Last week, we looked at the active leaders in games I’ve attended through 2013 on the offensive side of the ball. With spring training winding down and opening day less than a week away, let’s take a look at the pitchers.
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mark Buehrle | 31 |
| Gavin Floyd | 24 |
| Carlos Zambrano | 21 |
| John Danks | 15 |
| Jake Peavy | 11 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mark Buehrle | 16 |
| Carlos Zambrano | 15 |
| Continue reading → |
Less than a week after acquiring center fielder Adam Eaton from the Diamondbacks in a three team trade that sent Hector Santiago to the Angels, White Sox GM Rick Hahn struck again, this time getting third baseman Matt Davidson from the Diamondbacks in exchange for closer Addison Reed. Add in Avisail Garcia, acquired in the Jake Peavy trade in July, and the signing of Cuban refugee Jose Abreu and the White Sox have added 4 players under the age of 27 who should form the foundation of the team going forward.
Davidson is ranked 64th on MLB.com’s Top 100 prospect list and was the Diamondback’s 2nd best prospect. He hit .280 with 32 doubles, 17 home runs, 74 RBIs, 55 runs scored, a .350 on-base percentage and a .481 slugging percentage in 115 games at Triple-A in 2013. He also took home MVP honors at the Futures Game during All Star weekend at Citi Field.
The closer role will likely fall to Nate Jones, barring any new acquisitions between now and opening day. An opening day that could have the White Soc fielding 4 different starters from a year ago, hopefully leading them to future glory.
Last week we looked at the leaders in games I attended this year on the offensive side of the ball. Today, let’s take a look at the pitchers.
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Chris Sale | 2 |
| Jake Peavy | 2 |
| 24 tied with | 1 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Chris Sale | 3 |
| Jose Quintana | 3 |
| 23 tied with | 1 |
ERA (> 6 IP)
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Kevin Correia | 0.00 |
| Justin Masterson | 0.00 |
| Wade Davis | 0.00 |
| Jesse Crain | 1.04 |
| Ricky Nolasco | 1.17 |
Strikeouts
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Chris Sale | 44 |
| Continue reading → |
The Alex Rios era came to an end today as the enigmatic right fielder was shipped to the Texas Rangers for a player to be named later who may or may not be Leury Garcia. Rios first joined the White Sox in August of 2009 in a waiver claim from the Blue Jays, in a move widely assumed to block the first place Tigers from acquiring him.
Rios spent the final 41 games of the 2009 season with the White Sox, finishing up with a disappointing .199 batting average and only 9 RBI as the team failed to repeat as champions of the AL Central and missed the playoffs. He rebounded in 2010, hitting .284 and putting together the fourth 20/20 season in White Sox history.
2011, however, was a train wreck, as his average dropped back down to .227 with only 13 home runs and 44 RBIs. The only person standing between Rios and the title of worst player in baseball for the season was Adam Dunn, who just so happened to be in the same lineup every night.
To his credit, Rios bounced back once again in 2012, hitting over .300 and becoming the first White Sox player to have 2 20/20 seasons. It looked like 2013 would continue to be good for Rios, but, like the rest of the White Sox offense, he mostly disappeared starting in mid-May, keeping his average above .270 but losing his power and getting pulled out of a game late last month for dogging it.
For the White Sox, this move opens up more salary flexibility for next season and, more immediately, provides a slot for Avisail Garcia, acquired in the Jake Peavy trade, to join the big league club.
Rios’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Jake Peavy, the hard throwing 32-year old right hander, saw his tenure on the south side come to an end today when he was traded to the Red Sox in a three-way deal that would send Jose Iglesias to the Tigers and Avisail Garcia and three low level prospects to the White Sox.
The White Sox first traded for Jake Peavy on May 21, 2009, but Peavy invoked his no-trade clause to block the deal. The next day, in a game against his soon-to-be cross town rival Cubs, Peavy injured his ankle running the bases and headed to the disabled list. When the White Sox came around again at the trade deadline despite the lingering ankle injury, Peavy agreed to the deal and left the Padres to join the White Sox in exchange for Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell and Dexter Carter. Peavy eventually managed to make 3 starts for the White Sox, winning all 3 and giving fans hope for the 2010 season.
