Picks to Click?
Throughout the 2007 season, you'll recall there was constant talk from Tribune White Sox beat writer Mark Gonzales about the White Sox keeping players through their walk years. This wasn't in order to compete and win in 2007 as much as it was that by losing free agents, the White Sox would receive those apparently coveted sandwich picks in the amateur draft.
It was sort of funny to read, because sandwich picks became Gonzo's pet project in 2007. (Don't re-sign Jermaine Dye--you'll get picks when he leaves! Trade Mark Buehrle? But what about those picks?) You'll recall that after the World Series, every White Sox notes column by Gonzo seemed to be peppered with tidbits about performance incentives, like "Jim Thome's 500th at-bat will reap him $250,000" or "with his 30th home run, Paul Konerko gets a Harley." Sandwich picks were Gonzo's incentive clauses of 2007.
Yet because the White Sox are having trouble dealing Joe Crede, one of those popular free agents in his walk year, the Tribune's angle is curiously altered. In Gonzo's recent "Joe Crede vs. Josh Fields" feature, there was no talk of, "be cool, Sox fans, if Crede plays out the year and Scott Boras sends him to the Blue Jays as an international bonus baby, no biggie...sandwich picks!"
No, according to Gonzo, if Crede plays out his contract with the White Sox, "the Sox face the prospect of receiving no compensation besides draft picks if they cannot trade Crede before he becomes a free agent in the winter." (In other words: Sandwich picks? Yawn. Boy the Sox are lame if that's all they can get.)
The Tribune: All the news that suits it.
--Brett Ballantini
It was sort of funny to read, because sandwich picks became Gonzo's pet project in 2007. (Don't re-sign Jermaine Dye--you'll get picks when he leaves! Trade Mark Buehrle? But what about those picks?) You'll recall that after the World Series, every White Sox notes column by Gonzo seemed to be peppered with tidbits about performance incentives, like "Jim Thome's 500th at-bat will reap him $250,000" or "with his 30th home run, Paul Konerko gets a Harley." Sandwich picks were Gonzo's incentive clauses of 2007.
Yet because the White Sox are having trouble dealing Joe Crede, one of those popular free agents in his walk year, the Tribune's angle is curiously altered. In Gonzo's recent "Joe Crede vs. Josh Fields" feature, there was no talk of, "be cool, Sox fans, if Crede plays out the year and Scott Boras sends him to the Blue Jays as an international bonus baby, no biggie...sandwich picks!"
No, according to Gonzo, if Crede plays out his contract with the White Sox, "the Sox face the prospect of receiving no compensation besides draft picks if they cannot trade Crede before he becomes a free agent in the winter." (In other words: Sandwich picks? Yawn. Boy the Sox are lame if that's all they can get.)
The Tribune: All the news that suits it.
--Brett Ballantini
Labels: Chicago Tribune, Mark Gonzales, Paul Konerko's Harley, sandwich picks
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