Official Re-sign Paul Konerko Thread

[NorthSideSox72]

I think Gload would be Kenny's ultimate fall-back plan if he can't re-sign Konerko or trade for a guy like Delgado, Thome, or Overbay.  I do think Frank will be back and Gload will be in our organization to serve as injury insurance for Frank.

 

If Frank is the DH in 2006, then Gload will almost assuredly be on the bench behind him. He makes a nice lefty bat backup to Frank and PK (or another 1B, whomever that might be).

[spataro51]

i am actually thinking in all this is that Konerko will be back. Who else has a chance to make as much money out there. would you sign a big contract without at least testing the market? He has the biggest leverage here. I think he is holding out to see if the sox will give him his 5 years then he will sign.......but i also think if the sox don;t give him 5 years and just the 4 years, i still think he will be back. the longer he waits the more he brings up his price. With kenny saying about gload being not a problem at first.......that is just a bargining ploy used to tell everyone "hey we didn't sign konerko fine we got gload and some other options" KW doesn't want to seem desperate.

[JUGGERNAUT]

On the question of whether Kong should accept a Delgado-like deal from the White Sox I think he would be foolish to ignore endorsement potential in Chicago right now. He has a fair minded agent & I am sure that is going to come into play.

 

The White Sox should offer him a Delgado like deal & Kong should accept it because outside of this post season he has never come close to being as productive as Delgado.

 

A month ago it looked like Kong would be the most lucrative name on the market. Now we hear many teams are offering up their star sluggers for the right trade. This plays into the strength of the White Sox because these teams are willing to pick up good portions of those contracts in exchange for cheap young prospective talent. The White Sox are strong in that regards.

 

So now the White Sox have to weigh what they should pay to retain Kong vs what they can deal to get his marquee value in someone else. Make no mistake about it. The face & voice of America's heartland is now a marque player. He can sell ads on TV probably better than most others.

 

Obviously in that respect Thome is the most sensible name for a replacement. To suggest that he can return to AL & compete for the MVP in 2006 for the White Sox is not far-fetched by any stretch of the imagination. He's got a heartland face & voice as well & the Cell seems tailor made for him.

[kevin57]

i am actually thinking in all this is that Konerko will be back. Who else has a chance to make as much money out there. would you sign a big contract without at least testing the market? He has the biggest leverage here. I think he is holding out to see if the sox will give him his 5 years then he will sign.......but i also think if the sox don;t give him 5 years and just the 4 years, i still think he will be back. the longer he waits the more he brings up his price. With kenny saying about gload being not a problem at first.......that is just a bargining ploy used to tell everyone "hey we didn't sign konerko fine we got gload and some other options" KW doesn't want to seem desperate.

 

I agree. Both sides are playing a certain PR game...floating trial balloons, etc., and mostly sending the message, "Let's keep his professional and respectful, BUT no 'legal' blackmail will be tolerated, either."

[3E8]

Finally allowed to talk money with another team's free agents, the Angels won't waste any time and are expected to make Paul Konerko an offer today.

The offer should be for at least four years and $40 million. It wouldn't look very good for them to come in under the proposal made by the White Sox this week, but it's not certain that the White Sox truly offered him $52 million over four years. Nov. 11 - 12:39 pm et

[Wanne]

So now the White Sox have to weigh what they should pay to retain Kong vs what they can deal to get his marquee value in someone else.  Make no mistake about it.  The face & voice of America's heartland is now a marque player.  He can sell ads on TV probably better than most others.

 

Obviously in that respect Thome is the most sensible name for a replacement.  To suggest that he can return to AL & compete for the MVP in 2006 for the White Sox is not far-fetched by any stretch of the imagination.  He's got a heartland face & voice as well & the Cell seems tailor made for him.

 

I thought the idea was for production in terms of on the field...not the endorsement and PR field. Hey...I'd love PK back like everybody else...but if he does decide to leave...I think the only viable replacement in terms of production would be Delgado IMO.

[SSH2005]

I thought the idea was for production in terms of on the field...not the endorsement and PR field. Hey...I'd love PK back like everybody else...but if he does decide to leave...I think the only viable replacement in terms of production would be Delgado IMO.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Delgado would actually be better production than Konerko.

[SSH2005]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews...ts/13147207.htm

 

The exclusive period for the White Sox to re-sign their first baseman ended Friday without them making any official proposal despite media reports of a four-year, $52 package.

 

"Totally incorrect," agent Craig Landis said Friday about the purported offer. "The White Sox have not made an offer of any kind."

 

It would be very uncharacteristic of a Jerry Reinsdorf-controlled team to be the first franchise to start bidding. Traditionally, the Sox chairman has waited until other teams have set the parameters and then come in with his number.

 

"We told them Paul would like to take some time to look around (at free agency)," Landis said by telephone. "We asked (the White Sox) if they would like to make an offer (before Friday), and they said they would rather not. ... My response was, `OK, that's your choice.'"

[spataro51]

we will see what happens. Maybe kw is thinking hey lets wait and see what other teams are going to offer then we can offer. What if but the remote chance no one offers more then what the sox are. What if the angels highest offer is 4 years 40 mil. then the sox would just have to up the ante a little bit. This is smart, why over pay if you dont have to.

