To top off the apparent idiocy of having a “no-hit” player as the designated freaking hitter, the Sox opening day lineup had him pegged in the 5th spot of the lineup. Yikes, to say the least. That is a very “Pirates-y” move, and less a decision of a team that has realistic playoff hopes.

As if to quickly show his incompetence in the role, Kotsay came up in the opening day game with the bases loaded, twice.

He promptly grounded out in both chances. Quite the heroic effort…
I am most certainly the last person to judge much of anything off a single game, let alone a month of play, but simply look at what Kotsay has done since 2004.

The 34-year-old has always been known as a defense-first kinda guy, with a few random above average offensive years spread throughout. Although he was a serviceable enough offensive guy in his early years, Kotsay has been ten different shades of awful since 2006.

In the past 3 years, Mark has hit .260 with a .316 On-base percentage. This sub-par contact and patience is also coming from a guy with anemic power with sub-par speed and base-running skills.

His situation seems blatantly awful to me. He owns a pitiful .687 OPS since 2007.
Mark Kotsay is a fringe-bench player and possible defensive replacement. To put him in a role where he could start 75% of the time at DH?

Is that Ozzie-ball? More like Kamikaze-ball, as Kotsay’s awful production should put a hurting on his team.
I don’t expect him to retain this role long, just like I laughed off Guillen’s plan to start DeWayne Wise everyday in center field and lead-off with him. Yes, Ozzie planned on leading off with a 31-year-old bench player with a career .255 ON-BASE-PERCENTAGE! I kidd you not.

This designated hitter situation is on a similar level of stupid, and should be alleviated as soon as possible if the Sox want to field a playoff-caliber team.

Last time I checked, Jake Peavy still has the same outstanding, power stuff he had in San Diego, doesn’t have an arm issue ( at the moment), and is still relatively young. He’s going to strike guys out like he always has, he’s going to dominant at times like he always has, and I don’t see the problem with taking him as your second pitcher on your staff. He might suffer a little bit in the ERA department, but wins and strikeouts should still be real good, with his WHIP being a little higher. If your in a league where innings pitched is a category, you should be fine there as well. Basically- don’t be afraid to take him if he’s on the board. I wasn’t. Your going to see a good year out of Peavy and if you pass him up for someone like Roy Oswalt…Your going to be sorry come seasons end.

Adrian Gonzalez is putting up better numbers than Beckham now and that is playing a majority of his games in Petco Park, which favors pitchers. He has put up a career line of .264/.362/.443 at Petco Park. Not awful numbers considering the park he is playing in. I would love to see the numbers Gonzalez would put up in a hitters park like US Cellular Field. I could see Gonzalez hitting 50 homeruns playing a majority of his games at US Cellular Field.  Gonzalez could be the bat that puts the White Sox ahead of the Twins in the AL Central. He would also allow Paul Konerko to move to the DH role. Konerko is also a free agent after this season and Gonzalez would be a great replacement.

This does not mean I don’t think highly of Beckham. I think he will be a solid player for his career, but I don’t think he will ever approach the numbers that Gonzalez is putting up. The only way I would keep Beckham is if I thought he was going to put up numbers similar to Chase Utley, but I don’t think Beckham has that high of a ceiling. You have to give up something to get something and getting Gonzalez would make the Sox World Series contenders now.

If I were a Sox fan I would not be upset if this deal is not made because I think Beckham has a nice future ahead of him and they have a nice team in place, but Gonzalez would be the big bat the team desperately needs.

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.

Key losses- Scott Podsednik, Jermaine Dye, Chris Getz, Octavio Dotel

Key additions- Juan Pierre, J.J. Putz, Mark Teahen, Andruw Jones, Omar Vizquel

Off-season grade- B-

Justification- They did improve the outfield defense by letting Jermaine Dye go. They got some nice pieces for the bench in Vizquel and Jones. Juan Pierre gives the Sox speed at the leadoff position, which Ozzie likes. I question whether or not the Sox have enough power to compete. The bullpen needs J.J. Putz to pitch to his career norms to be effective.

