Tough to Figure out What is Happening in Chicago So Far

Much like the previous offseason, this hot stove season seems to be set to a slow burn. With the Yankees unlikely to set the market on a big free agent (key word is ‘unlikely’), the big name free agents like Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, and John Lackey will likely wait closer to Christmas before finding a new contract. Even with the slow market, one team has already made a few transactions. As always, Ken Williams, the General Manager of the Chicago White Sox, has been aggressive remaking his club for a new season. Last season, the White Sox finished a disappointing 79-83, 7.5 games behind the Twins. 2009 marked the second sub .500 season in the past three seasons after posting a break even or winning record the previous seven seasons. Never to stand pat, Williams acquired Jake Peavy and claimed Alex Rios and his $62 million dollars remaining on his contact during the 2009 season in an effort to win the Central Division. While the moves didn’t work as planned, Williams set the team up nicely for 2010 with a healthy Jake Peavy heading up a deep rotation and a hopefully rejuvenated Alex Rios to help the aging White Sox compete in a division where 85 wins could win it all. That makes his offseason moves even more puzzling.

October 6:  Exercise Options on Matt Thornton and Freddy Garcia

Exercising the option on Matt Thornton is not the questionable move here. Thornton, the 33-year-old southpaw reliever, has been a solid reliever since coming to Chicago in 2006. His strikeouts per nine rate has risen each season (10.8 last season) while his ERA+ of 171 and 170 compiled in each of the past two seasons is outstanding. With the current state of the relief market (in terms of stability), Thornton’s $2.25 million dollar contract is actually a bargain considering his production.

Bringing back Freddy Garcia is where the offseason begins to get questionable. Garcia had a renaissance in September when he posted a 3-2 record with a 3.66 ERA in his final six starts. He gave up 40 hits in 39.1 innings and only walked 7 batters during that span. The problem is underneath those statistics and how he gets those outs. He posted a 5.5 strikeouts per nine-inning ratio during those final six starts. Perhaps he has found a way to harness his control and do without his velocity, but Garcia looks to be a contact pitcher, a pitcher who will rely heavily on location and defense. Given the fact that he has thrown just 123 innings in the past three seasons combined (and with little success), the former workhorse looks like he had a good run of outstanding control, some outings against poor offenses (Royals and Mariners), two outings against a freefalling team (Tigers), and maybe just a hint of luck. Although $1 million dollars (plus $2 million in incentives) isn’t much of a gamble, there seems to be better bets on the free agent market, especially this offseason. It is doubtful that Garcia would’ve been scooped up right away which would have allowed the White Sox to explore options with more upside like Erik Bedard, Mark Mulder, Rich Harden, Ben Sheets, or even veterans like Braden Looper, Brett Myers, Vincente Padilla, or Pedro Martinez. If none of those options fit Williams’ budget, he could’ve gone back to Garcia. It just seemed to be too early for this type of decision especially with better options within the same budget available.

The only thing stopping this signing from being terrible is the fact that the Pale Hose top four starters (Peavy, Buehrle, Danks, and Floyd) can matchup with any team’s rotation. Peavy is a legitimate ace and Buerhle finally is in the number two spot he has always been better suited for. Danks and Floyd are better than most team’s third and fourth starters.

November 6: Signed Mark Kotsay to a 1 Year, $1.5 Million Dollar Contract

There is much to like about the 35 year old left-handed outfielder/first baseman. From all appearances, he appears to be a good teammate, willing to play any position, and is still a good contact hitter against right-handed pitching. He’s a quality bench player on a contending team as he does add some value in spots. He’s a career .281/.336/.413 hitter, but he struggles against left-handed pitchers, is no longer an adequate everyday centerfielder, and doesn’t have the on-base skills necessary to hit atop the order when he does play. It seems that the White Sox have fallen in love with Kotsay’s 113 at bats as a White Sox when he hit .292/.349/.434. They are ignoring the fact that he hasn’t posted an OBP over .340 since 2004.

Once again, money isn’t the issue. The timing of the move and what it does to the team makeup are the two issues. While the free agent market is void of many superstar players, there are plenty of role players available who are a bit more talented (at this stage of their careers) and a few years younger. Eric Hinkse is 32 years old and can play both corner infield and outfield positions. Players like Marcus Thames, Laynce Nix, Rocco Baldelli, and Reed Johnson can play a similar bench role while offering a bit more than Kotsay. Again, if Williams couldn’t find a financial fit, Kotsay could still be retained. Additionally, the White Sox had one of the older cores in the game (Konerko, Pierzynski, Dye, and Thome) for much of last season. While they have cut ties with Thome and Dye, adding Kotsay to the mix (and the later additions) makes for an old bench.

November 6: Acquired Mark Teahen from the Royals for Chris Getz and Josh Fields.

