By Dave van Dyck
The White Sox completed their trade for Juan PIerre by sending minor league pitchers John Ely and Jon Link to the Dodgers.
Ely is the bigger loss for the Sox. He went 14-2 with a 2.82 earned-run average in 27 starts for Class AA Birmingham and was named to the Southern League All-Star team after leading the league in strikeouts. He was a third-round pick of the Sox in 2007.
Link was 1-2 with a 3.99 ERA and 13 saves in 48 games at Class AAA Charlotte. He originally was acquired by the Sox in the middle of the 2007 season from the Padres in a trade for Rob Mackowiak.
The Dodgers also contributed $10.5 million of Pierre's $18.5 milllion owed Pierre over the next two seasons.
The White Sox completed their trade for Juan PIerre by sending minor league pitchers John Ely and Jon Link to the Dodgers.
Ely is the bigger loss for the Sox. He went 14-2 with a 2.82 earned-run average in 27 starts for Class AA Birmingham and was named to the Southern League All-Star team after leading the league in strikeouts. He was a third-round pick of the Sox in 2007.
Link was 1-2 with a 3.99 ERA and 13 saves in 48 games at Class AAA Charlotte. He originally was acquired by the Sox in the middle of the 2007 season from the Padres in a trade for Rob Mackowiak.
The Dodgers also contributed $10.5 million of Pierre's $18.5 milllion owed Pierre over the next two seasons.
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I am a dumb ass stupid Cub fan and I got to admit Kenny Williams is ten times the GM of the clown on the Northside ...The Cubbies need to bring back Ned Coletti, Triton College boy who knows what's up!Coletti come out of the same area that produced Grunwald, Rogers, Shannahan and company .....
I am a dumb ass stupid Cub fan and I got to admite Kenny Williams is ten times the GM of the clown on the Northside ...The Cubbies need to bring back Ned Coletti, Triton College boy who knows what's up!Coletti come out of the same area that produced Grunwald, Rogers, Shannahan and company .....
I'll put it like this. . . .
The next time Kenny Williams trades away a blue chip prospect who becomes a solid major leaguer will be his first time doing so.
While it's nothing the Sox should be proud of -- it means their minor leaguers stink -- Williams as more often than not gotten the better of the deals when he trades away "prospects."
In fact, for all of the trades he has made, the only player who has made an All-Star game is Jon Rauch, and that was after several years in the league, and as the token All-Star for the horrible Washington Senators.
Chris Young has regressed significantly, Josh Fogg is a journeyman fifth starter, Gio Gonzalez looks like he's headed to the bullpen, and I can't even name most of the other players he traded away who were "prospects."
Pierre is a smart, proven player who will improve the team. In exchange they gave up a future mop-up guy in Link and Ely.
Will Ely be good? We'll see. But I wouldn't cross my fingers.
"The Sox have averaged 77 wins per season since 05 while having spent the 4th most amongst all MLB teams."
Well, your math is off: The Sox have won 90, 72, 89, and 79 games for an average of 82.5 wins.
You also neglect to mention that those four seasons include a 2006 team that won 90 that just missed the playoffs and a division winner in 2008.
I also expect the 2010 team to be the odds-on favorite to win the division.
In Kenny we trust.
Another aggressive move by Kenny Williams! Kenny is about winning now and may be the most creative GM in the league! While the Red Sox and Yankees just going on crazy spending sprees every offseason, Kenny still finds ways to make things happen. Pierre, and Teahen were great moves and along with this pitching staff lead by Jake Peavy the Sox should be right back atop the AL Central! I wish all the GMs in Chicago had Kenny Williams attitude!
The same Cub fans who can't tell how bad they are again this year are the same one's who were 100% certain they were the best team last year and the same ones who thought the 03 team had no chance but thought the 85 was their best ever.
At some point we just have to accept that the stereotype is accurate and the reputation as the dumbest fans in sports are true.
That's how we do Cub baseball,we are the Cubs.
It's worth noting that he traded these two prospects for Juan Pierre -- and $10.5 million. Getting money requires giving up more.
First of all, Pierre is better than "a black version of Scotty Pods."
1) Yes, they put up similar numbers in 2009. But Pierre's numbers were around his career average, while Pods had a career year.
2) Although they both have weak arms, Pierre is better defensively.
3) Pierre stays healthy (he played in all 162 games for 4 straight seasons before the Dodgers made him a bench player).
4) Pieree is a much smarter baserunner than Pods. Yes Pods is fast & steals bases. But he negates that by continually getting picked off or making baserunning blunders.
5) Pierre is 2 years younger.
Secondly, two mid-level prospect is not overpaying. yes, Ely had a nice year last year. AT DOUBLE A. He projects as a 4th/5th starter at best in the majors. With Peavy, Danks, & Floyd here for the forseeable future, Buehrle here through 2011, and Hudson & Torres waiting in the wings (even Marquez if he turns things around), the Sox won't need another starter for awhile. And if one of the abov guys flames out, Kenny will go get another 5th starter.
I, for one, appreciate Kenny for being one of the smartest, most aggressive GMs around. And please tell me what prospects he traded away that have become studs? I didn't think so.
I'M A BIG SOX FAN BUT I DO THINK KENNY REALLY OVERPAID FOR PIERRE DON'T GET ME WRONG I THINK PIERRE IS A GREAT MOVE FOR US BUT GIVING UP A PITCHER THAT WENT 14-2 AND IS ON A ROLL,DAMN KENNY I HAVE A FEELING THIS IS GOING TO COME BACK AND BET US IN THE ASS, LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS
Kenny a dumbass? Really? He brought a WS to the southside, and a productive Pierre in the lineup will change the way the Sox play. They should contend, if not be favorites, to win the AL Central. If they make the playoffs any team out there should be afraid of that starting rotation.
As far as overpaid, giving up 2 unproven kids is fine by me. They weren't going to help the major-league team this year, that's for sure. What is the hit ratio on AA pitchers that look good? One in ten?
Shouldn't you Cub fans posting here be celebrating the Bradley trade?
Keep up the good work Kenny, we appreciate you.