Paul Konerko Re-Signs with White Sox

[iamshack]

Well for people that do that good for them. But I know I sure as hell wouldn't do it. Then again, I'm a greedy asshole that watches beheadings on-line. lol. And yes, I'm kinda buzzed.

First of all, it's not even noon yet!

 

Second, you wouldn't take a job that paid slightly less money for any other consideration? Seriously?

[Harry Chappas]

Lol we were one player away from the best lineup in baseball last year? I think we're loads better with Dunn in place of Kotsay, but I think there are a number of teams with better lineups. Also, I can't feel bad for a hitting coach for having too much talent to work with.

 

Maybe that was a green post?

 

That was why I used to word potential. They have the talent to have one of the best line-ups in baseball as Rios, Konerko, Quentin, Dunn, Beckham, and Ramirez could all be Silver Slugger award winners. Pierre could bat .300, AJ did this in 2009 and we really do not know what Teahan can bring.

 

Thus Greag Walker is in a bad spot if they do not produce.

 

Sorry no green, I really believe this.

[sin city sox fan]

People do this all the time, for a LOT less money. People do it in the everyday working world ALL of the time, and manage to live without their cousins turning into homeless people.

 

Don't get up in front of the fans and say "I might go and play for some other team for less money. It's not necessarily about the money."

 

Then you and your agent try to hold us up for $15 million a year. Nice Pauly.

 

If he really wanted to hold us up for $15 million, the deal would not be done yet. I really think he gave us a discount of $2 mil + per season to stay here and that should be appreciated (not scorned).

 

If Pena is worth $10 on the open market, Paulie could have gotten at least 50% more (and maybe $18 million per season if he hired Boras)

[Chisoxfn]

The Cubs are committed to Carlos Pena for nothing in 2012 or 2013, or 2014-2019, for that matter.

And he is a worse player than Paul Konerko.

[SoxFan562004]

Derek Jeter is the captain of the Yankees too and he did it. EVERYONE does it.

out of the thread, but that Jeter thing is going to get uglier, because I think the NYY are going to realize quickly they can't roll him at SS for the next 3 years.

[iamshack]

Derek Jeter is the captain of the Yankees too and he did it. EVERYONE does it.

The White Sox are NOT the Yankees. Not even close to a fair example.

[jhonnydanks]

PAUL KONERKO!

 

I can't believe even with this offseason people are busting out the negativity routine already. C'mon now! Can't wait for Opening Day!

 

DON'T STOP GET IT GET IT!

[Princess Dye]

I guess I am naive then. I thought PK, our captain, wasn't every guy in the league.

 

I mean, they hire agents with different reputations. Joe Crede seemed like the most down to earth guy in the world, but he perhaps got Scott Boras to handle all this ugly stuff for him.

 

It's quite possible PK told his agent: "I want to be at least near my market value but give them a hometown discount of x-dollars so they can get relievers"

 

And then his agent may have taken this direction and decided the way to get it is demand 15M for days on end until the Sox caved on a final 1M or something.

 

Agents separate their client from the negotiations so they dont have to go on that messy path to get to where they want to go. It still may mean PK was understanding of team needs from the beginning.

 

 

Did you want to pay PK something along the lines of 2 yr/20M?

Edited December 8, 2010 by Princess Dye

[ScottyDo]

First of all, it's not even noon yet!

 

Second, you wouldn't take a job that paid slightly less money for any other consideration? Seriously?

He did sign with us, and at approximately the same price as we thought was fair, as a consensus. He did it in early December so he wasn't holding the club hostage. I'm really not sure what you want from the guy, it's not like he held out for an unfair price for a long period of time, he signed for fair value relatively quickly and left the negotiations to his agent like you're supposed to.

 

I'm astounded.

[iamshack]

And he is a worse player than Paul Konerko.

No one is saying any different.

[Princess Dye]

The White Sox are NOT the Yankees. Not even close to a fair example.

 

True, but we're known leaguewide i'm sure as a team that pays up.

[bighurt574]

Nothing wrong with trying to negotiate the best deal you can. I don't expect a player to cave and accept less than market any more than I'd expect the team to cave and overpay. In Paulie's case, this deal was likely the best he was going to get. Baltimore and Arizona weren't going to beat it. Maybe Texas does if they miss on Lee, but if Paulie waited for that, the Sox offer disappears.

Edited December 8, 2010 by bighurt574

[Rowand44]

That was why I used to word potential. They have the talent to have one of the best line-ups in baseball as Rios, Konerko, Quentin, Dunn, Beckham, and Ramirez could all be Silver Slugger award winners. Pierre could bat .300, AJ did this in 2009 and we really do not know what Teahan can bring.

 

Thus Greag Walker is in a bad spot if they do not produce.

 

Sorry no green, I really believe this.

Ya, that's really not the best of ways to look at things though. Konerko is going to be worse than last year, that's guaranteed and Beckham is going to be better than last season, that's also guaranteed. Then there's also a good chance that AJ puts up better numbers, outside of that it's kind of anyones guess. We certainly have a good lineup now but it's not going to be the best in the league, that's for sure.

[iamshack]

He did sign with us, and at approximately the same price as we thought was fair, as a consensus. He did it in early December so he wasn't holding the club hostage. I'm really not sure what you want from the guy, it's not like he held out for an unfair price for a long period of time, he signed for fair value relatively quickly and left the negotiations to his agent like you're supposed to.

 

I'm astounded.

You're astounded?

 

I want JJ Putz as my damned closer. PK precluded that from happening.

 

Stop acting like his kids would go hungry if he took 3/$30.

[Rowand44]

The White Sox are NOT the Yankees. Not even close to a fair example.

Ya, I kind of misread your point initially, my point of everyone doing it still stands though.

 

He did sign with us, and at approximately the same price as we thought was fair, as a consensus. He did it in early December so he wasn't holding the club hostage. I'm really not sure what you want from the guy, it's not like he held out for an unfair price for a long period of time, he signed for fair value relatively quickly and left the negotiations to his agent like you're supposed to.

 

I'm astounded.

And ding ding ding, there ya go.

[Princess Dye]

Also if you ask me, PK knew the Sox wouldn't overpay for bullpen arms, but probably realized that if he caved some, they could get Dunn and really have a special offense.

 

Bullpen arms, no matter how much you plan, are a chaotic entity (ie Cotts/Politte)

[Steve9347]

What angers me is that these ballplayers who are already incredibly wealthy, and claim that their number 1 priority is to win, seem to forget about that come contract negotiation time. Couldn't the guy survive on $10 million a year so we could have signed Putz? Or some other bullpen arms? PK's demands have the potential to hamstring us a bit here, and it frustrates me to no end that the guy doesn't care about that.

 

I'm happy the guy is back. His bat is definitely going to be needed.

 

But I'm also going to look at him in a much different light now then I did just a week ago.

I think you are way off on this. Carlos Pena, he of the .196 batting average, just got a $10 million dollar deal. Konerko wanted a $45 million deal and got a 37.5 deal with deferred money. We got a hometown discount, and had he signed this exact contract last Friday vs. playing his cards an extra two working days, you'd say nothing about it.

 

The contract is less than market value and more than fair, and we're lucky to have Paulie back.

[SoxFan562004]

The White Sox are NOT the Yankees. Not even close to a fair example.

No the White Sox are not, but PK is a special player for this franchise and still a solid player. Outside of a season where he was injured, he didn't post an OPS+ (I know, not great stat, but quick) lower than 114 over that contract... if he goes 114 for the next 3 years I'll live with it.

 

I like Pena and the other options out there, but I like PK because I think it's a fair deal and who knows if those guys were coming here and for what price. Cubs aren't an attractive destination for FAs at this point, they may have had to go over market for the one year for Pena, he may have been like at 2/16 or 2/18 from another team and Cubs were willing to give him 10m up-front. Also, BR has Boras as his agent, if that's still true, he realistically might not have been an option.

[Chisoxfn]

Happy to have the captain back for what I believe is a very very fair deal. The deferred money really puts the present value of this contract in a very reasonable range, imo. Is it a total steal, no, but is it fair to keep a guy on the southside who is approaching historic numbers on the south side and still playing above average baseball, most certainly.

 

In this market could Paulie have gotten more money and a bigger deal, I think so. Does that mean he should have taken a whole lot less to stay in Chicago, nope. He doesn't owe us that and he's a class guy that I will always root for and I'm glad to get to root for him for another few years in a Sox uniform.

[Chisoxfn]

You're astounded?

 

I want JJ Putz as my damned closer. PK precluded that from happening.

 

Stop acting like his kids would go hungry if he took 3/$30.

And why should he take a ton less money? I'm just curious. And how do you know what he had offered? The current market environment certainly dictates that this was a more than fair contract.

[Princess Dye]

I want JJ Putz as my damned closer. PK precluded that from happening.

 

This is the same Putz that hasn't put a complete year together since who knows when. Last year he was close to doing it but wasnt available down the stretch.

 

With relievers you're better off trying to catch lightning in a bottle with quality young arms.

 

If we had signed Putz, you can just turn around and say signing Putz precluded us from signing Rafael Soriano. At some point you have to pick a direction and fill out payroll with a combination of guys that involves some sure entities and some risk. I'd rather take gambles with the bullpen than with 1B.

[SoxFan562004]

D-Lee and his agent sit back and he gets a very good deal at this point.

[Capn12]

You're astounded?

 

I want JJ Putz as my damned closer. PK precluded that from happening.

 

Stop acting like his kids would go hungry if he took 3/$30.

 

So...taking your own stance on things....it can't be said that JJ Putz was more concerned about what was good for the team, he jumped at the best offer $$$ wise. Is it only an issue when it relates to a move you wanted made?

[ScottyDo]

You're astounded?

 

I want JJ Putz as my damned closer. PK precluded that from happening.

 

Stop acting like his kids would go hungry if he took 3/$30.

I don't think Konerko precluded anything; I'm not sure what value you would ideally sign him for -- I'm assuming something around $10M/year -- but that doesn't even pay for Putz for next year. I think if the Sox really wanted Putz they would have signed him, but they don't like his value enough to do that. I have no evidence for that position, it's just a hunch.

 

As far as the kids going hungry, I agree in general principle. Baseball players should not be pitied for their payrolls no matter what they make. But the way I see it, there is a vast amount of money in the MLB pool, and I like the players who actually produce the product getting the lion's share of that pool. Same thing with auto-workers; I much prefer the guys on the line to get the money over the guy who designs the shading on the Ford logo.

[Princess Dye]

Above all, we can't really judge this until we actually see what they do with the bullpen.