11/14/02
Catcher Mark Johnson signs a one-year $500,000 contract and First baseman Paul Konerko signs a three-year $23 million contract through 2005
In the long term: Everyone knows what Konerko ended up doing, especially by year 2005. The first year of this contract was his toughest of his career, but he made up for it with at least 40 HRs and 100 RBI the following two years, not to mention another five home runs and 15 RBI in the post season. Johnson ended up part of the package that brought Neal Cotts to Chicago, and, just as importantly, sent Billy Koch away.
11/26/02
Pitcher Kelly Wunsch signs a one-year $575,000 contract
In the long term: Wunsch was maybe a little too abused in 2000, leading the league by appearing in 83 games. He only appeared in three in '03 covering just two innings due to injury.
12/3/02
Sox get: closer Billy Koch and minor leaguers (pitcher Neal Cotts and
outfielder Daylan Holt)
Oakland gets: pitcher Keith Foulke,
catcher Mark L. Johnson, minor league pitcher Joe Valentine and cash considerations (how much?)
Analysis: Fans were a bit leery of his one right off the bat. Not due to losing Keith Foulke, but to losing Joe Valentine, who many were expecting to be a big name pitcher for the Sox. Foulke, though very good, would occasionally blow what one would think of as an easy save. Koch, on the other hand was the reigning Reliever of the Year in '01. Also odd, depending on how much money traded hands, it may have made up for any savings the Sox could have made in substituting Foulke's contract with Koch's.
In the long term: Billy Koch was a bomb of Todd Ritchie proportions. He picked up just 11 save in '02 (as opposed to 44 in '01) and posted a 5.77 ERA in '03. He didn't improve in '04, posting a 5.40 ERA with eight save for half the season. He was later traded for Wilson Valdez and cash. Mark Johnson played in 13 games for Oakland before becoming a free agent. Joe Valentine never became the pitcher that many had hoped for, but he was used as part of the package with Aaron Harang that brought Jose Guillen to Oakland (another horrible deal). Holt never played in the majors with the Sox. Neal Cotts, however is the silver lining. He was the setup man of the year for the Sox in '05 and appeared in 199 games for the Sox from '03 to '06. He was later traded to the Cubs for David Aardsma and Carlos Vasquez. Foulke went on to his best year: 9-1 record while posting a 2.08 ERA and picking up 43 saves. In '03 Oakland made the playoffs, Foulke made the All-Star team and he picked up votes for the Cy Young and MVP Awards. Trade winner: Oakland.
12/6/02
Signed designated hitter Frank Thomas to a one-year $5 million deal with mutual
options for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons
Analysis: This is a strange deal for a player coming back from injury. The more common alternative is signing a one-year $2 million dollar deal with a team option for year number two at about $12 million or a deal with an option that becomes mandatory at some predetermined marker (number of at bats for example). The breakdown includes an $8 million team option in '04, $11 million in '05 and $12 million in '06, or player options of $6 million in '04, $8 million in '05 and $10 million in '06. Thomas can only be bought out in 2006 to the tune of $3.5 million. There are also incentives, but Thomas has been famous for deferring money back to the team. Instead of the safer deal mentioned above, this is really a three-year deal to a player that only logged 20 games last year. If the Sox want him for the whole run (i.e. they pick up the options), this is a $36 million deal. If the Sox don't want Thomas back after this season, they are still on the hook for $17.5 million. However, there is no trade protection.
In the long term: Frank was the Frank of old in 2003, hitting 42 home runs. For some reason the Sox did not pick up his option in '04, which was a good move because he only logged 74 games that year. Frank exercised his own option for the following two years, eventually getting bought out of his final year.
12/16/02 - RULE 5 DRAFT
Sox get: left-handed pitcher Felix Arellan from Los Angeles, right-handed
pitcher Brandon O'Neal from Anaheim, and infielder Josh Hochgesang from Oakland
In the long term: None of the players ever hit the majors.
2003
You know what's cool? That banner up there. Click on it & give me a nickel (and it's not even out of your pocket)
1/15/03 - Big Trade
Sox get: Pitcher Bartolo Colon and infielder Jorge Nunoz (from Expos). Separately on this day, the Sox also signed free agent OF Armando Rios to a one-year $450,000 contract
Montreal gets: P Rocky Biddle, outfielder Jeff Liefer (from the Sox) and P Orlando Hernandez and cash ($2 million) (from the Yankees)
The Yankees get: P Antonio Osuna and minor-league pitcher Delvis Lantigua (from the Sox)
Analysis: The Yankees had more than enough starting pitching, so they were fine getting rid of one starter along with the payroll he commands in return for a solid reliever in Osuna. Montreal really looks like a big winner overall here in that they got two starters Biddle and "El Duque," not to mention a bat off the bench in Leifer and cash. The Sox are also big winners with the addition of frequent Cy Young candidate Colon, though they did give up a total of five players to make it happen. Nonetheless, if the Sox make the playoffs, Colon and Buehrle should usher them through to the World Series. Universally acknowledged as a great move by Kenny Williams to set the Sox up to hit the playoffs this year.
In the long term: This was probably the last time the Sox faithful got too excited about a team before opening day. Colon posted an ERA of 3.87, but only 15 wins - not nearly as dominant as everyone had hoped. Kenny attempted to re-sign Colon, but wisely did not (he ended up signing a 4/51 deal with incentives elsewhere). Nunez never played in the majors. Biddle became the Expos closer, picking up 34 saves in '03 and appearing in a total of 120 games the next two years. Liefer was less than impressive, ending up on waivers before season's end. El Duque didn't play higher than single-A ball due to injury. The Expos finished above .500, but still in 4th place. Osuna played solidly out of the 'pen all season long for the AL Pennant-winning Yankees. He did not pitch in the post-season. Lantigua retired before playing in the Yankees farm system. Curiously, as big a trade as this was, very little resulted from it. In this end, this mediocre trade was won by the Expos, simply because they didn't lose as much as the Sox or Yankees. Regarding the other bit of news that happened on this day, Armando Rios was a bust with the Sox, putting up a .212 average over 49 games. He cost the team more in men left on base than he did in dollars and cents.
1/20/03
Signed pitcher Tom Gordon to a one-year $1.4 million contract
In the long term: It's too bad they couldn't lock him up to at least a two-year contract for 2 or $2.5 million contract with incentives. Tom Gordon is one of the top relievers in all of baseball, and, therefore, will always have great trade potential near the deadline if the Sox couldn't use him. Gordon picked up seven wins and 12 saves, posting a career low (up to that point) 3.16 ERA. Gordon's seven wins was more than the wins posted by Neal Cotts, Mike Porzio, Josh Stewart, Rick White and Danny Wright put together and they had 27 starts over the season.
1/22/03
Signed pitcher Rick White to a one-year contract with a club option
for 2004, he was paid $600,000 for the first year (anyone know how much the option was for?)
In the long term: I was fine bringing aboard yet another reliever to create a lot of competition out of spring. What I was never fine with was giving this guy a spot on the staff when he had a bad spring training. Fortunately the second year was not guaranteed, which made releasing him in August of '03 that much easier. He posted a 6.61 ERA in 34 games, roughly 30 of which he performed poorly.
1/27/03
Invited Ps Kris Honel, Wyatt Allen, Neal Cotts and Byeong Hak
An, C Jonathan Aceves, INF Aaron Miles and Jorge Nunez and OFs Scott Morgan, Anthony Sanders and Mario Valenzuela to
Spring Training as non-roster invitees. Signed Ps Gil Heredia,
Esteban Loaiza and Brian Cooper, INF/OF Brian Daubach,
Cs Jamie Burke and Steven Morales and OF Clifford Brumbaugh to minor league contracts
3/3/03
The White Sox agreed to terms on one-year contracts with the following
23 players: Ps Jon Adkins, Edwin Almonte, Felix Diaz, Jon Garland, Matt
Ginter, Gary Glover, Corwin Malone, Damaso Marte, Arnaldo Munoz, Mike
Porzio, Jon Rauch, David Sanders, Josh Stewart, Brian West and Danny
Wright, Cs Miguel Olivo and Josh Paul, INFs Joe Crede, Willie Harris,
Tim Hummel and D'Angelo Jimenez, and OFs Joe Borchard and Aaron Rowand
Opening Day Lineup |
| 2B |
D'Angelo Jimmenez |
| SS |
Jose Valentin |
| DH |
Frank Thomas |
| RF |
Magglio Ordonez |
| 1B |
Paul Konerko |
| LF |
Carlos Lee |
| 3B |
Joe Crede |
| CF |
Aaron Rowand |
| C |
Sandy Alomar Jr. |
| P |
Mark Buehrle |
Bold = Not in last year's opening day starting lineup
Opening day payroll: $51,010,000 ($6,042,833 less than last season), this works out to $593,139 spent per win |
7/1/03 - Trade!
Sox get: 2B Roberto Alomar and cash considerations
The Mets get: minor league pitchers Edwin Almonte and Royce Ring and infielder Andrew Salvo
Analysis: First off, props for Kenny Williams making a "big push" type move a full month before the trade deadline. That said, this was a big price to pay for a guy who was batting just .262.
In the long term: Alomar's best days are obviously behind him. He batted just .253 before becoming a free agent and the Sox missed the playoffs. Almonte appeared in 12 games for the Mets in '03 before being placed on waivers. Ring played in 26 games over two seasons, posting an ERA in the 3s. He was traded in '06 for a couple other guys that didn't do much. Lastly, Salvo retired before hitting the bigs. I guess the Sox win this trade, but it wasn't very impressive for either team.
7/1/03 - Trade!
Sox get: outfielder Carl Everett
Texas gets: Two or three
minor leaguers (pitchers Frankie Francisco and Josh Rupe and outfielder
Anthony Webster)
In the long term: Let's start with the other team first on this one. Francisco is still playing with the Rangers. So far he's played over 100 games between '04 and '07 and he is signed through '08. He strikes out about one per inning. Rupe also had an ERA in the 3s coming out of the bullpen in '05 & '06. He's still (as of '07) in the Rangers organization. Webster hasn't hit the bigs yet, but he is still in the Texas farm system. Everett did well with the Sox, hitting .301 and driving in 41. He was also one of the players representing the White Sox in the Mid-Summer Classic. The winner of this trade is tough because KW got from Everett more than what he had hoped for, yet he gave up three players that are still playing with the Rangers. For the moment at least, we'll call this trade a wash - even for both teams. If any of the Rangers players have a big impact for Texas or are included in a trade for a big name, that'll type the scale towards Texas.
7/6/03 - Trade!
Sox get: minor league right-handed pitcher Scott Dunn
Cincinnati
gets: infielder D’Angelo Jimenez
Analysis: The goal of this trade was to simply get rid of Jimenez - it didn't matter what was returned.
In the long term: Jimenez stayed with the Reds for three years, being a regular starter for the last of '03 (when he hit .290) and all of '04. Dunn was later included in the trade below, which brought Schoeneweis to town. As hard as this is to say, the Reds win this trade.
7/29/03 - Trade!
Sox gets: LHP Scott Schoeneweis and minor league RHP Doug Nickle
The Angels get: RHPs Gary Glover and Scott Dunn and LHP Tim Bittner
In the long term: "Shoney" was with the Sox for the rest of the season and '04, but his ERA for that time was over five. Nickle never played in the majors. Glover didn't fair too well in his month in Anaheim before becoming a free agent. Dunn allowed three runs in his three innings before becoming a free agent. Bittner never played for Anaheim and was later re-signed to the Sox minor league system. The bar was pretty low on this one. Advantage White Sox.
8/21/03 - Trade!
Sox get: right-handed pitcher Scott Sullivan and cash considerations (how much?)
Cincinnati gets: a player to be named later (who???)
In the long term: Since all I can find so far is that the Sox essentially got paid to take Scott Sullivan, it's hard not to say that the Sox win this one.