GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -Jermaine Dye knows this much after an offseason of persistent trade rumors: He wants to stay put.
The Chicago White Sox right fielder has other things to do – such as prepare for his 14th season in the majors and spend time with his three sons – rather than keep addressing the speculation that has followed him for months.
“It’s something I put behind me a long time ago. I went through it a couple of years ago. You learn from it, you learn how to just block it out and just go play,” Dye said.
Dye, the World Series MVP in 2005 for the White Sox, signed a two-year, $22 million extension late in the 2007 season with a mutual option for next year.
Dye made $9.5 million last season and will get $11.5 million this year. The mutual option would pay him $12 million for the 2010 season or give him a $1 million buyout.
zie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams.
But he doesn’t really want talks on a new deal, if there is one, to come up after the season starts.
“If something is going to get done, hopefully it’s before the season starts,” he said. “I don’t want to have to go through talks like that through a season, just worry about playing baseball. Nothing has been talked about, so I take it as I’m going to go play this year and help this team win and do what I can.”
Dye was traded from Atlanta to Kansas City in 1997 and then ended up with the A’s in 2001 after a three-team trade that also included the Rockies.
And if the White Sox flounder and are out of contention by the trade deadline, his name will likely resurface in trade talks again.
“There may be teams out there that look at me as a player who can help them, but right now I’m with the White Sox and that’s all I care about. I want to be here to finish off my career and hopefully I will be,” he said.
Williams said earlier he told Dye “it was unlikely you’ll be moved,” adding it would be impossible to give a 100 percent assurance.
Entering his fifth year with Chicago, Dye was a major force in the White Sox winning the AL Central last season. He batted .292 with 34 homers and 96 RBIs in 154 games. He’s now two homers shy of 300 for his career and nine RBIs away from 1,000.
” manager Ozzie Guillen said Friday, adding that Dye has long been one of his favorite players.
“He knows the business. He’s not a kid. … He’s going to get the truth from me and Kenny about trades. Kenny already told him `we’re not trading you.”’
Even though Dye doesn’t want to talk about the possibility of a trade or his future, it’s a subject that won’t go away entirely.
“J.D. has to stay healthy and go out there and he will sign another contract. It can be here, somewhere else,” Guillen said. “Make sure that this thing doesn’t get to him: `I got to do much this year and I got to do this because it’s my contract year.’ I hope it’s not a distraction for him, but it will be mentioned.”
z, acquired from the Yankees, because he’s a candidate for a spot in the rotation. And he’s also had an eye on 3B Josh Fields and Dayan Viciedo. Other spots to be won in the spring are in center field, where DeWayne Wise, Brian Anderson and Jerry Owens are the candidates. And second base is also open, where Chris Getz, Brent Lillibridge and Jayson Nix are competing.
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