Shocking developments out of Glendale today as Adam LaRoche walked out of White Sox camp and is expected to retire.  After telling team management and his teammates about his plans, they spent an hour trying to change his mind.  He is expected to take the next few days mulling over his decision before making things official.

LaRoche signed as a free agent on November 25, 2014, and was expected to provide some left handed power in the middle of the White Sox lineup in 2015.  To say things did not work out as planned would be a tremendous understatement.  His production fell off a cliff, finishing the year with a .207 batting average with only 12 home runs and 44 RBIs.  His second half was even worse, with a .231 OBP and a slugging percentage under .285.

He had appeared in only 2 games this spring while battling a back injury.  By walking away now, he leaves $13 million on the table, money the White Sox can use creatively should they find themselves in contention at the trade deadline.  Meanwhile, this should give Robin Ventura more flexibility while juggling Melky Cabrera, Adam Eaton, Austin Jackson, and Avisail Garcia.

LaRoche’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were: