Ozzie ready for life without Aj and PK

[southsider2k5]

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news...ce=MLBHeadlines

 

Ozzie Guillen prepares for loss of stars

By Doug Padilla

ESPNChicago.com

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CHICAGO -- White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is preparing -- mentally, anyway -- to go into the 2011 season without veteran standouts Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski.

 

Ozzie Guillen joined "The Waddle & Silvy Show" to talk about his future with the Sox, the free agency of Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski and his relationship with Kenny Williams.

 

By no means have the White Sox decided to move on without either player, but Guillen, appearing Thursday on "The Waddle and Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000, seemed to be getting ready for what he considered a worst-case scenario.

 

"To me, right now, I don't [know]," Guillen said when asked if he thought he would see Konerko and Pierzynski in spring training. "First of all because it's too early. I talked to [chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] last night and he didn't mention either of the two names. I think I'm going to see [general manager] Kenny [Williams] in the next couple of days to talk about it."

 

The White Sox already have $75.4 million in salary commitments for 2011. But Konerko was the team's best run producer this past season, driving in 111 runs, and Pierzynski had a 3.95 catcher's ERA (the ERA of White Sox pitchers when he was behind the plate), his lowest since a 3.74 mark in 2005.

 

Konerko has spent 12 productive seasons with the club; Pierzynski has been with the White Sox for six seasons.

 

"It's a funny thing, because you want to make decisions with your heart, but you're going to make your decision with your brain," Guillen said. "It's not easy to be in Kenny's or Jerry's position right now, because we all know we love PK and we love A.J., and it's not easy. But the decision will be the best decision for the organization and the best decision for the team and we'll see what happens.

 

"If you ask Kenny and Jerry right now, they'll say yes, of course they want them. They play good for them. They had good years. The fans love them. I love them. The decision will be a tough one, and I'll be a big supporter of whatever decision they make."

 

Interestingly, there doesn't seem to be the same amount of love for closer Bobby Jenks, although Guillen was not directly asked about the right-hander. Jenks is arbitration-eligible and figures to command a contract in the vicinity of $9 million for 2011, but he is expected to be non-tendered by the White Sox.

 

More proof that the White Sox will part ways with Jenks came Thursday, when FoxSports.com reported that the White Sox have been looking into free agent Rafael Soriano, who had 45 saves with the Tampa Bay Rays this past season. Soriano, who will get a healthy raise on the $7.25 million he made in 2010, will turn 31 next month.

 

As for whom Guillen would like to see added to the club, he claims to be leaving all of the decisions to Williams and Reinsdorf.

 

"I never put my nose [in] and say, 'I want this guy,' " Guillen said. "First of all, I don't have that power. There's only one guy I asked to bring back, [in 2010] and that was Mark Kotsay. I want this kid back because I think he did a tremendous job for us the year before.

 

"I'm not really into it. They ask me questions, I answer the questions. I don't have the hammer or the power. When we have conversations, they ask what I have in mind, and we talk and go from there. I don't say I want this or I want that. It's not my department."

 

Despite repairing his relationship with Williams at the end of the regular season, it doesn't look as if Guillen and the club's top decision-maker will be spending the holidays together any time soon.

 

"The only relationship I really fear or that really matters to me is my relationship with my wife; that's the one that's important to me," Guillen said. "Professional-wise, [it's very good]. All the stuff happened in the summer, professional-wise we worried about the team and talked about the ballclub and talked about how to get better. [We] talked about everything. That never changed.

 

"Unfortunately, on the personal side, it's not the same that it was in the past. It got better in the end, but professional-wise, we're true professionals. He does a tremendous job."

 

Doug Padilla covers the White Sox for ESPNChicago.com.

[maggsmaggs]

Coincidently, I am ready for life without Ozzie.

 

I found this quote hilarious too:

As for whom Guillen would like to see added to the club, he claims to be leaving all of the decisions to Williams and Reinsdorf.

 

"I never put my nose [in] and say, 'I want this guy,' " Guillen said. "First of all, I don't have that power. There's only one guy I asked to bring back, [in 2010] and that was Mark Kotsay. I want this kid back because I think he did a tremendous job for us the year before.

 

"I'm not really into it. They ask me questions, I answer the questions. I don't have the hammer or the power. When we have conversations, they ask what I have in mind, and we talk and go from there. I don't say I want this or I want that. It's not my department."

 

Yeah, I guess he learned from saying no to Thome. I have a serious disdain for Ozzie.

 

Edited November 12, 2010 by maggsmaggs

[Buehrlesque]

There is zero chance the Sox end up with Soriano.

[Tannerfan]

Coincidently, I am ready for life without Ozzie

 

Not me. Ozzie's the best White Sox manager since Chuck Tanner, and Tanner was the best since Al Lopez.

Edited November 12, 2010 by Tannerfan

[maggsmaggs]

There is zero chance the Sox end up with Soriano.

I agree. That's not the Sox MO on finding relievers. They are more likely to get a guy who had a down year last year, but a proven track record before it. I don't know if they have signed a reliever the last decade that was coming off a career-best season. Someone will overpay for Soriano and regret it. He had a .212 BABIP last year (second best out of ML pitchers with 60-plus innings), that's out-of-this-world lucky. He will clearly regress. Not saying he won't be good next year, but some team is gonna offer him a 3-year deal worth $10 million per year.

Edited November 12, 2010 by maggsmaggs

[DirtySox]

Interested in the most expensive closer on the market who also has Boras as an agent?

 

Sounds feasible to me.

[chw42]

We don't even need to sign a closer. Just give Putz some fair market value and you have your closer. It's not like he's going to get more money than Jenks will get in arbitration.

[Balta1701]

We don't even need to sign a closer. Just give Putz some fair market value and you have your closer. It's not like he's going to get more money than Jenks will get in arbitration.

Why does Jenks's arbitration number matter? Jenks isn't going to be offered arbitration.

[NorthSideSox72]

We don't even need to sign a closer. Just give Putz some fair market value and you have your closer. It's not like he's going to get more money than Jenks will get in arbitration.

 

I was just thinking about that. Seems like he'd get par money with what Jenks would get via arbitration, maybe even less, so why not?

 

Why does Jenks's arbitration number matter? Jenks isn't going to be offered arbitration.

 

See above.

 

[Balta1701]

I was just thinking about that. Seems like he'd get par money with what Jenks would get via arbitration, maybe even less, so why not?

The best answer is...that figure itself would be $6-$7 million ish. I think that's way more than I'd pay for Putz.

[NorthSideSox72]

The best answer is...that figure itself would be $6-$7 million ish. I think that's way more than I'd pay for Putz.

Given that the bullpen looks as thin as it does right now, I think I might. $6M sounds doable, even better at $4-5M.

 

 

[Steve9347]

Interested in the most expensive closer on the market who also has Boras as an agent?

 

Sounds feasible to me.

No s***. What garbage.