Trade Thome and Konerko before it's too late

[VAfan]

I was skeptical of this team to begin the year. Then, when the offense seemed to be reminiscent of 2006, I even got kind of excited. That excitement has now passed. I'm ready to conclude that KW's tweaking plan is not going to work, and the sooner we get on with building a team that might work, the better.

 

I would start by trying to trade Jim Thome and Paul Konerko before the trading deadline. My prime goal would be to dump salary and open slots for two young players we already have -- Brian Anderson and Josh Fields.

 

But it's also possible we could get something in return. Would the O's give us Brian Roberts for Paul Konerko? Paulie would appear to be an upgrade for them at 1B, plus he's signed long term, which Baltimore might like. (I don't know if Konerko is untradeable yet -- has he passed the veto stage? -- but if not, that's all the more reason to move him NOW.)

 

Call this idea crazy if you like, but it's the "leaders" of this team that upset me the most.

 

 

[Steve9347]

I think this can be merged with the similar discussion going on in the "IMPOSSIBLE" thread.

[Chisoxfn]

I don't understand the notion of trading Konerko for an aging 2nd baseman. If you are going to make a deal with the O's, you should be getting good young MLB ready players or some solid prospects, not a 2nd baseman who is on the downside of his career (albeit, he would be a very good fit on this team for another 1-2 years, but with the current make-up not a total makeshifts lineup focused on youth).

 

Konerko has reached 10-5 rights so he would have to approve any deal. Still, if you came to him and said the team was going to get younger I'm not sure if he would stand in the way (as long as he was getting traded to a city/team he liked and that could compete). I'm not sure Baltimore would be that place (even though he did get the largest offer from the O's).

[daa84]

trading konerko or thome before it is too late would require a flux capacitor, a delorean and 1.21 jigawatts

 

Edited May 14, 2008 by daa84

[Steve9347]

trading konerko or thome before it is too late would require a flux capacitor, a delorean and 1.21 jigawatts

 

What the hell is a jigawatt?

[LVSoxFan]

Konerko would never go to Baltimore.

 

After 2005 they wanted him and he said no way. I believe he was entertaining an offer from Anaheim.

 

So that's problem #1 (although I had your same idea).

 

Problem #2 is they'll want something more, like one of our pitching prospects. At least. And I was originally okay with that, but as ChiSoxfn pointed out, Roberts may be good for another year or two but there we are again.

 

IMO you can't tweak this lineup and fix it because the foundation is broken down. I'm talking Dye, Thome, Konerko, Uribe... arguably AJ and Cabrera. Old, slow, and either victims of Greg Walker or the fire's fading or they're in decline. Even Swish seems to have dropped a level since joining the Sox.

 

Here's who I'd keep:

 

Quentin (what a find!)

Anderson

Swish (if you need to keep an older vet)

The starters

Maybe A.J.

 

I'd love to keep Crede but that's a long-shot.

 

As for who could go:

 

Paulie

Thome

Uribe

Ozuna

Dye

Cabrera

 

and yes... Ozzie. The Garland comment about "tuning him out" really almost confirmed my worst suspicions about last year. Although Ozzie with a bunch of kids--who knows? Maybe it's the vets who've been tuning him out.

 

If we get mid-June and we're still the 2007 Sox, blow it all up.

Edited May 14, 2008 by LVSoxFan

[max power]

Way too early.

[witesoxfan]

jesus, Konerko for Roberts? KW would be fired on the spot because that move doesn't accomplish a damn thing.

[max power]

jesus, Konerko for Roberts? KW would be fired on the spot because that move doesn't accomplish a damn thing.

Sure it does. It makes the sox worse.

[palehose23]

trading konerko or thome before it is too late would require a flux capacitor, a delorean and 1.21 jigawatts

 

 

Nicely played.

[letsgoarow]

I was skeptical of this team to begin the year. Then, when the offense seemed to be reminiscent of 2006, I even got kind of excited. That excitement has now passed. I'm ready to conclude that KW's tweaking plan is not going to work, and the sooner we get on with building a team that might work, the better.

