Hot stove: Sox moves, Kerry Wood and more
Mark Buehrle is gone.
So are Carlos Quentin, Sergio Santos and Jason Frasor.
And don’t forget about Juan Pierre, Omar Vizquel and Ramon Castro, who still are on the free-agent market but won’t be returning to the White Sox.
It has been a miserable off-season for the Sox, who actually started reducing their record $128 million payroll last July when Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen were traded to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The White Sox should have a payroll in the neighborhood of $100 million this season, so it looks like general manager Kenny Williams is done “retooling.”
Starters Gavin Floyd and Jake Peavy are entering the final years of their contracts. If the Sox are out of contention in July, both pitchers are likely to be moved.
Chicago connection:The Philadelphia Phillies are rumored to be interested in Cubs relief pitcher Kerry Wood. If a deal gets done, Wood likely would step in for former White Sox starter Jose Contreras.Now 40, Contreras was pitching very well out of Philadelphia#146;s bullpen before blowing out his elbow and having surgery last August.Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge departed the Phillies at the end of the disappointing 2011 season as free agents, but Philadelphia did add Jonathan Papelbon.Iced tea:What were the Blue Jays thinking last July when they acquired Mark Teahen in a trade from the White Sox?Teahen played in just 27 games with Toronto and batted .190 with 1 home run and 3 RBI. He was designated for assignment Monday, and the Jays still owe him $5.5 million.Soriano taker?The Cubs swallowed $15.5 million of Carlos Zambrano#146;s $18 million contract in order to trade the high-strung starter to the Miami Marlins.Now the Cubs are rumored to be in eat mode again with outfielder Alfonso Soriano.Soriano has $54 million remaining on his contract. If the Cubs pick up $40 million or so, the Baltimore Orioles might be interested in making a deal.Manny movement?Manny Ramirez wants to return to baseball, and he held a workout last week.The Orioles and the Blue Jays were the other major-league clubs in attendance.Ramirez looked like he was washed up in 2010, when he had just 1 home run and 2 RBI in 24 games with the White Sox. He was 1-for-17 with the Tampa Bay Rays last season when he retired after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.Since it was his second infraction, Manny was hit with a 100-game suspension. The penalty was reduced to 50 games last month, and Ramirez has to serve that suspension if the Jays or the Orioles roll the dice.Where#146;s Juan?You have to wonder if Juan Pierre is contemplating retirement.The 34-year-old outfielder still is on the free-agent market and has not been linked to any team after putting up a .279/.329/.327 hitting line with the White Sox last season.Pierre is a poor defensive outfielder, but his declining speed is a bigger concern. After leading the majors with 68 stolen bases in 2010, Pierre dipped to 27 last season, and he was thrown out 17 times.Ozzie Guillen always has been Pierre#146;s biggest fan, so maybe the duo will reunite in Miami.sgregor@dailyherald.com