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Bye Bye Schoney


chisox2334

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The fifth starter question mark in the White Sox rotation will not be solved with Scott Schoeneweis as the answer.

The left-hander was not tendered a contract by the team prior to the Monday night arbitration deadline, making Schoeneweis a free agent and basically ending his time on the South Side.

 

According to Schoeneweis, who spoke to MLB.com Monday night from his home in Fountain Hills, Ariz., the White Sox offered a one-year deal at his current salary of $1.725 million but would not move from that figure. Schoeneweis pointed to the non-tender as the business side of the game and had no ill feelings toward the White Sox or anyone in the organization.

 

But the versatile 31-year-old could not hide the disappointment over what he thought was the apparent lack of appreciation for his work.

 

"I didn't get to the point where I was asking for too much," said Schoeneweis of his desire to receive a raise for the 2005 season. "But it was basically either take this offer or you are not tendered.

 

"If I was tendered a contract, we would have worked something out fairly for both sides. I'm 100 percent confident that would have been the case."

 

 

 

 

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General manager Ken Williams acquired Schoenweis from Anaheim on July 29, 2003 in exchange for three minor-league pitchers. At the time, Williams dubbed Schoeneweis as a player he had been after for a while, and a pitcher who would work out of the bullpen as the White Sox pushed toward the Central Division title.

 

That decision also came with a promise that Schoenweis would return to the starting rotation in 2004. After a miserable Spring Training, in which Schoenweis focused more on adding pitches such as the changeup to his repertoire as opposed to getting results, Schoeneweis performed solidly in his first starting assignment since 2002, breaking a stretch of 98 consecutive relief appearances.

 

During his first eight starts, Schoeneweis finished with a 4-1 record and a 3.33 ERA. He had quality efforts in all but one of those trips to the mound. But debris and bone chips in his left elbow started to slow down Schoeneweis, and he finished 2-8 with a 7.48 ERA in his final 12 games (11 starts).

 

Dr. Lewis Yocum performed surgery on Schoeneweis' pitching elbow in mid-August, and the left-hander returned to pitch one game in relief against Kansas City during the final series of the season. Feeling as if he "never had the surgery," Schoeneweis is ready to return either as a starter or a reliever.

 

The White Sox talked to Schoeneweis about competing for the fifth starter's slot, with pitchers such as Jason Grilli and possibly rookie Brandon McCarthy. That responsibility, coupled with his effectiveness in the early going, should have produced the offer of a competitive raise, in Schoeneweis' estimation.

 

"If you want me as a fifth starter, then trying to work something out seemed logical," said Schoeneweis, who finished 2004 with a 6-9 record and 5.59 ERA in 20 games. "With all due respect, what we were asking for was pretty cheap as starters go.

 

"I wanted fair market value for a left-handed pitcher with my service time and performance level. I rejected that offer, I was non-tendered and that was it. They didn't say, 'How about $2.1 million or $1.9 million?' I didn't hear any of those offers.

 

"I'm still a little bit confused right now, but it's part of the game," Schoeneweis added. "I've been prepared to be non-tendered for quite some time."

 

Although it had not been officially announced, the White Sox reportedly offered arbitration to outfielder Aaron Rowand. The decision on Ben Davis was still up in the air, while right-hander Jon Garland, shortstop Juan Uribe and outfielder Timo Perez all agreed to new deals before Monday night.

 

Schoenweis would not confirm the amount he was after, although he did mention other pitchers in his situation earned in the $2.2 to $2.5 million range per season. But Don Cooper, the White Sox pitching coach, presented a logical counterpoint to Schoeneweis' desire for a raise.

 

Cooper has been in contact with Schoeneweis throughout the offseason, and basically stated Monday that if Schoeneweis accepted the team's offer, he would have been the fifth starter. That chance to start, something Schoeneweis was clamoring for when he arrived, should have outweighed a nominal salary increase.

 

"I'm disappointed (Schoeneweis) and his agent did not accept the offer," Cooper said of the left-hander, who is represented by Scott Boras. "I wanted another crack at trying to see what we could do with him as a starter.

 

"If he signs the deal, he's our fifth guy. I just hope now he can get the same opportunity somewhere else as a starter. He might be able to get more than was offered, but he might have to go to the bullpen.

 

"To be honest, I'm miffed at them not accepting a chance to start now," Cooper added. "If he starts and does well, the money is not a question in a year or two. Not with the way they are throwing millions at starting pitchers."

 

Schoeneweis believes there will be other options for a pitcher who can serve as a left-handed setup guy, long reliever or start 30 games. He doesn't believe the White Sox's tenuous relationship with Boras had anything to do with the final resolution, but instead, felt the raise was not offered because of the skewed numbers stemming from his injury.

 

"I hadn't been injured in 10 years, and it's unfortunate this happened last year when I was given the opportunity to be in the rotation," Schoeneweis said. "From the teammates I know and talked to, when asked what should we do about a fifth starter, their fingers pointed to me. I was competent in that role when I was more like the third or fourth starter.

 

"But there's no ill will toward Chicago, the White Sox, Kenny or the fans. It's over, and I'll just move on. Players do it all the time

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Don't know how reliable it is, but at 10:00 p.m. tonight, the Official Sox sight stated that Sox did not offer Schoeneweis Arbitration. Good! I'm rather tired of these unproven unreliable up and down guys. For crying out loud......... let's get a proven track record starter already!!!!!

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Someone tell me what he did that was worth appreciating?

The apreciation that we were able to spot Mike Squires in him real early so we wouldn't have to go through all that again. Schoney always cries of wanting to be a starter, and the more he's in, the worse he became. Squires was the same way. Constantly crying that he didn't do well because he didn't get much playing time. Sox gave him a fair chance to prove his claim, and he became worse. We appreciate seeing the connection early, learned from the past, and then said Bye Bye!

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I agree non-tendering Schoeneweis was appropriate, but iI find it disturbing Williams considered him an option.  Perez/Miller remain on the market,  and we're left negotiating with this scrub?  Unacceptable.

I agree, this guy has been b****ing about wanting to be a starter for such a long time, but in reality, that's exactly what he is, a scrub.

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I agree non-tendering Schoeneweis was appropriate, but iI find it disturbing Williams considered him an option.  Perez/Miller remain on the market,  and we're left negotiating with this scrub?  Unacceptable.

Its a good thing KW did non tender him, I dont know if this is a sign will try to get some other pitchers or just do hermanson, grilli and diaz show. I would love wade miller in a sox uni.

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Well, Schoey wasn't the greatest pitcher in the world... but at least he had some experience and a little success starting games... KW really has to get another starter now... Hoping he did this after he heard some others were non-tendered...

I know I would really like to see Wade Miller at this point...

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What confuses me is we offered him a contract at his current salary...

I mean he's coming off an injury. How many guys get as much money as the year before after having injury problems let alone a f***ing raise.

No way in hell any other team gives him the 1.7 Mil we offered him.

EDIT: No idea why I had shortstop on their. Guess I have shortstop on the brain... :bang

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