 

I would start by trying to trade Jim Thome and Paul Konerko before the trading deadline. My prime goal would be to dump salary and open slots for two young players we already have -- Brian Anderson and Josh Fields.

 

But it's also possible we could get something in return. Would the O's give us Brian Roberts for Paul Konerko? Paulie would appear to be an upgrade for them at 1B, plus he's signed long term, which Baltimore might like. (I don't know if Konerko is untradeable yet -- has he passed the veto stage? -- but if not, that's all the more reason to move him NOW.)

 

Call this idea crazy if you like, but it's the "leaders" of this team that upset me the most.

 

Can we ban the trade guys who have zero percent chance of being traded threads. Everyday i read a new thread about trade kong, trade thome, cut thome, trade dye, trade crede.... enough is enough THEY ARE NOT GETTING TRADED!!

Edited May 14, 2008 by letsgoarow

[BigSqwert]

Thome should have been traded at the deadline last year. There was no reason to keep an aging DH getting paid a gazillion dollars

[witesoxfan]

Thome should have been traded at the deadline last year. There was no reason to keep an aging DH getting paid a gazillion dollars

 

except for the fact that he's a stud

[LVSoxFan]

A stud for whom? Pitchers looking to up their S.O. average? Or infielders that finally get a chance to play on the purty green grass?

 

Throw him down and in, boys. He'll swing.

[kwolf68]

except for the fact that he was a stud

 

 

Fixed. All players have useful shelf life and many of our players are well beyond their expiration date. This is an old, laborious team ... The only REAL excitement is coming from Danks and Quentin (to some extent Floyd), players just getting their careers going. I'd like 10 more like them.

[witesoxfan]

Fixed. All players have useful shelf life and many of our players are well beyond their expiration date. This is an old, laborious team ... The only REAL excitement is coming from Danks and Quentin (to some extent Floyd), players just getting their careers going. I'd like 10 more like them.

 

don't you dare fix that...Thome is still a stud and I would bet money his end of year numbers will prove it.

[kwolf68]

don't you dare fix that...Thome is still a stud and I would bet money his end of year numbers will prove it.

 

So he'll hit 40 homeruns a year until what age? At what point do we expect players to simply run out of gas? He has been atrocious this year, simply atrocious, and we haven't even gotten to the part where he gets injured yet.

 

As a 3-hitter, he's a joke. He should be hitting 5th, or -at this point- platooning.

[knightni]

I think that Ozzie may sit Thome versus lefties the rest of the year.

 

We'll see if he gets his plate appearances, then.

[Kalapse]

Thome should have been traded at the deadline last year. There was no reason to keep an aging DH getting paid a gazillion dollars

Except for the fact that he has a no trade clause and didn't want to be traded.

[Chisoxfn]

except for the fact that he's a stud

I'd disagree with that. He was once a stud, but we have differing opinions when it comes to sluggers. Heck, major league baseball has differing opinions, probably 50% feel the way you do, another 50% probably lean more towards me, which just shows the varying management styles (in terms of scouting/player personell/putting together a roster) that exist in todays game.

 

I will say that Thome or Konerko for Roberts straight up would be a poor trade that accomplishes little. The key to moving Thome/Konerko is to free up salary and a roster spot (for Fields production) and to get one legit potential all star player for each (more is obviously better, but I'm not greedy). I, however, am more in the game plan of getting as much young talent as you can and letting it slowly mold while holding onto Swisher/Dye and letting them stick it out in the middle of the order (same with Quentin). I'll see what you can get for Crede on the open market, but it may be better to wait on him and opt/hope you can get at least type B compensation for him. If someone offers one good prospect, than I'd be willing to bite though. Than let those players slowly mold and hope that your rotation/bullpen keep you in games and that the offense finds way to pull in enough wins to get a shot at the wild card (those young guys should only get better, thus you will be talking about a team on the up-swing.

[Chisoxfn]

Except for the fact that he has a no trade clause and didn't want to be traded.

I will also say that he is a very good value for a team looking for slugging. I don't anticipate him finishing the year with this bad of an average. I think he'll hit .240-.260 with 35hr's and quite a few RBI's and a near .400 OBP. Those are not numbers that I find acceptable but on a team that really lacks power he could be the perfect fit (note, I don't believe the Chicago White Sox is that team).

