Bobby Jenks May Be Out

I have been reporting on Bobby Jenks. Finally, there is (almost) concrete news. The Chicago White Sox and Bobby Jenks may part ways this offseason.

"Honestly, I was hoping that this would not be the case, being non-tendered. I was hoping I would come back without question. Obviously, things change in a heartbeat. I'm sad that it has come to this, where I've become a free agent and I'm talking to other teams."

-WhiteSox.com

Jenks will be 30 in March and says he is in the process of talking to other teams. He has had his fair share of struggles the past few years, on the field and off. Early in the 2009 season he was dealing with kidney stones and ended up the 2010 season with an ERA of 4.44, a career worst for him. Big Bad Bobby Jenks did however aid in our taking of the World Series in '05, and for that I am very greatful. I have never seen such a young pitcher do so well considering the circumstances. Not only do well, but impress an entire city, maybe even the world. I remember the victory parade downtown, I was standing up on a concrete barrier to get a better look, Bobby Jenks was on top of one of the busses, we caught a glimpse of eachother and pointed in celebration. I think he really appreciated the fan's support. He seems to be very modest during these times of uincertainty; I would like to see him stay but if it's in the best interest for the White Sox to have a new closer, so be it.

New Closer for 2011?

Bobby Jenks may be on his way out of the White Sox organization. If you remember, last year was also supposed to be Jenks' last year with the White Sox. It's not looking too good for Jenks; this is the fourth year his save totals have dropped not to mention his attitude over the past 5 years has drastically changed. I would like to keep him as a closer, he undeniably helped us attain the coveted World Series Championship and '08 Division Championship, but as I mentioned his attitude has clearly changed and his numbers are dropping. I said last year to give him another chance, I think that's it.

Konerko & Putz Deny Arbitration

White Sox team leader Paul Konerko and pitcher J.J. Putz have declined salary arbitration.

What does this mean?

Well, Putz has the option to go to another team, and if he does, the White Sox will get a higher draft pick for the 2011 season. That's good, I'd like to see Putz stay, but there has to be some young pitchers out there who are hungry and willing to play ball. Putz did set a White Sox record by pitching for 27 straight scoreless appearances this year, pretty noteworthy!

As for Konerko, he has maybe 5 years left in the major leagues. I would really like to see him finish his career in a White Sox uniform. The more and more buzz about this makes me think that Paul Konerko will not be returning. If he doesn't, at least the White Sox will get the receiving team's 1st round draft pick.

A.J. Pierzynski Declined Salary Arbitration

The Chicago White Sox have declined salary arbitration to their starting catcher, A.J. Pierzynski. Interestingly, they did offer arbitration for Konerko and Putz. A.J. seemed hopeful about coming to an understanding with the management and staying with the White Sox. I hope they do. If not, he may be headed to Texas. The Rangers' catcher Molina was also declined salary arbitration after hinting at retirement. The Rangers were looking to sign Pierzynski last May, they now might have the chance. Another possible new home for Pierzynski would be Boston. The Red Sox lost another White Sox possible replacement for Pierzynski, Victor Martinez, to Detroit earlier. Now that Martinez is out of the picture it looks like the White Sox will either sign A.J. or go with Molina, assuming Molina wants to.

White Sox Offer Arbitration to Konerko & Putz

The Chicago White Sox have offered both Paul Konerko and J.J. Putz salary arbitraion before Tuesday's deadline. This is good news for White Sox fans hoping to keep Konerko. I assume Konerko will be offered a hefty salary increase and J.J.'s will undoubtedly increase as well. Both are well deserved, Konerko more so just because he is the senior member of the team and a leader. Each player has the option to decline and consider other offers before November 30th. Hopefully that date comes sooner rather than later. Apparently the Arizona Diamondbacks have expressed interest in Konerko. It would be a shame to see his possibly last season end with another team.

The White Sox have declined arbitration to two players, A.J. Pierzynski and Manny Ramirez. A.J. needs to stay with the Sox, Manny on the other hand...good riddance!

