Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010
Updated 4:42 PM
By Chuck GarfienCSNChicago.com
Well, that didn't take long.
Just hours after Paul Konerko declined arbitration from the White Sox comes a report on msnbc.com from Jim Bowden of XM Radio who claims that the Baltimore Orioles have made a "significant offer" for the White Sox first baseman.
The Orioles made a serious push to sign Victor Martinez, but lost out to the Detroit Tigers who have roughly 50 million coming off the books in 2011 and are, so far, having a "Toys R Us" spending spree this offseason. And the Tigers likely aren't finished.
As for Konerko, if the report is accurate, and the money is right, there are two problems: the team and the location.
Though calls to reach Konerko's agent have not been returned, he wants to win another championship before he retires, and while the Orioles made a big push last year after hiring manager Buck Showalter, Baltimore doesn't appear ready to overtake the Yankees or Red Sox anytime soon. Also, the Orioles hold spring training in Florida, which takes him away from his home and family in Arizona for six weeks.
MLB
Speaking of Arizona, Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers has recently said that signing a first baseman, specifically Konerko is not a priority right now. He's concentrating on pitching.
The Rangers, Red Sox, and White Sox seem to be the more realistic candidates.
The Rangers train in Arizona, but while the Red Sox are in the Grapefruit League, Boston is close to where Konerko grew up in Rhode Island. That could be attractive to him.
Get ready, with baseball's winter meetings starting next week in Orlando, the Konerko drama is about to heat up ... if it hasn't already.
Chuck Garfien hosts White Sox Pregame and Postgame Live on Comcast SportsNet with former Sox sluggers Frank Thomas and Bill Melton. Follow Chuck @ChuckGarfien on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Sox news and views.