White Sox open 40-man slot, trade Chris Stewart

by The Cheat on Jan 12, 2007 5:21 PM CST in White Sox News

Chris Stewart has a good defensive reputation, and was one of the top defensive backstops in the minors last year, throwing out 52% of basestealers, but the acquisition of Toby Hall to back up Pierzynski (both signed through '08) meant that Chris Stewart was going to run out of options before he permanently found his way onto the White Sox active roster. Kenny Williams flipped the light-hitting defensive specialist for volatile yet projectable reliever coming off a season with a poor ERA and walk rate. Perhaps most importantly, he freed up a spot on the 40-man roster in the process.

I'm probably reading too much into the open roster spot -- I've advised some of you against doing so in he past -- but as the Sox current roster stands, they still have only 1.5 outfielders, 1.75 tops.

More than likely, this has nothing to do with our current outfield situation, and more to do with Williams and his scouts liking what they've seen from John Lujan. He was probably one of the arms they were looking at in advance of the Brandon McCarthy trade, but the Rangers were reluctant to part with him because of his reported 97 MPH fastball. Kenny offered the Rangers a player with more value to them than to the Sox... and a deal was struck.

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Roster Spot...

Were the Sox at the maximum before this deal?

by The Jerry Royster Experience on Jan 12, 2007 5:27 PM CST reply actions

yep

they've been at 40 since a few days before the deadline to protect guys from the Rule 5.

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Jan 12, 2007 5:37 PM CST up reply actions

how long timewise is the rule 5 draft?

if kenny could've flipped stewart for lojack before we could've protected j. marsal yes?

HEY THIS IS JI
JIM THOME
THE PEORIA POUNDER

by The Wizard on Jan 12, 2007 8:03 PM CST up reply actions

timing

draft occurred 12/7. i forget the day when the players had to be protected by. late november.

at any rate, the salient thing is that toby hall was released after this date. it would have been pretty stupid to have traded stewart prior to locking up hall.

by larry on Jan 12, 2007 8:19 PM CST up reply actions

duh!

but of course!

HEY THIS IS JI
JIM THOME
THE PEORIA POUNDER

by The Wizard on Jan 12, 2007 8:24 PM CST up reply actions

OT

is the truthosaurus behind this?

HEY THIS IS JI
JIM THOME
THE PEORIA POUNDER

by The Wizard on Jan 12, 2007 8:12 PM CST reply actions

hahaha

wow. i bet he doesn't believe in evolution either. what a moron.

by mjthor on Jan 12, 2007 10:01 PM CST up reply actions

That's right...

I forgot about the alternate theory of global warming, namely that ITS THE BEGINNING OF THE APOCALYPSE!!!

School boards are packed with morons. Teach mainstream science, not crockpottery. That is all. It's that simple. Also, none of these shenanigans are occurring in Illinois, right? Right? I don't think I've heard of any.

Also, in jumping from condoms to Al Gore, this guy shows he has a broad range of raving kookery on which to base his opinions.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion of the merits of the 97 MPH throwing minor league pitcher in exchange for the minor league catcher.

So who catches Haeger's knuckleball this year?

by Stealfirstbase on Jan 13, 2007 4:00 PM CST up reply actions

haha

global warming and evolution are fallacies made up by freedom-hating communists. it's true.

by mjthor on Jan 13, 2007 9:27 PM CST up reply actions

Ichiro!

Anyone see the link from USS Mariner about Ichiro being gone after 2007? I'd guess that he's still a guy the Sox have an eye on. Seeing that this is probably Podsednik's last year, the Sox are going to need a new leadoff man. He'll be 34 heading into the 2008 season, but he strikes me as a player who will age pretty well, considering how in shape he is (or at least looks) as well as his general skill set. Now I'm not saying he'll improve, but I don't think he'll get significantly worse over the life of a fairly-short contract.

I don't know what kind of deal he would be looking for, but if he would take three years, I'd be interested to see if the Sox would make a play for him. He's not the "star" that Kenny talked about paying for, but then again, not many star-type players reach free agency.

Speaking of which, if Carlos Zambrano somehow reaches free agency, I hope the Sox do their best (5/$100) to sign him. That is all.

Btw, here's the link:

http://ussmariner.com/2007/01/12/yup-ichiro-wants-out-after-this-year/

by CWSKeith on Jan 13, 2007 1:10 AM CST reply actions

Saw that on Roto this morning...

..and the same thing went in my head Keith. I could very easily see Dye back, but Ichiro seems in no rush to stay with the M's(I don't blame him) and I have a hunch the Sox have targeted Ichiro for a while.

Who knows, could help keep Gooch here...

by Tony82087 on Jan 13, 2007 11:57 AM CST up reply actions

I'm not that interested in keeping Iguchi...

However, what would we trade for one year of Ichiro? Danks? Gio Gonzalez? Ryan Sweeney? Some combination of these players?

Suffice it to say, I don't think the M's will be wanting Thorton back anytime soon, just like the Brewers won't be calling about Podsednik.

If Ichiro hits the FA market in 2007, what do we offer him? Somewhere between 5/90, 5/100 and 6/102 would seem to be the range that he'd fall in. However, he could go for significantly higher than that.

