After returning to the White Sox as a third-string catcher Friday, catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. spoke of the importance of getting starter Todd Ritchie turned around in 2003.
Only minutes later the Sox announced they had decided not to offer a contract to Ritchie, making him a free agent and likely closing the books on a trade that may go down as one of the most lopsided in team history.
Baseball’s version of musical chairs heated up Friday, the deadline for arbitration-eligible players to be tendered contracts for 2003.
Both Ritchie and left-hander Jim Parque were non-tendered by the Sox, who earlier signed Alomar to a one-year, $700,000 deal to mentor rookie Miguel Olivo.
The Cubs, meanwhile, signed free-agent left-hander Shawn Estes, as expected, to a one-year, $3 million deal, while agreeing to a one-year, $750,00 deal with catcher Paul Bako and re-signing right-hander Alan Benes and third baseman Kevin Orie to split major-minor league contracts with some guaranteed money.
They also declined to offer contracts to pitchers Will Cunnane and Courtney Duncan and catcher Mike Mahoney.
General managers Ken Williams of the Sox and Jim Hendry of the Cubs spent Friday night poring over the list of new free agents who were left non-tendered, which includes a few interesting names like Jose Cruz Jr. and Paul Wilson, but not many “must-have” items.
With more players now on the market and the new year on the horizon, the free-agent logjam should be broken as players’ price tags come down and more become willing to accept one-year deals.
The Sox, who unsuccessfully tried to sign left-hander Jamie Moyer and made an offer for San Francisco right-hander Russ Ortiz before he was traded to Atlanta, still have their eye on two veteran free agents–left-hander Omar Daal (11-9, 3.90 ERA in Los Angeles) and right-hander Ismael Valdes (8-12, 4.18 ERA in Texas and Seattle).
Both are seeking multi-year deals, however, and the Sox don’t want to go more than one year.
Ritchie was brought in last December, inheriting the No. 2 starter role after being acquired in a trade that sent Kip Wells and Josh Fogg to Pittsburgh.
But Ritchie lost 15 games by early August and then was idled by a sore arm.
The lowest the Sox could have offered Ritchie in arbitration was $2.8 million, a 20 percent cut from his 2002 salary (including bonuses).
They tried to re-sign him for about one-third of that salary in a one-year deal.
“I felt we were close to consummating a deal in recent days,” Williams said. “We’ll continue to talk to him. We feel he can still bounce back and have a heck of a year, but we also are exploring other options.”
Williams said the 36-year-old Alomar would back up Olivo and Josh Paul.
It seems unlikely the Sox will carry three catchers during the season, though Williams insisted the Sox could do so because they only plan to have 11 pitchers.
Alomar, who was traded to Colorado last July for a minor-league pitching prospect, originally was signed by the Sox in 2001 as a cheaper alternative to departing free agent Charles Johnson.
“I was looking forward to getting back,” said Alomar, who still lives on the Near North Side. “Last year I was traded to the Rockies, basically a situation to give an opportunity to Olivo and Josh Paul to play. Colorado was very interested in signing me back, but when they swapped players in the three-way trade with Mike Hampton and took on Charles Johnson’s salary, they got stuck with Johnson, so I had to look elsewhere.”
Parque, who rejected the Sox’s one-year, $500,000 offer, was 1-4 with a 9.95 earned-run average while trying to bounce back from a torn labrum.
Only 27, Parque may sign an incentive-laden deal with Cleveland or Seattle. Williams said the door is open for Parque’s return if he doesn’t find a better offer, but Parque parted on bad terms after not pitching in September.
The Cubs convinced Estes to take a one-year deal and a $3.2 million pay cut after he went 5-12 with a 5.10 ERA with the New York Mets and Cincinnati. Estes can earn another $1.5 million in incentives.
Estes said he hopes to simplify his mechanics after reuniting with Dusty Baker and Dick Pole–his former manager and pitching coach, respectively, in San Francisco.
“They always say `paralysis by analysis,'” Estes said. “That’s what I’ve done in the past. But every year I’m maturing.”
Hendry compared Estes to Al Leiter, a veteran left-hander who didn’t enjoy sustained success until after turning 30.
“Some guys just start clicking then,” Hendry said.
Estes lobbied for the Cubs to bring in his old Giants teammate Bill Mueller to play third base, but the Cubs apparently are willing to let Mark Bellhorn be the starter with Orie or Mark Grudzielanek as backup.
“We’re not close to anything [happening at third],” Hendry said. “In a perfect world, we’d get one more guy. But in fairness to Bellhorn, maybe I’ve sold him short. We wanted to make him a super sub, but if we start him at third tomorrow, I’m happy with the guy.”
The Alomar file
Age: 36 (June 18, 1966).
Height: 6-5. Weight: 235.
Birthplace: Salinas, Puerto Rico.
Position: Catcher.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
YR TEAM AB R H HR RBI AVG
1988 SD 1 0 0 0 0 .000
1989 SD 19 1 4 1 6 .211
1990 Cle 445 60 129 9 66 .290
1991 Cle 184 10 40 0 7 .217
1992 Cle 299 22 75 2 26 .251
1993 Cle 215 24 58 6 32 .270
1994 Cle 292 44 84 14 43 .288
1995 Cle 203 32 61 10 35 .300
1996 Cle 418 53 110 11 50 .263
1997 Cle 451 63 146 21 83 .324
1998 Cle 409 45 96 6 44 .235
1999 Cle 137 19 42 6 25 .307
2000 Cle 356 44 103 7 42 .289
2001 SOX 220 17 54 4 21 .245
2002 SOX 167 21 48 7 25 .287
2002 Col 116 8 31 0 12 .267
Totals 3932 463 1081 104 517 .275
162-gm avg 553 65 152 15 73 .275
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The Estes file
Age: 29 (Feb. 18, 1973).
Height: 6-2. Weight: 200.
Birthplace: San Bernardino, Calif.
Position: Starter.
Bats: Both. Throws: Left.
Best season: NL All-Star in 1997 when he finished 2nd in NL with 19 wins, 3rd in win pct. at 79.2, 3rd in hits per 9 IP at 7.25, 8th in strikeouts with 181.
YR TEAM IP W-L BB SO ERA
1995 SF 17.1 0-3 5 14 6.75
1996 SF 70 3-5 39 60 3.60
1997 SF 201 19-5 100 181 3.18
1998 SF 149.1 7-12 80 136 5.06
1999 SF 203 11-11 112 159 4.92
2000 SF 190.1 15-6 108 136 4.26
2001 SF 159 9-8 77 109 4.02
2002 NYM 132.2 4-9 66 92 4.55
2002 Cin 28 1-3 17 17 7.71
Totals 1150.2 69-62 604 904 4.37
162-gm avg 207.0 12-11 108 162 4.37
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