Jaret wright signs with the yankees

[Guest JimH]

One of the things I like about Chacon is that the very wrong won't be as expensive as the very wrong on "Wright."

 

Matt Clement is another pitcher that I like.  Clement will cost more than Chacon but hopefully less than Wright.  There are still a number of possibilities out there for pitching, including a trade for someone like Vasquez.

I wouldn't mind going for Chacon in some capacity, but I doubt the White Sox get him because interest in him seems quite intense. Just a gut feeling.

 

But if they do get him, it can't be Chacon and nothing else.

 

At this point, the White Sox need a proven guy for the rotation. They've done a decent job getting Garcia and even Contreras for an increasingly ineffective Loaiza. Contreras is not lights out but it appears he's healthy, and there's question marks on Loaiza's health.

 

Anyway ... they need a proven durable guy (just like 25 other teams I suppose). They also have to understand a guy like that will cost $$$. They need 5 proven major league starters in the rotation for April, none of this wing and a prayer Dan Wright/Jason Grilli stuff. Although I do think they should keep Grilli around if they can. Grilli is a guy who finally got healthy in the 2nd half of last year, and I remember that performance vs. Detroit. He'd be decent as a fill in guy, a 6th starter. Every organization needs that.

 

I still think Jon Leiber is the best fit for this team but it looks like it won't happen. They need a sinkerball guy who pounds the strike zone.

[LosMediasBlancas]

I will be disappointed if we don't get Renteria.  The tough thing is that I don't expect that we will get him.

We won't, we'll be outbid by someone. Then JR and KW will look around and think: "wow, I guess you gotta overpay if you really wnat a guy huh"

[thomsonmi]

I still think Jon Leiber is the best fit for this team but it looks like it won't happen.  They need a sinkerball guy who pounds the strike zone.

I too like Lieber but I was assuming he was lost at this point. I agree with those who believe that Lieber is worth more than Wright. Lieber knows how to "pitch." Not enough White Sox (outside of Buerhle) know how to pitch. He'd be a great commodity to have around and a solid, dependable pitcher.

 

The fact that the Yanks let him go is evidence to me that they don't know what they are doing and are just flinging money around. Signs that should give hope to the rest of us.

[Cerbaho-WG]

Lieber will sign with the Phillies, so forget that idea.

 

As for the New York signings, I'm not understanding them whatsoever. What New York needed was an ace pitcher, and we all know that Jaret Wright is not that pitcher. I'm thinking that, at least to Cashman, that this deal was contingent to New York pulling off a blockbuster trade, something along the lines of Randy Johnson. As it stands, New York's rotation looks like:

 

Brown

Wright

Vazquez

Mussina

No one

 

New York is not in a situation that I would perceive as good. Arizona knows that New York is probably the only team that can offer the players (Gordon, Vazquez) and the money (upwards of $10 mil) to land Johnson. So what is Arizona doing to New York? Raping and pillaging them via demands. New York has an umlimited amount of monetary resources, but severly lacking the players (farm system is wretched) to make a large trade. Arizona can easily sit on their ass until the trade deadline and unload Johnson for more talent, although less money, than New York could offer. So I'm predicting that New York will trade for Johnson, overpaying enormously considering they are the only suitor for Johnson. A new rotation looks like:

 

Brown

Wright

Mussina

Johnson

No one

 

Brown and Mussina could easily break down once again and are obviously on the downside of their respective careers. Wright should see his ERA baloon past what Vazquez suffered in New York. Through all of this, and the stupid Tony Womack signing, New York is not in a position to overtake Boston assuming the Red Sox do indeed resign Pedro. If Boston signs Pavano, and most likely will sign Valentin and retain Varitek, they are much stronger than New York can be with Johnson. Cashman still has a lot of work to do to win another World Series championship, and I'm positive it will not happen in 2005.