Official Re-sign Paul Konerko Thread

[Jordan4life_2007]

I always thought he had a lot of talent too YAS, (and I remember this time last year we'd have these discussions that we needed to keep him, otherwise he would reach his potential somewhere else) but I don't know if he can continue to be an 18 game winner with a K/BB ratio of 115/47, although if the Sox keep their infield defense the way it is, he's certainly got a good chance to keep those numbers.

 

I suppose I'm just a little leery with the way he finished off the season, and the way Houston got to him in game 3. He just needs to improve against lefties (.267, 19 of 26 HR's). If he can do that, he'll be on the Southside for a long, long time. Plus there's not much b/w his home and away splits, which is also an excellent sign.

 

He only gave up two earned runs in 7 innings against Houston. And don't forget the gem he threw against the Angels in game 3.

Edited November 8, 2005 by Jordan4life_2005

[DBAHO]

He only gave up two earned runs in 7 innings against Houston.  And don't forget the gem he threw against the Angels in game 3.

Yeah I'm probably nitpicking too much. Let's hope Jon can keep pitching like he did in 2005 and only keeps getting better.

[JUGGERNAUT]

IMHO & I think both KW & Ozzie support it: Mark, Freddy, & Jon are untouchables. They are the future of the staff. Jon has developed the mindset of big league pitcher & with AJP behind the plate looks to get even better. Freddy is our road warrior. He might very well be the most dependable road pitcher in the game today. Mark of course is a LH version of Greg Maddux. Filthy on the corners & great with off-speed stuff.

 

That leave Contreras & El-Duque. Contreras' stock couldn't be any higher right now & that gives KW some major clout in these winter meetings. El-Duque's stock is probably a little higher as well because of his clutch post-season appearances. Contreras year is too similar to ELO's. It might be best to deal him on the upside then risk a slide in his last yr before FA.

Edited November 8, 2005 by JUGGERNAUT

[JUGGERNAUT]

The 2 biggest things working against Kong:

 

1) Dye at 1B. When Ozzie began to seriously consider this Kong's defensive value dropped a bit. Ozzie has seen him field ground balls & be used in DP combo's & is convinced he can play the position well.

 

With that being the case it opens an OF position for the White Sox. That's where the plot really thickens because there are quality OFers available either thru FA or trades this year. KW could spend youth to get it.

 

2) 1B on the trade block. The most obvious name is Thome but again don't rule out Delgado either.

Thome: 1995-2004 6 950ish OPS seasons, 4 1000ish OPS seasons.

 

He's a hometown boy from Peoria, IL & IL Central college. Unlike Kong when he is healthy there are no poor months.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlbpa/players/4762...er&type=Batting

 

What he's done at the Cell: .286A/.382O/.600S

 

His 2005 season was an aberation that works in the White Sox favor. KW should be able to pull off a deal for Thome & below Kong prices. From 1995-2004 he avg'd 504 AB per season so there's no reason to believe he won't fully recover & produce.

 

Contract wise: $14M 06-08, $12M 09 OR $3M buyout.

If Philly were to include just $9M in cash this makes more sense than re-signing Kong.

[jphat007]

IMHO & I think both KW & Ozzie support it:  Mark, Freddy, & Jon are untouchables.  They are the future of the staff.  Jon has developed the mindset of big league pitcher & with AJP behind the plate looks to get even better.  Freddy is our road warrior.  He might very well be the most dependable road pitcher in the game today.  Mark of course is a LH version of Greg Maddux.  Filthy on the corners & great with off-speed stuff.

 

That leave Contreras & El-Duque.  Contreras' stock couldn't be any higher right now & that gives KW some major clout in these winter meetings.  El-Duque's stock is probably a little higher as well because of his clutch post-season appearances.  Contreras year is too similar to ELO's.  It might be best to deal him on the upside they risk a slide in his last yr before FA.

 

Contreras has some of, if not the BEST, stuff in the league. If he pitches with his head on straight, like we saw on the highest stage in the playoffs and the second half, then he will be one of the dominating pitchers in the league the next couple of year. All he had to do was gain confidence and a pitching rhythm (good catcher and pitching coach) to go along with that stuff.

 

I doubt he will be anything like ELo. If he concentrates the whole year and really works hard he could have an ERA below 3 and be one of the dominating pitchers in the game. We need to lock him up, not think about giving him away.

[JUGGERNAUT]

Contreras has some of, if not the BEST, stuff in the league. If he pitches with his head on straight, like we saw on the highest stage in the playoffs and the second half, then he will be one of the dominating pitchers in the league the next couple of year. All he had to do was gain confidence and a pitching rhythm (good catcher and pitching coach) to go along with that stuff.

