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Originally Posted by Cannon Shell
IMO, they should blow up this team. They are getting old and really are not that good. They dont have a single impact position player in his 20's, they have several guys that are in regression and they dont have a great deal of young players that are close to being impact guys. The pitching staff has logged tons of innings especially Buherle, the bullpen has been so-so and the other teams in the central are better than them and in Cleveland and Minnesota's case are signifigantly younger. Dye and Thome both should be moved for prospects though they probably wont bring much at this stage of the season. Of course if the main shopper, Yankees, are out of it by the deadline(which is very possible) the trade market will be a little tighter.
If the rumors about the new contract are true, you have to think that this a shaky move. How many pitchers blow up coming off of high inning seasons and signing big contracts? More than not. Buehrle is a quality pitcher and an innings eater but not the kind of pitcher than I would like to invest $50 mill in.
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Why is this a shaky move? Buehrle doesn't throw hard enough to jeopardize his arm. He has never had a lick of arm troubles, pitches 200+ innings every year, is 28 years old, is a 1 or 2 starter, is the heart and soul of this team and wants to stay in Chicago. Jerry Reinsdorf is the guy who said you never give a pitcher more than a three year contract, especially a starter. He has made an exception here. At $50 million for four years, Buehrle is a steal for a 1 or a 2. 1's and 2's that pitch 200+ innings simply aren't available unless you lose your mind and break the bank (can you say Barry Zito?). Teams hold onto them because baseball starts and ends with pitching. Even if the White Sox decided to blow up this team, they would still need front line pitching. By signing Buehrle, they keep a very strong starting pitching staff with a crackerjack closer intact. Position players are a dime a dozen in free agency. They can retool quickly with a few position signings and will contend next season.