Trickle-down could affect Crede, Fields

[spiderman]

Trickle-down could affect Crede, Fields

Chicago Tribune Link

Alex Rodriguez probably is too costly for Ken Williams' off-season wish list, but the White Sox general manager just might benefit from Rodriguez's free agency.

 

If Rodriguez leaves, the Yankees could seek a third baseman unless they stick with perennial prospect Wilson Betemit, and the Sox may need to move one of their third basemen—Joe Crede or even Josh Fields—to shore up a shoddy bullpen in addition to fortifying the top of the lineup and stabilizing the outfield.

 

The Yankees have a surplus of young power arms, and the Sox's evaluation of the Yankees' prospects started last summer and continues into the Arizona Fall League. Here's a look at whom Williams may consider buying and/or selling:

 

David Eckstein

This could be a case of one-stop shopping, with free agent Eckstein fulfilling the leadoff and shortstop duties. Eckstein provides a perfect fit with his bunting and hit-and-run capabilities.

 

But Eckstein will turn 33 in January and has been nagged by back problems.

 

Juan Uribe

In a conference call with reporters, manager Ozzie Guillen said the team was undecided whether to stick with Uribe or get "someone else." The Sox could give Uribe a $300,000 buyout within 15 days of the end of the World Series and try to re-sign him for less if they can't upgrade.

 

With no prospects ahead of 16-year-old Juan Silverio, the Sox could trade for a younger shortstop until Silverio is ready. For all the criticism levied at Uribe's lack of patience at the plate, his 34 walks were fifth best on the Sox in 2007.

 

The Sox may need a veteran to play second base and help mentor Danny Richar. Uribe helped Richar acclimate to the majors in the final two months of the 2007.

 

Aaron Rowand

Rowand's unselfish play would help spark a team lacking a vocal leader as well as help regain the fans' faith, and his willingness to bat anywhere would give Guillen some flexibility in a pedestrian lineup.

 

But Eric Byrnes' three-year, $30 million contract helped raise Rowand's value after a career-best season.

 

Torii Hunter

In an interview with Fox Sports North, Hunter, 32, confirmed he was seeking a longer deal than the three-year, $45 million offer from Minnesota he rejected late last season. The $21.3 million that Texas saves by Rodriguez opting out of his contract with the Yankees (stemming from a 2004 trade) could be applied toward Hunter.

 

Finances to acquire a marquee free agent might not be a problem, but the Sox already have seven players 30 or order signed through 2009. That doesn't include Jim Thome, 37, whose $13 million option for 2009 will become vested if he stays healthy next season.

 

Carl Crawford

It's hard to believe Crawford batted leadoff in only seven games for Tampa Bay. Teammate Rocco Baldelli would be a cheaper alternative who can fill the Sox's needs in center and leadoff, but he has played only 127 games over the last two seasons because of injuries.

 

Tampa Bay, however, could be enticed by some of the Sox's struggling relievers who may need a change of scenery.

 

Boston's Coco Crisp, who haunted the Sox during his Cleveland days, could be expendable with the emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury. Boston and the Sox are familiar with each organization's talent because of trade talks last summer involving Mark Buehrle and Jermaine Dye.

 

Jon Garland

Aside from Paul Konerko, whose full no-trade rights go into effect next May, Garland would bring back the most value. Philadelphia, in the market for starting pitching, was among the teams that scouted Garland in late September.

 

He will earn $12 million next season and is one of the most durable pitchers in the majors. Garland has grown accustomed to trade talks, and getting a Willy Taveras-style player, a serviceable reliever and a major-league-ready position player could move Williams' off-season in the right direction.

 

[fathom]

I think Hunter's pretty much a lock to go to Texas now.

[southsideirish71]

Trading Fields for pitching prospects for a team devoid of position prospects is nearly baseball retarded. Low cost players are needed to complement other players. Getting bullpen help for a young guy like Fields would be dumb.

 

 

[Balta1701]

The scary thing? I'm not sure there's a person on that list (save Fields, Crede, and Konerko) mentionned in this article who I actually want next season on the White Sox.

 

Save ARod of course.

