fter mostly sitting out the free-agent market this winter, the White Sox on Sunday continued their strategy of signing low-priced veterans to one-year deals.
Outfielder Austin Jackson, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal, is the latest example of the Sox waiting for prices to tumble before striking.
Jackson, 29, went unsigned this offseason after hitting .267 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs last year with the Mariners and Cubs. A solid defensive player who can play any outfield spot, Jackson has a .273 career average over six seasons, mostly with the Tigers.
General manager Rick Hahn said Jackson would mostly play center, with Adam Eaton playing a corner spot and some DH. The odd men out as far as playing time are likely to be right fielder Avisail Garcia and designated hitter Adam LaRoche.
Robin Ventura doesn't have to "worry about contracts or pedigree or a player's history with us" when making out lineups. Garcia was hyped as a big part of the core when he arrived from the Tigers in 2013 in a three-team deal that sent Jake Peavy to Boston.
Times change.
"Avi Garcia is 24 years old and has a world of talent," Hahn said. "We still believe he's going to be able to convert on that talent and we expect him to have opportunity to blossom into the player many feel he can become."
Hahn said Jackson will be at Monday's workout, though he will need some time to catch up.
Third baseman Mike Olt, the former Cub who was given an audition at the end of 2015, was designated for assignment.
The Sox have been looking for another outfielder all winter, but Alex Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes were out of their price range and wound up returning to their respective teams. Jackson was the last free-agent outfielder with value on the market, and the Sox continued their interest even as spring training games began.
"There's always one more move to make," executive Ken Williams said last week. "I'm going to put that on my tombstone."
That move apparently was Jackson, who, according MLB Network's Jon Heyman, turned down a better offer from the Angels.
Jackson would be the Sox's best defensive outfielder at any position, but he hasn't produced like the player he was expected to become at the start of his career in Detroit.
With Eaton playing designated hitter this spring after nerve-compression surgery in his shoulder last winter, the Sox had no other center fielder on the major-league roster, although reserve outfielder J.B. Shuck can play there in a pinch.
Ventura had no timetable for Eaton's return to the field. Hahn said they expect him ready to play in the outfield by opening day.
LaRoche is also out with back spasms that could affect his ability to be ready for the start of the season. Hahn and Ventura downplayed the injury, saying there was no nerve damage. But after last year's poor showing, LaRoche was likely to lose at-bats anyway.
The Jackson signing is in line with the other low-risk moves the Sox have made since the end of 2015. They've spent just over $20 million on seven free agents.
Over the winter, their only free-agent signings were one-year deals with catchers Dioner Navarro ($4 million) and Alex Avila (2.5 million) and pitchers Jacob Turner ($1.5 million), Matt Albers ($2.25 million) and Mat Latos ($3 million). Since spring training starter, they signed shortstop Jimmy Rollins to a minor-league deal that will pay him $2 million if he makes the roster, as expected.
Now comes Jackson as the final piece of the outfield puzzle.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...outfielder-austin-jackson-20160306-story.html
Outfielder Austin Jackson, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal, is the latest example of the Sox waiting for prices to tumble before striking.
Jackson, 29, went unsigned this offseason after hitting .267 with nine home runs and 48 RBIs last year with the Mariners and Cubs. A solid defensive player who can play any outfield spot, Jackson has a .273 career average over six seasons, mostly with the Tigers.
General manager Rick Hahn said Jackson would mostly play center, with Adam Eaton playing a corner spot and some DH. The odd men out as far as playing time are likely to be right fielder Avisail Garcia and designated hitter Adam LaRoche.
Robin Ventura doesn't have to "worry about contracts or pedigree or a player's history with us" when making out lineups. Garcia was hyped as a big part of the core when he arrived from the Tigers in 2013 in a three-team deal that sent Jake Peavy to Boston.
Times change.
"Avi Garcia is 24 years old and has a world of talent," Hahn said. "We still believe he's going to be able to convert on that talent and we expect him to have opportunity to blossom into the player many feel he can become."
Hahn said Jackson will be at Monday's workout, though he will need some time to catch up.
Third baseman Mike Olt, the former Cub who was given an audition at the end of 2015, was designated for assignment.
The Sox have been looking for another outfielder all winter, but Alex Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes were out of their price range and wound up returning to their respective teams. Jackson was the last free-agent outfielder with value on the market, and the Sox continued their interest even as spring training games began.
"There's always one more move to make," executive Ken Williams said last week. "I'm going to put that on my tombstone."
That move apparently was Jackson, who, according MLB Network's Jon Heyman, turned down a better offer from the Angels.
Jackson would be the Sox's best defensive outfielder at any position, but he hasn't produced like the player he was expected to become at the start of his career in Detroit.
With Eaton playing designated hitter this spring after nerve-compression surgery in his shoulder last winter, the Sox had no other center fielder on the major-league roster, although reserve outfielder J.B. Shuck can play there in a pinch.
Ventura had no timetable for Eaton's return to the field. Hahn said they expect him ready to play in the outfield by opening day.
LaRoche is also out with back spasms that could affect his ability to be ready for the start of the season. Hahn and Ventura downplayed the injury, saying there was no nerve damage. But after last year's poor showing, LaRoche was likely to lose at-bats anyway.
The Jackson signing is in line with the other low-risk moves the Sox have made since the end of 2015. They've spent just over $20 million on seven free agents.
Over the winter, their only free-agent signings were one-year deals with catchers Dioner Navarro ($4 million) and Alex Avila (2.5 million) and pitchers Jacob Turner ($1.5 million), Matt Albers ($2.25 million) and Mat Latos ($3 million). Since spring training starter, they signed shortstop Jimmy Rollins to a minor-league deal that will pay him $2 million if he makes the roster, as expected.
Now comes Jackson as the final piece of the outfield puzzle.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...outfielder-austin-jackson-20160306-story.html