Mark Buehrle is Award Second Straight Gold Glove!

Mark Buehrle has been awarded his second straight Gold Glove for the 2010 season. Congratulations! You may remember Mark Buehrle's amazing play, where he chased a ball that bounced off his foot. His through-the-leg throw to Konerko can been seen here: MLB.com. This play along with others have made many believe, including myself, that Buehrle is one of the, if not the, best fielding pitchers ever to play professional baseball. Not to mention the 1,847 & 2/3 innings he has pitched resulting in 122 wins.

Bad news, though, concerning Mark Buuhrle, he may be considering retirement after the 2011 season. Apparently he has been thinking about retiring after next season when his contract is up. It seems he is concerned about being with his family, similar to the debacle concerning the White Sox's contract with Konerko. Whatever happens at least he retire a White Sox player rather than anything else.

White Sox May Bring Back Free Agents

The Chicago White Sox say they are open to bringing back most of the players who are going free-agent this season. I hope they do. They have already signed Omar Vizquel to a one-year deal for $1.75 million this week Tuesday. Among those who I hope return are Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski. Pierzynski and the White Sox have already been talking and are seemingly on the same page, at least both are open to talks.

Paul Konerko, however, is a different story. He is a great payer; he ended last season with 39 homeruns, 111 batted in and a batting average of .312. Not to mention he has been with the White Sox for over a decade. It would terrible to lose him, he is a great mid-order batter and his first base skills are unsurpassed. He was here when we won the World Series and, at this point in his career, I bet he is looking to win another one then retire. Apparently the Arizona D-Backs have expressed interest in Konerko. Now that Paul Konerko has a young family, he must consider them when deciding where to go, and being that his family resides in Scottsdale, AZ, that may be a viable option for him.

I hope he stays with the White Sox for one more season.

A.J. Pierzynski Willing to Return in 2011

The Chicago White Sox and A.J. Pierzynski have been in talks to decide whether or not he will be a part of the White Sox organization next year.

"The door has not been shut by me or by them. There are no hard feelings from me toward them, and I hope there's none from them toward me. Something still could be done, but if not, hopefully there's another team who will want me."

-MLB.com

Pierzynski is scheduled to go on as a free agent, but says he isn't really entertaining other offers yet. He has been with the White Sox since 2005 when they won the World Series and maintains a career .284 batting average with 120 home runs. Last season his batting average was .364 from mid-August to the end of the season, which was the best in the American League. Not to mention he has 1,000 innings caught for the past nine seasons.

Both sides seem to be open to making a deal. I hope they do. I like Castro just fine, he seems to hit better, but there's just something about Pierzynski that says baseball. He likes to call plays before the umpire does, and he is right all the time. He knows his stuff and new or younger players can learn from him.

Some Good News: Quentin and Jenks with the White Sox

Carlos Quentin and Bobby Jenks have signed one year contracts with the White Sox, $3.2 million and $7.5 million respectively. Both players didn't have their best outings last season, but deserve another shot. Jenks ended the 2009 season with and ERA of 3.71 and 29 saves. In 99 games, Quentin batted .236 with 21 homeruns. These two, however not my favorites, are vital to our success in 2010. Check back for more White Sox news.

Juan Pierre to the Chicago White Sox

Juan Pierre, formally of the LA Dodgers, is now wearing a White Sox uniform. Another bogus move by the White Sox. Pierre is a great player, don't get me wrong, but not so much better than Podsednik. Pierre finished last season with an average of .308 and 30 stolen bases. He crossed the plate 57 times. Pods had around the same numbers and has been a on the White Sox for a few years, making him a veteran and possible team leader. I do hope Pierre gets as many stolen bases as he did last year, we need that. This may be the only move I am happy with but not really as this looks to be the end of Pods. We'll see.

