The White Sox have avoided arbitration with Dayan Viciedo by agreeing to a one-year, $4.4MM pact, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin tweets. That represents an exact match to the projection of MLBTR and Matt Swartz, with Viciedo’s sturdy home run tallies serving to boost his arb value.
Viciedo, 25, has seen regular playing time for Chicago over the last three years. Last season represented his low-water mark in terms of offensive production, as he dropped from an approximately league-average overall output to a .231/.281/.405 slash that left him with a 92 OPS+. Of course, Viciedo delivered a familiar blend of power, strikeouts, and on-base struggles, and should at least return to being a generally average bat if his BABIP (.261) rebounds.
That being said, Viciedo’s overall value has been held down significantly by rough defensive work. Playing mostly in the corner outfield, Viciedo has consistently registered negative scores in the view of UZR (-7.9 UZR/150 for his career) as well as DRS (-19 lifetime runs saved). And as with the offensive side of the equation, last year saw a notable downturn.
In the aggregate, then, Viciedo landed well below replacement level last year. On the positive side, he is just 25 and possesses undeniable power that plays at the MLB level. It remains to be seen what role Viciedo will play on a rebuilt White Sox roster, and he could still be traded, but it is apparent that Chicago is loath to give up on him.