Also, what would be the going rate for signing Dye to an extension? 4/60? 3/48? Something like that, perhaps.

by Stealfirstbase on Jan 13, 2007 3:51 PM CST up reply actions

No...

Not going more than four years with Ichiro. You offer him five and he'd be 39 by the end of the contract. It's his right to cash in, but it's also the Sox' right to have limits for a player who's out of his prime.

Eventually he will slowly fall off, it's just a matter of when.

Also -- I didn't want Iguchi back if you had asked me about six months ago, but what are the other options? Secondbasemen are generally underpaid, or paid to their 'worth'. If you could grab Iguchi on a deal similar to Marcus Giles' (two years, $10-12 million), I say you do it. That's about as much annually as he'd get from anybody else, but he'd be sacrificing a year.

by CWSKeith on Jan 13, 2007 4:10 PM CST up reply actions

Forgot to add...

...it's not like we have anybody to push him. The middle infield 'prospects' that are close project to be (at best) backups (Gonzalez, Lopez, Getz).

Let's hope John Shelby shows the power that he displayed in his last season at Kentucky.

by CWSKeith on Jan 13, 2007 4:14 PM CST up reply actions

You ready for the Chris Getz expierence??

You're "Not that interested in bringing Iguchi back?"

Whats your plan for 2b? Getz? Cintron? Look for another FA 2b????

by Tony82087 on Jan 13, 2007 4:12 PM CST up reply actions

Good point...

People seem to forget the filth we had at 2B after we traded Durham...

D'Angelo Jimenez
Willie Harris
The rotting corpse of Robbie Alomar

We got very lucky with Iguchi. Kenny signed him to a ridiculously underpaid contract and without him we would probably have horrible Willie Harris starting at 2B.

by SSH2005 on Jan 13, 2007 4:22 PM CST up reply actions

deal

Nothing to get excited about, but I think it's a good move. I'll take 22 year old pitcher with potential over 25 year old backup catcher anyday.

Go Badgers!

by shaftr on Jan 13, 2007 10:40 AM CST reply actions

Gooch gets a bad rap at times...

He is very average with the glove at 2b, but I have no problem with the .280/.350/.775 he puts up every year.

I just don't think the Sox are going to get much better out of anything that would be available to them.

by Tony82087 on Jan 13, 2007 4:32 PM CST reply actions

~El Diablo Rant

Wow... i think the gooch is catching a bad rap... i mean he post way better numbers than uribe... and though prone to a few through the wickets he does turn in the unbelievable play (upside down throw to first) now and then. He is one of the only right handed batters besides dye who will consistently goes to right field.... Couple that with the fact that he is a player who likes to drive the ball and hit lower in the order and has never gotten to do that for the white sox because uribe hit a buck O five in the 2 slot in spring training (.235 for the year). Does anyone remember The gooch having 6 rbi's and 2 hrs against the cubs... or 7 rbi's against the astros. i mean i don't think he is the future by any means.... but a 2 to 3 year deal is deserved for someone who handles the bat as well as he does....

If you can't tell already my major concern is Uribe.... with his off the field issues and that fact that he is so streaky.... everyone is all over pods and the anderson/sweeney situation, Why does uribe get a pass? Defense..? I think he plays and above average shortstop, capable of making some great plays (with his hose) and capable of booting taylor made double play grounders or throw them in the stands.... Anderson above average in the field and still developing at the plate... he hit only 10 points less than uribe and has 2,200 less at bats...
* side note uribe is 27, will probably have a great season if he plays, and i will be eating my words...

Pods
if juan pierre is worth 8.5 mill then scott p. is worth it. I am not happy about it... and i know there are a lot of better options but he is the only motor on the team... when he is playing well the team wins... when he isn't.... pablo ozuna.... (that's a joke) seriously though, it seems besides stockpiling young power arms our most major league ready prospects are in the outfield... and if we end up signing crede we can play fields there.

by ElDiablo on Jan 13, 2007 6:06 PM CST reply actions

Todd Greene...

Padres signed catcher Todd Greene to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Greene was unable to find a backup job as a free agent, so he'll serve as insurance in San Diego in case either Josh Bard or Rob Bowen gets hurt in spring training. The 35-year-old hit .289/.335/.428 in 159 at-bats for the Giants last season.

That's a good signing. It would have been nice to have Greene at Charlotte replacing Chris Stewart to serve as insurance in case either Pierzynski or Hall get injured.

by SSH2005 on Jan 14, 2007 8:17 AM CST reply actions

Whoa

i didn't even know that rob bowen still played. I went to his baseball camp a few years ago but thought he retired

"If you're a reliever or if you're a starter, when you're on the mound you're a pitcher, you still have to do your job."

by marco054 on Jan 14, 2007 10:10 AM CST reply actions

Erstad?

With KW almost trading for him a few years back, and him being on the open market, seems to me the Sox have to be looking. He's the kind of "grinder" player that KW loves, and he probably would take a 1 year contract with incentives to prove he's healthy again. At the very least, it would give a better look to the OF situation, allowing Pods and BA to be rotated out. We don't have a 4th outfielder right now, and Sweeney/Owens would be better served at AAA playing every day.

by LaoCain on Jan 14, 2007 11:14 AM CST reply actions