Well at least Guillen has played in the major leagues before.

That would have been interesting. Ozzie is such an icon to Chisox fans -- and, I believe, proven to be a good manager -- but Stanton appears to be the real deal and could have been a fixture on the South Side for at least a decade. If I'm Reinsdorf and Williams, I might have pressed a bit harder on this.

Heh:

general manager Ken Williams wrote: ''Ozzie is the manager of the White Sox next year and I hope the next 10 years after. How many times do I have to [bleeping] say it?''

If I'm Reinsdorf and Williams, I might have pressed a bit harder on this.

From what I understand, Williams is eager to see the back of Ozzie Guillen, as soon as he can. Reinsdorf likes Guillen a lot, though, and would like him to stay.

If this is true (and it seems a tad on the crazy side to be true), I'm a little upset the Sox didn't push for it. Ozzie grows on me more every year, but players win championships.

If Florida considered this, they are insane. I get that "regular guy" NY columnists have to write that managers matter as much as GMs, even though I think that's crazy, but surely everyone can agree with Jim Bouton's observation about where good players sit on the hierarchy in relation to managers.

Didn't the Mets supposedly come close to trading Jose Reyes for Lou Piniella?

I guess in the long run, the only thing that counts is that neither one of those actually happened. But yeah, I'm surprised teams even consider it.

Lou Piniella was traded from Seattle to Tampa Bay for Randy Winn.

I think managers have a much bigger influence on a team's success than most on this site, and I think Ozzie is a very good manager, but I still think trading Stanton for him would be insane.

I think managers have a much bigger influence on a team's success than most on this site, and I think Ozzie is a very good manager, but I still think trading Stanton for him would be insane.

I don't have much to add to this.

Lou Piniella was traded from Seattle to Tampa Bay for Randy Winn.

Well, sure, I would have traded Cody Ross for Ozzie Guillen.

Hmm, maybe a bad example...

Ozzie is a good not great manager IMO. His work with the pitching staff and bullpen usage has, overall, been masterful. Ditto with the media and managing the clubhouse personalities. I can excuse his "Sunday Lineups" coming out a few more times a week than I'd like, his preference for "flexibility" at DH and his love affair with guys that played like him. Ultimately it's on KW to reign in Ozzie's fetishes and setup the club to win.

But if him and KW don't get on the same page this winter (and it was clear in retrospect they never were even close last offseason) then it's going to be another 85 or so win season looking up at the Twins.

Ozzie was once traded for a Cy Young Award winner, so there's a good starting point.

Ozzie was once traded for a Cy Young Award winner

So was Ed Brinkman.

Leo Mazzone was traded for Felix Hernandez's brother. The lesser Hernandez didn't make the big leagues and probably never will.

But if him and KW don't get on the same page this winter (and it was clear in retrospect they never were even close last offseason) then it's going to be another 85 or so win season looking up at the Twins.

My theory is that, last offseason, Williams brought in the flexible DHs as a concession to Guillen, with the deal being that if they didn't win with Ozzie's players, he had no more say. I hope I'm right, and Williams takes over player acquisition 100% this offseason.

This article does mention:

Guillen, who took a beating over the team's decision not to re-sign designated hitter Jim Thome, says he will step back from personnel decisions.

Of course, Guillen says a lot of things.

Bullsh!t!!