[Balta1701]

Trading Fields for pitching prospects for a team devoid of position prospects is nearly baseball retarded. Low cost players are needed to complement other players. Getting bullpen help for a young guy like Fields would be dumb.

I still say we bring back the deal everyone wanted mid 06...Fields for Linebrink. Get it done KW!

[DBAHO]

I'm actually hoping there's some way we could nab Betemit, although the chances of that are probably lower now (unless the Yanks say signed Mike Lowell).

 

Rocco Baldelli would be an interesting buy low candidate if all we had to give up was say a couple of relievers. Coco Crisp is another option obviously with the emergence of Ellsbury.

 

I don't think Crede's going to be dealt until the deadline next season, and he'll have to raise his value by putting up good numbers to do so.

[Steve9347]

i love the speculation that Tampa could be enticed to trade Carl Crawford for some of our struggling relievers... who gets paid to write this s***?

[NorthSideSox72]

Balta, you wouldn't want Carl Crawford? Not that he can be had for MacD and Aardsma like MG is suggesting ridiculously, but, I think he'd look awfully good on the team.

 

Also, the article saying the system doesn't have an SS with MLB potential ahead of Silverio is inaccurate. There isn't one who'd be ready any time this year or next, but, there are a couple guys who will be in High A and Low A that look like they might turn out to be something.

[YASNY]

I still say we bring back the deal everyone wanted mid 06...Fields for Linebrink. Get it done KW!

 

Oh hell no.

[smalls2598]

Oh hell no.

 

Isn't Linebrink a free agent anyway?

[WHITESOXRANDY]

Crede for Joba.

[YASNY]

Isn't Linebrink a free agent anyway?

 

If so, then that's a horse of a different color.

[RockRaines]

I still say we bring back the deal everyone wanted mid 06...Fields for Linebrink. Get it done KW!

I think I just threw up a little.

[Balta1701]

I only bring that Linebrink deal up because 1/2 the folks here seemed to want that deal done mid 06. Yes, I know he's a FA, it's a joke, but an effective one I believe.

[Balta1701]

Balta, you wouldn't want Carl Crawford? Not that he can be had for MacD and Aardsma like MG is suggesting ridiculously, but, I think he'd look awfully good on the team.

 

Also, the article saying the system doesn't have an SS with MLB potential ahead of Silverio is inaccurate. There isn't one who'd be ready any time this year or next, but, there are a couple guys who will be in High A and Low A that look like they might turn out to be something.

The reason I don't want Crawford is quite simple, and it's the same reason I don't want a guy like Hunter or Rowand: as this team is currently built, they're not worth the price to us. I'd be happy to give up MMac and Aardsma for Crawford, I'd be happy to pay Hunter or Rowand $3 million a year, but neither of those is going to happen. I don't want to give Hunter $18 mil a year, I don't want to give Rowand >$10 mil a year, and I don't want to give up Danks, Fields, Gio, and DLS for Crawford.

[CanOfCorn]

Are you kidding me? NO ONE has brought up the fact that Uribe was FIFTH on the team in WALKS last year with 34!!!!!!! That's just plain ridiculous...and if it doesn't change, the Sox aren't goin' anywhere.

 

I'm flabbergasted and appalled by that stat.

[rockren]

Are you kidding me? NO ONE has brought up the fact that Uribe was FIFTH on the team in WALKS last year with 34!!!!!!! That's just plain ridiculous...and if it doesn't change, the Sox aren't goin' anywhere.

 

I'm flabbergasted and appalled by that stat.

 

and walking Uribe isn't exactly an easy thing to do.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Are you kidding me? NO ONE has brought up the fact that Uribe was FIFTH on the team in WALKS last year with 34!!!!!!! That's just plain ridiculous...and if it doesn't change, the Sox aren't goin' anywhere.

 

I'm flabbergasted and appalled by that stat.

Glad you pointed that out. That really is pathetic.

 

[Balta1701]

Are you kidding me? NO ONE has brought up the fact that Uribe was FIFTH on the team in WALKS last year with 34!!!!!!! That's just plain ridiculous...and if it doesn't change, the Sox aren't goin' anywhere.

