Tigers Sign Damon - 1 yr, 8 mil; NTC

[GreatScott82]

Who catches if Flowers is part of the trade?

They are moving CJ Retherford to catcher. Josh Phegley is also a nice catching prospect who the Sox hope developes niceley this season. Perhaps they can bring AJ back to a cheaper deal beyond this current contract as well. . Remember Gonzalez doesn't become a free agent until after the 2011 season. So giving AJ another 2 year contract at a cheaper rate wouldn't be a bad idea since Gonzalez wont get the BIG cash until 2012.

[fathom]

seriously? The guy is a force from the left side and solves your replacement for konerko for the next 5-10 years. Konerko comes off the books next year as well as others.

 

No one thinks higher of him than I do. I just think it would be hard to give up ALL of your remaining prospects for him while agreeing to an 8 year or so extension without it having a huge impact on the shape of the organization. I still believe that we wouldn't beat out Boston for his services, but that's a different argument.

[dyuen]

Konerko and AJ are both off the books next year. That is $18 million right there that can be used towards an AGon extension.

 

 

Dont get confused like so many people did last year thinking that with all the money coming off the books we would have lots to spend. Arbitration and other things will increase the salaries just as much.

 

[Kalapse]

Konerko and AJ are both off the books next year. That is $18 million right there that can be used towards an AGon extension.

Then you have $67.8M committed to 10 players:

 

Buehrle

Floyd

Peavy

 

Linebrink

Thornton

 

Pierre

Ramirez

Rios

Teahen

Viciedo

 

And Danks, Jenks and Quentin all due large raises in arbitration, that's another $22M, so $87.8M due to only 13 players. Add on Gonzalez's pay and you're over $93M to only 14 players and dealing with a completely decimated farm system. The only decent young player on the 40 man roster right now who's pre arb and would still be around after that deal would be Gordon Beckham, that's 15 players.

 

2012: Floyd, Peavy, Rios, Teahen and Viciedo = $44M with Danks, Pena, Quentin and Ramirez all arb eligible and once again; all of your top prospects going into the 2010 season are gone, better hope a few prospects left over after the trade fly through the system.

[striker]

Ugh, apparently, he is somewhat worshiped there.

 

My sister-in-law, like any good Sox fan, hates it.

You might hate him but he maximizes his players value, which is his job.

[quickman]

No one thinks higher of him than I do. I just think it would be hard to give up ALL of your remaining prospects for him while agreeing to an 8 year or so extension without it having a huge impact on the shape of the organization. I still believe that we wouldn't beat out Boston for his services, but that's a different argument.

 

thats where I differ, i think our prospects suck so you need to give as many as it takes to get it done. The guy is a legit star, with years ahead of him, he would be the core of this team and the team would be built around him and beckham.

[dyuen]

They are moving CJ Retherford to catcher. Josh Phegley is also a nice catching prospect who the Sox hope developes niceley this season. Perhaps they can bring AJ back to a cheaper deal beyond this current contract as well. . Remember Gonzalez doesn't become a free agent until after the 2011 season. So giving AJ another 2 year contract at a cheaper rate wouldn't be a bad idea since Gonzalez wont get the BIG cash until 2012.

 

Neither of those guys are going to be starting catchers.

[ThunderBolt]

No one thinks higher of him than I do. I just think it would be hard to give up ALL of your remaining prospects for him while agreeing to an 8 year or so extension without it having a huge impact on the shape of the organization. I still believe that we wouldn't beat out Boston for his services, but that's a different argument.

I don't think it would be hard at all. This organization has never prioritized organizational depth over the big league team.

[South Side Fireworks Man]

No one thinks higher of him than I do. I just think it would be hard to give up ALL of your remaining prospects for him while agreeing to an 8 year or so extension without it having a huge impact on the shape of the organization. I still believe that we wouldn't beat out Boston for his services, but that's a different argument.

What if the Sox offered Beckham for AGon straight up (or including lesser prospect on both sides)?

[NorthSideSox72]

They are moving CJ Retherford to catcher. Josh Phegley is also a nice catching prospect who the Sox hope developes niceley this season. Perhaps they can bring AJ back to a cheaper deal beyond this current contract as well. . Remember Gonzalez doesn't become a free agent until after the 2011 season. So giving AJ another 2 year contract at a cheaper rate wouldn't be a bad idea since Gonzalez wont get the BIG cash until 2012.

The bolded is really not true. They are trying him a few games there, because they see him as a solid utility man. Its possible he may move more there, but to say "they are moving" him is a pretty big stretch.

 

And Phegley was a mild disappointment in his first year.

 

There is no C in the system ready to step in, in the next year, if Flowers is gone.

 

[dyuen]

What if the Sox offered Beckham for AGon straight up (or including lesser prospect on both sides)?

 

that would just solve on problem and create another. Besides with Beckham under control for 5 years at a cheap price, that would never happen.

[ThunderBolt]

According to Baseball Prospectus. If we trade Flowers, Viciedo and Danks.

