Email a copy of 'White Sox Sign Alex Avila' to a friend
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By Steve Adams | at
Email a copy of 'White Sox Sign Alex Avila' to a friend
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Colby
Wow, surprised my Rangers didn’t take a chance on him for that price.
ddempsey94
I think the Rangers are more interested in right handed bats this winter.
bk awesome
His dad is go this is weird
tuner49
Now the Detroit papers will have 30% less posts from those complaining that Avila Sr. was going to figure out a way to keep his son on the team.
Good luck to Alex!! He is a classy guy and great teammate.
stymeedone
Now the question becomes which will hit for the lower average? Do they carry a third catcher because they may need to PH for both of them?
bobbleheadguru
Much more valuable than $2.5MM. High OBP. Excellent pitch framer. Can throw out runners. Always professional and the “adult in the room”. Pitcher’s ERA is lower when he pitches.
People got on him because of his father (now GM of Tigers) and his sub .200BA. BA is an obsolete stat. It does not mean much if you can do all of those other things.
bobbleheadguru
“When he catches” I mean.
stymeedone
His sub .200 obsolete stat effects his not obsolete OPS. Between his concussions and his growing strikeout rate, there was no way the Tigers were going to keep him as a backup to McCann at an 8MM salary, no matter who the GM was. Always wanted to see him race Victor to see who was slower.
ASapsFables
Solid acquisition for the White Sox in a year in which the free agent class for catchers was lacking. Alex Avila is a plus defender behind the plate and if he can even come close to approaching his offensive production from 2011 he could be the ‘steal’ of the off-season. As a left-handed hitter, he should form a reliable tandem with Tyler Flowers at catcher, perhaps even becoming the ‘regular’ in a true platoon scenario.
The White Sox have more pressing needs this off-season than catcher, namely more offensive power production for an inept lineup and a third baseman. The first could come through free agency (Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes), although a trade (Yasiel Puig) is more likely with the White Sox unlikely to spend big dollars on any of the top three outfielders available. Finding a core third baseman would almost certainly come via a trade unless the organization views newly posted South Korean Jae-gyen Hwang as a viable option.
Frank Richard
The sox don’t have the prospects or the major league pieces available to pull of a Puig deal. You can probably rule Heyward, Upton, and Cespedes out of their price range after the spending from last year. Plus they still have Garcia, Eaton, and Cabrera penciled in the outfield. Murphy might be a good external option since he can play both third or second.
sportingdissent
Considering how fall Puig’s value has fallen in the wake of his poor production and clubhouse issues, this is a pretty ridiculous thing to say.
The White Sox probably won’t try and trade for Puig, but only because they don’t have a history of trading for troubled clubhouse players. But if they wanted to, they could grab him AND a couple of Dodger farmhands for someone like Jose Quintana.
ASapsFables
They did sign Albert Belle to a then record setting FA contract in 1996…just saying. (lol)
ASapsFables
The White Sox have southpaw Jose Quintana to feature as a centerpiece in a potential deal for Yasiel Puig. White Sox organizational depth is in pitching and their big league rotation leans heavily left-handed. While Quintana is a solid MLB #3 pitcher, he would be the likely candidate to be traded for a foundation piece in an area of need for the White Sox…offense! Of the White Sox three core rotation southpaws, Chris Sale and Carlos Rodon would be deemed less likely to be dealt.
If the White Sox view themselves as contenders in 2016, then any trade involving Jose Quintana must net them a player of comparable impact. Yasiel Puig would fit that description and might also come with an additional asset in any potential trade with the Dodgers.
Imo, Puig is a potential MVP talent who is only available because of other issues surrounding him aside from physical talent. I also believe that the White Sox might have the necessary people on board to correct his behavioral issues, particularly newly named bench coach Rick Renteria, and fellow Cuban slugger Jose Abreu. Abreu was friends with Puig when both played in Cuba and called him out after some of his issues in L.A. became public. I believe the White Sox would be prudent in consulting with Abreu before any potential trade for Puig materializes, to see if their acknowledged ‘leader’ would be willing to take Puig under his wing like a ‘big brother’. If Abreu is amenable then the potential dynamic of him and Puig in the White Sox lineup for the next 4 years could be devastating, perhaps on a par with the former ‘Bash” brothers in Oakland…minus the steroids. (lol)
Btw-I acknowledged in my original comment that the White Sox are unlikely to spend big dollars on any of the top three free agent outfielders available this off-season. That being said, it is not out of the realm of possibility for owner Jerry Reinsdorf to open his purse strings as his ownership of the team nears it’s end. Reinsdorf surprised every one in MLB by inking Albert Belle to the largest FA contract at that time in 1996. He also signed a relatively unknown international FA in Jose Abreu to a then record setting 6 yrs/$68M deal in 2013 and was also prepared to go substantially higher for Masahiro Tanaka the following winter.
stymeedone
Catcher, however, is one of those positions that is lacking in offensive power production, and causing the White Sox to have an inept lineup.
ASapsFables
Catching is also a defensive first position and the White Sox tandem of Tyler Flowers and Geovany Soto did produce 18 HR’s as a platoon in 2015, well above the MLB average. Flowers and Alex Avila figure to put up comparable power numbers in 2016.
theprisoner1958
So many needs, and so little resources. Encouraging that buddy bell in an interview said that they need to draft more players who can hit and then figure where to play them. Not optimistic as long as kW running things.
bobbleheadguru
Should be an interesting Thanksgiving dinner for the Avila family.
What is his dad going to do if Alex gets a walk off HR v. the Tigers? That will be very weird.
I cannot recall a GM father with a player son for a division rival before.
stymeedone
Bean Him! lol
Mr Pike
Smart move by the White Sox. Low risk.
In addition to the other comments about his OBP and defense, it should be noted that Avila is very good at working the pitcher and has been an excellent teammate. He was very helpful to the guy who was clearly taking his job.
He also knows the hitters in the division.
Francys01
Wow i’m surprised I thought Alex Avila would going stay with Detroit, nice move for the White sox.
LeylandsLung
White Sox are going to need to join the Dollar Shave Club.
stymeedone
He does win the award for best 5 o’clock shadow.
sportingdissent
Sadly, a catcher who hit .216 last year is probably the most exciting offseason news for the White Sox this year.
bobbleheadguru
FYI, Avila batted .191 last year. The .216 was his average over the last THREE years.
Other than his average, he is a very good player. He gets on base more than 1/3rd of the time. He is a walk machine.
stymeedone
His swings and misses will keep the ballpark cool throughout the season.
sportingdissent
He’s also injury prone now, and he has pretty bad framing skills. They don’t need him to be a world beater though. It’s pretty obvious the White Sox view Tyler Flowers as their starting catcher. That’s the real issue.
theprisoner1958
Problem is when he gets on, he clogs the bases – very slow
rayrayner
Since Flowers is more durable, I would imagine that Tyler would still get the bulk of the playing time (60/40) similar to what he shared with Soto last year. If Avila can play at Soto’s 2015 production level, this is a good deal.
danray13
Good deal
SupremeZeus
#winning
Your move Royals.
sportingdissent
POTY