 

I doubt he will be anything like ELo. If he concentrates the whole year and really works hard he could have an ERA below 3 and be one of the dominating pitchers in the game. We need to lock him up, not think about giving him away.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

But you have to keep in mind his age is in question just like El Duque.

El Duque is listed at 36 yr old but is perceived to be as old as 41.

Contreras is listed at 34 yr old but is perceived to be as old as 39.

 

If the Phillies GM comes up to KW & says "we'd like to structure a package around Thome for Contreras" I'm pretty sure KW will say "I bet you would but it's going to cost you plenty." He's not going to say "no way".

 

The White Sox should definitely NOT rush to judgement on Kong. Offer him arbitration to extend the negotiating window & see what options you have at the winter meetings.

Edited November 8, 2005 by JUGGERNAUT

[NorthSideSox72]

For those who mentioned Jim Thome as a possibility for the Sox, to replace Konerko and/or Thomas...

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051108/ap_on_...enezuela_urbina

 

It looks like the Phillies will be in even more need of bullpen help now, and we do have some relievers that are tradeable (Marte, Hermanson, Vizcaino). Could make things interesting.

[fathom]

I doubt he will be anything like ELo. If he concentrates the whole year and really works hard he could have an ERA below 3 and be one of the dominating pitchers in the game. We need to lock him up, not think about giving him away.

 

I wasn't expecting Loaiza to be a perennial Cy Young winner, but after that magical season he had with his cutter, I never thought he'd have the problems that he did the next season.

[Balta1701]

I wasn't expecting Loaiza to be a perennial Cy Young winner, but after that magical season he had with his cutter, I never thought he'd have the problems that he did the next season.

I think we were all amazed by that. I still can't figure out what happened. It looked like he still had all his pitches, but everything was just ridign upwards and he wasn't going hard inside.

[SoxFan562004]

FWIW, Levine was just on ESPN Radio from the GM meetings and said that the Sox will offer PK a 4 year deal between 50 and 52 and said they absolutely won't go 5 years. Which leads me to believe PK will be a Red Sox or an Angel next year.

 

Also said KW will look at the Garland and Garcia situations, basically saying KW doesn't want to go into next year with Garland on a one year deal and then lose him to free agency.

[JDsDirtySox]

Paul Konerko is gone. He wants 6-7 years, and the Sox will only go four. I would think if they could agree to go 5, then things would be good to go, but KW is stating he will absolutely not go more than 4 years.

 

Things are looking bad for PK to be back.

[Steff]

FWIW, Levine was just on ESPN Radio from the GM meetings and said that the Sox will offer PK a 4 year deal between 50 and 52 and said they absolutely won't go 5 years.  Which leads me to believe PK will be a Red Sox or an Angel next year.

 

Also said KW will look at the Garland and Garcia situations, basically saying KW doesn't want to go into next year with Garland on a one year deal and then lose him to free agency.

 

 

As usual.. Bruce is a day late and a dollar short. He should listen to the regular news for current developments.

[Milkman delivers]

I don't think PK will get 6 or 7 years from anyone, but I'm surprised that the Sox won't offer him 5. I thought for sure that they'd offer 5, and absolutely no more than that.

[SoxFan562004]

Yeah, i thought they would go 5, but I agree, if the Manny Ramirez deal doesn't go down Red Sox and Angels both give him 5 years at least.

[NorthSideSox72]

Paul Konerko is gone.  He wants 6-7 years, and the Sox will only go four.  I would think if they could agree to go 5, then things would be good to go, but KW is stating he will absolutely not go more than 4 years.

 

Things are looking bad for PK to be back.

 

PK's AGENT says he wants 6 or 7 years. A SOURCE around the GM meetings says PK will be offered 4 years. These are starting points - this is going to be a negotiation, as it always is in these scenarios. 5 years is still right in the middle, so it's definitely a possibility, until KW says something concrete. No need to panic yet, one way or the other.

[Balta1701]

How long of a deal did the Sox offer Ordonez?

[hi8is]

5 years for maggs

[Balta1701]

5 years for maggs

Then there's no reason not to offer Konerko at least 5 years. They were roughly the same age, Ordonez had much bigger health questions than Konerko, Konerko just won a ring, etc.

 

If they went 5 years on Ordonez, my money says they'll offer PK 5 years. I would be surprised if they offered more than that, unless the money per year went down.

[hi8is]

yeah, KW always does stuff like this.... you know, telling the front office to put a feature article about how great whillie harris is doing and how he will kick ass in 2005... then, 2 weeks later he signs iguchi..

