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Williams fails to connect on trade front


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Nice to hav lots of new articles,

NEW ORLEANS -- White Sox general manager Ken Williams appeared worn down Saturday. Perhaps that's a result of running into so many brick walls.

 

Williams has been stymied in his attempts to move one of his big-salaried hitters to improve his pitching staff and/or save money.

 

At this point, Williams is highly skeptical he will complete a deal.

 

"Nothing makes sense for us right now," he said. "We're not going down a road that doesn't improve our club and our chances for the '04 season."

 

Williams indicated he has some flexibility in the payroll and if he declines to trade Magglio Ordonez (due $14 million next season), Paul Konerko ($8 million), Frank Thomas ($6 million) or Jose Valentin ($5 million), he'll need it.

 

The Sox's projected payroll of $58 million would have to rise for them to re-sign arbitration-eligible Carlos Lee, Scott Schoeneweis and Kelly Wunsch. Keeping their top 12 players would cost the Sox about $59 million.

 

"Here's the deal," Williams said. "We simply will not do a bad baseball deal and put this club at risk of not achieving the things we want to achieve. At some point in time, you extend yourself here or there."

 

Williams has swapped proposals with teams that offer a good match. Baltimore, Seattle, Anaheim and Los Angeles all are looking for offense and have some payroll flexibility.

 

The Sox and Seattle discussed a deal that would have swapped Ordonez for right-hander Freddy Garcia and lights-out reliever Rafael Soriano. It's unclear which side balked.

 

The Mariners don't want to part with Soriano, who went 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA in his second year in the majors. Although the Sox have interest in the erratic Garcia, who went 12-14 but posted a 1.97 ERA in five September starts, they know that the Mariners might not tender him a contract by the Dec. 20 deadline because he stands to earn $8 million through arbitration.

 

Baltimore has asked about Lee and Ordonez, but its first priority is trying to sign free-agent right fielder Vladimir Guerrero.

 

The Orioles might not have much pitching to offer, but the Sox like young outfielders Jay Gibbons (.277, 23 homers, 100 RBIs in 2003) and Larry Bigbie (.303, nine homers in 83 games).

 

"Teams have their own agendas and there are still a number of attractive free agents," Williams said. "It's just a matter of [teams] crossing an item off their checklist. Then maybe something will present itself, [but] maybe they'll be too late."

 

Several teams have asked the Sox about Valentin. After trading for Colorado shortstop Juan Uribe last month, the Sox might be willing to part with the veteran switch-hitter.

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Interestin to see the Sox would rather hav Bigbie than Luis Matos who most ppl round here thought they would rather hav with Jay Gibbons. Betcha the Mariners pulled da plug on that trade cos they ain't gonna giv up Soriano.

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The Sox and Seattle discussed a deal that would have swapped Ordonez for right-hander Freddy Garcia and lights-out reliever Rafael Soriano. It's unclear which side balked.

Did I f***ing call that deal or what? (In a different thread)

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Positive spin.

 

I haven't heard JR or KW say they had to drop the payroll to $59 million perhaps, I'm hoping, they won't dump Jose, Lee, or someone else with the goal of reducing payroll. If they keep trying to improve the club, and we wind up with our current cast of players, it will be a tought season but not as bad as it would be after a Lee for prospects type trade.

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Well let me just add this: the day I see a glowing article about the Sox in the Trib I will probably drop dead from a heart attack. Even the bad stuff about us is 10x worse. I have no doubt winter meetings are going awfully for us, but I doubt they're as bad as the Trib makes out. Conflict of interest much? I'm sure not a lot of progress has been made, but I doubt it's this apacolyptic.

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I got a feeling it was the Sox that balked at that deal. I think the Mariners would do it and the Sox are trying to get someone like Wynn or Guillen thrown in as well.

 

We'll just have to see, but I wouldn't complain if they got Soriano and Garcia because it fills the pitching needs. Soriano had some sick stats last season and if Coop can get Garcia figured out we have another top pitcher and the money to add some stellar relievers and fill other holes.

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The White Sox have also been trying to find a way to reel in Perez. But there were indications Friday they had turned their attention to Seattle and Freddy Garcia
- Jason Stark

 

When the sox went to the winter meetings i thought a trade for one of these guys would have been done. It puzzles me why we have not done anything yet.

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I got a feeling it was the Sox that balked at that deal.  I think the Mariners would do it and the Sox are trying to get someone like Wynn or Guillen thrown in as well. 

 

We'll just have to see, but I wouldn't complain if they got Soriano and Garcia because it fills the pitching needs.  Soriano had some sick stats last season and if Coop can get Garcia figured out we have another top pitcher and the money to add some stellar relievers and fill other holes.

I read a Seattle paper and talked to some Seattle fans, and they say that Seattle plugged the plug on the deal. They aren't going to give up Soriano. He is one of the top young pitchers in the game. I really think a Maggs for Garcia, Winn, and Mateo would be a good team. The Sox would address 3 weaknesses with this trade AND save about 3-4M. As far as waiting for him to be non-tendered, a Seattle paper wrote an article saying that other GM's are stupid if they think Seattle is going to non-tender him. Take it for wait it is worth though. I still think that a deal for Garcia is likely.

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