White Sox Today—Winter Meetings Edition, December 6, 2006

One of the hot rumors on Tuesday centered on discussions between the White Sox and Blue Jays involving centerfielder Vernon Wells. “We have some tire kickers,” admitted Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi. “We have to see how serious [teams] are.” White Sox G.M. Ken Williams said that he could not confirm any interest in Wells, who will be a free agent after the 2007 season, since he is “currently under contract with another team” and mentioned that he was concerned about putting together a team that will all get old and expensive at the same time.  One source suggests that the Sox’ interest in Wells had cooled even before the rumor had fully taken root. 

Part of the reason for the Sox lack of commitment to acquiring Wells stems from the fact that they are still very much committed to their current centerfielder, Brian Anderson.  “I probably have more confidence in Brian than he has in himself, and that isn’t easy to do, trust me,” Williams said. “He’s the guy we’re still very high on. He is going to be challenged this year. He’s going to have to step it up.” There is speculation that Wells’ agents, Brian Peters and Greg Genske are intent upon “making their mark” with Wells’ upcoming free agency and want to make their client a $20 million dollar annual salary.  The Dodgers, Phillies and Angels also have shown interest in Wells’, allegedly. 

But, contradictions are rampant during any Winter Meeting session, and the Sox have, at least, some interest in upgrading their centerfield situation. “If you don’t have an everyday center fielder, your team isn’t going to be that good,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said in his best Casey Stengel impersonation. 

Another rumor concerning the Sox interest in acquiring a replacement centerfielder also seems to lack traction.  On Tuesday, Williams was careful not to specify any interest in his former centerfielder, fan favorite Aaron Rowand.  Thanks to the notoriously unreliable “baseball insider” Bruce Levine who devoured the chum that the Phillies front office was throwing, rumors had circulated through Chicago talk radio on Tuesday that the White Sox had discussed bringing back Rowand with pitching prospect Gavin Floyd in tow return for starting pitcher Freddy Garcia. 

Another rumor has the White Sox pursuing the Tampa Rays’ young centerfielder Rocco Baldelli.  The Sox are apparently one of several teams, including the Dodgers, Braves and Tigers who are interested the Rays’ outfielders—Baldelli, Carl Crawford and Delmon Young and Johnny Gomes.  And moving one of their outfielders sits well with the Rays also. “The one area where we’re covered is in the outfield,” manager Joe Maddon said.  “If something like [a trade] were to happen, we feel that’s the one spot we can handle internally.” One way that they would handle that is by moving their defensively-challenged by very promising young infielder B.J. Upton to centerfield.  Tampa has indicated that they’d like acquire a veteran starting pitcher to back Scott Kazmir and their young staff.  And another report suggest that the team wants “premium young pitching” in any deal. 

And, yet, over the last several days White Sox G.M. Ken Williams has downplayed the team’s interest in trading any of their five starting pitchers this off-season. “Pitching was what made us successful two years ago,” Williams said on Tuesday “We are committed to building with pitching, and I don’t want to do anything to compromise that. We never want to be in that position again where we can’t find a fifth starter,” he said of the lessons that he has learned.  Throwing cold water on speculation then, he added “Anything you hear about [the Sox adding a top hitter] is just a rumor.” Motivating Williams stance are reports that he is receiving from his minor league scouts.  “You’re seeing the price for pitching jump, and people are asking me if this is just a cycle,” one Sox scout said. “I don’t think it is. I think quality pitchers are just going to get more valuable, more expensive. It is shocking how few good pitchers there are in the minor leagues.  Some organizations have some pitching . . . but there are some that don’t have a single pitcher. You watch a [minor-league] team for a week, every day you’re thinking, OK, I’ll see somebody today, and you never do.” So, Williams is intent upon trading Garcia or Vazquez in for a much younger pitching prospect, like the Angels’ Ervin Santana, the Rangers John Danks or Jason Hirsh of Houston. 

