

Work a little harder?! You dumb s***s. How much f***ing work is it to spend a few more dollars? That's the work. Quit using euphanisms work = money