» A’s Swisher to White Sox for 3 Minor Leaguers, Clement, Cardinals Make 1 Year, $1.5M Deal

A’s Swisher to White Sox for 3 Minor Leaguers, Clement, Cardinals Make 1 Year, $1.5M Deal

The Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox pulled the trigger on a deal sending centerfielder/first baseman Nick Swisher to the White Sox in exchange for three minor leaguers from the White Sox system.

AP sports reporter Josh Dubrow reports for Yahoo sports;

The White Sox are hoping that the addition of Swisher will help them rebound from a 72-90 season and get back to the level they were at when they won the 2005 World Series.

The 27-year-old Swisher batted .262 with 22 homers and 78 RBIs in 150 games in 2007, his third full big league season. He also drew 100 walks, ranking him sixth in the AL, for a career-best .381 on-base percentage.

Swisher’s patience could be an important addition to the White Sox, who were last in the majors in 2007 with a .318 on-base percentage.

The interesting thing about Swisher’s stats is that he knows how to work walks. In 2006, his 2nd full MLB season, he worked 97 walks vs 152 strikeouts while hitting .254 and had a .372 OBP while hitting 35 homers and driving in 95 runs. In 2007, he worked 100 walks, but cut down his strikeouts to 131.

AP also reports that free agent starting pitcher Matt Clement and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to terms of a 1 year, $1.5M deal laden with incentives.

Clement had missed last season while recovering from shoulder surgery and had last pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2006 compiling a 5-5 record in 12 games compiling an 6.61 ERA, on the high side of Adam Eaton.

The AP post reported;

The 33-year-old right-hander is 87-86 with a 4.47 ERA in nine major league seasons with San Diego, Florida, the Chicago Cubs and Boston. An AL All-Star in 2005 with the Red Sox, he made at least 30 starts in each of his first seven full big league seasons from 1999-2005 before shoulder problems limited him to 12 starts for Boston in 2006.

Clement gets a $1.25 million salary this year and can earn an additional $5.25 million in performance bonuses, receiving the full amount if he pitches 200 innings.

The Cardinals have an $8.75 million option for 2009 with a $250,000 buyout. The option would increase to $9 million and the buyout $500,000 if Clement reaches 160 innings this season; $9.5 million and $1 million for 180 innings; and $10 million and $1.5 million for 200 innings.

The option would become $11 million and the buyout $2 million if Clement finishes in the top five in 2008 Cy Young Award balloting.