Earlier Monday night, reports emerged that Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is leaving for the Florida Marlins. Courtesy of Bruce Levine, we get some confirmation:
Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen gathered his players before Monday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays and told them that it would be his final one, according to sources close to the situation.
Guillen and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf held a meeting Monday regarding Guillen's future. Guillen - entering the final year of his contract - has been seeking an extension, without which he said he would resign. As it turns out, neither will take place, as the White Sox and Marlins are closing a deal to send Guillen to Miami.
What kind of deal? First, Jon Morosi:
Source: White Sox would receive at least one player in return for Ozzie in proposed deal with Marlins.
And Bob Nightengale:
The White Sox are hoping to get a decent prospect, but not anyone on Marlins' 40-man roster for Guillen in latest round of talks.
It was fun to imagine that the Marlins might ship away Logan Morrison, but that would also be insane of them, since Morrison is a good player and Guillen is a manager of unknown quality. Morrison will remain where he is, as will the rest of the major Marlins. The White Sox will presumably end up with someone out of the minors.
Assuming the deal is completed, it will be the first manager/player trade since 2002, when the then-Devil Rays sent Randy Winn to the Mariners for Lou Piniella and a minor leaguer (Antonio Perez).