White Sox F*** Up Again

First, Scott Linebrink. Now, Octavio Dotel. Here’s a list of things that are wrong with this signing (feel free to add anything I forget):

1. $5.5 million per year! Dotel is now the 3rd highest paid pitcher on the White Sox behind Mark Buehrle and Jose Contreras. Bobby Jenks, who pitched like 800 shutout innings in a row last year, makes less than $500,000 per year. To land a big contract as a relief pitcher, I guess you have to wait until you’re over-the-hill.
2. A two-year deal for a guy who cannot stay healthy for two years. I can’t wait for the White Sox to pay Dotel $5.5 million in 2009 while he rehabs his inevitable shoulder injury.
3. Maybe I’m missing something, but Dotel, who’s 34 now, has been pretty mediocre since 2004. Do White Sox execs have updated statistics incorporating the 2005-2007 seasons? If not, let’s get them those numbers. If so, I guess the White Sox expect some kind of Roger Clemens-non-steroid-induced-late-30’s resurgence.

Apropos to the White Sox, I read an article a few weeks ago (which I can’t find right now), opining that the White Sox are now one of the top AL teams. This is wrong. Their bullpen isn’t all that great, even if they get healthy years from Linebrink and Dotel. Their projected five starters — Buehrle, Vazquez, Contreras, Danks, and Floyd — are middle-of-the-road by AL standards. And, despite the additions of Orlando Cabrera and Nick Swisher, their offense is nowhere near the likes of the Red Sox, Tigers, and Yankees. Led by the inept Ozzie Guillen, I expect this team to be marginally better than last year, but not a playoff contender.

Disabled List Offers Kerry Wood $4.2 Million

This move was a no-brainer after Mark Prior’s last successful deal. Zing!

Actually, I don’t really mind this deal. It’s not nearly as offensive as the other Chicago team’s recent relief signing. Why? It’s a one-year deal with incentives for a guy with upside. And by “upside,” I mean that when healthy, Wood can still strike guys out at a terrific rate. In 2005 and 2007 — his two years with bullpen work — Wood struck out 77 in 66 IP and 24 in 24.1 IP. (By comparison, Linebrink’s strikeout rate recently has dropped).

Who’ll be better in 2008? Tough to say — lot’s of variables. Will Wood stay healthy? Will he be the Cubs’ closer? Will Linebrink adapt to the American League and having an insane manager? If you forced me to pick one for my team next year, I’d take my chances with Wood.

The easier question: which team will be happier in 2009? Much better chance that it’s the Cubs.

Below: Wood and close friend Mark Prior pose for a picture following the announcement of Wood’s new contract.

Scott Linebrink: Probably Not Gay

… because this guy’s team just signed him to a 4-year, $19-million contract. Also, more importantly, Linebrink probably is not worth that many years for that kind of money.  You long-time Loogy Lounge readers might remember Gnopple’s first post, which highlighted a good SI article by Tom Verducci.  Here’s what Tom had to say about Linebrink:

Towers, in the middle of a pennant race, traded off his own version of Romero: Scott Linebrink, who was about to turn 31, and headed for free agency, a big payday and a likely regression.

Towers had picked up Linebrink on waivers from Houston in 2003. Over the next three seasons the Padres used Linebrink 73 times each year and paid him a total of $2.6 million. Just as the mileage-to-salary ratio was about to get out of whack, Towers turned Linebrink into his next budget-friendly reliever, Joe Thatcher, who posted a 1.29 ERA after his trade from Milwaukee.

Indeed, Linebrink actually has already begun to regress:

• 2004:  2.14 ERA/181 ERA+/1.036 WHIP
• 2005:  1.83 ERA/210 ERA+/1.059 WHIP
• 2006:  3.57 ERA/113 ERA+/1.216 WHIP
• 2007:  3.71 ERA/113 ERA+/1.322 WHIP.

Look, Linebrink’s not a bad arm to have in the bullpen.  Even his 06′/07′ numbers are above average.  It’s difficult to imagine, however, that Linebrink — a 31-year-old reliever moving to the American League for the first time in his career — will regain his once-excellent form.  For that reason, 4 years at $19 million seems like a bit much.