Paul Konerko Re-Signs with White Sox

[Dick Allen]

Reinsdorf is gonna give Konerko at least 13m/year, which will cripple our payroll as far as not being able to add any other pieces where we obviously need to fill holes

 

Sucks that D.Lee is even older that Konerko, though I bet we could sign him to a two year deal and have Viciedo waiting

I don't know that it will cripple payroll. JR seems to be finding money everywhere the last year and a half. Maybe he's remembering his hiding places. If this "all in" is the theme of the 2011 White Sox, $2-3 million isn't going to make much of a difference.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Dick Allen

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

Hell, if PK and Lee both go off the board...I'd rather go with Viciedo. The only other obvious options are Pena (terrible fit with Dunn) and LaRoche (Less bad fit with Dunn, but still overloads that position with LH Bats).

I think Viciedo may be in the picture no matter what, and I think he's in the front row of it if we bring in a vet on a reclamation deal. A Viciedo/LaRoche/Dunn 1B/DH rotation could end up being extremely productive in the end, especially if you throw a mostly good CQ in the middle of it.

 

Depends on the price though. I'd also be tempted to do like you're saying and go straight with Viciedo at 1B and then look to spend the 1B money on pitching and OF improvements. Just an idea, but what about trying a Quentin for Beltran and cash deal, then using the 1B money to nab BJ Upton, a reliever, and bring back Freddy as the 5th starter if Peavy isn't ready? Ozzie has a hard-on for Pierre and I know Kenny probably will never trade him because he's so great and everything, but a 4-man OF rotation of Rios/Beltran/Pierre/Upton pretty much rapes the American League in defense and gives us some serious pop and athleticism.

[Real]

I don't know that it will cripple payroll. JR seems to be finding money everywhere the last year and a half. Maybe he's remembering his hiding places.

 

We'd have Putz if he was finding money everywhere.

[ScottyDo]

He's a bad fit in any lineup if he produces like he did last year. 2 hits per 10 at bats, yuck.

Yah, Pena's last year put any claims to Konerko's inconsistencies to shame.

 

Not saying anything with that, as I'm aware Pena is not seeking north of $13m.

 

I have never been a big Pena guy, though.

[Dick Allen]

We'd have Putz if he was finding money everywhere.

Not necessarily. Supposedly they are interested in Wood. If true, he would be more expensive than Putz at least for 2011.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Dick Allen

[iamshack]

He's a bad fit in any lineup if he produces like he did last year. 2 hits per 10 at bats, yuck.

He's been a career .841 OPS player and he's two years younger than PK. I think he'd be a very solid signing at $6-8 million.

[iamshack]

Yah, Pena's last year put any claims to Konerko's inconsistencies to shame.

 

Not saying anything with that, as I'm aware Pena is not seeking north of $13m.

I have never been a big Pena guy, though.

I was not aware of this.

 

The hell with Pena, too.

[justBLAZE]

Konerko's agent, Craig Landis, in lobby talking to reporters. If deal with #WhiteSox was close, he would be nowhere to be found. #MLB - Ken Rosenthal

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

Reinsdorf is gonna give Konerko at least 13m/year, which will cripple our payroll as far as not being able to add any other pieces where we obviously need to fill holes

 

Sucks that D.Lee is even older that Konerko, though I bet we could sign him to a two year deal and have Viciedo waiting

Kenny said the Sox had room for Dunn, PK, AND a reliever without trading anyone. This was also well before the Linebrink deal where we freed another $2M. I'm sure Kenny was at least planning on $12M for Paulie when he said that.

 

It may actually be the case that JR is going to give it one last shot in 2011 and try to spend for a division title and more. There's still reason to believe we could afford PK + a righty MR or SU and then add a little bit here or there in other ways - like maybe we can pull another Linebrink type deal with Teahen and gain $2-3M in flexibility there, or maybe we can target some cheap productive MLB players and trade extra prospects for them to get some cash back in the deal. And of course, maybe JR just lets Kenny go a little bit further out there if he needs another mil or two to add what looks like a special bargain that really makes the team look better. We should just wait and see, because it does appear the Sox are willing to spend this year. Strangely enough...

[NorthSideSox72]

Konerko's agent, Craig Landis, in lobby talking to reporters. If deal with #WhiteSox was close, he would be nowhere to be found. #MLB - Ken Rosenthal

As has been stated, I'm sure that PK is probably thinking over his options.

 

Just don't think too long Paulie, because KW will not wait forever. Dude is way too impatient, and he's got a list.

 

[chisox2334]

Konerko's agent, Craig Landis, in lobby talking to reporters. If deal with #WhiteSox was close, he would be nowhere to be found. #MLB

 

 

 

this is truth right here from rosenthal

[fathom]

I was not aware of this.

