A.J. Pierzynski moves on

• 7 months ago
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Cashman checks in on Pierzynski, but nothing else is new

I thought we might be on the verge of some real A.J. Pierzynski news happening when Chuck Garfien tweeted:

So maybe AJ Pierzynski could return to the White Sox after all. Good stuff from @danhayescsn. bit.ly/UdP5Mq

— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) December 5, 2012

So I went to Dan Hayes' story, where it's just a different way to say the same thing:

On Tuesday, one day after White Sox general manager Rick Hahn went out of his way several times to say the club hasn’t ruled out Pierzynski’s return, and amid swirling New York Yankees rumors, a baseball source confirmed the two sides continue to have dialogue. [...]

So while chances once appeared remote, and another source suggests they may still be, the possibility of Pierzynski’s return to the South Side next season still exists.

The Sox haven't ruled out Pierzynski's return since before he became a free agent, so he still could return to the White Sox. But Hahn didn't want to assign a number to its likelihood then, and nobody's putting a percentage on it now. So really, the prospect of Pierzynski's return is in the eye of the beholder. If you want it to happen, you can talk yourself into it. If you're ready for Tyler Flowers, you can find sentiment backing that up.

For instance, Jon Heyman tweeted this after Garfien:

#chisox figuring to go with tyler flowers as catcher. Pierzynski market remains mystery.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 5, 2012

See? Everybody's repeating themselves.

• 7 months ago
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Still nothing new to report with A.J. Pierzynski

It's a little too early in Rick Hahn's career for reruns, but darn it if we aren't getting the same questions and answers about A.J. Pierzynski and Tyler Flowers as the former goes through free agency, and the latter waits to take his job. Via Doug Padilla:

"We aren’t there yet and we are still exploring other options, including A.J.," general manager Rick Hahn said Monday on the opening day of baseball’s annual winter meetings. "However, if in fact we wind up with Tyler as the Opening Day catcher, we think that we will not lose anything defensively and we have a good young hitter capable of hitting for power and getting on base fairly regularly, at a fairly healthy clip. It’s nice to have that option to fall back on."

That's pretty much the exact same thing he told The Score a month ago.

• 7 months ago
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"... the Golf Channel, of course. Where else would one hear the latest about A.J.?"

A.J. Pierzynski appeared on The Golf Channel's "Morning Drive" to talk about his appearance in an upcoming pro-am tournament. More of interest to a baseball audience, he talks about his free agency experience starting around the 9:30 mark:

Sometimes these non-baseball-media appearances are insightful, because these shows will ask questions that seasoned baseball reporters know they won't get answers to. In this case, Kelly Tilghman straight-up asks him where he'd want to play if any situation were the right one. He answers it: the Atlanta Braves.

Although, they already kinda got a guy there.

• 7 months ago
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Report: Mets interested in Tyler Flowers

In the event the White Sox would retain A.J. Pierzynski, it's hard to see how the Sox could keep Tyler Flowers in the backup role. He's worthy of part-time duties, not barely-any-time duties, and the Sox have said as much.

They might not be the only team that thinks so, either. According to the New York Post:

The Mets could also go the trade route for a catcher, as the team seeks either a starter or, at minimum, a right-handed bat to pair with Josh Thole. White Sox backup Tyler Flowers is of some interest to the Mets, according to a source. But the White Sox also might not be in a hurry to deal a catcher with last year’s starter, A.J. Pierzynski, on the free-agent market.

• 8 months ago
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Rick Hahn on free agents: No qualifying offers

During a conference call centered on discussing Jake Peavy's contract extension, new White Sox GM said he wasn't going to give qualifying offers to any of the four remaining free agents. He did have some more detail to add on their statuses as they embark into the open market:

Kevin Youkilis and Brett Myers: Hahn said he had "a really nice conversation" with Youkilis when calling to let him know they weren't exercising his option, and he did the same with Brett Myers, saying, "We'd like to have both of them back," but the elements weren't in place to get something done as quickly as the Sox could with Peavy.

Third base remains a question mark with or without Youkilis, because he didn't give any indication about Brent Morel's stock. When asked about if the potential starter at third, Hahn said, "We will see. It's Oct. 30th."

A.J. Pierzynski: Like Youkilis and Myers, Pierzynski is at the point where the Sox will let him talk to other teams and report back about his market value.