Moronatti Does it Again

[DBAHO]

Thump him once for me Hawk,

 

While umpires stretched the bounds of senselessness, Fox ran a ''COPS'' rerun and the Cubs fed their cash cow by selling more beer, I kept looking for Noah's Ark. Why were they trying to play this ballgame Saturday? The field was grossly unplayable. Millionaire talents risked injury, slipping on the grass and landing awkwardly in the muck. A goof who jumped out of the stands even fell on his rump.

 

In the most telling scene, there was White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, whose team was trailing and therefore benefitted from continuing play, arguing vehemently that the field was too messy. Look at the infield quagmire, he said. Look at the rivers on the warning track, he said. Look at the blob of mud on the pitcher's mound, he said. Consider the hell to pay if a marquee player, with both teams contending for the postseason, were injured.

 

''That game wasn't playable,'' Guillen said. ''I worry about my players. The last thing you want as a manager was getting anyone hurt.''

 

''Was this worth losing someone over? We've had enough injuries,'' said Cubs manager Dusty Baker, who took a risk in bringing back Greg Maddux after a 59-minute rain delay.

 

Finally, sanity prevailed. After three delays totaling an hour and 45 minutes, all parties succumbed to a fourth delay rather than summoning those poor, red-shirted groundskeepers again. Thanks to Sammy Sosa's sliding, splish-splash catch in the sixth inning, which limited a Sox rally to two runs, the Cubs won 4-2 and took a crosstown series for the first time in Baker's managerial reign.

 

All of which only briefly distracted us from the overriding theme. No, we're not talking pulled groins, trade rumors and security issues surrounding a July 4 night game in Wrigleyville, which prompted Baker to say, ''People get to start drinking extremely early.'' We're referring to a player who wasn't even in the ballpark, yet looms as the biggest pawn in the ongoing Cubs-Sox dynamic.

 

His name is Magglio Ordonez. And doesn't he possess all the leverage to rock the local baseball scene this offseason, tilting the balance of power to the North Side?

 

It's no coincidence that Sox general manager Ken Williams, just as contract talks with Ordonez appeared dead, is spending his Wrigley Field weekend emphasizing that he still has an offer on the table to the best ballplayer in Chicago. As he speaks openly about a heretofore off-limits topic, Williams obviously is weighing the harsh public-relations fallout if Ordonez leaves the Sox and ends up with. ...

 

The Cubs.

 

A dozen years after Sosa was traded 8.1 miles north by the Sox, chances of another Tribune Co. heist of the Reinsdorfs are increasing. No one denies Moises Alou is still productive at 38, proving it again with a first-inning homer off miscast Felix Diaz. But Alou also would make $11 million next season if the Cubs retained him, too stiff a price when they have a chance to get younger in the outfield. Difficult as it would be to say goodbye to Alou, arguably the team MVP and sturdiest clubhouse leader, Cubs bosses Andy MacPhail and Jim Hendry would be best served sinking that $11 million into the Maggs Fund.

 

At 30, Ordonez has at least five prime seasons remaining. He would play right field, Sosa would be moved to left and the Cubs once again would stick a needle in the Sox voodoo doll. For all the good vibes created by the Freddy Garcia deal, losing Magglio to the Cubs would be devastating to Sox fans. That's why Williams is readdressing the concept of forging an extension, although it's probably just lip service, knowing owner Jerry Reinsdorf more likely would have dinner with first-base-coach-tackler William Ligue than produce big-bucks contracts for Garcia AND Ordonez.

 

According to Williams, the Sox have offered an extension ''not too far away'' from Ordonez's original demand -- in the neighborhood of Vlad Guerrero's five-year, $70 million deal in Anaheim and Miguel Tejada's six-year, $72 million deal in Baltimore. In the Reinsdorf jungle, that means the Sox are junking up the proposal with deferred clauses, which Williams confirms. ''Yes, the fifth year, I guess, is at issue, but only in the sense that we want to make sure we have some protection in the event he's not healthy in that fifth year,'' he said. ''Certainly, we're not taking away any of the total overall dollars from him. The framework is there for the deal to be consummated. But only he'll be able to give us that indication.''

