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Sox aiming for Eckstein...


EvilJester99

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White Sox Targeting Eckstein

According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, shortstop David Eckstein is the #1 target of the White Sox this offseason. An Eckstein signing would then result in the team paying $300K to buy out Juan Uribe's $5MM option for '08.

 

Eckstein signed a three-year, $10.25MM deal with the Cardinals after being non-tendered by the Angels in December of 2004. He'll be 33 heading into the '08 season, and injuries have been increasing over the years. Another three-year pact for $15-18MM would be fairly risky for the White Sox. Especially for a player whose value is tied so closely to his batting average.

 

A coworker of mine, Mike, mentioned that the Sox might be trying to assemble an all-grinder type team. They could conceivably have Eckstein, Darin Erstad, Jerry Owens, and Aaron Rowand in the lineup next year.

 

However, they won't be signing Rowand if, as Cowley claims, he demands a contract similar to Torii Hunter's. Ken Rosenthal recently talked to an exec who set the floor for Hunter at 5/75, with 6/102 certainly within reach. I imagine the White Sox will top out with an offer around 3/33, a little more than Eric Byrnes received. I could be wrong though.

 

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Oh man, Eckstein, Erstad, Owens, and Richar in the same lineup is just awful. I could MAYBE deal with Eckstein since he does actually get on base at a higher clip than a lot of guys on this team, but not in combination with those other three.

 

I hope he's just theorizing, otherwise we're going to have to keep some posters away from sharp objects next year...

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I am not a big Eckstein fan, but he is the best FA option out there and would be a significant upgrade over Uribe (pratically anything would be considering how much worse Juan has been at SS this year and just how terrible he's been at the plate).

 

However, a long term deal would not be wise. I wouldn't mind the Sox acquiring a SS prospect and than signing on Eck for a year (paying him a little more money over that year due to an option for yr 2 with a decent size buyout) while the Sox work a long term plan in (as the reality is they really don't have any SS options in house).

 

Plan A would obviously be someone like Rafael Furcal or a top young prospect that we would get with Ken Williams making some significant changes to a team that apparently doesn't care (thats what the manager says at least).

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QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 12:51 PM)
I am not a big Eckstein fan, but he is the best FA option out there and would be a significant upgrade over Uribe

Eckstein: .679 OPS

Uribe: .629 OPS

 

Thats not significant, especially when you're considering the fact that Uribe is having (basically) the worst year of his career, is 5 years younger than Eckstein, offers excellent defense, and is likely cheaper.

Edited by Felix
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QUOTE(Felix @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 12:55 PM)
Eckstein: .679 OPS

Uribe: .629 OPS

 

Thats not significant, especially when you're considering the fact that Uribe is having (basically) the worst year of his career, is 5 years younger than Eckstein, offers excellent defense, and is likely cheaper.

I hope that comparison wasnt serious. Compare their OBP and batting avg as Eck is a lead off hitter and uribe only adds to his ops by hitting the ocassional homerun. He is an offensive upgrade over Uribe, there is no way around that.

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Per Mark Buehrle:

 

"''They talked to me about what they want to do and who they want to get,'' pitcher Mark Buehrle said. ''It will be something if they get who they want to get, but the possibility of getting a few of the names are a stretch. If they get them, we'll be right back to where we were two years ago.''

 

 

That doesnt sound like Eckstein to me.

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QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 05:40 PM)
You can see an Eckstein signing a mile away...

 

 

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 05:41 PM)
Wow, that is a last place move. I think hes full of s***

Yes, and yes. This team is now going to suck for years if this keeps up.

 

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QUOTE(Felix @ Aug 31, 2007 -> 10:55 AM)
Eckstein: .679 OPS

Uribe: .629 OPS

 

Thats not significant, especially when you're considering the fact that Uribe is having (basically) the worst year of his career, is 5 years younger than Eckstein, offers excellent defense, and is likely cheaper.

I don't give a s*** about OPS when I'm talking about a SS, especially when I'm talking about a guy that has proven to be a solid leadoff hitter (despite my absolute hate of Eckstein). IF we were talking about a middle of the order shortstop, fine, ops matters, but not when the Sox have a drastic need for a leadoff hitter.

 

I also want the Sox to go hard after Chad Tracy as I still don't see how the heck the Dbacks will have room for him (he's missed a good chunk of this year with injury but he would provide a very good lefty bat and could play in LF/3B with Fields at the other spot (if the Sox non-tender Crede) and if the Sox listen to me and move Thome than Tracy could play some at either of those two spots (with Crede starting at 3b) and someone always getting ab's at the DH spot as well.

