Tough winter for Sox alums
It's been a rough off-season for several players that wore White Sox uniforms in 2009.
Let's start with Jermaine Dye. He's still on the free-agent market after reportedly nixing a one-year, $3.3 million offer from the Cubs. Xavier Nady wound up landing on the North Side with the same deal.
Dye's name has been linked to several teams this winter _ the Padres, Rangers, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox and Mariners. But with spring training just over two weeks away, the 36-year-old outfielder continues to search for work.
Why hasn't a team jumped up and made an offer?
Dye had pretty good numbers last season (.250, 27 HR, 81 RBI), but he really tailed off after the all-star break (.179, 7 HR, 26 RBI). Then there's his defense.
From 2007-09, Dye's UZR rating is -80.6. In major-league baseball, only Adam Dunn and Brad Hawpe have been worse. Considering he has balked at being a full-time designated hitter, maybe it's not surprising that Dye is still looking for a job.
Jim Thome and Jose Contreras both did about as well as expected. Thome signed a one-year deal with the Twins, where it looks like he'll primarily be a pinch-hitter (the underrated Jason Kubel is Minnesota's full-time DH). Contreras, who like Thome was traded by the Sox last Aug. 31, signed a one-year deal with the Phillies and is being eyed as a middle reliever.
Scott Podsednik turned down a one-year offer to rejoin the White Sox. Thinking he could another year or two (and more money) from another team after batting .304 for the Sox last season, Podsednik didn't attract much interest and wound up signing a one-year, $1.75 million contract with the Royals.
Octavio Dotel and D.J. Carrasco both landed with the pitiful Pirates. Dotel got an OK deal (one-year, $3 million) and the 36-year-old reliever heads into training camp as Pittsburgh's closer, more by default than anything else.
As for Carrasco, he figured to cash in somewhere after leading AL relief pitchers in innings pitched (89 1/3) last season while going 5-1 with a 3.76 ERA. Instead, the 32-year-old righty settled for a minor-league deal from the Pirates. He'll get a base salary of $950,000 if he makes the 25-man roster.
Let's see, that leaves Bartolo Colon. We'll take a pass on that one.
Carrasco wanted to start. There is no place for him to start right now so he had to go. It is a shame though.
want to start last season during the bizarre stretch where Bartolo Colon was AWOL. Carrasco did make one spot start, and he allowed 5 runs in 4 innings vs. the Yankees. He also lobbied for more starts, and that seemed to irritate Ozzie. I'll sniff around when I get to spring training and get some more details.
Thanks for the updates, Scot.
The biggest surprise in this seems to be Carrasco. With his numbers and versatility, you'd think he would have gotten a deal with the Sox, but if not, that he would have gotten a better deal than this somewhere. The Pirates aren't evening guaranteeing him a spot on the major league roster.
What's the story behind the story, Scot? Did teams take a pass on him because they're worried that he's piled up too many innings the last couple of years? Is he a problem in the clubhouse? Is it something else?
and one I really can't answer. Carrasco did finish last season on the DL, but it was a hamstring injury. He wasn't a problem in the clubhouse at all. If anything, Carrasco was a positive presence and he was always ready to take the ball.
At SoxFest, Ozzie and Kenny said they didn't bring Carrasco back because there was no room on the roster. I don't know about one.
Obviously, something's up. Maybe there are some arm issues there with all of the innings Carrasco pitched. If Carrasco was completely healthy, some major-league team would have offered him a better deal.
I think teams are wising up about middle relievers and set up men. Rarely does the best set up man in free agency live up to his contract. Look back when the Cubs signed Howry and Eyre. Neither did what the Cubs expected. Look at Linebrink for us. Relievers are so hard to figure out that you can't simply predict that since he was good last year that he will be more effective then someone on your roster that is cheaper. It is as close to a complete guess as you can get in baseball. You never know when Cliff Pollitte is there waiting for his one year to be lights out and help a team to a World Series. Then disappear just as quick. Paying any reliever for longer then 2 years is a gamble.