Buehrle will be a Card one day!?!

[redsrbetter]

IN THE NEWS: The White Sox announced a three-year, $29 million extension for Jose Contreras. That made every White Sox starter under the club's control through at least through 2007.

The White Sox have a $9.5 million option on Mark Buehrle for 2007, and that's also the last year of Freddy Garcia's contract. Javier Vazquez is signed through 2007 and Jon Garland through 2008. Hard-throwing Brandon McCarthy, the sixth starter, is waiting in the wings.

General manager Ken Williams jokingly told Buehrle "that once we get to his free-agent year, I was just going to put a St. Louis Cardinals uniform in his locker and that would be the end of it. For the last five years, he's been talking about it. I don't know if we've got too much of a real shot, and that's OK."

HUMMEL'S VIEW: The White Sox already have concerns about Garcia's arm and if anybody went after the season, it more likely would be he than Buehrle. But book it. Buehrle will pitch for the Cardinals one day. If his option isn't picked up next year, the Cardinals would be on the telephone immediately, especially considering they have four potential free-agent starters of their own.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/spo...0?OpenDocument

What the...? I am lost, since when has Buehrle been professing his love for the Cards? Is there a story I am missing here? Sounds to me like this guy would go there for free as a FA. This could be huge for Cards fans!

[realmofotalk]

SI covered Buehrle's love for the Cards back in its 2002 baseball preview issue. Buehrle grew up a Cards fan so he joked to Walt Jocketty that he'd love for the Cards to acquire him. And then there's Mark Mulder, who's a White Sox fan.

[redsrbetter]

More on this:

It would seem that Ken Williams is done joking around with Mark Buehrle.

The White Sox' general manager didn't find Buehrle's latest tarp-sliding incident very funny, and Williams is showing even less humor concerning all the St. Louis Cardinals talk that has come out of Buehrle's mouth the last four years.

While Williams considers Buehrle a "core player,'' talks about a long-term contract have yet to begin. Whether it's because Williams doesn't feel the time is right or doesn't feel Buehrle is a realistic investment possibility because of the pitcher's St. Louis ties, he isn't saying.

Williams mentioned the Cardinals talk late in spring training after the club announced Jose Contreras' contract extension, but it was passed off as kidding. He made it clear Tuesday, however, that he wasn't.

"[Buehrle] mentioned it once at that annual [St. Louis] dinner -- OK, that's funny,'' Williams said of the left-hander expressing a desire to pitch for his hometown Cardinals in the future. "He mentioned it twice the next year. ... You mention it three times like he did, and you have to start thinking he's serious.

"I wasn't completely joking with what I said [in spring training]. With that said, the one thing ... we've tried to do for a number of years now is lock up the core players. He certainly embodies everything of what we are trying to be about. If I further try to speak on the subject when it's not appropriate, it's not consistent with us trying to get things done under a confidential basis.''

But Buehrle confirmed there have been no talks concerning his future past 2006. The Sox have a $9.5 million option for next season that they almost certainly will pick up, but Buehrle is all for getting something longer done.

In fact, for the first time since the Cardinals talk began, Buehrle went out of his way before the game Tuesday to let the organization know how he feels.

"The whole Cardinals thing, I don't really know if I could sign with them, to be honest with you,'' Buehrle said. "If the Cardinals and White Sox came in and said, 'Here, five years for the same amount of money' or slightly apart, I don't know if I could sign with the Cardinals. There's a lot of stuff that comes with that, a lot of distractions. I've talked to people that play in their hometown, and they say it's almost too big of a distraction.

"Not to say that it won't happen or I won't go somewhere else, but the St. Louis stuff was all a joke. I did it the one time joking around, it got back here and was made into such a big deal, so I did it again just because everyone made such a big deal about it. That's the kind of guy I am. I like to screw around and have fun.''

And if the Sox decide to wait, at least this year, to begin talks?

"That's up to them,'' Buehrle said. "If they want to wait until the end of the year, wait until the end of next year or start doing it right now, I don't think it will bother me one way or the other, or affect the way I pitch.

"I'm going to go out there and give it 100 percent whether I'm under contract for a year or for five years.''

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sox/cst-spt-ssep19.html

[Dam8610]

What the...? I am lost, since when has Buehrle been professing his love for the Cards? Is there a story I am missing here? Sounds to me like this guy would go there for free as a FA. This could be huge for Cards fans!

Buehrle has never kept it a secret that he'd love to one day play for the Cardinals. Buehrle has also said that he'd like to stay with the White Sox as long as he can. I just hope that "one day" is after he's won 200+ games for the White Sox.

[redsrbetter]

With all this chatter lately, I wouldn't doubt that Buehrle will be a Card next year.

[Dam8610]

With all this chatter lately, I wouldn't doubt that Buehrle will be a Card next year.

I will guarantee right now that, barring some type of freak injury that ends his career, Mark Buehrle will be on the White Sox in 2007.

[redsrbetter]

Now thats what I like to hear. Where is this guarantee coming from though Dam? What are your thoughts on this situation?

[love_that_reefer]

Walt Jocketty is one of the best but who knows if they can get Buehrle. Let's see what they do with Mulder first.

[Saber]

Per The Brushback:

"Free Agent Really Wants To Stay But Is Looking At All His Options"

[ThomeIsGod]

Next year? No.... 2008, it's a possibility. It's pretty much a given that the Sox will pick up his 07 option.

While it'd sadden all White Sox fans, the consolation prize of it all is seeing Buehrle win 5-6 games a season against the Cubs.

[love_that_reefer]

Cards will most likely give a contract to Mulder, then they will have Reyes ready fro all of next year. Carpenter, Mulder and Reyes will be a nasty three headed monster next year. They can get other starters to fill in for cheap like they did this year with Ponson. They may bring Marquis back but that depends on this year.

[Dam8610]

Now thats what I like to hear. Where is this guarantee coming from though Dam? What are your thoughts on this situation?

Well, the White Sox have a $9.5 million 2007 team option on Buehrle's contract. That, and the fact the he's pretty much been the face of the organization for years now (at least locally), tells me that he'll be there in 2007 and well beyond. Definitely through 2007 though, barring some major injury of course.

[love_that_reefer]

Cards do not need him as there are plenty of pitchers available next year. Let's put this one to rest.

[redsrbetter]

More on this:

The dream, as you probably know by now, is to be in one of those St. Louis uniforms, with his regular guy's chest emblazoned by the famous logo, the red bird sitting atop the bat. Buehrle, while happy in the White Sox organization and with a house on a Chicago golf course, has made no secret about those lifelong leanings.

That would be fine, except we are closing in on a time when it is becoming closer to becoming a real possibility. The scary part is that the next time interleague play brings the Cardinals to U.S. Cellular Field, Buehrle could be dressed as a Cardinal.

They would be crazy not to want him, if the Sox were insane enough to let him go.

And, no question about it, losing Buehrle would be an act of insanity.

"That would be huge," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. "He pretty much has proved he's good for seven innings or more every time, that you can take it for granted. When I got the job they told me the one day he pitched would be the day I could take it easy."

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune....s-home-utility