 

Now, riddle me this: Why would Ordonez, with the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers expected to join the Cubs as possible offseason suitors, accept a deferred arrangement when other teams will offer straight-up, long-term deals with no fine print? This is where Jerrynomics aggravates people. If the Sox are willing to splurge and sign Ordonez, why not quit the nit-picking and make the man happy when you know other teams -- including your globally popular crosstown rivals -- will do just that? Hasn't Reinsdorf learned from his diminished-skills clause with Frank Thomas, who was misguided enough to sign off on it but has moped about the clause often?

 

Basically, the Sox are ''Franking'' Ordonez. They want him to agree to conditional clauses when Ordonez has all the power. Thus, it's unrealistic to think a deal will be struck, despite Williams' wishful thinking. Cutting through the b.s., the Sox are trying to spin public opinion against Ordonez by painting him as the one who won't agree to the fifth-year contingency. Truth is, what big-time impending free agent would sign such a deal when better options await?

 

Assuming Ordonez and his representatives, Tom Reich and Adam Katz, continue to reject the Sox, don't rule out a trade in coming weeks. Every time Williams swears he won't trade Magglio, he leaves an opening such as, ''Never say never.'' Look, without Ordonez, the Sox won't reach the World Series. And if they're actually serious about a deal involving Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones, whom the Sox would owe $45 million over the next 3-1/2 seasons, why not just give Ordonez his money and make everyone happy? If not, at least keep him until the end of the season.

 

Complicating matters is Guillen's frustration that Ordonez's rehabilitation regimen isn't organized. The other day, Maggs was in South Florida taking care of a visa issue. Huh? ''I don't care about Magglio right here,'' Guillen said. ''We spent a lot of time throwing batting practice to him last week, then he disappears. ... If you show up once a week and do what you want to do, my coaches won't be available to work with you when you want to. We work when we want to.''

 

Not that Maggs is bothered by the flap. If the Sox don't like him, it may be as simple next year as turning north onto the Kennedy instead of south on the Dan Ryan.

[beck72]

I'm surprised this fool still has a job. Sosa will welcome a move to LF to make room for MAggs?! You expect this kind of thing from a middle school kid not a professional sportswriter with his own radio show. Is there a person in this city who likes this guy or thinks he has anything worthwhile to say about anything?

 

He needs to move onto the next town because he's certainly worn out his welcome here.

[DBAHO]

And this shows his hatred of Hawk and JR perfectly, :headshake

 

knowing owner Jerry Reinsdorf more likely would have dinner with first-base-coach-tackler William Ligue than produce big-bucks contracts for Garcia AND Ordonez.

[Old Socks]

No question, he wants Maggs to sign with the Cubs. Nothing would make him happier. Lots of material for future columns.

[Dick Allen]

His "columns" should appear in the Editorial section. No suprise he knows what FOX has on TV while the game is delayed. He's probably at home. Why he did mention a guy ran on the field, where was his call for stepped up security so this doesn't happen?

[The Critic]

I don't see anything wrong with that column.

I'm sure Sosa would move to LF for Ordonez - he'd look better as an outfielder ( no more long throws from RF to 3B, LF is easier to judge flyballs in than RF ), and he'd look better as a teammate ( leaving his "natural" position for the good of the team ).

I'm sure he'd enjoy tweaking the Sox and their fans, given the hate directed at him through the years. It would be a welcome side-effect of improving their team.

 

I'm also pretty sure any Cub offer would NOT include diminishing skills clauses or much, if any, deferred money. That would make their offer more attractive than the Sox' offer, which is UNQUESTIONABLY going to include deferred money at least.

 

I'd much rather the Sox trade Maggs and get some players for him now than lose him to FA and get draft picks. I'd love for Maggs to re-sign here, but I am very pessimistic about it happening.

 

On a side note, THANK YOU Ozzie for realizing that one loss is less important than risking your players! That field was a swamp after the rain delays, especially the warning track, which was underwater.

[Dick Allen]

I don't see anything wrong with that column.

I'm sure Sosa would move to LF for Ordonez - he'd look better as an outfielder ( no more long throws from RF to 3B, LF is easier to judge flyballs in than RF ), and he'd look better as a teammate ( leaving his "natural" position for the good of the team ).

