White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf told Brett Ballantini of CSNChicago.com that he went ‘all in’ for 2011 because “the idea of being bad for two or three years is a horrible thought when you’re 75 years old.” The White Sox considered rebuilding this offseason, but decided to spend and attempt to become the best team in the AL Central. Here’s more from Reinsdorf:
- Reinsdorf says there’s a natural tension between managers and general managers that will flare up at times. But he says he expects GM Kenny Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen to be in Chicago “for a long time.”
- The Marlins expressed interest in talking to Guillen about their managerial opening last fall and Reinsdorf told the Marlins he would let his manager out of his contract if Guillen wanted to manage the Marlins and they gave up something in exchange. “If you want to talk to him,” Reinsdorf told the Marlins, “we have to agree on what we get if he decides to leave.” Though the sides never came to an agreement, Mike Stanton's name came up.
- The White Sox were ready to commit to Joe Crede on a long-term deal and “Scott Boras didn’t [want to] talk about it,” Reinsdorf said. “Look what that’s cost Crede.”
Ozzie Guillen for Mike Stanton revisited? Best trade rumor ever.
Loud mouth manager who rubs players the wrong way for an up and coming power hitter who tore up the minors?
The thought that this even came up would make me mad if I was a Marlins fan.
You have a lot to learn about baseball.
Remember Gonzalez fueding with Hanley? How’d that work out? Ozzie talks down players in the media like it’s going out of style.
You’re telling me that the Marlins stud piece, the player they are building their franchise around, is going to get along with Ozzie and at the same time get rid of a future middle of the order bat..?
One second. I need to go learn more about baseball.
We really should stop calling them studs. Handsomenes has nothing to do with anything.
That Hanley is a good lookin’ cat 😉
I think it is more construction/building studs rather than the classic good looking stud. Or maybe he was referring to the horse out to stud usage?
“That guy’s going to be a star. He’s really smashingly attractive. Have you seen that young man’s cheekbones?”
So instead of actually focusing on building up a now-terrible farm system to supplement a major league team and try to be a contender in a few years, Reinsdorf got scared of being old and decided to go “all in” and create a good team, but not a contender. If I was a White Sox fan, I’d be more than just a little pissed that my team’s owner put his own issues–that everyone deals with at one time and is no excuse–ahead of putting together a self-sustaining organization.
you are off on this one buddy. Besides what organization is as you say “self-sustaining.”
If you noticed, Kenny didn’t trade one prospect this offseason. So not only do we still have our prospects from last year, we have a whole new crop of players that can break out as well.
Yes, it’s just unfortunate that none of them are any good.
One of the most overated evaulations of the big league team is their farm system. The farm system is there to HELP the big league club and by trading suspects for proven players improves your club than who cares what the minor league system is ranked? The Sox last two first rounders are in the Majors and contributing. Jared Mitchell would probably be on the big league club this year if not for his injury. Of all the prospects that were traded, Gio Gonzalez might come back to hurt us. Daniel Hudson looked good for AZ, but was not impressing in the AL prior to his departure. Jackson is a proven commodity and the only thing that may make that trade bad is Jackon’s salary.
I’m sorry, but young, cost-controlled players, particularly pitchers, are the most valuable commodity in baseball, which is what just about everybody on the Chicago major league roster is not. How do you produce that talent? The farm system. While I’m not “evaluating the big league club” based on their farm system, I am evaluating their longevity and potential to supplement major league talent. The White Sox’ have a number of key players over 30 (Dunn, Konerko, Buerhle, Rios) and a number of other starters there, as well. They have a good major league team that should contend in the Central, probably not for the World Series. They have a piss poor farm system, constantly ranked among the five worst heading into this season.
Evan,
The minor league system is rated as a whole. Who gives a rat’s ass if the system is ranked high if it doesn’t produce at the Major League level? 10 years ago, the Sox were consistently ranked in the top 10 in farm systems. The Cubs have been ranked in the top now so many years, but I’m not seeing super results from them in the Bigs. (I’m only bringing up the Cubs b/c I know theyv’e been ranked high) There are so many spots on the big league club. The Sox have a mixture of veteran players with some younger guys. I would think its safe to assume Rameriez, Morel, Beckham, Mitchell, Sale, Santos, Phlegley (sp), and Vicedio(sp) are a nice solid foundation of young players. I left Tyler Flowers out of the mix b/c I don’t think he’ll produce, but he was listed a top 100 prospect in the year prior.