Detroit Tigers

Key losses- Curtis Granderson, Fernando Rodney, Brandon Lyon, Placido Polanco, Jarrod Washburn, Edwin Jackson

Key additions- Max Scherzer, Phil Coke, Dan Schlereth, Austin Jackson

Off-season grade- B-

Justification- They lost some pieces to last year’s team, but they would have had to overpay to keep them. Losing Granderson hurts, but I think they got a nice return. I like Austin Jackson a lot. I think Scherzer has a lot of upside and all it cost them was Edwin Jackson, who had a bad second half.

Cleveland Indians

Key losses- Jamey Carroll

Key additions- Austin Kearns, Shelley Duncan, Mark Grudzielanek

Off-season grade- C

Justification- They didn’t lose anyone significant, but they did not add anyone to make their team better either.

Kansas City Royals

Key losses- Coco Crisp, Miguel Olivo, Mike Jacobs

Key additions- Scott Podsednik, Jason Kendall, Brian Anderson, Rick Ankiel

Off-season grade- D

Justification- They lost a good defensive center fielder in Coco Crisp and replaced him with Scott Podsednik. Much like the Bengie Molina I question why any GM would give Jason Kendall significant money. I’m sure you could find a minor league player that can give the same amount of production for less. I believe they overpaid for Rick Ankiel.

Minnesota Twins

Key losses- Carlos Gomez, Joe Crede, Orlando Cabrera

Key additions- J.J. Hardy, Carl Pavano (re-signed)

Off-season grade- C

Justification- J.J. Hardy should improve the defense at the shortstop position. There was not a lot of activity by the Twins, but they did not need to do a lot. The core of the team is still in place.

Danny Hudson made his debut last year and he’s got some big time stuff. He can strike you out with a couple different pitches and frankly- if he continues to grow, the Sox could have the best rotation in baseball. It would be a major mistake in my opinion to trade this kid.He’s got the upside of a 1 or a 2 in my opinion.

2) Dayan Viciedo-3B

The cuban sensation didn’t quite live up to the monster predictions he faced last year, but he’s still got some major upside. I think he’s more of a first basemen than a third basemen based on his size- but he can flat out hit. He’s got some developing power and I think could be a 25-35 home run guy at some point if he can stay in a good shape. I think we’ll see him in 2010. It’s hard to see him sitting in AAA with a major league deal and I think he’ll be on the same track the Sox put Gordo on.

3) Jordan Danks-OF

Had a monster fall in Arizona and has shot up the ranks in the organization. He’s got mediocre home run power now, but it’s something that could definitely improve down the road. He’s more of a gap to gap guy at the moment, but he’s still coming into his own. Don’t sleep on this guy being a major contributer in the Sox outfield in 2010.

4) Tyler Flowers-C

Make no mistake- Flowers is the catcher of the future starting in 2011 when AJ leaves via free agency. He can flat out hit a baseball…really far. He’s a big man and can definitely be a 25-30 home run guy in the bigs in a few years. Granted we heard that about Joe Borchard too….so proceed with caution a little bit.

5) John Shelby-OF

Shelby slipped behind Danks in terms of rankings and that’s probably because he swings at basically anything and everything. He’s got some raw power and is pretty quick- but if he doesn’t learn how to lay off pitches outside the zone- he’ll never amount to anything. Big year in terms of development for this kid.

6) Jose Martinez- OF

Martinez had knee surgery a couple years ago and hurt his wheels just a tad last year. Hopefully with the winter off he’ll be able to refind some of that speed. He can hit a little bit- but I would seriously question his power at this point. I just don’t think it’ll come.

7) Carlos Torres- SP

I’m honestly not a big fan of Torres, but alot of scouts are- which is why I put him in my top 10. I don’t like his mechanics although he’s got a good arm. I see to much of the “inverted W” in his motion and that’s definitely a cause of concern if you talk to a few different pitching guru’s.

