The White Sox ace agreed to a four-year, $56 million contract with Chicago on Sunday, taking the most attractive pitcher on the rumor mill off the market.
The contract essentially includes a no-trade clause through the 2008 season, Buster Olney reports, as Buehrle must consent to any deal. The deal also includes an escalator clause that will make the deal worth $75 million over five years if he is traded before the contract runs out.
I'm glad Chicago came to their senses on this one. Just because they're having one bad season doesn't mean it's time to blow the team up and start over. Just call it a lost season and patiently get ready for next year.
Worked wonders for the Indians.
The Wisdom of Homsar: DaAaAa, these Easter pants are gettin' way too tight!
Glad he's resigned, even with his struggles, he's still a good pitcher.
The White Sox did this to themselves this season. Darin Erstad was the only free agent acquisition they made, on a team that missed out on the Wild Card to the Twins. Should have tried to improve the team, knowing Crede was a liability injurywise at 3B, and that OF had a big hole in CF and a questionmark in Pods. Hopefully this means a busy offseason for the Sox, because other than this, there isn't gonna be much to be excited about the rest of the way for Chicago.
Co-Winner of the 2006 Time Magazine Person of the Year Award
Good for Sox fans that they managed to find a compromise that Reinsdorf would sign off on, letting Buehrle go would have been a slap in the face to the fanbase. Although even at an "escalated" 5/$74m, this is going to look like a bargain once Zambrano (re)sets the market this winter. So with all those young arms Kenny Williams has been stockpiling, don't be all that surprised to see the rumors swirling in December '08.
I'm guessing the Sox will bring Rowand back for '08, and then whine about the market being all out of whack when Ichiro gets about $80m/5 years. The rest of the lineup will be spackle and paste with castoffs, hoping to find the next Jermaine Dye.
(P.S. - If you aren't already used to it, there's no way in hell to intuitively spell Buehrle.)
Originally posted by Packman V2Glad he's resigned, even with his struggles, he's still a good pitcher.
The White Sox did this to themselves this season. Darin Erstad was the only free agent acquisition they made, on a team that missed out on the Wild Card to the Twins. Should have tried to improve the team, knowing Crede was a liability injurywise at 3B, and that OF had a big hole in CF and a questionmark in Pods. Hopefully this means a busy offseason for the Sox, because other than this, there isn't gonna be much to be excited about the rest of the way for Chicago.
We forget quickly: The Royals swept the Tigers to end last season and give the division to the Twins and the Wild Card to Detroit. How could Crede be a liability, according to Hawk Harrelson he's the best defensive 3rd baseman in the past 50 years, an era that does include Brooks Robinson. Ozzie might be this generation's Billy Martin: He can come in and give an underachieving team a spark, but he wears out quickly. If he gets fired, he could be the guy who could get the Dodgers or Phillies over the top in '08. I thought Buehrle was going to be a Brave though. This makes the trade market a lot less interesting. Time to start the quest for a right-handed bat off the bench for the Red Sox.
I don't know where this myth emerged that the Cardinals need an outfielder. Sanders will be back for late September/the playoffs. Walker is resting for the same time frame. Jimmy is his normal K-laden/power-laden self.
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