I'm sure he'd enjoy tweaking the Sox and their fans, given the hate directed at him through the years. It would be a welcome side-effect of improving their team.

 

I'm also pretty sure any Cub offer would NOT include diminishing skills clauses or much, if any, deferred money. That would make their offer more attractive than the Sox' offer, which is UNQUESTIONABLY going to include deferred money at least.

 

I'd much rather the Sox trade Maggs and get some players for him now than lose him to FA and get draft picks. I'd love for Maggs to re-sign here, but I am very pessimistic about it happening.

 

On a side note, THANK YOU Ozzie for realizing that one loss is less important than risking your players! That field was a swamp after the rain delays, especially the warning track, which was underwater.

Sammy wouldn't switch positions for anyone. If Magglio signed there, he would play LF until Sammy Steriod's contract ran out.

[The Critic]

Sammy wouldn't switch positions for anyone. If Magglio signed there, he would play LF until Sammy Steriod's contract ran out.

I disagree, but I hope we never find out.

[CSF]

Kotex boy knows all Sox fans hate his guts, so he's just going for broke now.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I can take or leave the rest of the article, but he's got it right over the frustration with "Jerrynomics". If the organization wants to make a serious offer, friggin' do it. If not, don't posture with the "we did our best" party line when everybody knows whetever deal was offered and rejected wasn't anywhere close to straight up?

 

Why would Ordonez... accept a deferred arrangement when other teams will offer straight-up, long-term deals with no fine print? This is where Jerrynomics aggravates people. If the Sox are willing to splurge and sign Ordonez, why not quit the nit-picking and make the man happy...?

[SkokieSox]

I can take or leave the rest of the article, but he's got it right over the frustration with "Jerrynomics".  If the organization wants to make a serious offer, friggin' do it.  If not, don't posture with the "we did our best" party line when everybody knows whetever deal was offered and rejected wasn't anywhere close to straight up?

Why not? If that's the best we think we can do without hindering our competitiveness in the future, then that's what you offer. I don't think he should make Vlad money, even if we could afford it. The contract is fair, and really boils down to whether Maggs wants to stay. My guess is he doesn't, but a fair offer is on the table for if he changes his mind. I don't have a problem with that. Take it or leave it Maggs. With Garcia extended most likely, I would be fine with Borchard in right and another top line pitcher.

[beck72]

I can take or leave the rest of the article, but he's got it right over the frustration with "Jerrynomics".  If the organization wants to make a serious offer, friggin' do it.  If not, don't posture with the "we did our best" party line when everybody knows whetever deal was offered and rejected wasn't anywhere close to straight up?

So Maggs has a few more clauses than another offer. If the money is near what other teams will or could make, some loyalty and connection to the fans, to the city should make up for the "inconvience" of some contract clauses such as deferred money.

 

If Maggs is happy playing with the Sox, he'll stay. If not, he'll go elsewhere for a few extra bucks, ala Bartolo Colon.

 

Now, if Maggs was offered a 4 yr, $32 million contract, I'd say the sox were lowballing and MAggs has every right to feel insulted and leave. From all reports, the total money being offered is not an insult, no matter if the terms are complicated. That's what agents are paid for.

[Al Lopez Ghost (old)]

The Maggs to the Cubs idea was first written by Paul Sullivan in the Tribune on Thursday or Friday, so Mariotti isn't even coming up with original ways to rip on the Sox.

[Dick Allen]

I still don't see the harm in deferred money. The Yankees do it. They did it with Sheffield. Where's the proof no other team will offer deferred money to Magglio? Chances are, every contract offered to him will contain deferred money. What does it matter? The interest rates are low, and the payout is still more money than he'll ever need in a lifetime. I'm sick of the old stand by, deferred money, to rip JR. Steinbrenner defers for crying out loud. Mariotti and some on this board need to get off it. Every team does it.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I still don't see the harm in deferred money. The Yankees do it. They did it with Sheffield. Where's the proof no other team will offer deferred money to Magglio? Chances are, every contract offered to him will contain deferred money. What does it matter? The interest rates are low, and the payout is still more money than he'll ever need in a lifetime. I'm sick of the old stand by, deferred money, to rip JR. Steinbrenner defers for crying out loud. Mariotti and some on this board need to get off it. Every team does it.