Waiting on Word About Matsui

The White Sox are still looking to Matsui to fill a role next season. Hideki Matsui finished last season with 28 homers and 90 RBIs. Yet another prospect with a batting average under .300, but we could use a left-handed DH. The White Sox are still in talks with Matsui's agent but nothing fruitful has come as of yet. Ozzie stated that he would rather a DH who could play in the field from time to time, Matsui expressed interest in getting back into the outfield. Maybe something will happen. I'm not the biggest fan of Matsui but he is a pretty good player, on and off the field. I wouldn't mind seeing him in a Chicago White Sox uniform next season. Only time will tell. I haven't read anything about past MLB rumors I have reported otherwise they would have been reported here. Check back for more White Sox news.

Arbitration Declined for Dye, Pods

The White Sox have declined salary arbitration for four of their players. Jermaine Dye being one of them. Dotel, Castro and Pods are among the others. As I mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of Dotel (or Castro for that matter) so I am not sad to see them go. Pods and Dye on the other hand, are going to be sorely missed I am afraid. If we lose these two guys I think we need to be replacing them with TALENT. Dye is a power hitter with great presence in the outfield, Pods has a great presence in the outfield as well and he is valuable to have on the bases. There's MLB rumors going around that Dye will be headed down south, haven't read anything about Pods yet. I'll keep you posted with more White Sox news when it becomes available.

Deadline for Dye Approaches

The deadline for salary arbitration for Jermaine Dye and Octavio Dotel is tonight. If offered, other teams, such as the Yankees, Atlanta and San Francisco, may increase their efforts to talk with Dye's agent. As for Dotel, I am not sad to see him go. He came through a few times, but more often than not he blew it. The White Sox have refused to comment about what they will do with Jermaine Dye. As I mentioned earlier, I hope they keep him. I know they won't.

Coco Crisp to the White Sox?

The White Sox have apparently expressed some sort of interest in Coco Crisp. This is according to his agent. Coco would possibly replace Scott Podsednik if he ends up leaving the White Sox baseball team. Crisp's numbers aren't that great, ending last season batting .228 and I say he is getting old. Not to mention he would be coming off of shoulder surgery. Why do we want to get rid of players who are willing to stay for mediocre talent? I'm sick of getting old Kansas City players. Where are our minor leaguers? You are telling me we don't have someone worthy of taking the lead-off spot in our minor leagues? No more washed-up players! Get some new faces in there!

Pierzynski a goner too? I dont think so...

A.J. says he's not worried. As well he shouldn't be. A.J. Pierzynski is one of my favorite baseball players of all time, and not just because he is Polish. It's because he seems to wear his heart on his sleeve every time he plays. He is one of few catchers in the American League to hit .300 in a year, not to mention his indisputable skills as a catcher for a number of different styled pitchers. Not only that, he is a good man off the field as well. The White Sox have been looking at a 23-year-old baseball player named Tyler Flowers as a possible back-up for Pierzynski. With A.J.'s contract ending soon, this may cause some worries. All A.J. had to say on the matter is that, "There's nothing I can do," continuing, "Tyler is a great kid, a great player and a great person. If they think he can help us win, I'm all for it." I think A.J. knows his value, and he should. Let's hope the powers that be make the right call here...

No word on Dye, Pods or Jenks

There has been no word on whether or not Jermaine Dye will return and be with the White Sox next year. Dye alluded to the fact that he may return, though unlikely. Podsednik may return to the White Sox if he doesn't get a deal from another team. Bobby Jenks was mentioned as well, but no official comment was made about if any other teams were interested in him. I say keep 'em all. Jenks is the only one I wouldn't feel bad about letting go; he has pretty much fallen off as far as I'm concerned but I say give him one more chance.

White Sox sign Kotsay to One-year Deal

You will see Mark Kotsay next year... for sure. The White Sox have signed Kotsay to a one year deal for 1.5 million big ones! Mark is a pretty good first baseman but I hope this doesn't mean they are getting rid of Pauly's no-trade clause too because it seems they have plans to get rid of Dye. Maybe they are going to put Konerko at permanent designated hitter? That would be awesome as he could do some real damage if he could focus specifically on hitting alone. Plus it may force him to be a team leader, which it looks like we are going to need. I hope Kotsay is worth it!