While you point to cost controlled pitchers, I will agree with you on cost. I will not agree with you that they aren’t young. Danks, Floyd and Jackson are all under 30. When Buerhle leaves, you insert Sale into the rotation. I also find it assuming that you’re concerned about cost. Is it your money? Who cares if the Sox have a high payroll? Playing in a major market allows them to be one of the top spenders, now whether or not the team produces is another story.
I would not throw them out of the WS race either. We’ve seen how pitching can dominate come playoffs. If Peavy returns to form, I would think the Sox have a top 3 rotation in the AL with a pretty solid pen. I think their offense will compete with anyone this year too. Funnier things have happened in baseball and I bet no one thought the Giants would of won the WS last year.
While I agree that the Sox have traded several of their best prospects in the past several years, its clear that those prospects, as a group, have not achieved much in the majors. Is it a case where Kenny Williams realized that these prospects werent all that great and traded at the right time or was he just “lucky” that the group of prospects have failed to embarrass him by becoming stars and having Sox fans bemoan their departures?
I believe that the Sox have several decent prospects in the low minors now but very little in AAA. Time will tell if they ever make it on the field in Chicago however. That said, Id much prefer having a GM and owner who try to put a contender on the field every year that have a bunch of “cant miss” youngsters playing in the minors.
I would also disagree that the Sox are not contenders this year. Will they run away from the Twins and Tigers??…likely not… but Im confident that they will contend. As a Sox fan I want a product every year that can provide excitement and not be out of contention by the 4th of July. Id much prefer having that every year than puffing my chest out about having a wonderful crop of kids playing in Charlotte and Birmingham.
Are you listening Royals?
They are good players, but Jesse Crain and Adam Dunn don’t really scream “all in” to me.
No, but when you sign Milledge you are “all in.”
Of course… I forgot about that signing!
free agent market is weak.
Ukraine is strong.
Deutschland ist stark
Nick, what do you consider “all in”? Add resigning Konerko and AJ along with Ohman, Dunn and Crain and that is a solid off season that could reap benefits for a few years down the road. Alexi and Thornton are extended, Rios here for some time, young OF’s (Danks and Mitchell) coming next year or two. The big thing will be signing John Danks after 2012 as he is the ace IMO.
Good question…
I meant that the additions that they made were solid, but nothing that stands out as the best acquisitions of the off season. I did not factor the resigning (Konerko, AJ) or extensions (Alexi, Thornton) since they were with the team last year. To me going “all-in” means taking your weaknesses from last year and really addressing them. Dunn replaces Kotsay/Manny, so weakness addressed. The BP lost Jenks, so Crain is only replacing his numbers, but the BP is still as solid as last year, so no real change. There are still questions marks with Quentin (regressed the last two years) and 3B (Morel is unproven at the big league level), as well as Peavy’s health. Going “all-in” would have addressed those spots.
Don’t get me wrong, the White Sox have a very solid team but they didn’t go “all-in.” They only improved their DH, and kept everything else at the same level as last year.
PS: Don’t get too excited about J. Danks and Mitchell in the OF, they are fringe prospects at best. The only solid prospects the White Sox have are going to be on the 25-man roster (Sale and Morel).
You’re off on Mitchell. He will be more than a fringe prospect IF he recovers from his ankle injury.
Also please define prospects? Does Beckham count? Santos?
I used Baseball America as a reference, but another way to look at it is whether they still have rookie status. I believe that both Morel and Sale have that.
Mitchell needs to reduce his strike outs before he is ready. He is very athletic, but also very raw.
I have ridiculed Boras in the past for being predictable, never extending players, being easy for GM’s to read, sentencing clients to gypsy status. See, e.g., Edwin Jackson, now on his fourth team in less than two years because all assume extension is off the table.
But Boras, to give the devil his due, is trying to become a better poker player. He did extend Carlos Gonzalez last year. That surely did not go unnoticed.
Crede is a classic Boras client, crashed and burned by the side of the road, one of many. In his case, did he not know his back was ouchy before others did? Or is he just unlucky?
A classic Boras player? How often does Boras do poorly for his clients? Nearly never. If you want money, he’s your man
Have to figure Sheets’ career is pretty much over. A shame.
Not necessarily. But I wonder if his starting days are over.
Why Crede would not have taken guaranteed coin knowing his back was causing problems is beyond me. He took a gamble and missed out on a few million dollars as I believe he turned down a two year extension for $5m per after the 2007 season when his season was cut short due to back problems. He ended up getting $5m in arb and $2.5m from the Twins for those years. Had he signed the two year deal he would likely be where he is now due to the back injury.
Think about Juan Gonzalez who turned down a 8 year/140 million extension from the Tigers because he didn’t like the park.
Crede made about 15 mill in his career so it’s not like he’s in the po’ house!