The Buzz: Ozzie Guillen On The Trading Block?
Looking back at the Chicago White Sox season, it can best described as strange. Before the season even started, there was increasing tensions building between White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams. The event that triggered the season long feud between Kenny and Ozzie was debate on whether or not the Chicago White Sox should bring back Jim Thome, who they traded late in the 2009 season. It was widely believed that Kenny Williams wanted to bring in Thome, however, Guillen was against the potential signing. For that reason, the Chicago White Sox opted not to sign Thome. From there, Ozzie Guillen’s son, Oney Guillen, who had been a member of the Chicago White Sox Video department began bashing Williams through twitter. This led to Kenny Williams firing Oney Guillen, and Ozzie Guillen being upset at Williams for doing so. This would be the beginning of a season long feud between Williams and Guillen.
During the season, the relationship between Williams and Guillen actually was getting much worse as the season advanced. Especially, when the White Sox began the season on such a poor note. During that period of the season, Williams and Guillen had reportedly gotten into a shouting match and had to be separated. The feud seemed to die down as the White Sox began turning their season around, and were closing in on first place in the American League Central division. But, in late August the relationship between Williams and Guillen reached a boiling point. After the White Sox were coming off a disappointing stretch of games, in which they lost the lead in their division, Guillen and Williams once again got into shouting match. This time there were reports that the shouting match may have gotten physical, and it took multiple members of the White Sox to separate the two.
It was at that point, that Ozzie Guillen’s future with the Chicago White Sox beginning to be in question. As, there was a belief in the White Sox front office that two could no longer work together on a daily basis. Which is why the White Sox reportedly gave permission to the Florida Marlins to speak to Guillen about their managerial vacancy, according to the Chicago Sun Time’s Chris De Luca.
In fact, De Luca mentions, that the Marlins were so focused on getting Guillen that the White Sox and Marlins were talking about a trade that would have sent Ozzie Guillen, as a manager, to the Florida Marlins for 20 year old rookie Mike Stanton. Is it me, or is anyone else shocked that the Florida Marlins would be willing to do such a foolish move?
No offense to the success that Guillen has had as a manager, there is no way I would give up a 20 year old stud for a manager. Mike Stanton had a line of .259/.326/.507/.833 with 22 home runs and 59 home runs in 100 games, in his rookie year with the Florida Marlins. The dumbest thing you can do in my opinion is trade for a manager, let alone give up a hot shot young player for a manager.
However, despite the talk of the potential steal of the Florida Marlins, Chicago White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and Manager Ozzie Guillen met during the last week of the season, and it was decided that Ozzie would be returning as White Sox manager in the 2011 season.
A lot of baseball fans may forget that Managers are subject to be traded just the same way as Players are. Managers are “property” of the team, which therefore, gives the team the right to trade a Manager. With that said, it is extremely,extremely rare that a Manager will get traded. Nonetheless, it would have been amazing to see Ozzie Guillen be traded as a manager to the Florida Marlins for 20 year old outfielder Mike Stanton.