Rick Hahn made his first move in remaking the White Sox for 2016 by replacing Geovany Soto, who signed with the Angels a day earlier, with Alex Avila, the former Tigers backstop.  Injuries have sapped much of Avila’s offensive production the last few years, culminating in a .191 average in only 67 games last season.  Defensively, though, he remains top notch and should provide an upgrade over both Soto and incumbent starter Tyler Flowers.

The obvious hope is that the White Sox medical team, led by Herm Schneider, can keep Avila on the field, allowing him to regain some of the offensive stroke that has been missing in recent years.  In doing so, Hahn must hope that he has plugged the whole behind the plate that has plagued the White Sox since A.J. Pierzynski left as a free agent following the 2012 season.