In a trade made with little fanfare, Ken Williams acquired the versatile Teahen from the Kansas City Royals for 25-year-old second baseman Chris Getz and 27-year-old third baseman Josh Fields. In fairness neither player going to Kansas City is a star player. Fields, a corner infielder with some power, hasn’t succeeded at the Major League level . His best season, the 2007 season where he played in a career high 100 games, saw him hit .244/.308/.480 with 23 homeruns and 67 RBI. He did, however, strikeout 125 times. After a brief stint in the Majors in 2008, Fields was given the opportunity to start at third base after Joe Crede was allowed to sign with the Twins. He didn’t take hold of the job, hitting just .222/.301/.347 with 7 homeruns and 30 RBI in 239 at bats. He lost his job to Gordon Beckham. Fields is still an interesting player considering his six-year Minor League record of .274/.359/.459. He strikes out quite a bit, probably too much to be an everyday player, but his power and his age still make him an interesting acquisition for the Royals.

Getz actually ended up being the starting second baseman for the White Sox, posting a .261/.324/.347 batting line with 25 stolen bases in 27 attempts. He won’t hit for power, but his minor league track record (.286/.362/.380 in six seasons) does indicate a player who may get on base enough to be a viable Major League hitter. He leaves Chicago as Gordon Beckman shifts to a more natural second base position for the 2010 season. Yes, he was expendable, but the White Sox are quickly becoming a team without an offensive identity. They were once a power team, but now they lack a dependable 30-homerun threat or one single hitter that strikes fear in the opposition. Now, with the departure of Getz (and the seeming departure of Scott Podsednik), they are team void of speed.

Acquiring Teahen speaks volumes about the lack of an offensive identity. It is unknown if Teahen will be an everyday player for the White Sox or if he will fill a super-utility role in 2010. If the season were to start today, he would be the starting third baseman. He is just 28 years old, but he doesn’t really bring the White Sox more than another offensive player who struggles to get on base or any other above average skill to the plate. He’s a career .269/.331/.419 hitter who hasn’t eclipsed the latter two numbers in two years. If playing full-time, he likely hits 15 homeruns and drives in 60 runs while stealing 8 bases. Considering the fact that the White Sox ranked 10^th in the American League in on base percentage and 11^th in slugging, his addition makes for “more of the same” in 2010 for the offense. Getz and Fields aren’t stars, but there was upside; Teahen has demonstrated what he is: an adequate hitter. He would flourish in a lineup such as the Yankees or Phillies as he wouldn’t be depended upon to provide production. But, the White Sox offense is limited. Additionally, with the White Sox having one of the better rotations in the game, one would think they would try to find a better defensive player. Teahen, by most defensive metrics, doesn’t fit that mold either.

November 23: Signed Omar Vizquel to a 1 Year, $1.3 Million Dollar Contract

Vizquel will be 43 years old when the season gets underway. He is being brought in to be more of a mentor to Alexei Ramirez and Gordon Beckham. He is one of the best people in the game today and will likely be an asset for the White Sox with his infectious spirit and play. He filled a similar role last season in Texas, tutoring Elvis Andrus while posting a .266/.316/.345 line in 177 at bats. There cannot be a value placed on the knowledge that he brings to the table, but one can begin to question the White Sox bench. Kotsay, Vizquel, and Andruw Jones are experienced players, but how much do they bring to the table? What if an injury occurs? Can any of the three be expected to be a long-term starter? Knowing that Vizquel is no longer an everyday player and Kotsay is a platoon player with limited offensive production, isn’t preparing for injury or even matchups. Mentoring is very important, but when the team lacks offense and a quality bench, taking a roster spot for mentoring may prove costly. The Rangers had an above average offense and could afford a roster spot for Vizquel. The same cannot be said of the White Sox at the moment.

November 26: Signed Andruw Jones to a 1 Year, $500,000 Dollar Contract

Andruw Jones had a fine rebound season in Texas, one of the best offensive environments in the game (see Bradley, Milton). Jones will be 33 years old in 2010 and is coming off of his best season since 2007. In limited duty (281 at bats), Jones hit .214/.323/.459 with 17 homeruns and 43 RBI. The power production was great and Chicago is an offensive park. But, his 72 strikeouts are still an indication of free swinging. Yes, his BABIP of .221 indicates some bad luck, but considering his 2005 season of 51 homeruns and 128 RBI and a .263/.347/.575 batting line was compiled with a .240 BABIP, luck doesn’t seem to be too much of a factor. Can Jones produce a similar season in 2010? Sure he can; he probably can improve upon it. But, is this what the White Sox need? That is difficult to answer considering the lack of offense in the starting lineup. Ken Williams has stated that Jones is being brought in as a bench player. His power makes him a good fit; he still is an average defensive player (who didn’t play one inning in centerfield last season) after being one of the best fielders in the game. What Williams does with the rest of the roster will determine the value of this signing. If Jones is going to be depended on to play four or five days a week, it likely means another poor offensive season in Chicago.

Closing Thoughts

Ken Williams deserves the respect to wait until the end of the offseason before completely evaluating his plan. He always puts his team in a position to win. He has much work to do; he has to find a full-time corner outfielder, perhaps a centerfielder, perhaps a third baseman, and a designated hitter. He needs to cultivate an offensive identity for the 2010 White Sox. His moves thus far have done nothing but provide an aging bench to the team. Perhaps the veteran leadership will help the young players like Beckham, Ramirez, Tyler Flowers, and Carlos Quentin. But, they won’t help the White Sox become a more patient team or a team that gets on base more efficiently. They won’t even help defensively, something needed with their pitching staff. Perhaps the end result will justify these moves, but for the moment, they remain perplexing.

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