 

The hell with Pena, too.

 

Don't know why people are talking about Carlos Pena. His asking price is supposedly way too high, Boras is his agent, and he's the Cubs #1 target. No thanks to him...I don't want to have to hear Hawk talk naively about how the ball just started to jump off Pena's bat a few years ago for no particular reason.

[Rowand44]

Konerko has every right to wait and try to get the best deal possible, the White Sox also have every right to move on. Derrek Lee should be option A anyways.

[ThunderBolt]

I trust Rosenthal, but he does have a tendency to blow these things out of proportion. I really don't think the Konerko negotiations are as dire as we're making them out to be.

[NorthSideSox72]

Konerko has every right to wait and try to get the best deal possible, the White Sox also have every right to move on. Derrek Lee should be option A anyways.

Have to admit, much as I like Paulie, that D-Lee + K Wood + 2 picks is sounding a lot better for that kind of money. Also would be an in-your-face to the Cubs, to some extent, which I'm sure KW and some of the fans like.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

I trust Rosenthal, but he does have a tendency to blow these things out of proportion. I really don't think the Konerko negotiations are as dire as we're making them out to be.

You mean the fact that his agent is in a lobby doesn't mean that Paulie has decided to sign with the Nats?

 

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

Don't know why people are talking about Carlos Pena. His asking price is supposedly way too high, Boras is his agent, and he's the Cubs #1 target. No thanks to him...I don't want to have to hear Hawk talk naively about how the ball just started to jump off Pena's bat a few years ago for no particular reason.

Borass has been terribly, terribly, terribly wrong about the value of his clients in the past. In fact, this seems to happen every year now. Teams really get frugal a week or so after the winter meetings and agents with their heads in the clouds start coming back down to earth.

[justBLAZE]

If PK wants $15 mil a year, Kenny W said Monday: "Teams have options. I don’t know if he will get to the level he originally hoped for." - Chuck Garfien

[ThunderBolt]

You mean the fact that his agent is in a lobby doesn't mean that Paulie has decided to sign with the Nats?

Nah, i think the lobby points to the O's. The pool would steer me towards the Nats.

[sin city sox fan]

Nothing wrong with Konerko asking for $15 million per season. We are probably offering $10 million at this time and the sides will probably settle somewhere around $12-13 million per season. Thats how negotiations work. If we offered $12 to begin with and they asked for $15....we'd probably end up closer to $14 million per season.

 

Have some patience grasshopper....the deal will get done.

[iamshack]

Nothing wrong with Konerko asking for $15 million per season. We are probably offering $10 million at this time and the sides will probably settle somewhere around $12-13 million per season. Thats how negotiations work. If we offered $12 to begin with and they asked for $15....we'd probably end up closer to $14 million per season.

 

Have some patience grasshopper....the deal will get done.

Oh...it's all so clear now.

[sin city sox fan]

If nothing else, Teahan could always play first

[Chisoxfn]

He's been a career .841 OPS player and he's two years younger than PK. I think he'd be a very solid signing at $6-8 million.

He hasn't hit over .250 in three seasons and his average has gone down each of the past 3 seasons with last year being a putrid season with a low OPS and low average. I think OPS is an important stat but I'm not going to ignore the fact that we already have one guy in our lineup that produces at a low average and I don't want two of those guys. His decline has more to do with him getting off the juice. His WAR has been 3.

 

I'll take Lee, Konerko, and LaRoche over him any day of the week.

[LittleHurt05]

Borass has been terribly, terribly, terribly wrong about the value of his clients in the past. In fact, this seems to happen every year now. Teams really get frugal a week or so after the winter meetings and agents with their heads in the clouds start coming back down to earth.

 

Jayson Werth?

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

Nothing wrong with Konerko asking for $15 million per season. We are probably offering $10 million at this time and the sides will probably settle somewhere around $12-13 million per season. Thats how negotiations work. If we offered $12 to begin with and they asked for $15....we'd probably end up closer to $14 million per season.

 

Have some patience grasshopper....the deal will get done.

I'm not so sure about that. Jerry's been involved in this thing since it's started and he's known both as a firm negotiator and a loyal guy. I wouldn't be shocked if the Sox started right around $11-12M and put a cap on it at $13M. IIRC the figures in the Ben Gordon and Luol Deng extensions pretty much stayed where they were, with JR making what he thought was a fair, loyal offer but refusing to go much above it.

 

The wildcard here is what the O's are offering IMO. If they're well ahead of the Sox then PK is in no position to turn that down and look to make up for it in his next contract.