 

You can tell me how Tracy isn't as good as Thome, but I also say you get young talent for Thome (some of which will help you recover from what you've had to give up to get a young player like Tracy) that can hopefully help the Sox get a lot more athletic.

 

In fact, I'm all about moving Thome for young prospects (hopefully one of them is a middle-infielder) and than signing Andruw Jones, trading for Chad Tracy, signing David Eckstein (who plays some at SS, some at 2B, but solidifies the top of the order while the young SS acquired in the Thome deal and Richar both develop at the major league level) and you keep Joe Crede (or you can opt away from Crede).

 

The Sox while dealing Thome, lose a bit of offense, however, in adding Tracy/Jones (or Hunter/Rowand, but I'd prefer Jones because he could be a middle of the order masher that has a better long term future than Thome and I'm buying on Jones being much more like the player he's been most of his career) you really have significantly upgraded this roster.

 

Hell, just look at this (if you keep Crede):

Eckstein - SS

Tracy - LF/DH

Konerko - 1B

Jones - CF

Dye - RF

AJP - C

Crede - 3B/DH

Fields - LF/DH/3B

Richar - 2B

 

Salary wise: Andruw Jones +$14M (I'm basing this on what he made last year and I don't expect him to make a significant raise from that, and he could actually get maybe a M less); Jim Thome - 7 M (ballpark based upon what the Sox are actually paying him); Uribe - $5M; Eckstein $4M (this could be high, but I think he could get something around this); Cintron, Mack, Pods, Erstad - 7M (probably a little more)

 

So the payroll is essentially identical to the payroll of last years lineup (however you now have a cheaper bench with guys like Pablo, Andy Gonzalez, Jerry Owens...so you may still have a move to make here based on some vets on the scrap heap...but Sweeney may fit here as well).

 

Now say you get rid of Crede (Thus saving additional money):

Eckstein

TRADE (you get an outfielder/SS/pitching prospect for Thome ideally otherwise you trade for a younger outfielder that has some speed)

Konerko (you can mess with these 3 guys)

Jones

Dye

Chad Tracy (3b or LF depending on who Ozzie thinks is the better long term defensive option at 3b)

Josh Fields

AJP

Richar

 

You can also move Fields up to the 2 spot in the lineup if you want to (and use the other guy somewhere else).

 

Bottom line looking at either order I can say that odds are you get better production out of Konerko/Dye (as opposed to what they did this year as both performed under career numbers and still have stuff left). Jones is a significant upgrade to anything we've had in CF (both offensively and defensively). Josh Fields is an upgrade to the production the club got out of 3b or LF this year (same with Chad Tracy, same with a healthy Joe Crede); Eckstein is an upgrade to what Uribe did; AJP holds steady. Iguchi is a safer bet at 2B, however, Richar has upside but I could see this being one that isn't as good as in 2006.

 

However, you have upgraded production everywhere (or practically everywhere in the lineup) and have not made any significant increases in salary. You have also gotten younger at 2B, LF/3B/DH, and have gotten a young SS prospect whose getting broken in as well as a young outfielder type guy and arm).

 

This doesn't factor into moves that could be made to the rotation (as in this case you now would be able to move Contreras/Garland to free up additional payroll and land numerous arms to go with Vazquez/Buehrle/etc (or you can keep Garland and just use Contreras and hope to free up some payroll that could go to the bench or bullpen or whatever else).

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Pitiful. We're once again left searching through the free-agent bin to compensate for an embarrassing lack of talent within the minor league system.

 

I don't want Eckstein on this ballclub, but neither do I want Juan Uribe. I guess, similar to Anderson and Erstad earlier this season, we're left selecting the lesser of two piles of suck. Whatever offensive advantage Eckstein holds over Uribe (80OPS+ to 63OPS+) is offset by the clear advantage Uribe holds over Eckstein defensively. Defensive metrics aside, has anyone witnessed Eckstein throw a baseball from deep short? It may be not pretty with our pitching staff, who'll need every out these next few seasons.

 

Why can't Williams just tear this team apart, instead of convincing everyone Eckstein is the answer to anything other than a 4th place finsh? Who in their right mind, aside from Hawk, could POSSIBLY be enthusiastic about Eckstein using his limited range and limp throwing arm in the field? Or his complete lack of power in a lineup already void of it.

 

It's only getting to get uglier in the upcoming years when players such as Thome and Pierzynski reach the end of their contracts. We'll be forced to devote more money to these two because, as the story continues to be, we just can't produce replacements for any position. Except for Josh Fields, who'll have to be in LF to fill one less hole.

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