One Sox pitching prospect that has baseball writers, or at least Rob Neyer, talking is knuckleballer Charlie Haeger.  “I’ve been promoting this guy since last spring, and I’m going to keep promoting him until he gets the chance he obviously deserves,” says Neyer.  “Haeger looks to me like the best young knuckleball pitcher any of us have seen.” Neyer continued, “If I were Kenny Williams, I would trade one of the guys who throws 90—because they have more trade value than the guy who throws 70—and give Haeger a slot in the rotation next spring. If I were not Kenny Williams, I would sidle up to him in Florida and try to find out exactly what he thinks about Charlie Haeger.” Haeger looked alternately fantastic and dreadful in his one start (against the Angels in May) last season, but was very sharp working out of the bullpen (7 hits and 7 walks with 17 strikeouts in 14 innings) upon his recall from Charlotte in September. 

Also, cooling the rumors that the Sox may trade pitching for a hitter are comments that the organization has made over the last several days, hinting that they will do whatever they feel is in the best interests of the organization, including sending Brandon McCarthy back to AAA Charlotte to be a starter.  On Tuesday, Guillen went so far as to suggest that, unless something happens involving one of the Sox current starters, McCarthy should start looking to renting a house in Charlotte since the team currently “five starters better than you.”

Part of the reason that the much discussed Sox/Angels trade is now on hold is because the White Sox have been asking for starting pitcher John Lackey, and not Ervin Santana as head been reported. 

Joe Crede who is likely to be part of any trade between Chicago and Los Angeles.  Crede, however, would prefer to stay on the South Side.  “I know Joe enjoys playing in Chicago. It’s a very fine franchise,” said Crede’s agent Scott Boras said.  Looking to mend fences with the Sox (who have been hostile to him since the agent cost the Sox 1996 first round draft pick Bobby Seay), Boras said, “He likes his manager. He likes his teammates. Obviously, we follow the direction of what Kenny [Williams] or Jerry [Reinsdorf] want to do with the players. If they want to talk about [an extension], we are willing to. If they don’t, we understand the rules of the game and go forward. We are fine.”

White Sox signed “valuable utility player” Pablo Ozuna, 32, to a one-year, $800,000 contract on Tuesday.  Everyone likes to point out how Ozuna hit .328 for the season, but he had a .655 OPS in the second half after a .971 OPS first half of the season.  His lifetime OPS is .703, so anyone want to play the old Sesame Street game, “One of these things is not like the other?”

You can rule out the possibility that Barry Bonds will be joining the White Sox anytime soon.  “When you hear that, I don’t know what people are drinking,” said Guillen of the New York Times article that suggested Bonds would be a good fit on the Sox or Twins. “I don’t think Barry fits good with the piranhas,” said Guillen, using his pet name for the feisty Twins.  “Barry is a shark. He’s not a piranha. I don’t see Barry there.”

Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is having second thoughts about his sport’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). “I’m already lamenting it,” Reinsdorf told Yahoo! Sports, expressing fears that low-revenue teams might not be able to afford to sign free agents in the future.  “They still have problems,” said Reinsdorf, acting, perhaps, as a stalking horse for his close friend and ally Commissioner Bud Selig.  “Revenue sharing has helped somewhat, but not enough. We need a system of salary restraint. Until there’s a system of salary restraint, the players are going to get all incremental revenue.” Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan echoed Reinsdorf.  “It is unfair how it is structured. And it’s something we do have to live with,” Dolan said. “The new CBA is a significant accomplishment in that it’s created labor peace. At the same time, it did not take on some of the ongoing structural issues.” So why did they all sign on to the unanimous owners vote?  Basically because The Union made them do it.  “In my view, the cost of making meaningful changes would’ve been extraordinarily high – in the form of a work stoppage,” said Dolan.  There was a general feeling on both sides that this was not the time for a work stoppage,” said Reinsdorf. “I know I’m happy because we kept peace”