Beyond the deferred money, it sounds like they are not going to see eye to eye on a DSC. Have other teams adopted that as well (I don't know), or is it just a JR thing. It worked the way it was supposed to with Jordan (who actually came up with the idea IIRC), but obviously caused friction with Frank.

 

I'm not even saying that the DSC is a bad idea, just that when the organization portrays an offer at 5/70 mil or whatever, it can actually be something quite different than that with DSCs and incentive-laden crud and on top of that to defer much of it. If Magglio is too rich for our blood so be it, but if we lose him because of all the hooks in the offer I'd like to know that.

[aboz56]

Watch us resign Maggs and Moronotti will call it a genius move by KW...

 

I really wish he would walk to his car unsurrounded once and get noticed and plummeted.

[CSF]

The Maggs to the Cubs idea was first written by Paul Sullivan in the Tribune on Thursday or Friday, so Mariotti isn't even coming up with original ways to rip on the Sox.

The first original thought Kotex Boy has will truly be his 1st.

[Old Socks]

And the NEXT original thought by Kotex Boy will trully be his first.

 

By the way, who came up with that nickname? One of the best ever.

[NO!!MARY!!!]

So Jay is now writing that Maggs might go to the Cubs? To

paraphrase Claude Rains, I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you. Especially

since I posted this:

 

 

http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/vbullet...12928post412928

 

 

On June 11, nearly a month ago. Amazing, my powers of foresight. I humbly

award myself another "Aristonidis" award. For those who don't know, he was

a 16th century prophet who, according to Woody Allen, once made the pre-

diction "two nations will go to war, but only one will win."

[Dick Allen]

And the NEXT original thought by Kotex Boy will trully be his first.

 

By the way, who came up with that nickname?  One of the best ever.

David "Boomer" Wells

[valponick]

I still don't see the harm in deferred money. The Yankees do it. They did it with Sheffield. Where's the proof no other team will offer deferred money to Magglio? Chances are, every contract offered to him will contain deferred money. What does it matter? The interest rates are low, and the payout is still more money than he'll ever need in a lifetime. I'm sick of the old stand by, deferred money, to rip JR. Steinbrenner defers for crying out loud. Mariotti and some on this board need to get off it. Every team does it.

There really is no harm in deferred compensation. What you have to understand is that guys are more willing to go to the Yankees because they know year in and year out they will be competing in the playoffs. I would imagine that the bottom line for Maggs is that he wants to win, it is the driving force of ALL athletes. Once we traded for Garcia I thought that if we resigned him it would actually make it EASIER to resign Magglio because it gives us a much better chance to be winners during the time of his would-be contract. You hear some many things about so many different scenarios related to Magglios contract it is hard to know what is or isn't true. All I know is that we can't afford to give him a Vlad type of contract. I think offering a guy this type of money WHILE he is on the DL is a good show of faith by KW. KW knows that JR is going to include his typical bulls*** clauses in his contract, putting this offer on the table now might be KW way of saying "hey i want you to stay, but i don't write your contract" type of gesture. KW has to know that if he doesn't make the playoffs this year, loses Garcia and loses Magglio then this year was a TOTAL bust. Personally, I think we WILL make the playoffs and re-sign both players. Lets face it, Reinsdorf, as much as we hate him, is a sports guy, he wants to win. He CAN build a winner and if he sees a good opportunity to win, I think he'll open up the checkbook.

[Dick Allen]

There really is no harm in deferred compensation.  What you have to understand is that guys are more willing to go to the Yankees because they know year in and year out they will be competing in the playoffs.  I would imagine that the bottom line for Maggs is that he wants to win, it is the driving force of ALL athletes.  Once we traded for Garcia I thought that if we resigned him it would actually make it EASIER to resign Magglio because it gives us a much better chance to be winners during the time of his would-be contract.  You hear some many things about so many different scenarios related to Magglios contract it is hard to know what is or isn't true.  All I know is that we can't afford to give him a Vlad type of contract.  I think offering a guy this type of money WHILE he is on the DL is a good show of faith by KW.  KW knows that JR is going to include his typical bulls*** clauses in his contract, putting this offer on the table now might be KW way of saying "hey i want you to stay, but i don't write your contract" type of gesture.  KW has to know that if he doesn't make the playoffs this year, loses Garcia and loses Magglio then this year was a TOTAL bust.  Personally, I think we WILL make the playoffs and re-sign both players.  Lets face it, Reinsdorf, as much as we hate him, is a sports guy, he wants to win.  He CAN build a winner and if he sees a good opportunity to win, I think he'll open up the checkbook.

