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Paul Konerko

White Sox Want To Keep Konerko

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White Sox GM Kenny Williams wants to keep veteran Paul Konerko beyond this season, writes Scott Merkin of MLB.com.  While Williams says that he "would love" to have the slugger retire with the organization, the club may not be able to find space on the payroll to make that happen.

"That's pretty much all I'm going to say on it, because I don't know what the future holds," said Williams. "I don't know how we are going to finish.  We are driven by the revenue stream that comes in. People might not like it but it is what it is. We have to at least be able to be a break-even operation, and try to win at the same time."

This could be a very active offseason for the White Sox as Mark Buehrle may be left as the only member of the 2005 World Series team still with the club.  A.J. Pierzynski and Freddy Garcia will hit the open market and Bobby Jenks is arbitration-eligible.

The 34-year-old Konerko has had a great season at the plate in 2010, hitting .318/.397/.584 with 34 homers.

Cafardo’s Latest: Konerko, V-Mart, Wakefield, Downs

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In his latest column for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo looks at the career earnings for some of the biggest names in baseball, with an eye toward the offseason. Cafardo wonders if players in good situations like Adrian Beltre and Paul Konerko would give their respective clubs a slight discount, or if they'll pursue the most money possible on the open market. Here are some other highlights from Cafardo's piece:

  • Konerko negotiated his last contract primarily with White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, and Cafardo wouldn't be surprised to see Reinsdorf step in again to keep Konerko in Chicago.
  • Although they don't love his defense behind the plate, the Marlins are a team that will be interested in signing Victor Martinez this winter.
  • A National League scout could see Tim Wakefield succeeding on the mound in the NL for another couple years, but questions whether Wakefield would be able to hit and run the bases, as the Senior Circuit requires. Cafardo indicates that the 44-year-old is frustrated with his role in Boston.
  • Cafardo predicts that the Red Sox will sign Scott Downs this winter.
  • As of Friday, Kevin Towers had only had one conversation with D'Backs president Derrick Hall about the team's GM opening, according to a source. It was on Friday that we heard Towers was the frontrunner for the Arizona job.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Paul Konerko

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Paul Konerko's season has him all over the American League leaderboard and on the fringes of the MVP conversation. The 34-year-old has already homered 33 times and he ranks fourth in the league in slugging percentage (.582) and sixth in the league in on base average (.397). Jose Bautista is the only American Leaguer with more home runs than Konerko, who is setting himself up for his next contract.

The Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays, White Sox and Nationals could all have some level of interest this winter, but those clubs will be able to turn to the likes of Carlos Pena, Adam LaRoche and Adam Dunn if they don't like Konerko's asking price.

Dunn has similar numbers to Konerko and is reportedly seeking a three or four-year deal. Two winters ago, when Dunn was negotiating his current contract, he had to lower his demands. He eventually signed for $20MM over two years, though he was coming off a season in which he hit 40 homers and posted an .898 OPS. Dunn's reputation as a poor defender hurt him then and will likely limit his value again this winter. UZR has generally ranked Konerko as an average defender, though the metric suggests his fielding has been poor in 2010. 

Konerko's age (he turns 35 in Spring Training 2011) will likely make teams reluctant to commit to him for more than two seasons. Though Konerko has generally been healthy this season, he recently missed games with lower back stiffness. He can hit for power, but a number of similarly skilled DHs and first basemen will hit free agency along with Konerko this winter. If the first baseman is a Type A free agent after the season, as expected, and he turns down an offer of arbitration from the White Sox, teams would have to give up a draft pick to sign him, which could reduce interest.

Despite his age, Konerko is having his best season in years. Other players aren't as reliable as the 14-year veteran, who has hit fewer than 27 homers just two times in the last decade. That kind of consistency will allow Konerko to ask for a multi-year deal with a significant base salary. A two-year contract worth $20MM or so seems reasonable at this point.

Odds & Ends: Konerko, Kuroda, Astros, Morgan

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A few links to check out while we wait to see if Jon Garland can halt the Padres' eight-game losing streak and get his team's season back on track…

  • The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo wonders out loud (via Twitter) if Paul Konerko could be a fit for the Red Sox in 2011. That speculation, of course, likely depends on Adrian Beltre's future in Boston.
  • In a piece for MLB.com, Sarah D. Morris opines that the Dodgers should re-sign Hiroki Kuroda, even though the team's financial situation makes it unlikely.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider req'd) draws the parallels between this year's Astros and last year's Padres, pointing out that both clubs traded long-time stars at the deadline for young players and payroll savings, then went on to have strong second halves.
  • Olney also notes that given his disappointing season (.255/.314/.315) and recent suspension troubles, Nyjer Morgan is hurting his chances for future employment. FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi also chimed in on the subject.
  • The Nationals plan to call up Cuban defector Yunesky Maya following Monday's game according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Washington signed the 28-year-old righthander early last month.
  • USA Today's Bob Nightengale recently sat down for a chat with Dan Hudson. Among other things, the righty said it's nice to be with a team that wants him. Hudson was traded from the White Sox to the Diamondbacks for Edwin Jackson before this year's deadline.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Winfield, Gio, Hawpe, Cubs

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On this date three years ago, the Astros fired manager Phil Garner and GM Tim Purpura. They were replaced on an interim basis by Cecil Cooper and Tal Smith, respectively. Cooper kept the job until he was fired last September, and the team is now under the direction of Brad Mills. Ed Wade took over the GM job about a month after Purpura was fired, and has held it since.

Here's a look at what's being written in the baseball corner of the web…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Peavy, Tigers, DeJesus, D’Backs

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Links for Wednesday, as the Red Sox keep getting banged up…

Cafardo On Baylor, Haren, Konerko, Bedard

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With the Marlins and Orioles searching for new managers, Don Baylor wonders why he isn't being considered for either job, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Baylor would love a chance to manage Baltimore, the franchise that drafted him over four decades ago, in the second round of the 1967 amateur draft. Let's check out Cafardo's other notes….

  • The Yankees, Twins, Nationals, Cardinals, and Tigers had scouts watching Dan Haren's most recent start.
  • There were a few teams hoping Paul Konerko would be available this summer, but with the White Sox suddenly just a game and a half out of first place, they obviously don't plan to trade their home run leader.
  • Cliff Lee may not be the only Seattle left-hander on the trade block next month. Erik Bedard is due back soon, and Cafardo thinks that the Mariners could try to move him if he looks healthy in July.
  • Scott Schoeneweis would like to catch on with a club as a situational lefty, but "his phone isn't ringing."
  • D.J. Carrasco could be traded before the deadline. Carrasco's numbers this season haven't been overly impressive (4.12 ERA, 1.76 K/BB), but if the relief market is as thin as Buster Olney indicated this morning, the right-hander should draw some interest.

Odds & Ends: Angels, Brewers, Gordon, Romero

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Some links to check out while we wait to see if Jon Garland can help the Padres extend their lead in the NL West…

Angels Not Interested In Rental Player

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Since Kendry Morales' season-ending leg injury, there has been plenty of speculation about whether or not the Angels will make a move to replace him. Manager Mike Scioscia voiced his thoughts on the subject to Fanhouse's Tom Krasovic, suggesting that the team would rather not merely rent a player for the remainder of this season.

"At this point, it would be a piece that you bring in that would help you past this year — make you better for the future also," Scioscia said. "I think that's a deal that would be very attractive to [the front office]."

Scioscia's comments indicate the Angels are less likely to pursue players such as Paul Konerko or Adam LaRoche, who are in the final year of their contracts.

We heard yesterday from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Angels were "hovering" around Mike Lowell, whose contract also expires at season's end. Krasovic's report explains why the Angels could be hesitant to pursue Lowell, though perhaps the cost of trading for him would be negligible enough that the club would still consider it.

Scioscia added that the Angels don't feel any pressure to make a move, and that a middle-of-the-order bat could "evolve" from within the organization.

White Sox Open For Business

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The White Sox are open for business, ESPN's Buster Olney heard from multiple executives.  Olney specifically names Paul Konerko as someone who is available right now.  Check out Olney's info in these three tweets.

Back in April, I ran through players who could be available if the Sox became sellers.  Konerko can veto any trade, a right that will be granted to A.J. Pierzynski and Mark Buehrle on June 14th and July 6th, respectively.  As sellers the White Sox could offer up one of trade season's hottest commodities: relief pitching.  Bobby Jenks and J.J. Putz would be prime trade candidates.  I'm guessing Scott Linebrink and Tony Pena would not be difficult to pry loose, though Matt Thornton would.  The Sox also have plenty of veterans on one-year deals, such as Andruw Jones, Freddy Garcia, Mark Kotsay, Omar Vizquel, and Ramon Castro.

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