Last week, during what was thought to be a two team race between the Rangers and Yankees to sign Cliff Lee, a mystery team emerged at the eleventh hour to nab him. That team of course was the Phillies.
Now, in another perceived two team race, the Angels and Rangers (we think) are battling for 3B Adrian Beltre's services.
I think it's time another mystery team appeared: the Chicago White Sox.
Using last year's numbers as the basis, a lineup with Beltre on the South Side projects to score more than five runs per game, something only two teams in all of baseball were able to accomplish last year. It would be a righthand-dominant lineup, but moving AJP in front of Carlos Quentin would split the three lefties nicely throughout. It might look like this:
Juan Pierre, LF
Gordon Beckham, 2B
Paul Konerko, 1B
Adam Dunn, DH
Beltre, 3B
Alex Rios, CF
AJ Pierzynski, C
Quentin, RF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Mix in a rotation that has the potential to be the best in the American League (don't laugh, see below), and the White Sox are dangerous:
John Danks
Mark Buerhle
Jake Peavy
Gavin Floyd
Edwin Jackson
Interesting 2009 stat: US Cellular had the highest HR Factor in all of baseball but their pitchers gave up the 24th fewest long balls.
Only Jerry Reisndorf and Kenny Williams know if they can afford Beltre, but payroll concerns aside, the improvement from Mark Teahan/Omar Vizquel to Adrian Beltre could be worth six wins to the White Sox (Teahan's career WAR: 3.5, Vizquel's 2009 WAR: 0.3, Beltre's WAR in 2009: 7.1), a team that won 88 games last season despite this lack of production from their third basemen and a down first half from Gordon Beckham.
Can Adrian Beltre lead this mystery team to a World Series? My money says yes.
Jerry, give it a shot and make my 30:1 longshot gamble look savvy.
And Adrian, you've done the West Coast thing and the East Coast thing without much team success (one postseason appearance in 13 years). Why not see what the Midwest is like?
Posts
When do you figure Peavy will pitch this year? He had surgery and may miss the entire season.
ReplyDeleteHe had surgery in June and is expected to be back by spring training. My money is on the White Sox holding off on him till the beginning of May because they have Chris Sale to slot into the 5th spot.
ReplyDeleteThe payroll is at 123 million. There is no way they can pull off this signing unless they trade Buerhle or Peavy, and the latter would garner little interest while on the DL.
ReplyDeleteTo John, Peavy back by spring training? Most reports say June at the earliest. I'm curious where you have you heard this?
I'm sorry, but I don't find the 2009 fact interesting. If the pitchers had been in the top 10 MLB teams for HR given up it might be better, but having only 6 teams give up more means very little. I bet after looking closer the amount of HRs that separate the bottom 7 teams make this fact even less interesting. Just a guess.
ReplyDeleteAJ, the article is confusing. The Sox gave up the 7th least amount of homers. Only 6 teams gave up fewer.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the Sox are done spending.