In a busy off-season that has seen him trade 17-game winner Freddy Garcia to the Phillies and his likely rotation replacement Brandon McCarthy to the pitching depleted Rangers, always controversial White Sox general manager Kenny Williams backed off a statement he made in December about overpaying for average pitching......well, sort of.In December as MLB teams overpaid for average to below-average pitching, cough Gil Meche cough, K-Will made a statement about his recent moves that brought in several young pitching prospects so he could avoid overpaying those pitchers. When asked if the trades were unpopular with fans, Williams responded:
"But you know what would be more unpopular? It would be if we did nothing and got old and got too expensive and then had to go scrounging for leftover talent and overpaying for mediocre talent."
"But you know what would be more unpopular? It would be if we did nothing and got old and got too expensive and then had to go scrounging for leftover talent and overpaying for mediocre talent."
Well, apparently Sox southpaw Mark Buehrle didn't appreciate the comments and assumed that his playing days with the South Siders would come to an end once his contract ran out at the end of the 2007 season. Williams had a sit-down with Buehrle although he never apologized for what he said, just that he said it in public. Wasn't that nice of him? Either way, the two seem to be on the same page now. Buehrle had his worst MLB season in 2006 as he compiled a 12-13 record with a 4.99 ERA. Blame overworking during the World Series championship 2005 season, arm mechanics, batters figuring out his tricky style, whatever, it doesn't matter. The Sox need Buehrle, and if he rebounds this season, he'll be due a big pay-day.
But K-Will's comments bring up an interesting point. Sure, the market is set for overpaying pitchers, but does that mean teams should pay for those crazy salaries? I know, stupid question, teams need pitching. So is Williams insane or a genius for trading one big-game pitcher in Garcia and an unproven but highly thought of pitcher in McCarthy?
I'll hold judgement for now, but Williams and Sox manager Ozzie Guillen will need some of those recently arrived young pitching prospects to step up if the 2007 Sox plan to contend in a loaded AL Central. But here's the question that MLB and fans will have to answer in the coming years? Baseball is as popular as ever, but will it keep up? With these bloated salaries, only time will tell. And just to say it again, $55 million for Gil Meche?!
3 comments:
I've always been a huge Kenny Williams fan, so when he traded away Garcia I gave him a break. But it just didn't make sense when he traded away McCarthy.
Nowadays in baseball teams have to spend an absolute ton of money, like you mentioned Tim with the great example of Gil Meche (ugh), and K-Will is certainly not doing that.
Winning a World Series in 2005 may have been enough for him, but I think I can speak for a lot of Sox fans when I say I hope you're not satisfied just with that, Kenny.
Darin Erstad and a bunch of minor league pitchers just won't cut it.
Could the Sox just be bagging this season and waiting for 2008? This year could very well give us a crazy strong AL Central...even moreso than last year.
Also, which Chicago newspaper reporter will Ozzie go after this season?
I'd be totally fine with Ozzie continuing to rag on Jay Mariotti, and I don't think I'm the only sports fan that feels that way. If you're going to cover a team, at least talk to the players and coaches instead of avoiding them.
Or those sensitivity training classes worked and we'll never get to see Ozzie lash out again.
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