11/27/01 - Trade!
Texas gets: 3B Herbert Perry
Sox get: a player to be named later (Corey Lee)
In the long term: If you're going to trade a fan favorite-type player, you'd better have a good plan. The affable Perry did become a quick favorite while hitting .286 for the Sox. Another fan favorite, Tony Graffinino, got more time and it cleared the way for Joe Crede his first extended look. It also likely freed up some money (anyone know Perry's remaining contract value?) Still, as far as this specific trade goes, Texas won. Lee played in the minors in '02 and became a free agent.
12/11/01
Re-signed P Keith Foulke to a two-year $10 million contract
In the long term: After posting 76 saves over the last two years, Foulke was owed the big raise... it didn't quite work out for the Sox though
12/13/01 - Big Trade!
Sox get: RHP Todd Ritchie and C Lee Evans
Pittsburgh gets: RHP Sean Lowe, RHP Kip Wells and RHP Josh Fogg
Analysis: This one still remains one of the worst trades during the KW reign. At the time though, there weren't many people complaining. Ritchie recently had a 15-win season and was young enough to think he was about to hit his peak. Kip Wells, on the other hand was the star that never was. Hope was last after putting up an ERA around 5.00 over three seasons. The White Sox faithful were done with Wells. Lowe had done an okay job as an occaasional 5th starter, but was also used effectively in long relief. I was not happy to lose Wells, but was downright upset to lose Fogg. It had been years of hype that he would be the pitcher of the future for the Sox and he recently had a more than impressive call-up in 2000, striking out 17 in 13 1/3 innings and posting a 2.03 ERA. He didn't play like a rookie. Without question, this would be KW's biggest gamble...
In the long term: ... and he lost out big. Ritchie posted a horrible 5-15 record with a 6.06 ERA. In contrast, Fogg went on to pick up 12 wins in '01 and a total of 39 with the Pirates over four seasons. Wells also posted 12 Ws in '01 and a total of 36 over five seasons it Pittsburgh. Lowe was below average in his stint in PA, being released before the end of the season. Of the traded pitchers, the one that came to Chicago picked up six wins, the three that became pirates picked up 29. Do I need to say who won this trade? For good measure Evans never made it to the bigs.
12/20/01
Signed INF Tony Graffanino to a two-year $1.25 million contract
Analysis: What a deal! To bring a fan favorite back after he batted .288 over the last two years as a super-sub for under a million a year.
In the long term: Graffanino continued to do a solid job filling in wherever was needed as the kids started growing up around him for the next two years.
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2002
1/17/02
Signed OF Carlos Lee to a two-year $6.9 million contract and OF Chris Singleton to
a one-year $1.4 million contract
In the long term: Like Konerko and Mags, it was apparent as soon as he hit the majors with the Sox that Lee was going to be a force for a long time. On the other hand, it seemed that Singleton, could've signed cheaper. He had just quietly hit .298 for a season and .300 in '99, but put up a very rough .254 in 2000. In the end it was Baltimore that paid it anyway.
1/22/02
Signed C Mark Dalesandro, INF Justin Baughman and P Mike Porzio to minor
league contracts. Porzio's was for $215,000.
In the long term: Only Porzio made it to the bigs. With the Sox, he went 3-3 over parts of two seasons, appearing in 35 games.
1/29/02 - Trade!
Sox get: 2B/OF Willie Harris
Baltimore gets: OF Chris Singleton
In the long term: Willie must've been a highly regarded prospect (anyone want to chime in on this?), because it's hard to see how a guy (Singleton) with a respectable .285 average over three full major league seasons carrying a reasonable contract would get traded straight-up for a player with three career hits. In the end the Sox did win this one. Singleton only stayed in Baltimore for this season and performed below average. Willie Harris never reached his potential for the Sox, though he did play four years and ended up scoring the winning run in the final game of the World Series.
