Another below-market deal for the White Sox – they’ve signed right fielder Jermaine Dye to a two-year, $22MM contract extension. The deal also includes a mutual option at $12MM for 2010 with a $1MM buyout attached. At one point it seemed Kenny Williams would surely unload both Mark Buehrle and Dye, but instead he’s extended the veterans.
It’s hard not to like the deal. The free agent alternatives – guys like Kosuke Fukudome, Milton Bradley, maybe Geoff Jenkins – are not decidedly better. Fukudome might be able to challenge Dye, but he’ll get a larger, riskier contract.
The main concern is that Dye’s contract covers his age 34-35 seasons, though the White Sox have a crack medical staff. They probably won’t have an open DH spot until 2010, as Jim Thome’s $13MM option for ’09 is reasonable and has a $3MM buyout attached. The White Sox have to hope Dye doesn’t follow the career path of top PECOTA comparable Dave Henderson.
Looking at 2008, the White Sox have over $92MM committed if Joe Crede is retained.
