Rondell White, OF, Minnesota Twins

January 2, 2006 @ 14:29:25

By KFFL Staff
Edited by Ryan Dodson

The Minnesota Twins added another bat to their lineup by signing free agent DH/OF Rondell White (Detroit Tigers) to a one-year contract worth $3.25 million.  The contract also includes an option for 2007, which could increase the value of the contract to $8.5 million with incentives.  The 33-year-old will likely play designated hitter for the Twins while also substituting in the outfield.  White is a veteran hitter with decent power who is familiar with the AL Central Division, a major plus for the Twins.  The team had been looking to add hitting this offseason in an attempt to support one of the AL's best pitching staffs.  The team was last in the AL in scoring in 2005.

In 2005, White hit .313 with 12 homers and 53 RBI in 97 games.  He also contributed 24 doubles and three triples.  White's best major league season came in 1999 with the Montreal Expos where he hit .312 with 168 hits, 22 home runs and 64 RBI.  He was an All-Star for San Diego in 2003.  The Twins will be White's seventh major league team in a career that has covered 11 years. Originally selected by the Montreal Expos in the first round (24th overall) of the 1990 draft, White has played for the Expos, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals and the Tigers. He has a career batting average of .289 with 275 doubles, 33 triples, 187 homers and 710 RBI over 1,337 games. White's signing will help fill the void left by Jacque Jones in right field, though he was signed primarily as a designated hitter.  His right-handed bat will likely sit in the middle of the lineup, helping lefties 1B Justin Morneau and C Joe Mauer. 

Table: Rondell White 2000-2005

Year	Team	Games	Avg.	Hits	HR	RBI
2000	MON/CHIC	94	.374	111	13	61
2001	CHIC	35	.371	99	17	50
2002	NYY	126	.288	109	14	62
2003	KC/SD	137	.341	141	22	87
2004	DET	121	.270	121	19	67
2005	DET	97	.313	117	12	53

 

The downside to White is the numerous injuries he has suffered over the past few years.  His 2005 season was cut short when he sustained a shoulder injury, which limited him to 97 games.  He also finished 2004 by missing the last two months of the season with a hip ailment.  He has been on the disabled list eight times from 1996 to 2001.  The team intends to use White at designated hitter to limit his opportunities for injury as most of his injuries were suffered during aggressive defensive plays in the outfield.  The option built into his contract allows for huge incentives based on the amount of time he plays. If White makes 650 plate appearances each year, he will collect the full $8.5 million on the contract.  His shoulder injury is expected to be fully healed by the start of spring training.

The addition of White to the Twins' lineup could increase the value of a number of players, most notably the aforementioned Morneau and Mauer.  Morneau hit .239 with 22 home runs and 79 RBI in 2005 while Mauer hit .294 with 144 hits, nine home runs and 55 RBI.  OFs Shannon Stewart and Torii Hunter will also benefit from another offensive threat. 

From a fantasy perspective, White could be a solid outfielder on your fantasy team.  The perception that he is old and brittle will likely make him fall some in drafts.  The move from Comerica Park to the Metrodome, combined with the possibility of playing a full season at designated hitter, should allow White to increase his hitting stats across the board.  White is still near the prime of his career and could have some good years left in him. We see it possible that White could hit .280 with 15 homers and 60 RBI if he can reach 475 at-bats. White hit .241 with two homers and seven RBI in 54 at-bats in the Metrodome during the last two years while with the Tigers.

The other Twins hitters mentioned, Morneau, Mauer, Stewart and Hunter, could all see a slight increase in value as the entire offense will be helped by another hitter pitchers have to respect.  It is possible the Twins have not finished making moves to improve their offense, but the signing of White will fill one big need the team had entering the offseason.

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