Our top ten looks like this:

1. Daniel Hudson, RHP

2. Jared Mitchell, OF

3. Brent Morel, 3B

4. Clevelan Santeliz, RHP

5. Trayce Thompson, OF

6.Santos Rodriguez, LHP

7. David Holmberg, LHP

8. C.J. Retherford, 2B

9. Jhonny Nunez, RHP:

10.Josh Phegley, C:

11. Nathan Jones.

We have a decent draft pick this year, a nice collection of young guys at the big league level, and a good market over in Cuba. I'm not too worried about this organization's prospect future.

 

Edited February 19, 2010 by Thunderbolt

[Kalapse]

According to Baseball Prospectus. If we trade Flowers, Viciedo and Danks.

Our top ten looks like this:

1. Daniel Hudson, RHP

2. Jared Mitchell, OF

3. Brent Morel, 3B

4. Clevelan Santeliz, RHP

5. Trayce Thompson, OF

6.Santos Rodriguez, LHP

7. David Holmberg, LHP

8. C.J. Retherford, 2B

9. Jhonny Nunez, RHP:

10.Josh Phegley, C:

We have a decent draft pick this year, a nice collection of young guys at the big league level, and a good market over in Cuba. I ‘m not too worried about this organization’s prospect future.

There's no way you trade for AGon right now and not surrender Daniel Hudson in the process.

[Dick Allen]

After actually reading Levine's article (I have to go wash my hands), this was nothing more than a negotiating ploy by KW.

Exactly. What this does is takes Boras' negotiating one contract off the other one, in other words,all his leverage away. He has to pick a team and negotiate.

[ThunderBolt]

There's no way you trade for AGon right now and not surrender Daniel Hudson in the process.

Agreed, the Padres want him, and the White Sox don't wanna give him up. That's why this trade hasn't been made.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Thunderbolt

[fathom]

There's no way you trade for AGon right now and not surrender Daniel Hudson in the process.

 

I'm thinking they'd also possibly want John Danks also.

[Balta1701]

I'm thinking they'd also possibly want John Danks also.

Why? In like 1 year they'd be dealing him for prospects anyway.

[Chisoxfn]

It will be officially dead once camp opens up. I don't blame Kenny one bit, Boras was dragging s*** along in typical Boras fashion.

[fathom]

Why? In like 1 year they'd be dealing him for prospects anyway.

 

I just feel like they'd want some established players also. If they're going after all prospects, then that's why I feel we'd have no chance of landing AGon over the Red Sox.

[dyuen]

Agreed, the Padres want him, and the White Sox don't wanna give him up. That's why this trade hasn't been made.

this is exactly correct

[fathom]

It will be officially dead once camp opens up. I don't blame Kenny one bit, Boras was dragging s*** along in typical Boras fashion.

 

As much as maybe Damon wanted to play in Chicago, it seems all along that Boras/Damon knew that the Tigers were the team that they could get the most out of. The Tigers were always going to be the team that got the last shot of boosting their offer, and that seems to be what turned KW off. Boras has worked this way with the Tigers so many times in the past.

[Princess Dye]

I would expect JD to sign with his favorite team in a few hours. Cant drag any further with this kind of lost leverage for Boras.

[striker]

As much as maybe Damon wanted to play in Chicago, it seems all along that Boras/Damon knew that the Tigers were the team that they could get the most out of. The Tigers were always going to be the team that got the last shot of boosting their offer, and that seems to be what turned KW off. Boras has worked this way with the Tigers so many times in the past.

Boras seems to get his way with Detroit too. They'll probably sign him for 2yrs $12M.

[ptatc]

Then why did Kenny meet with Matsui and talk him up, then say we couldn't afford him? Why did it come out that the Sox went after Johnson but couldn't match the Yankees? I side with the other poster who said the Sox probably offered their midseason acquisition money to Damon. But even if that is true, it still shows how crappy their plan is because going after Damon last-minute shows they have no confidence in it, especially if they were offering emergency fallback money.

 

And BTW, Matsui can play LF probably about as well as Damon can. Neither belong out there and Damon in LF with Pierre in CF while Rios gets a day off is no freakin' picnic as it is. And then CQ lumbering around in RF. Yuck. Plus Kotsay is the backup 1B. Damon is realistically just about as versatile as Johnson or Matsui. They're all DHs who belong at DH, and the only reason we wanted Damon was because of his bat, not his so-called versatility. The speed factor is probably a major part of it too.

 

The Sox (and everyone else) are afraid Matsui's knees will not allow him to play the OF much. Damon is more versatile because he can stil play the OF and Kotsay is the LH backup 1B so they don't need another one. So they weren't going to sign him unless they were confident he could play the field. They met with him decided he couldn't play the field and that ended it. With Johnson they weren't going to pay a DH only guy 5.5 milllion and since this was early on in the process they weren't going to sign a DH only guy at all.

 

If they were going to do this they would have signed Thome who was going to give them a discount.

 

This shows nothing about how crappy their plan is. It shows how crappy YOU think the plan is because you don't agree with it.

[Vegas Sox Fan]

It will be officially dead once camp opens up. I don't blame Kenny one bit, Boras was dragging s*** along in typical Boras fashion.

 

As Much as I would have liked to have Damon on the South Side I also like this move by KW. He has left the door open & is not playing a sucker in the Boras soap opera. This whole thing has been driving me nuts all week.

G