8) Jon Link

He’s got a power sinker (91-92) which is always tough to hit. If he can compliment that with a plus slider- he could definitely find his way into the pen at some point if not in the rotation.

9) Dexter Carter- RP

Had a solid 2009 in the minors- if he throws like that in 2010- you’ll see him in AAA and potentially in the bigs as soon as 2011.

9) Brent Moral-3B

He’s another guy that I think could be a “Mark DeRosa” type major league player. He’s got some athleticism which tells me he could play more than one position. Offensively- probably nothing more than a 270-280 average with 12-15 home runs if he played everday- not bad…but he’ll never be an all star. Good thing all teams need a guy like him.

10) Jared Mitchell-

Outstanding athlete- gap to gap hitter with little power. Quick but needs to improve his base running ability. Decent fielder, with an average arm.

The move all but ensures that Scott Podsednik will not be brought back to the South Side next year, as the Sox have now found the leadoff hitter they were looking for.

The 32-year-old Pierre joins Omar Vizquel, Mark Teahen, Andruw Jones and J.J. Putz as new members to the Black and White “Good Guys,” as general manager Kenny Williams has made a flurry of moves thus far this offseason.

Since the Dodgers traded for Manny Ramirez at the deadline in 2008, Pierre has been the odd man out in the L.A. outfield, with Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp filling in around Ramirez. Pierre did appear in 145 games last year, but only found his way into the starting lineup 76 times. He hit .308 on the season with 30 stolen bases and 57 runs. He started every game in left field when Ramirez was suspended for 50 games for violating the MLB’s drug policy, hitting .318 with 21 stolen bases and a .381 on-base percentage in that time.

Pierre is also familiar with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who was the third base coach for the Florida Marlins in 2003 when they won the World Series. Pierre was the leadoff hitter for the team that year.

Late last season, Williams also traded for starting pitche Jake Peavy and claimed outfielder Alex Rios off waivers. Having those two guys healthy all season with the addition of the five veteran offseason moves, the Sox might just be the team to beat in the AL Central in 2010.

They lose right fielder Jermaine Dye to free agency, but Pierre will help close that gap, as he will either man centerfield with Rios moving to right, or Pierre will take over left field and shift Carlos Quentin to right field. Andruw Jones and veterans Mark Kotsay and Jayson Nix will work their way into the outfield rotation as well.

The Teahen trade moves superstar-in-the-making Gordon Beckham to second base, giving the lineup a slight power threat from the left side of the plate in a mostly right-handed hitting lineup. Putz should figure in as the right-handed setup man, filling in for the departed Octavio Dotel and D.J. Carrasco. Matt Thornton retains his position as the left-handed setup man, with Bobby Jenks closing out the games.

The Sox also carry over A.J. Pierzynski, Paul Konerko, Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez, providing pitchers with a tough out in each spot in the order.

The addition of a healthy Peavy atop the rotation will also help take the strain of Mark Buehrle, who faded slightly down the stretch following his perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Though the Pierre deal will likely be Williams’ last move this offseason, the White Sox have the pieces in place to challenge the Minnesota Twins in ’10, even if it takes 163 games, which seems to be the only way the AL Central is decided nowadays.

Rafael Soriano headed to the South Side?

Rafael Soriano is arguably the best free agent reliever on the market this winter. Numerous teams are going to be calling seeing what kind of contract he’s looking for, and if he’d be okay setting up again. Numerous teams make sense for Soriano to land but the question is- which ones are going to pony up the dough?

The Chicago White Sox would love to add Soriano according to a source. The question is, can they move Bobby Jenks? Jenks has fallen out of favor with the upper brass of the Sox management due to his poor conditioning habits (if there is any at all), and the Sox would love to trade him. The question is, who would want him and for what? Jenks is definitely good at what he does as he’s completed about 86% of his save chances. Jenks also played a huge role in the title run the Sox had in 2005, but apparently the Jenks well has run dry.

