10/31/05
Exercised 2006 $1.2 million club option on RHP Cliff Politte; Declined 2006 club option on DH Carl Everett, making him a free agent; DH Frank Thomas exercised 2006 player option.
Analysis: Frank is not expected to stick around simply because there's no room for him. It's sad because this guy still has some ball left in him. Everett is getting older. When you look at his '05 stats, they're not all that bad, but still, there isn't much use for him on the '06 squad. Politte, on the other hand, is a gem. Solid ERA and a WHIP under 1.00. If anyone can qualify as an 'elite middle reliever,' it's this guy.
11/4/05
Exercised a buyout of Frank Thomas' $3.5 million player option, allowing him to become a free agent; Agreed to terms with C Chris Widger on a one-year $650,000 contract.
Analysis: Again, sad, but expected with Frank. When you factor in that you're already paying $3.5 (via the buyout), $8.5 million seems about right for a guy his caliber that is still an injury risk. If handled delicately, he could still come back through a new one-year contract (I know my fingers are crossed even though it's a long shot). The price tag for Widger is probably a little high for him, but definitely not unreasonable - last year he made $500,000 and, though he filled in nicely, I'm not sure why there's a raise here. Perhaps because he's going to know the pitching staff better this year?
11/18/05
Agreed to terms on a one-year $500,000 contract with INF Pablo Ozuna.
Analysis: I like Ozuna, so $500,000 seems like a bit of a bargain to me.
In the long term: Ozuna easily had the most impressive season of his pretty short career. He batted .328 and hit his first two homers in the majors. His stolen bases were down, which I never like, but his defense was solid and was a very fun player to watch. The $500,000 bargain became a steal.
11/25/05 - big trade!
Acquired 1B Jim Thome and cash considerations ($22 million) from the Phillies for CF Aaron Rowand, LHP Dan Haigwood and a Minor League player to be named later (Gio Gonzalez).
Analysis: Wow, this one came out of nowhere. The Sox trade the undeniable fan favorite in Rowand and two of their top pitching prospects. Signing Thome also shuts the door of any possibility of re-signing Thomas. On the plus side, Philadelphia is still paying half of Thome's remaining salary. This reduces the risk only marginally in my opinion. Thome is in an injury recovery year and we're sending off some solid players. For many years I've wanted the Illinois native to come home, but not at this cost. I'm going to wait a number of years before analyzing this trade (unless players leave their teams via free agency or retire).
In the long term:
11/30/05
Signed 1B Paul Konerko to a five-year $60 million contract.
Analysis: Well, they must be doing something right in Chicago's front offices. Seems players are very content to take home team discounts. Paulie returns at a great price, even taking less than he would from the Angels of wherever they want to say they're from. The structure is a flat $12 million. He's getting paid the going rate at the moment, but by 2010, if he stays healthy and doesn't have a 2003-like year, he'll be very underpaid. Again, he's just put up back-to-back 40+ home run and 100+ RBI seasons. His OPS is right at .900 both of those years.
In the long term:
12/7/05
Declined to offer salary arbitration to free agents C Raul Casanova, DH Carl Everett and DH Frank Thomas, allowing them to become free agents.
Analysis: Seriously, how did Casanova get a World Series Ring? He had 5 at bats and didn't appear in the playoffs - Seriously 5 ABs!
12/8/05
RULE 5 DRAFT
Sox Get: Selected INF Tim Hummel, C Cole Armstrong and RHP Dewon Day
Sox Lose: LHP Fabio Castro to the KC Royals
12/13/05 - trade!
Sox get: INF Rob Mackowiak
Pittsburgh gets: LHP Damaso Marte.
Analysis: Damaso had an amazing '03 and descent, but not great '04 and '05. The overall feeling must be that he's on his way downhill and this is going to be his peak trade value. Also, with KW sold on Jenks, it doesn't look like we'd need to have him around for save opportunities.
In the long term: Damaso has stuck around, having signed an extension that could keep him with the Pirates until 2010. Rob became a favorite with the Sox, becoming a 4th outfielder until eventually being traded to the Padres for Jon Link at the '07 trade deadline. He was one of the few consistent hitters for the Sox over the '06 & '07 campaigns. It's a little strange since it wasn't at all a salary move - they both made $2.25 million in '06. Anyway, back to the point - in the long run it was Pittsburgh that got the better of this deal.
12/19/05
Agreed to terms on a three-year, $15-million contract with C A.J. Pierzynski.
Analysis: the only possible criticism of this may be the years. Who knows how well off a veteran catcher is going to be three years down the line. The consolation is that it's not that big a risk. Pierzynski will earn just $4 million in '06 and $5.5 in '07 and '08. Maybe it was a fluke, but he did hit 18 homers last season. Suddenly 20 doesn't seem that far out of reach for a guy whose previous best was 11.