2/1/02
Signed free-agent OF Kenny Lofton to a one-year $1.025 million contract
In the long term: Kenny started out on fire in '02 but faded quickly. Nonetheless, still good production for the money. At the deadline, he was traded for two guys who did have an impact (just scroll down)
3/6/02
Agreed to terms with the following players on one-year contracts: RHPs
Edwin Almonte, Lorenzo Barcelo, Rocky Biddle, Jon Garland, Matt Ginter,
Gary Glover, Matt Guerrier, Kyle Kane, Ryan Kohlmeier, Jon Rauch, Dan
Wright, Mitch Wylie, LHPs Thomas Jacquez, Onan Masaoka, Kelly Wunsch,
Cs Mark Johnson, Miguel Olivo and Josh Paul, INFs Joe Crede, Jason Dellaero,
Willie Harris, Jeff Liefer, OFs Aaron Rowand, Brian Simmons; renewed
the contract of LHP Mark Buehrle
3/27/02 - Trade!
Pittsburg gets: minor league RHP Matt Guerrier
Sox get: LHP Damaso Marte and minor league infielder Edwin Yan
In the long term: This is an easy one - Sox win. Gurrier never played for Pit. They put him on waivers at the end of the year. Damaso, on the other hand became one of the most domanent middle relievers for a while, even pulling co-closer duty for the Sox in '02 & '03. He would eventually be traded for another quality player, Rob Mackowiak. Mackowiak was traded for a minor leaguer in '07, so we'll see how extreme of a win this one day may become. Yan never made it to the bigs.
Opening Day Lineup |
| CF |
Kenny Lofton |
| 2B |
Ray Durham |
| DH |
Frank Thomas |
| RF |
Magglio Ordonez |
| 1B |
Paul Konerko |
| 3B |
Jose Valentin |
| LF |
Carlos Lee |
| C |
Sandy Alomar Jr. |
| SS |
Royce Clayton |
| P |
Mark Buehrle |
Bold = Not in last year's opening day starting lineup
Opening day payroll: $57,052,833 ($8,575,834 less than last season), this works out to $704,355 spent per win |
7/13/02 - trade!
Sox get: 3B D'Angelo Jimenez
San Diego gets: C Humberto Quintero and OF Alex Fernandez
In the long term: Though none of the players mentioned ever did all that much, this one comes down to how they helped their teams in trades and hurt their teams on the field. Jimenez was not solid defensively and he showed no desire to hone his skills. After a solid .287 performance for part of '02, he dropped to .255 in part of '03. Fernandez never made it to the bigs, but Quintero did. More importantly, he went to the Astros for Tim Redding & cash. Redding didn't do great, but he did get traded for Paul Quantril. Does Jimenez's occasional bursts of good offense with the rare dazzling defensive play match up with the line of mediocre players that Quintero lead to? I'd say it's about even.
7/26/02 - Trade!
Oakland gets: 2B Ray Durham
Sox get: P Jon Adkins
Analysis: Full rebuilding mode time begins!
In the long term: Oakland did get to the playoffs with RayRay on board, winning 103 games. His OPS was .800+ in his short time there before hitting free agency. Adkins threw about 70 innings over three years for the Sox, never impressing. Oakland wins the trade.
7/28/02 - Trade!
San Francisco gets: OF Kenny Lofton
Sox get: RHP Felix Diaz and LHP Ryan
Meaux
In the long term: Lofton helped San Fran win the wildcard and make it all the way to the World Series. He played a little below his average, but did provide spark. In the post season he was hot, hitting .292/.350/389. Diaz was a mess for the Sox, going 2-5 with a 6.75 ERA in '04. Meaux did return value in that he was traded for Geoff Blum, who homered to win the longest World Series game in history. That said, factoring in the negative of Diaz, San Fran got the better of this one.
7/29/02 - Trade!
Colorado gets: C Sandy Alomar
Sox get: RHP Enemencio Pacheco
In the long term: Sandy didn't do a whole lot for the Rockies, but he did more for them than Pacheco did for the Sox. Advantage Rockies.
7/31/02 - Trade!
Boston gets: RHP Bobby Howry
Sox get: RHP Franklin Francisco and LHP Byeong An
In the long term: Big Bob Howry pitched for Boston for two seasons (though only 4 1/3 innings in '03). His numbers were far below what you'd expect. Francisco was used as part of the deal that brought Carl Everett to the Sox in 2003. An never made it past high single-A ball. Though this looks like a win for the Red Sox at a quick glance, Bob's bad numbers with the Red Sox, bringing Everett to the White Sox indirectly, and the money save in payroll make this a White Sox winner.