Discussion of White Sox payroll situation

[caulfield12]

2011 Contract Issues: Chicago White Sox (mlbtraderumors.com)

By Tim Dierkes [May 11 at 8:17am CST]

The White Sox face two contractual options after the season:

 

Reliever Matt Thornton has a $3MM club option with a $250K buyout. This is a good bet to be exercised.

Backup catcher Ramon Castro has a $1.2MM club option with a $200K buyout. He's missed most of the season with a heel injury.

The team's other free agents are earning $26.125MM this year, led by Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski. If they also let Castro go and we add in buyouts paid to Jermaine Dye and Mike MacDougal, the Sox have nearly $29MM coming off the books.

 

Increases to players under contract total $11.3MM, with Alex Rios, Juan Pierre, Mark Teahen, and Gavin Floyd getting bumps of at least $2MM. There are also arbitration cases to consider: Alexei Ramirez goes for the first time, John Danks, Carlos Quentin, and Tony Pena a second, and Bobby Jenks a third. Technically Ramirez is already under contract for '11, but perhaps he's allowed to choose arbitration if he prefers. I think Jenks will be non-tendered, meaning another $7.5MM off the books.

 

Using the above scenarios I think the White Sox would have approximately $15MM to work with if they hold payroll steady. Keep in mind that's before re-signing any free agents, including 2010 offensive standouts Konerko and Andruw Jones.

 

My first thought....I think that you have to start out with the assumption that $10-15 million would have to be chopped off right away from payroll due to decreased payroll and revenue generation. So let's say we brought back Konerko for 2011, that would be it in terms of the moves we could make, unless we slashed even more deeply:

 

Linebrink

Teahen

Pierre

Peavy

Buehrle

Rios

Danks

 

Quentin, Beckham and Ramirez aren't going anywhere. And we might have to DH Flowers/Viciedo, that could be scary! Some might wish for a return to DH at-bats for TMK, Vizquel and Juan Pierre in that scenario....well, at least it'll be more entertaining, right?

 

Kotsay, Vizquel and probably Castro would come off the books as well, unless KW (maybe I missed it) already signed those guys to multi-year extensions in the middle of the night like he did with Teahen.

Edited May 11, 2010 by caulfield12

[Chisoxfn]

Jenks will be non-tendered if we still have him (barring him completely turning things around). I also note that I don't think Jenks is as bad as some indicate and I think it has more to do with his command and how much he dicks around now on the mound.

 

And if Jenks does turn it around, he'll still be traded. That alone will create some payroll flexibility. I'm not sure what they will do with the rotation

[fathom]

From someone that I trust, Jenks is not throwing the curve anymore because of the stress it puts on his elbow. He doesn't want to get injured prior to his free agency contract. Sadly, he's losing money by the day not being able to throw his best pitch.

[chw42]

From someone that I trust, Jenks is not throwing the curve anymore because of the stress it puts on his elbow. He doesn't want to get injured prior to his free agency contract. Sadly, he's losing money by the day not being able to throw his best pitch.

 

He's losing his own game.

[Balta1701]

I think the original post there is wrong. Alexei originally signed a 4 year deal, so he should still be under contract next year.

[Thad Bosley]

I think the original post there is wrong. Alexei originally signed a 4 year deal, so he should still be under contract next year.

Yes, I thought it was a four-year contract for something very dirt cheap (relatively speaking, of course), like $4 million in total.

[jphat007]

We're f***ed. There is the discussion on the payroll.

[fathom]

We're f***ed. There is the discussion on the payroll.

 

Not nearly as bad as it seemed two weeks ago, when there were severe doubts about Peavy.

[Krivanka]

We're f***ed. There is the discussion on the payroll.

 

 

Lmao, agreed.

 

I say we wave the white flag. It's just not going to work out this year, took too many gambles in the off season that aren't going to pay off.

 

Sad, but true. We're a good to great team on paper... but that's why we play the games.

[caulfield12]

From someone that I trust, Jenks is not throwing the curve anymore because of the stress it puts on his elbow. He doesn't want to get injured prior to his free agency contract. Sadly, he's losing money by the day not being able to throw his best pitch.

 

Reminiscent of Crede shutting it down because of his recurring back problems in late 2008, this situation also really got onto Ozzie's nerves (perhaps the only time he was ever frustrated with Joe) and it ended up with the band-aid of Juan Pierre at 3B, which might have saved the season.

 

Maybe something good will come out of Jenks falling apart so early, just like Takatsu in 2005 (not saying we have a WS run in us, far from it).

[whitesoxfan101]

If the team does continue to be irrelevant standingswise as it has been so far this season, attendance this year is going to be absolutely brutal, which means the payroll next year isn't going to be a pretty picture either. That's why I think this might finally be the year significant sell-offs occur in July (assuming there are willing partners in trades) if we're out of the race at that point.

Edited May 11, 2010 by whitesoxfan101

[Pants Rowland]

Reminiscent of Crede shutting it down because of his recurring back problems in late 2008, this situation also really got onto Ozzie's nerves (perhaps the only time he was ever frustrated with Joe) and it ended up with the band-aid of Juan Pierre at 3B, which might have saved the season.

 

Maybe something good will come out of Jenks falling apart so early, just like Takatsu in 2005 (not saying we have a WS run in us, far from it).

 

Really? I would think he would have trouble making the throw across the diamond.

 

[joeynach]

From someone that I trust, Jenks is not throwing the curve anymore because of the stress it puts on his elbow. He doesn't want to get injured prior to his free agency contract. Sadly, he's losing money by the day not being able to throw his best pitch.

 

Isnt up to AJ not Jenks. AJ doesnt care about Jenks contract situation. AJ calls the game, if he feels jenks needs to throw the hook and jenks keeps shaking him off or refusing to throw u bet ur ass something would be done about that. AJ would throw a fit.