In the long term:
12/20/05 - trade!
Sox get: Javier Vazquez and cash considerations
Arizona gets: RHP Orlando Hernandez, RHP Luis Vizcaino and minor leaguer OF Chris Young.
Analysis: I was not a big fan of losing Luis Vizcaino, but, in the end, it's a very small price to pay. No one will forget the job El Duque did against Boston in the playoffs, but wow this looks like a great deal. A true front-line starter for a solid reliever, a starter that's past his prime and a minor league outfielder. Not to mention the 'cash considerations' (does anyone know how much?).
In the long term:
12/20/05
Non-tendered RHP Jon Adkins, RHP Felix Diaz, INF Willie Harris and OF Timo Perez, allowing them to become free agents.
Analysis: Bad times. It's now official, we gave Keith Folke away for almost nothing. It was a 1-for-1 trade, him and Jon Adkins. Too bad he couldn't have at least been traded. Happy to see Diaz go - 2-5 record, 6.75 ERA. That ain't cuttin' it. Willie Harris got in his own way a little too much I believe. This is a guy I saw as being better than Ray Durham without the power. His glove was underrated and he had great speed. However, he never got on base and he didn't put in the time to learn how to use it effectively. It will no longer be "Timo Time." This shows how far a good name will carry you. In two years with the Sox, he only had seven home runs, but the crowd loved him.
In the long term: Diaz hasn't pitched in the majors again while, as of 2007, Adkins, Harris and Timo are still actively playing minor roles for big league clubs.
12/28/05
Agreed to terms on a three-year, $29-million contract with RHP Jon Garland, avoiding arbitration.
Analysis: Pretty much a no-brainer. Garland is solid and still very young. He's worth at least $10 million per year now, but that won't kick in until '07. He'll get $12 million in '08 and, just to save you the math, he's only getting $7 million in '06. Seriously, this guy just racked in 18 wins and had an ERA of 3.50. Bear in mind that more than half his games were played in stadiums that aren't considered pitcher-friendly (namely the cell). Last year he was 6th in CY Young voting and made his first All-Star team. Knock on wood, it seems like the Sox are safely out of their 'torn labrium' phase that killed so many good young pitchers for us in recent years. Very much seems like a KW got a home-team discount.
In the long term: His '06 yielded one of the biggest bargains of the year. He provided a second consecutive 18 win effort, though his ERA jumped an entire point. He dropped off even more in '07, but was traded (along with the last $12 million of his salary) to Anaheim for Orlando Cabrera, so he definitely provided value for his entire time on the South side.
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2006
1/4/06
Agreed to terms with INF Rob Mackowiak on a two-year $5.3 million contract with a $3.25 million club option for 2008.
Analysis: It's kind of odd that it took this long to hammer out the details after the trade to get Rob. His contract also includes a $300,000 buyout if the last year isn't picked up.
1/17/06
Signed 3B Joe Crede to a one-year $2.675 million contract, avoiding arbitration.
Analysis: Three cheers for young players! Had this guy been a veteran (and especially after his stock went through the roof during his post-season play), he would've easily demanded $7 million or so.
1/19/06
Invited nonroster players RHP Lance Broadway, LHP Ray Liotta, LHP Corwin Malone, Cs Carlos Lee, Donny Lucy, andGustavo Molina, INFs Angel Gonzalez, andTim Hummel, SS Robert Valido, 3B Josh Fields, and OF Ryan Sweeney to Spring Training.
2/14/06
Claimed LHP Rusty Tucker off waivers from San Diego and placed him on the 40-man roster.
Analysis:
In the long term:
2/28/06
Agreed to terms on one-year contracts with pitchers Jeff Bajenaru, Neal Cotts, Bobby Jenks, Brandon McCarthy, Arnie Munoz, Paulino Reynoso, Sean Tracey, Charlie Haeger and Rusty Tucker, C Chris Stewart, INFs Ross Gload, Pedro Lopez and Casey Rogowski and OFs Brian Anderson, Joe Borchard and Jerry Owens.
3/8/06 - Trade!
Arizona gets: RHP Jeff Bajenaru
Sox Get: INF Alex Cintron
Analysis: This one was confusing to me. At this point we already have super-sub Pablo Ozuna. Maybe this was more a case of fully giving up on Bajenaru and finding a way to get a major leaguer in the process. Alex will make $1.6 million this year. It's my opinion that the Sox have someone in their farm system that can post the same numbers if not better for a fraction of the price.
In the long term:
3/20/06 - Trade!
