As reported earlier, the White Sox organization gave fans plenty to digest today, as the final roster moves were made to mold the 2009 White Sox 25-man roster. Here’s a look at how the team shapes up:
Pitching
Most fans probably assumed that this would be the last we see of Mike MacDougal, but he managed to pitch his way into a roster spot, likely stealing it away from either Jack Egbert or non-roster invitee Randy Williams. Unsurprisingly, Clayton Richard also feigned off other fringe starters Lance Broadway and Jeff Marquez. What will be the question mark is what happens if Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras aren’t quite there yet, as they struggled once again in today’s game. While Richard is the obvious choice to fill in for one of the starting jobs, it’d be interesting to see who Ozzie would lean towards as a secondary option.
Batting
The biggest news here is that Jerry Owens was mercifully placed on waivers, a move that honestly should’ve happened a while ago. Yes, Owens has speed to burn, but his countless problems with both hitting and staying healthy proved to be too much to overcome. Just as Owens played his way off the team, Dewayne Wise played his way on, becoming the starting CF and leading candidate for batting leadoff in the order. While Wise’s stats leave a lot to be desired for him to be even an adequate lead off hitter (he had a .298 OBP last year and has yet to hit 10 BB in a single season), he does have some speed and could be a bit of a spark plug for the offense. If Wise struggles in the role, Guillen may be forced to move Getz to the leadoff role.
While the CF will remain a looming question mark, there’s no doubt the Sox have a greatly improved bench thanks to Kenny Williams bringing in infielders Wilson Betemit, Brent Lillibridge, and C Corky Miller. While Lillibridge was streaky to say the least offensively, he did impress with his defensive versatility. If he doesn’t improve by the time Jayson Nix is healthy, however, you may see the two players trading places.
Assuming that the currently named roster stays in place for opening day, it’s understandable that many will look at the holes in CF and in the back end of the rotation– but keep in mind that the Sox have an enormous amount of depth this year. There are plenty of young players waiting in the wings should things start to break down.
Topics: bartolo colon, baseball, Brent Lillibridge, Clayton Richard, Dewayne Wise, jayson nix, jerry owens, jose contreras, Mike MacDougal, ozzie guillen, White Sox
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