 

Also, Kalapse brings up a key point. As much as I banter to move Thome, it is all a moot point unless he is willing to accept a deal and I've yet to see the papers even speculate or ask anyone internally whether they believe he would. I assume this is because the media figures Kenny will not move Thome/Konerko because Ozzie/Kenny both really like the two of them.

[witesoxfan]

So he'll hit 40 homeruns a year until what age? At what point do we expect players to simply run out of gas? He has been atrocious this year, simply atrocious, and we haven't even gotten to the part where he gets injured yet.

 

As a 3-hitter, he's a joke. He should be hitting 5th, or -at this point- platooning.

 

I didn't say he'd hit 40 homers. I still see an OPS north of .900 though...I suggested .925 in a post elsewhere, and I don't think that's that far off of what he's capable of.

 

I also wouldn't be surprised if he's not 100% at the moment either. Sitting him down for a while and letting him get healthy wouldn't be the worst idea in the world.

 

He shouldn't be hitting 3rd, and that I'll agree with. 5th would be just fine with me, but it'd be crazy getting him hitting 5th.

[WCSox]

I will also say that he is a very good value for a team looking for slugging. I don't anticipate him finishing the year with this bad of an average. I think he'll hit .240-.260 with 35hr's and quite a few RBI's and a near .400 OBP. Those are not numbers that I find acceptable but on a team that really lacks power he could be the perfect fit (note, I don't believe the Chicago White Sox is that team).

 

Also, Kalapse brings up a key point. As much as I banter to move Thome, it is all a moot point unless he is willing to accept a deal and I've yet to see the papers even speculate or ask anyone internally whether they believe he would. I assume this is because the media figures Kenny will not move Thome/Konerko because Ozzie/Kenny both really like the two of them.

 

If the Sox are out of it at the end of July, Thome could probably be convinced to approve a trade to a contender. I'm sure that he and his wife like Chicago and he probably enjoys being near his father in Peoria, but I think that he wants a ring more than anything else at this point in his career. And his window of opportunity is closing fast.

 

[southsideirish71]

I didn't say he'd hit 40 homers. I still see an OPS north of .900 though...I suggested .925 in a post elsewhere, and I don't think that's that far off of what he's capable of.

 

I also wouldn't be surprised if he's not 100% at the moment either. Sitting him down for a while and letting him get healthy wouldn't be the worst idea in the world.

 

He shouldn't be hitting 3rd, and that I'll agree with. 5th would be just fine with me, but it'd be crazy getting him hitting 5th.

 

Konerko's hand needs to heal. When you get that type of injury it hurts like hell. Its hard to generate power or even good contact when your hand hurts like that. He is trying to tough it out, and it would be better in the long run if he took 15 days to let it heal.

 

Thome, I dont know if he is injured in some way, or what.

 

 

 

[Kalapse]

I will also say that he is a very good value for a team looking for slugging. I don't anticipate him finishing the year with this bad of an average. I think he'll hit .240-.260 with 35hr's and quite a few RBI's and a near .400 OBP. Those are not numbers that I find acceptable but on a team that really lacks power he could be the perfect fit (note, I don't believe the Chicago White Sox is that team).

 

Also, Kalapse brings up a key point. As much as I banter to move Thome, it is all a moot point unless he is willing to accept a deal and I've yet to see the papers even speculate or ask anyone internally whether they believe he would. I assume this is because the media figures Kenny will not move Thome/Konerko because Ozzie/Kenny both really like the two of them.

What is unacceptable about a DH with 35+ HR and a .900+ OPS? He's a designated hitter. Look at the rest of the DH's throughout the league (Ortiz, Huff, Gomes, Stairs, Matsui, Hafner, Kubel, Butler, Sheffield, Matthews JR, Bradley, Vidro and Cust) if he fulfills your prediction he'll have numbers equal to or better than the best in the league and be far more productive than the majority. I understand you don't like .280/.410/.560/.970 plodders who strike out 140 times and can't steal a base but when comparing him to his competition he's one of the best.