 

I'm flabbergasted and appalled by that stat.

A significant part of that stat is that Juan Uribe was 3rd on the team in plate appearances. The guys who might qualify as more patient hitters often wound up playing only small parts of the season because either they got hurt or they were called up midseason.

 

NAME G AB BB

Paul Konerko 151 549 78

Juan Uribe 150 513 34

Jermaine Dye 138 508 45

A.J. Pierzynski 136 472 25

Jim Thome 130 432 95

Josh Fields 100 373 35

Jerry Owens 93 356 27

Tadahito Iguchi (45 Phi) 90 327 44

Darin Erstad 87 310 28

Rob Mackowiak (28 SD) 85 237 23

Scott Podsednik 62 214 13

Andy Gonzalez 67 189 25

Danny Richar 56 187 16

Alex Cintron 68 185 9

Joe Crede 47 167 10

Luis Terrero 61 117 12

Toby Hall 38 116 3

Pablo Ozuna 27 78 3

Ryan Sweeney 15 45 4

 

Owens was right behind Uribe in 1/2 a season. Iguchi was beyond Uribe in 1/2 a season. Hell, Erstad almost caught Uribe in 1/2 a season. We had 4 guys on the team who played 130 or more games, the other 5 starting positions got divided up, so no one had a chance to get that high in walks because they only got 250-300 at bats.

[NorthSideSox72]

A significant part of that stat is that Juan Uribe was 3rd on the team in plate appearances. The guys who might qualify as more patient hitters often wound up playing only small parts of the season because either they got hurt or they were called up midseason.

 

NAME G AB BB

Paul Konerko 151 549 78

Juan Uribe 150 513 34

Jermaine Dye 138 508 45

A.J. Pierzynski 136 472 25

Jim Thome 130 432 95

Josh Fields 100 373 35

Jerry Owens 93 356 27

Tadahito Iguchi (45 Phi) 90 327 44

Darin Erstad 87 310 28

Rob Mackowiak (28 SD) 85 237 23

Scott Podsednik 62 214 13

Andy Gonzalez 67 189 25

Danny Richar 56 187 16

Alex Cintron 68 185 9

Joe Crede 47 167 10

Luis Terrero 61 117 12

Toby Hall 38 116 3

Pablo Ozuna 27 78 3

Ryan Sweeney 15 45 4

 

Owens was right behind Uribe in 1/2 a season. Iguchi was beyond Uribe in 1/2 a season. Hell, Erstad almost caught Uribe in 1/2 a season. We had 4 guys on the team who played 130 or more games, the other 5 starting positions got divided up, so no one had a chance to get that high in walks because they only got 250-300 at bats.

Well, yes and no. The Sox drew 532 walks last season, which is right around the middle of baseball and of the AL. But... a fifth of those walks were 1 player: Jim Thome.

 

[CanOfCorn]

Well, yes and no. The Sox drew 532 walks last season, which is right around the middle of baseball and of the AL. But... a fifth of those walks were 1 player: Jim Thome.

 

The fact that Dye only had 45 is very telling. One because he is a pretty free swinger and two because he didn't have a lot of protection. I don't care if every player on the 40 man was called up for 100 abs, Uribe shouldn't be fifth on the team in walks. It's not a slam on Uribe, we already know what we have in him, it's more telling of the rest of the team.

[Vance Law]

First off, Uribe was 6th in walks, last year, not 5th. The orang-utan who wrote that article failed to include Iguchi who had 44 walks in only 90 games. Also Uribe was 2nd in plate appearances, not 3rd.

 

The fact that Dye only had 45 is very telling. One because he is a pretty free swinger and two because he didn't have a lot of protection.

 

How many walks do you think Dye had in 2005? He didn't get up to 45. 45 walks is pretty much exactly typical for Dye. He didn't get a whole lot more last year when there was a reason to pitch around him because he was one of the top 5 hitters in the league. This year he hit .244 in the first half of the season.

 

I don't care if every player on the 40 man was called up for 100 abs, Uribe shouldn't be fifth on the team in walks.

 

Yes he should.