Matt Thorton did a good job in the 9th inning last year from the left side, but I don’t know if he’d be able to handle the role day in and day out next year. He throws hard and is deadly on left handers, but the Sox might not be willing to just hand him the role. Rafael Soriano would be an outstanding addition to a poor bullpen last year no matter the role. Ozzie would have the choice to play match ups late in the game with 2 hard throwers and Soriano I think could thrive on that ball club. It would be a good move for the Sox and the brash Kenny Williams won’t shy away from looking into it.

Omar Vizquel offers veteran leadership to White Sox roster

Last week, the golden glove man known as Omar Vizquel signed a one-year, $1.375 million contract last week with the South Side Hitmen. Some may question that move and I’ve already heard a lot about how that much money is too much to waste when the Sox already have Alexei Ramirez and Gordon Beckham to play middle infield. Most people think that Vizquel would just be there to take up valuable playing time from the two youngsters who have shown the nation their all-world talent and now just need more experience to fine-tune those skills. What people don’t realize is that Vizquel’s value can’t be measured in dollars and it can’t be measured in statistics.

Vizquel will provide the Sox with the veteran presence in the infield that the two youngsters desperately need. Ozzie Guillen, who wasn’t too shabby of a middle infielder in his days, was all for bringing in Vizquel to get another voice chirping in the two fresh-faced budding superstars. On a team that spends as much time together as Major League clubs do, the same words mean different things coming from a fellow player than they do coming from the manager. Vizquel can not only tell Ramirez and Beckham how they should play the game or carry themselves, he can actually go out on the field and show them, something Guillen cannot do. Also, Vizquel and Guillen were similar players in their prime—solid average, low power numbers, great fielding—only Vizquel has done it better over his 21-year (and counting) career.

The $1.375 million the Sox invested in Vizquel will pay dividends long past the 2010 season. Ramirez and Beckham are the cornerstones of the team for the next half-decade at least. They need a veteran presence to help them out. Paul Konerko can’t be their guide. Jermaine Dye, assuming he stays in town, can’t help them the way Vizquel can. He’s a coach on the field in the purest form, and his presence could be exactly what Ramirez needs to parlay his superb skill set into some consistency on the field, and what Beckham needs to make the jump from rookie sensation to superstar, passing the dreaded sophomore slump on the way.

In all likelihood, Jones will work his way into a larger role with his new club in the upcoming season. Yet at this point, he’s looking to assume the 4th outfielder role and is being fit as a part-time designated hitter. On the bench, he will basically be replacing DeWayne Wise, which to anyone’s eyes looks to be an obvious upgrade.

His story is quite the odd one. Andruw was, by most accounts, a superstar with Atlanta. He started in center field consistently for the Braves from 1998 until 2005. Not only was he a major power threat (he hit 51 home runs with a .575 Slugging Percentage in 2005), but he was arguably the best defensive outfielder during his tenure in Atlanta. By all defensive metrics and statistics, Jones was in a league of his own.

The odd part of his tale comes at age 30, when he just absolutely falls off the face of the Earth offensively. In 2007 he saw his batting average drop to .222 and his OPS (his on-base percentage plus his slugging percentage) glide down to a sub-par .724. Things continued to get worse for Andruw in 2008 with the Dodgers, when he wound up hitting a pathetic .158 in his 200 or so at-bats with the team.

He saw a slight renaissance to his offensive game when he joined the Rangers in 2009.  In roughly a half-season’s worth of at-bats, he hit 17 home runs with a respectable .782 OPS.  Jones looks like he can flourish in his newly-found role coming off the bench. Not only can he play all 3 outfield positions at a league-average or better level, but he can even handle first base in a pinch.

At only 32-years-old, it seems the former great player knows what his new role will be. The Sox have very little risk in this deal, only signing Jones to a 1-year, $500,000 deal. With the departure of outfielder Jermaine Dye and the injury problems of Carlos Quentin, sooner rather than later the Sox may need Jones to regain his power-stroke from yesteryear in a more prominent role.

He’s still a better option than DeWayne Wise. A much better option.