[SSH2005]

we will see what happens. Maybe kw is thinking hey lets wait and see what other teams are going to offer then we can offer. What if but the remote chance no one offers more then what the sox are. What if the angels highest offer is 4 years 40 mil. then the sox would just have to up the ante a little bit.  This is smart, why over pay if you dont have to.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not going to happen. Some other team will offer him 4 years, $52 million.

[JUGGERNAUT]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...tesox-headlines

He brings up a good point with Belle's contract. It's not unlike the Cub 3B's. There are so many clauses for him to leave for greener pasteurs. Plus Belle had produced a string of MVP like seasons before that deal. Kong has never won the MVP.

 

He mentions Delgado & Thome as upgraded replacements. The reports seem to suggest that Thome is healthy again. Delgado's production in 2005 did nothing to diminish his contract value. I just don't see the Marlins shopping him unless they can get someone to absorb the contract entirely.

So that really leaves Thome. Philly needs pitching .. badly. The White Sox have an excess of starting pitching. If Kong leaves then I would think Thome at a discount is the likely replacement.

 

As to what it will take it will depend whether Williams can build a pkg around El Duque. If not then it's probably Contreras or BMac. If not an El Duque pkg then the White Sox will be looking for sizeable cash to offset Thome's salary.

 

As for an El Duque pkg you are probably looking at one of the regulars in the pen in addition to ml stars.

[KevHead0881]

From a chat with a supposed ESPN "expert" (yes, I realize that is kind of an oxymoron):

 

Mike (LA, California): Who lands Paul Konerko?

 

Jerry Crasnick: Mike,

 

I asked a bunch of baseball people about Konerko at the GM meetings, and the overwhelming sentiment was that he'll stay in Chicago. But the Angels make sense on some fronts, and I wouldn't rule out the Red Sox or even the Dodgers, if they can get their act together.

[RockRaines]

PK won't be on the red sox, I'll guarantee you that.  I highly doubt Cliff gets traded and Uggy won't be brought in either.

Urbina will be too busy trying not to drop the soap

[DBAHO]

Good news on the Dodger front;

 

Colletti said he would look for a corner outfielder, that he would try to upgrade the overall defense and that even the starting rotation, where the Dodgers are losing free agent Jeff Weaver and the 444 innings he pitched the past two seasons, needs to be addressed.

[Balta1701]

Good news on the Dodger front;

If Coletti's is smart and has available money he'll go after Konerko. 1b is a huge hole in LA.

 

That said...the key is probably him having the money. Thanks to Depodesta, the Dodgers have a lot tied up in some pretty bad contracts...Derek Lowe, J.D. Drew being the prime examples. They also have an owner who's probably going to draw just as much of a line in the sand as JR sometimes does on our peak salary, since McCourt wants to make money on this deal.

[SSH2005]

If Coletti's is smart and has available money he'll go after Konerko.  1b is a huge hole in LA.

 

That said...the key is probably him having the money.  Thanks to Depodesta, the Dodgers have a lot tied up in some pretty bad contracts...Derek Lowe, J.D. Drew being the prime examples.  They also have an owner who's probably going to draw just as much of a line in the sand as JR sometimes does on our peak salary, since McCourt wants to make money on this deal.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

One of the reasons the Dodgers don't have a lot of freed up money to sign Konerko is because Odalis Perez has 2 years and $15 million left on his contract. They are rumored to want to dump Perez already. Well, remember when Konerko was struggling really bad in 2003 and was almost traded to the Dodgers for Odalis Perez in 2003? How's that for irony?

[GoodAsGould]

Wasnt Perez just a f/a last off-season.... I dont understand why clubs sign these guys than want to unload their contract a year after. Well I can understand the Delgado one because they super back-loaded the contract...

[SSH2005]

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/whitesox.asp

Konerko is rumored to be seeking a five-year, $75 million contract, but the White Sox are expected to offer a four-year deal in the range of $52 million, plus an option for a fifth year.

$75 million?

[southsider2k5]

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/whitesox.asp

$75 million? 

 

 

Wow, that came out of nowhere......

 

Hidecki Matsui getting 4 years 52 million made Konerko's asking price "reasonable" for the market. Its overpaying for Konerko, but it isn't insane with what the market seems to be.

[aboz56]

Time to turn up the hot stove for Thome.

[aboz56]

Hidecki Matsui getting 4 years 52 million made Konerko's asking price "reasonable" for the market.  Its overpaying for Konerko, but it isn't insane with what the market seems to be.

Hideki Matsui's numbers aren't 23 million less worthy than Konerko.

 

He is the same age as Kong and the guy puts up some damn good numbers.

 

100 RBI his first three seasons, 34 doubles every year and a good average.

 

Hell in a sense I think Matsui could put up similar numbers to Kong (except for HR) for the foreseeable future.

 

They are worth just about the same IMO.

 

If he wants 75 million, later dude, thanks for the memories.

[Antonio Osuna]

Matsui is a much more consistent player as well.

 

Have fun in Anaheim, Paulie.

[hi8is]

you really think that anahiem will give him anything close to 5/75

nope... not i

[jphat007]

you really think that anahiem will give him anything close to 5/75

nope... not i

 

Exactly. It's his high proposal to everyone else's low proposal. The team that signs him will meet somewhere in the middle.

[fathom]

The huge contacts for Matsui and Eyre only make me think more that PK is gone. With the lack of quality on the market, teams are going to overpay for players. I think the Mets could end up being a big competitor for PK, as they're giving up hope on Furcal and will likely either go after Delgado or PK.