I could have stayed in Chicago, but instead I'm living in a city with winning sports teams:
Columbia, Missouri.
What?!
Yes, I'm sitting here at the University of Missouri, watching our football team steadily move up to No. 5 while our basketball team quietly lays the foundation for what could be an NCAA Tournament berth.
If somebody had told me when I left the Chicago area for Mizzou in August that the University of Missouri would have more athletic success by Thanksgiving than the entire city of Chicago—well, I probably would've asked if they also thought I'd be riding a unicorn to class.
But it's happened.
The Bears are struggling to keep their heads above water, the Bulls are off to a pitiful start, the Cubs were swept out of the playoffs by a team that was swept out of the playoffs by a team that was swept out of the playoffs, and the Blackhawks are all but forgotten despite their 10-8 record.
How can this losing trend be reversed? I'll discuss the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, and Cubs in due time—but first let me start with my beloved White Sox, who finished 70-92 in 2007.
How can Ozzie & Co. turn it around?
1. Trade Jon Garland or Jose Contreras, and resolve the Joe Crede/Josh Fields dilemma.
I always hate to break up a good pitching staff, but the White Sox have to do it.
While Contreras struggled mightily for the first four months of the season (see his 12.97 July ERA), he settled back down in August and September, posting ERAs of 4.00 and 3.54, respectively.
I think he still has something left in the tank, and other teams might too.
That said, Garland is the more likely pitcher to be traded. If Garland is moved, GM Kenny Williams could get some very good players in return.
Like Garland and Contreras, Joe Crede is in the last year of his contract—and with Scott Boras as his agent, it's highly unlikely that he'll consider coming back to the White Sox after 2008.
The problem with Crede is that he missed almost all of the 2007 season with a back injury...and when he did play, he was barely able to hit his weight.
The fact that Crede's future is uncertain will greatly diminish his trade value. But at this point, trading Crede and freeing up a little bit of money—and the third base spot for Fields—would probably be the best option for the White Sox.
Trading Fields would likely mean a big fish (see part II) coming to the South Side, which wouldn't be all that bad—but Fields has great potential and could easily hit 35 home runs next year.
2. Make a big splash, either through a trade or free agency.
This is why the White Sox should trade Garland or Contreras—it would free up money to sign a marquee free agent or land a top-notch player through a trade.
4 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Stephen Timlin about 1 year ago
I'd rather see this lineup (even though it's just a pipe dream):
1. Chone Figgins 2B
2. Coco Crisp CF
3. Miguel Cabrera 3B
4. Jim Thome DH
5. Jermaine Dye RF
6. Josh Fields 3B
7. AJ Pierzynski C
8. Juan Uribe SS (ouch)
9. Jerry Owens LF
This team is in desperate need of speed. Signing Hunter would be great for the 1st 2 yrs of the contract, but it would be a waste of $$ after that as he ages. Better to go all out, land Miggy Cabrera and spend that money (and some more) to lock up one of the best young hitters in baseball. Once you have Cabrera, you can move the sloth like runner known as Paul Konerko to the Angels for Chone Figgins and bullpen help.
-Dr. Serpiente
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Chris Radez about 1 year ago
The Garland trade is done. I'd say Orlando Cabrera was a nice addition, but now what are they gonna do with Uribe?
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Nino Colla about 1 year ago
They added Scott Linebrink now too. I would say they are well on their way according to your plan. Although the Hunter singing fell through.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
woe is me... woe is me! What happened here? It all sounded so good and then fell apart in less than a few weeks...next year we are looking at?
1. Owens CF
2. Cabrera (Orlando) SS
3. Thome DH
4. Konerko 1B
5. Dye RF
6. Fields 3B
7. Pierzynski C
8. Carlos Quentin LF
9. Richar/Uribe? 2B
oof! Somehow thats not how I imagined it!
Maybe we can get something for a Uribe/Crede Package? Darrrr!
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