 

its all part of the negoations, you say you will ONLY go 4... then when they get other offers, the years will be down a little.

 

if you spill the beans and say, yeah, we'll go for 5 gauranted and a 6th with a mutual option, then the counter offers are going to be 6 and 7 year contracts.

 

i think by saying only 4 KW is hoping other clubs offer 5 max.

[jphat007]

I wasn't expecting Loaiza to be a perennial Cy Young winner, but after that magical season he had with his cutter, I never thought he'd have the problems that he did the next season.

 

Yah, but I think most people thought he would regress a little because the league had seen him with that cutter, and he just struggled with his location, which meant he had a bad, not terrible year. He bounced back with a pretty good year this year and I heard he wasnts like 3yrs, 8 mil a year or something.

 

But the stuff of those two isn't comparable. Jose's stuff is so much better than Loaiza's. If he pitches like he did in the second half, the hitters know whats coming and still can't do anything with it. His stuff is too good. Now will he stay in that mindset all yaer? Who knows. But there is no reason to think he hasn't turned the corner mentally. He has all the confidence in the world now and really, that's all he needed.

[GoodAsGould]

Then there's no reason not to offer Konerko at least 5 years.  They were roughly the same age, Ordonez had much bigger health questions than Konerko, Konerko just won a ring, etc.

 

If they went 5 years on Ordonez, my money says they'll offer PK 5 years.  I would be surprised if they offered more than that, unless the money per year went down.

 

They offered 5 years to Maggz b4 his injury..... and b4 that injury Maggz was a much better player than Konerko.

[NorthSideSox72]

They offered 5 years to Maggz b4 his injury..... and b4 that injury Maggz was a much better player than Konerko.

 

I don't know that he was that much better. A better athlete, absolutely. But if you look at team contribution, they aren't that far apart. Maggs probably was averaging more like .300-.310 as opposed to .270-.280, but PK has more power. They are both strong defenders at their positions, and in fact, I'd say PK may be a better defensive 1b than Maggs a defensive RF. I also never got the impression that Maggs did anything at all in the clubhouse, good or bad. PK, I think, is a good presence in there. Maggs does have speed, though, and PK... well, you know.

 

At best, Maggs was maybe slightly more valuable, if at all. They're very close in value, IMHO.

[GoodAsGould]

stop being a homer.... Maggz hit .317 with a .380 OBP the year b4 his injury with an OPS of .926.

 

Konerko had a lower avg, obp, and ops this season and thats with a career high OPS and OBP.

 

 

Maggz had an OPS of .900 plus for 4 seasons in a row while last year was Konerko's first.

[CanOfCorn]

stop being a homer.... Maggz hit .317 with a .380 OBP the year b4 his injury with an OPS of .926.

 

Konerko had a lower avg, obp, and ops this season and thats with a career high OPS and OBP.

Maggz had an OPS of .900 plus for 4 seasons in a row while last year was Konerko's first.

 

Yes, but Maggz has a "hernia" or whatever he had this year. And an Austrian-repaired knee. I give Kong 4 years with 5th and 6th year mutual options with some sort of buyout. You no like...you go buh-bye.

 

Also, this being a weak free agent class might HURT Kong as much as HELP. GM's might sit back and say, "Meh, I can wait a year and get who I really want." And low ball the crap out of who's out there. One never knows with these freaks.

[NorthSideSox72]

stop being a homer.... Maggz hit .317 with a .380 OBP the year b4 his injury with an OPS of .926.

 

Konerko had a lower avg, obp, and ops this season and thats with a career high OPS and OBP.

Maggz had an OPS of .900 plus for 4 seasons in a row while last year was Konerko's first.

 

From 2000 to today:

 

Leaving out his lousy 2003, PK has hit in the .280 to .305 range, OBP in the .350 to .375 range, OPS in the .850 to .910 range since he has been a starter.

 

Leaving out his 2004/2005 partial seasons where he had injuries, Maggs has hit in the .300-.320 range, OBP in the .350 to .380 range, and OPS in the .915-.980 range.

 

He's definitely a better hitter, but not by a ton. And PK is a better defender, relatively, but Maggs has speed.

 

If Maggs was known to be 100% healthy, the Sox would probably have offered significantly more than the 5/70 they tendered (if I recall correctly).

 

Like I said, Maggs is better, but not by a lot. Don't discount defense and clubhouse presence, they are important too. If they offered Maggs 5/70, and that was with some health questions, then I am defintely OK with PK at 5/60-65 or so.