After getting off to a rough start in 2010, Peavy got on a roll and strung together five consecutive victories until July 6, when he suffered a detached latissimus dorsi muscle, a rare injury that ended his season. Peavy worked his way back to the White Sox rotation in 2011, but he needed time to adjust to his reattached muscle and rebuild his strength.
In 2012, Peavy led the surprising White Sox to a summer in first place and was named to the All Star team. Unfortunately, the team faded down the stretch and finished behind the Tigers for the AL Central crown. After the season, he avoided free agency by reupping with the White Sox, signing a two year, $29 million dollar extension with a vesting option for 2015. Unfortunately, the late season collapse that doomed the White Sox in September of 2012 continued into 2013, as the team fell into the cellar and saw an opportunity to improve themselves by moving Peavy. Only time will tell if the move will work out.
Peavy’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Yesterday we looked at the leaders in games I attended in the first half of this year on the offensive side of the ball. With the second half slated to kick off today, let’s look at the pitchers.
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Chris Sale | 2 |
| 14 tied with | 1 |
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| 16 tied with | 1 |
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jesse Crain | 1.04 |
| Jake Peavy | 1.13 |
| Ricky Nolasco | 1.17 |
| Vance Worley | 1.29 |
| Chris Sale | 1.71 |
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Chris Sale | 31 |
| Continue reading → |
Name: Aaron Poreda
Rank: 310
Position: P
Year With White Sox: 2009
Aaron Poreda was the 25th overall pick by the White Sox in the 2007 draft. 2 years and 2 days later, he was called up to the big league club when Bartolo Colon was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of swelling in his left knee. He made his major league debut 2 days later mopping up in a loss to the Brewers.
Poreda almost never made it to Chicago, as he was included in a proposed trade to the Padres on May 21st that would have brought Jake Peavy to the White Sox. The trade was called off when Peavy invoked his no trade clause.
After putting up a 1–0 record with a 2.45 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 10 relief appearances out of the bullpen, Poreda was sent back to Triple A Charlotte on July 21st to make room for Carlos Torres, who replaced John Danks in the rotation due to a blister. Ultimately, this ended Poreda’s career in a White Sox uniform. 10 days later, at the trading deadline, Poreda was packaged once again with Clayton Richard, Adam Russell, and Dexter Carter and sent to the Padres for Jake Peavy, who, this time, waived his no trade clause.
Poreda’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Rick Hahn made his biggest splash since becoming general manager in October by signing Chris Sale to a five year extension worth $32.5 million, plus 2 additional club options that could boost the contract up to $60 million. Sale, the 23 year old who went 17-8 with a 3.05 ERA and made the All-Star Game in his first season as a starter, gets a lifetime of security and the White Sox get a potential ace starter at below market value through his arbitration years and beyond.
Hahn’s other moves in his first off-season have been mostly low key, resigning Jake Peavy and Dewayne Wise, picking up the option on Gavin Floyd, and signing Jeff Keppinger to a 3 year deal. The biggest newsmaker may have been the move he didn’t make, allowing A.J. Pierzynski to leave as a free agent and sign with the Rangers. With this move, he starts to put his own stamp on the franchise.
Name: Jeff Gray
Rank: 343
Position: P
Year With White Sox: 2011
Jeff Gray had a short stint on the South Side, signing as a free agent after finishing the 2010 season on the North Side with the Cubs. He was surprisingly effective during the month of April in 6 appearances, and was claimed by the Mariners when he was placed on waivers following the return of Jake Peavy.
Gray’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
Tuesday we looked at the leaders in games I attended this year on the offensive side of the ball. Now let’s take a look at the pitchers.
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Gavin Floyd | 5 |
| Chris Sale | 4 |
| Nate Jones | 3 |
| Jake Peavy | 2 |
| 19 tied with | 1 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Chris Sale | 3 |
| Jake Peavy | 2 |
| Continue reading → |