Sox get: LHP Matt Thornton
Seattle gets: OF Joe Borchard
Analysis: It's unfortunate that KW's bad side is that he drags his feet at times when it's obvious he shouldn't. Like breakup that should've happened long ago and now it's been drawn out to the point where everyone hates each other. Here's another such situation. It honestly didn't matter who we got from the M's. The priority was dumping Borchard. We really could've traded him at the end of the '04 season when he did get a pretty fair shake (201 ABs in 63 games) and posted a .174 average. Perhaps KW was hoping for a rebirth in the minors in '05 simply to get his value up. Apparently it did work because we got left-handed pitching out of the deal.
In the long term: This has to be one of the most brag-worthy trades of KW's tenure. Borchard appeared in just 6 games for Seattle (he hit .230) before they put him on waivers. Since they didn't get anything back, that closes the book on Borchard and Seattle. Thornton, on he other hand has been, arguably the best reliever for the Sox other than Bobby Jenks for two seasons so far. He's a stud with his K ratio and he throws near 100 mph. He has since signed a new contract that could keep him on the south side until 2011 (Borchard's 6 games compared to Thornton's potential 5 years). Sox get the best of this one.
Opening Day Lineup |
| LF |
Scott Podesdnik |
| 2B |
Tadahito Iguchi |
| DH |
Jim Thome |
| 1B |
Paul Konerko |
| RF |
Jermine Dye |
| C |
AJ Pierzynski |
| 3B |
Joe Crede |
| SS |
Juan Uribe |
| CF |
Brian Anderson |
| P |
Mark Buehrle |
Bold = Not in last year's opening day starting lineup
Opening day payroll: $102,750,667 ($27,572,667 more than last season), this works out to $1,141,674 spent per win |
4/1/06
Agreed to terms with RHP Jose Contreras on a three-year $29 million contract extension through 2009.
Analysis: This one was a little vexing. Contreras was possibly the most dominant pitcher for the Sox this past post-season. Not to mention that he was solid all season long. However, his age has to be a concern. Here's how it breaks down: $9 million in '07 and $10 million in each '08 and '09. What is possibly most concerning is that if he does start to falter, his big contract will make him nearly impossible for the Sox to trade without sending money along in any deal.
In the long term:
4/26/06
Claimed RHP Eduardo Sierra off waivers from the Colorado Rockies and optioned him to Double-A Birmingham.
Analysis:
In the long term:
6/7/06
Released nonroster RHP Hideo Nomo; Signed 3B Bobby Smith to a Minor League contract.
Analysis: I still just find it interesting that Hideo Nomo was part of the Sox organization... just barely though, he threw a total of 3 innings for Charlotte. Surprising fact: It's remarkably easy to find info on Bob Smith - isn't that unreal? Smith hasn't played for the majors since '02 and that's even debatable (it was with the D-Rays). I'm not looking for him to make it back to the majors, sorry, Bobby. He will play for Charlotte
In the long term: In the end this one wasn't worth posting, but I'm stubbornly not wasting my writing. Neither player played in the bigs for the Sox or got traded.
6/15/06
Sox get: RHP David Riske
Boston gets: LHP Javier Lopez
Analysis: Gotta love trades that are before the deadline, even if it is only two weeks before. That's two more weeks the Sox can utilize the talents of David Riske. You can never have enough pitching, right? He comes in having logged only 9 innings with Boston, so he's not a sure bet, but he's a guy that should be a solid middle reliever with an ERA in the 3s.
In the long term: I'm gonna have to say Boston got the better of this trade despite my excitement at the time. The Sox weren't able to lock up Riske after the season and so far Lopez has played two seasons, coming out of Boston's bullpen posting a 4-1 record.
7/20/06
Requested waivers on RHP Cliff Politte for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release.
Analysis: Like Shingo a year before at about this time, what a fall from grace. The guy was instrumental to the '05 championship team (even going 2-0 in the post season). Still, no one didn't see this one coming. From '05 to '06 his ERA jumped from 2.00 to 8.7. His strike out ratio was also cut in half.
In the long term: Politte has not played in the majors since his release, though he is now in the Indians organization.
7/23/06
Sox get: C Sandy Alomar Jr.
The Dodgers get: RHP B.J. LaMura
Analysis: It's always nice to get Sandy back on the team (for the third time), if for no other reason than to have him handle the pitching staff. Personally, I'm hoping he retires this year and walks on to a job on the coaching staff
In the long term:
7/24/06
Sox get: RHP Mike MacDougal
Kansas City gets: nonroster LHP Tyler Lumsden and nonroster RHP Daniel Cortes
Analysis: Making a last push in the thick of things, this is a solid move. Positive trade for sure and for a guy who could be around a while. He's young and won't demand too high a salary if he gets extended. It's no Alfonso Soriano, but it's still a help.
In the long term: