On its own merits, the Chris Singleton trade was a small bit of business.
But as a precursor of the changes that lie ahead for the White Sox, its significance becomes large.
Singleton was traded to Baltimore not just to open a path for Kenny Lofton but also because general manager Ken Williams believes younger players can be more productive in center field–Aaron Rowand in the short run and switch-hitting slugger Joe Borchard over the long haul.
Similar transitions appear in store by 2003 at second base, third base, catcher and possibly left field.
Ray Durham, Royce Clayton and Sandy Alomar Jr. are eligible for free agency after the upcoming season.
It is possible the Sox will re-sign one of these three former All-Stars, but it’s just as conceivable none will be retained.
After an influx of young pitchers in recent years, the White Sox have several position-player prospects nearing the threshold of their big-league careers.
The ’03 lineup could include the 25-year-old Rowand along with four players who would be 24–Borchard, third baseman Joe Crede, catcher Miguel Olivo and an either/or proposition with second basemen Tim Hummel and Willie Harris.
There’s a large potential upside to this turnover.
The minimal salaries of these young players, coupled with a pitching staff on which only Keith Foulke and Todd Ritchie will earn more than $5 million in ’03, could allow the Sox to be a player in next winter’s free-agent market.
Cliff Floyd, Ivan Rodriguez, Scott Rolen and Darin Erstad are among the players the Sox could sign or possibly even trade for at some point in ’02.
Here’s a thumbnail look at players who could cause a shift change at several positions:
– Second base–Hummel, a second-round pick in the 2000 draft from Old Dominion, is a classic No. 2 hitter with a .380 career on-base percentage and emerging power. He moved from shortstop to second last season and is considered a solid fielder.
Harris, a switch-hitter acquired from Baltimore for Singleton, is speedy and has leadoff potential.
Both will play for Triple-A Charlotte, with Harris also getting time in center. Former Anaheim Angel Justin Baughman, a skilled fielder who hit .302 in Triple A last year, comes to camp as a non-roster player.
– Third base–With Clayton at short, Jose Valentin probably will be the regular at third this year. But the Sox appear prepared to move Valentin back to short at some point, opening third for Crede.
He’s a dependable fielder and has proved himself as a hitter at every level except the big leagues.
– Shortstop–The Sox haven’t had much luck developing players here, with Bucky Dent the last homegrown regular. Valentin projects as the replacement for Clayton. But 1997 first-round pick Jason Dellaero is such a gifted fielder that he is a 40-man roster fixture despite a career .214 average.
He has one more season to see if he can become a .240 hitter. Danny Sandoval, who had a good winter in Venezuela, should play at Double A.
– Catcher–The strong-armed Olivo, who was acquired from Oakland for reliever Chad Bradford, is coming off a 14-homer season at Double A and a good showing in the Arizona Fall League.
He’ll play at Triple A this year but soon could be a platoon partner for Mark Johnson, if not the regular.
Switch-hitter Lee Evans, who was part of the Ritchie trade with Pittsburgh, doesn’t have a high ceiling but could beat Olivo to Comiskey Park.
– Left field–The Sox hope a two-year contract allows Carlos Lee to regain his swagger, but Jeff Liefer may take away some at-bats this year.
A trade is possible to open left for a defensive upgrade such as Rowand or Borchard or a left-handed-hitting replacement like Floyd, Erstad or Texas’ Frank Catalanotto.
Less likely is that Mario Valenzuela, who like the 1997 version of Ordonez is considered a sleeper, will hit his way into the picture.
Together again: For James Baldwin the best thing about signing with the Mariners is a chance to be reunited with former Sox teammate Mike Cameron.
The All-Star center fielder and second baseman Bret Boone took Baldwin to a Seattle SuperSonics game last week.
“I talked to Cam every day [last season], and every time I called him, it was a different set of people he was going to eat with,” Baldwin said. “Next thing you know that becomes a big family, the way they had last year. It’s just great to see that in a clubhouse.”
GM Pat Gillick hopes Baldwin will be able to replace Aaron Sele, who threw 215 innings. Baldwin signed a one-year contract with an option for 2003.
Baldwin had earned $5.95 million last season but accepted a guarantee of $1.25 million with a chance to earn another $1.75 million in incentives. The option is for $4 million.
Hanging on: Few players in the modern era have ridden more buses or stayed in more two-star hotels than Pete Rose Jr., who has played 1,232 games in the minor leagues and 11 in the majors. The 32-year-old infielder has signed another minor-league contract with the Reds.
“Pete is a great influence on our young prospects,” Cincinnati farm director Tim Naehring said.
“He has great passion for the game, along with a great desire to compete. These qualities are needed in our industry. We also want to continue our relationship with Pete because he has a great future as a coach when he retires.”
Rising power: Few teams have had a better off-season than the Giants. GM Brian Sabean not only found a way to re-sign Barry Bonds and Jason Schmidt but filled major holes by adding right fielder Reggie Sanders, center fielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo and third baseman David Bell.
San Francisco finished two games behind Arizona in the NL West last season with Armando Rios, Calvin Murray and Ramon Martinez as the primary players at those positions. This is a critical year for Sabean and Baker.
“There’s a lot at stake,” Sabean said. “A lot of people are stepping up, whether it’s players taking short money, owners spending more money or Dusty and I being in the last years of our contracts. We’ve won one playoff game, but that’s not enough. It’s time to get off our [rears].”
Wrigley North: Matt Stairs became the sixth Cubs alum with the Brewers when he signed a one-year deal last month. He joined a team that already included Jose Hernandez, Tyler Houston, Eric Young, Ruben Quevedo and Ray King.
“We’re like the Milwaukee Cubs,” King said. “It’s going to be fun when we play them.”
Stairs, who played only 22 games in the outfield last season, is expected to return to right field for Milwaukee. He’ll platoon with Alex Ochoa and should enjoy hitting at Miller Park, which yielded 186 homers in its first season.
“I’m looking forward to playing the outfield again,” Stairs said. “I enjoyed playing first base but I always liked playing the outfield. I like talking to the fans out there.”
Whispers: The Dodgers have until Friday to sign Japanese lefty Kazuhisa Ishii, and despite agent Joe Urbon’s grumbling it will be a surprise if they don’t. . . . It’s possible that all three pitchers the Sox traded for Ritchie–Kip Wells, Sean Lowe and Josh Fogg–could open the season in the Pirates’ rotation. . . . The Yankees are shopping Orlando Hernandez. Both Chicago teams have the ammunition to do a deal but aren’t likely to send two young pitchers to New York for a guy who was 4-7 with a 4.85 ERA. . . . Including recent additions Dan Miceli, Hector Carrasco, Rudy Seanez and Ismael Valdes, Texas is bringing 34 pitchers to camp, including 29 with big-league experience. Don’t be surprised if Hideki Irabu bumps a kid like Doug Davis or Mario Ramos out of the rotation. Irabu worked at least six innings with only one run allowed in three of his last four winter starts. . . . Trying to lessen the strain on Ellis Burks’ knee, the Indians plan to use him exclusively as a DH.
