Jabroni
02-09-2005, 02:09 AM
"Maggs costly, but necessary"
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/gammons/story?id=1987105
What's interesting about the AL Central and makes it one of the most compelling divisions in terms of new faces is the fact that Percival is the highest-priced pitcher brought into the division and Ordonez the highest-priced player. Oh, the Twins made the most important signing in the division when they kept Brad Radke (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5337) for two years and $18 million. Otherwise the biggest free agent signings were Jermaine Dye (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5610) (two years, $10.5 million) and Orlando Hernandez (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6019) (two years, $8 million) with the White Sox and Kevin Millwood (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5848) (one year, $3.5 million guaranteed with $3.5 million in incentives) with the Indians.The White Sox are built on their pitching: Freddy Garcia (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6168) and Mark Buerhle at the front, Jon Garland (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6396), Orlando Hernandez (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6019) and Jose Contreras (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7043) (who may be helped by El Duque) rounding out the rotation, then Shingo Takatsu (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7255) and Damaso Marte (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6261) at the end with Cliff Politte (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5960), Luis Vizcaino (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6291) and Dustin Hermanson (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5387) setting up.
Ken Williams and Ozzie Guillen made the decision to move one of the league's better outfield bats in Carlos Lee (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6161) to get Scott Podsednik (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6489)'s speed and energy. They replaced Ordonez with Dye, signed A.J. Pierzynski (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6109) to catch and have Carl Everett (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5073) to DH if Frank Thomas (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4527) isn't ready to open the season."This is a very even division," Williams said. "It will all come down to pitching."
Pitching and organization. Not money.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/gammons/story?id=1987105
What's interesting about the AL Central and makes it one of the most compelling divisions in terms of new faces is the fact that Percival is the highest-priced pitcher brought into the division and Ordonez the highest-priced player. Oh, the Twins made the most important signing in the division when they kept Brad Radke (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5337) for two years and $18 million. Otherwise the biggest free agent signings were Jermaine Dye (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5610) (two years, $10.5 million) and Orlando Hernandez (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6019) (two years, $8 million) with the White Sox and Kevin Millwood (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5848) (one year, $3.5 million guaranteed with $3.5 million in incentives) with the Indians.The White Sox are built on their pitching: Freddy Garcia (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6168) and Mark Buerhle at the front, Jon Garland (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6396), Orlando Hernandez (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6019) and Jose Contreras (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7043) (who may be helped by El Duque) rounding out the rotation, then Shingo Takatsu (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7255) and Damaso Marte (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6261) at the end with Cliff Politte (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5960), Luis Vizcaino (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6291) and Dustin Hermanson (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5387) setting up.
Ken Williams and Ozzie Guillen made the decision to move one of the league's better outfield bats in Carlos Lee (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6161) to get Scott Podsednik (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6489)'s speed and energy. They replaced Ordonez with Dye, signed A.J. Pierzynski (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6109) to catch and have Carl Everett (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5073) to DH if Frank Thomas (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4527) isn't ready to open the season."This is a very even division," Williams said. "It will all come down to pitching."
Pitching and organization. Not money.