Carl Everett, Grinder

[crector]

At the press conference where it was announced that JM was fired as manager, KW went out of his way to proclaim that he wanted to have a team made up of "grinders." Specifically, he singled out Carl Everett as the prime example of what a grinder is. Everett was a prime factor in the Sox's post-All Star break surge and he posted some of the best numbers of his career during the half season or so that he was with the Sox.

A reasonable person listening to KW would have assumed that it would be a cinch that the Sox would go and resign Everett for at least 2004. However, it appears that the Sox are just letting Everett go without even trying to negotiate with him.

To be sure, Everett did his faults as a player. Specifically, his fielding was atrocious, making him prime DH material on a team with several other DH type players. If JM was more practical in his tinkerings, he could have solved the problem by having Everett at DH and Thomas at 1b. As for Konerko, he could have been sent down to Triple A until he got his act together, used in his original position of Catcher or just simply benched.

This leads to the question, should KW make the necessary effort to sign up the grinder Carl Everett or let him go join another team?

[doublem23]

Word was, when Texas traded him, that they still coveted Everett and knowing the Rangers they'll get into a bidding war with themselves again. I don't know how Everett really fits into the Sox's plans either, unless Kenny Williams can somehow dump Konerko (I'd nominate him for General Manager of the Year if he could pull that off). He's not really a true center fielder and the White Sox desperately need more speed there to cover all that ground between Caballo and Maggs.

While I wouldn't mind resigning Carl, I can't see his price being realistic. Too bad, he was a good guy and a damn fine player.

[miker]

Agreed. Everywhere he's been, Everett has always been somewhat of an enigma and is just another power hitting outfielder on the White Sox, where they already have two in Lee and Ordonez.

Then again, his numbers AND hustle in the second-half last year was impressive, although he might of just been "auditioning" for the market, as so many potentional FAs seem to do.

But if KW likes him...