 

It's not a slam on Uribe, we already know what we have in him, it's more telling of the rest of the team.

 

No it isn't.

 

 

Your bizarre claims don't make any sense. They make exactly the same amount of sense as this one: "Josh Fields should not have been on the team last year, because IN HIS ENTIRE CAREER he didn't have as many home runs as Jim Thome hit IN JUST 2006! And you guys call Fields a power hitter??!?!!?"

 

Did you look at the numbers?

Uribe didn't have the 6th highest walk rate on the team. He had the 6th highest number of total walks. He had the 12th highest walk rate among guys who got at least 100 at bats. Right about exactly where you'd expect to find him. Higher only than AJ among regulars, and Toby Hall, Pods, Cintron among others who got 100 at bats. The Sox, due to injuries, trades, and minor league call ups only had 5 players who had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. After those 5, both Iguchi and Fields had more walks than Uribe. The guy who saw the most playing time (outside of AJ) but who had LESS walks than Uribe was Owens. Owens-- 389 plate appearances. Uribe-- 563 plate appearances. Uribe had 7 more walks in those additional 174 plate appearances. So Uribe being 6th on the team in raw number of walks is not outrageous, or horrendous, or even surprising. It is exactly, precisely what one would expect.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Vance Law

[CanOfCorn]

First off, Uribe was 6th walks, last year, not 5th. The orang-utan who wrote that article failed to include Iguchi who had 44 walks in only 90 games. Also Uribe was 2nd in plate appearances, not 3rd.

How many walks do you think Dye had in 2005? He didn't get up to 45. 45 walks is pretty much exactly typical for Dye. He didn't get a whole lot more last year when there was a reason to pitch around him because he was one of the top 5 hitters in the league. This year he hit .244 in the first half of the season.

Yes he should.

No it isn't.

Your bizarre claims don't make any sense. They make exactly the same amount of sense as this one: "Josh Fields should not have been on the team last year, because IN HIS ENTIRE CAREER he didn't have as many home runs as Jim Thome hit IN JUST 2006! And you guys call Fields a power hitter??!?!!?"

 

Did you look at the numbers?

Uribe didn't have the 6th highest walk rate on the team. He had the 6th highest number of total walks. He had the 12th highest walk rate among guys who got at least 100 at bats. Right about exactly where you'd expect to find him. Higher only than AJ among regulars, and Toby Hall, Pods, Cintron among others who got 100 at bats. The Sox, due to injuries, trades, and minor league call ups only had 5 players who had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. After those 5, both Iguchi and Fields had more walks than Uribe. The guy who saw the most playing time (outside of AJ) but who had LESS walks than Uribe was Owens. Owens-- 389 plate appearances. Uribe-- 563 plate appearances. Uribe had 7 more walks in those additional 174 plate appearances. So Uribe being 6th on the team in raw number of walks is not outrageous, or horrendous, or even surprising. It is exactly, precisely what one would expect.

 

PS...you could have made your point without being a jackass about it. And yes, I understand the fact that there were injuries, and the walk rate as opposed to number of walks, etc. But, the fact that Uribe swings at, well, everything, it's still amazing that he was 6th in total walks. that's the mark of a bad team...injuries or not.

 

[elrockinMT]

Are you kidding me? NO ONE has brought up the fact that Uribe was FIFTH on the team in WALKS last year with 34!!!!!!! That's just plain ridiculous...and if it doesn't change, the Sox aren't goin' anywhere.

 

I'm flabbergasted and appalled by that stat.

 

 

Patience at the plate, go the other way, take an extra base, etc, etc. Boston's offesnse showed us that and in 2005 we did it. Walker as the hitting coach apprently can't get it through to our people. Situational hitting is a key component to winning games obviously. Crede is a great clutch hitter, but we hear too often about trading him for people with no proven abilities or on their downside. Uribe is an enigma but I am not sure Eckstein is the answer to replace him either. I still think that having a healthy Joe Cred at 3B in 2008 is like making a trade to benefit the club. Fields in LF for a full year is great too. We can fill our holes internally except maybe for relief pitching. There are people out there in free agency and I don't see the need to tear up this team through questionable trades.