As we head towards Spring Training, it's time to check out where all 14 teams in the American League are headed as we enter the 2010 season. In this seventh installment we will analyze the Chicago White Sox.
- Chicago White Sox (2009 W/L: 79-83, 724 RS, 732 RA)
Key Additions: OF Andruw Jones, OF Juan Pierre, 3B Mark Teahen, SS Omar Vizquel
Key Losses: OF Jermaine Dye, OF Scott Podsednik, RP Octavio Dotel, SP Bartolo Colon
Overview: The White Sox will enter the 2010 season with a great deal of confidence after the Twins lost their All-Star closer, Joe Nathan. The White Sox have a great deal of talent in their rotation but their season will hinge on the performance of their lineup, which is made up of youngsters, disappointments and past their prime veterans. Their bullpen is also far from a sure thing, with closer Bobby Jenks coming off a disappointing 2009 as well as dealing with some injuries this spring, and their new setup man, J.J. Putz who made just 29 ineffective appearances last season with the New York Mets.
Infield: The bright spot in the White Sox lineup lies in the form of second baseman Gordon Beckham. The 23 year old played third last season, but will take over at second due to the acquisition of Mark Teahen. The eighth pick in the 2008 draft made his debut in June and quickly made an impact, hitting .270 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI in just 378 at bats. Paul Konerko remains at first, the 34 year old had solid 2009, but is on the decline. Alexei Ramirez provides respectable offense out of the shortstop position, but also a below average glove. Expect newly acquired Omar Vizquel to be inserted as a defensive replacement on many nights. Mark Teahan mans third base. Teahan, 28, has never built on the promise he displayed in 2006 with the Royals, but perhaps some time in a better lineup will help him out. Behind the plate, the volatile A.J. Pierzynski will provide average offense and a free pass to second base for anyone on first.
Outfield: The White Sox lineup will be incredibly hit or miss this year. In left, Juan Pierre takes over for the departed Podsednik. Pierre is still quick, but I’ve never loved him offensively. The numbers always look nice, but I think the Dodgers used him best, in a part time role or as a fill in for an injured (or suspended) player. His defense is suspect and his arm is nonexistent and offensively, he’ll need to adjust to a new league this year. In centerfield, perennial disappointment Alex Rios returns for his first full season in Chicago. The idea that a new environment would rejuvenate the one promising outfielder didn’t pan out last year (he posted a comedic .530 OPS in 41 games with the White Sox) so MAYBE a full season with his new team will help him out. Unfortunately for him, he can no longer boost his statistics by playing the Yankees nearly 20 times a year. Finally in right, Carlos Quentin will look return to his 2008 form. Quentin was limited to just 99 games in 2009, but still managed to his 23 home runs. His batting average dropped dramatically but his isolated patience remained consistent with his MVP caliber 2008 season. As long as he’s healthy, there’s no reason not to expect elite production from him.
DH: Andrew Jones joins the Sox as a DH, but it’s tough to expect anything better than the 2009 numbers he put up with the Rangers. Jones can still provide some pop, but any regular action quickly exposes him. If Jones falters early on, expect a healthy dose of Mark Kotsay.
Starting Pitching: It’s rare that you can look at a starting rotation and think that getting at least 1,000 innings from your five starters is a legitimate possibility, but health willing, the White Sox very well could get that this year. Mark Buehrle remains the team ace, on paper at least, or until Jake Peavy can prove that he can handle the American League on a regular basis. John Danks and Gavin Floyd both continued their excellent pitching and should pick up a few more wins if their offense gets their act straight. Veteran Freddy Garcia rounds out the rotation. Garcia appeared to be washed up after being cut by the Mets after two poor AAA starts, but appeared to have something left after joining the White Sox, going 3-4 with a 4.34 ERA in nine starts with the team.
Relief Pitching: The White Sox will hope for a bounce back year from closer Bobby Jenks, who allowed a career high nine home runs in just 53.1 IP last season while tying a career high in blown saves with six. Jenks has been dealing with a calf injury this spring, another hurdle he will need to overcome heading into the season. Setup man J.J. Putz will also look to put a 2009 behind him that saw him pitch ineffectively before eventually needing season ending surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow. If Putz returns to form and Jenks continues to struggle, Putz could easily slide back into a closer role. They’ll be joined by lefty Matt Thornton and veteran Scott Linebrink.
Projection: The White Sox have already received a gift with Nathan being lost for the season, but even without Nathan the Twins still have more than enough talent to win the AL Central. The starting pitching is there for the White Sox, but with so many questions surrounding the lineup and the backend of their bullpen, it’s tough to predict a White Sox divisional win.
2010 Chicago White Sox: 88-74, 2nd Place, AL Central
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