So far KW has dodged a lot of bullets. He wanted to re sign Alomar and give him $3 million, JR wouldn't let him. He wanted to trade Maggs for Nomar, Nomar has been a total bust. He wanted to bring back Colon, Colon is making Jaime Navarro look like Cy Young. He wanted Odalis Perez and Edwin Jackson from the Dodgers, they are both hurting. If he traded Maggs, he would have brought in Juan Gonzalez, who is sitting out with an injury. Maggs has been hurt for the first time in his career, and it has been less an injury than everyone they where going to trade him for. I think its a sign that he should stay. I hope you're right and they do re sign him. Garcia, I would like to see a few more times, but if you do sign him and the wheels don't fall off, the team should contend for the next 4 or 5 years.

[Dick Allen]

Watch us resign Maggs and Moronotti will call it a genius move by KW...

 

I really wish he would walk to his car unsurrounded once and get noticed and plummeted.

Mariotti would say that the Sox finally took his advice. If the Sox re sign Magglio, he will take full credit. If Magglio should somehow not live up to the contract, Marriotti will have a column on the stupidity of signing him. Its happened before with that schmuck, it will happen again.

[valponick]

So far KW has dodged a lot of bullets. He wanted to re sign Alomar and give him $3 million, JR wouldn't let him. He wanted to trade Maggs for Nomar, Nomar has been a total bust. He wanted to bring back Colon, Colon is making Jaime Navarro look like Cy Young. He wanted Odalis Perez and Edwin Jackson from the Dodgers, they are both hurting. If he traded Maggs, he would have brought in Juan Gonzalez, who is sitting out with an injury. Maggs has been hurt for the first time in his career, and it has been less an injury than everyone they where going to trade him for. I think its a sign that he should stay. I hope you're right and they do re sign him. Garcia, I would like to see a few more times, but if you do sign him and the wheels don't fall off, the team should contend for the next 4 or 5 years.

Agreed. About Garcia, he is a proven pitcher with proven stuff and should only get better working with Coop and getting the run support we can give him. I would like to see him in a Sox uni for many years to come. Maggs, Garcia, Buehrle : 3 young guys you could build your franchise around....and WIN. Lets just hope we play well and get a winner tonight

[Ozzietheairedale]

So far KW has dodged a lot of bullets. He wanted to re sign Alomar and give him $3 million, JR wouldn't let him. He wanted to trade Maggs for Nomar, Nomar has been a total bust. He wanted to bring back Colon, Colon is making Jaime Navarro look like Cy Young. He wanted Odalis Perez and Edwin Jackson from the Dodgers, they are both hurting. If he traded Maggs, he would have brought in Juan Gonzalez, who is sitting out with an injury. Maggs has been hurt for the first time in his career, and it has been less an injury than everyone they where going to trade him for. I think its a sign that he should stay. I hope you're right and they do re sign him. Garcia, I would like to see a few more times, but if you do sign him and the wheels don't fall off, the team should contend for the next 4 or 5 years.

Agree 100%. KW is a lousy GM and it is simply impossible to overlook the Ritchie and Koch debacles. The other deals you mention that didn't happen would have been additional car wrecks.

 

As of today, the Garcia deal sucks. The only way this deal works is if the Sox go to the World Series. If they don't, the deal is another mess. Even if the Sox sign Garcia in the offseason, the deal still sucks because they could have signed him in the offseason anyway and kept Olivo and Reed.

 

As for the article - I think Mariotti got it right. KW and Ozzie should just shut up about Ordonez or pay the man. If they're are not going to pay him, make that decision and then trade him. Don't offer him incentives or deferred compensation that they know and he knows he can avoid in a free agent contract this winter.