I was surprised last week when the White Sox decided not to bring back Jim Thome. The problem to me is two-fold. The Sox don’t have anyone on the roster that can put up the numbers Thome is capable of and they let him go to their division rival: The Minnesota Twins.

The White Sox are built to win now. On paper they have one of the top starting pitching staffs to go along with what appears to be a solid bullpen. Their lineup was an issue last year as they were 12^th in the AL in runs scored. The offense needs help, which makes the decision not to sign Thome more confusing. Thome put up a solid line of .249/.366/.481 for the 2009 season. That was good for a WAR of 1.3.  That may not seem all that important, but when you look at who is replacing him it is significant. Mark Kotsay and Andruw Jones look to be sharing the DH role. Kotsay was good for a -.3 WAR last year and Andruw Jones was a .8 WAR last season. So combined they were good for a .5 WAR. So the difference is about one win.

Projections have Thome outperforming both Jones and Kotsay for the 2010 season. They have a good shot at catching the Twins in the AL Central, but they need to put the best team out there to do it. That one win might not seem like a lot over the course of a 162 game season, but that can be the difference between making the playoffs and waiting for next year. After the signing of Orlando Hudson the Twins look like the team to beat in the AL Central. In order to pass the Twins in the AL Central I feel the White Sox have to upgrade the DH spot. I think Russell Branyan would be a good fit for the DH role. He put up a line of .251/.347/.520 for the Seattle Mariners last season. Even with his potential injury concerns I think he is worth the gamble. He shouldn’t cost all that much either.

Although I disagree with Ozzie Guillen’s philosophy, I will give him credit for getting the most out of his players. I for one will be curious to see if Guillen can work his magic again this year.