White Sox Still Have Gaping Hole at Second

February 27, 2008 @ 12:19:08

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Herija C. Green

The Chicago White Sox acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this past offseason to give them one-half of their middle infield. On the other side of second base, they will be looking for someone to take over from second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, who was traded at last year's deadline to the Philadelphia Phillies and signed with the San Diego Padres after starting 121 games for the White Sox at second base in 2007. The task of replacing Iguchi, who did not have a great year for the White Sox, will fall on three players: infielders Juan Uribe, Alexei Ramirez and Danny Richar. Making it interesting is that only Uribe has any significant experience at the major league level, with Ramirez never having seen an MLB field and Richar possessing just 187 big-league at-bats.

Falling Out of Favor?

Just because he has the experience, however, does not make Uribe the favorite to land the starting job. First of all, he will be trying to make the move from shortstop to second base, a position he hasn't played since the 2004 season. While it has only been four years since playing there, it could still hurt his chances at the starting job. Also hurting his chances is a career .254 average, which has actually taken a hit in recent years. Over the past two seasons, Uribe has hit .235 and .234 respectively. He does bring some significant power numbers to the position (20 home runs last year), but the team will likely be looking for a player who can reach base for the real power threats in first baseman Paul Konerko, designated hitter Jim Thome and outfielders Jermaine Dye and Nick Swisher. To that end, Uribe's refusal to take pitches - 172 career walks in 3,114 at-bats - is another strike against the veteran.

Mysterious Import

If the team is looking for a high-average player, they might not look past Ramirez, who in seven seasons in Cuba hit .334 with 73 home runs and 328 RBIs. As good as those numbers were, Ramirez posted them in the Cuban League, which is a far cry from hitting .334 in the majors. This is a move that could take some time for Ramirez to settle into the majors. His versatility (he can cover shortstop, second base and center field) could also be a factor in him making the team, if only as a utility player.

Will Danny Make Them Richar?

The final player - and perhaps the one with the best shot - is Richar. He played in 56 games for the club at second base last year, and although he hit .230, his six homers in limited time suggest he could hit 20-plus home runs over a full season. His average could also be misleading as he hit .260 over the final month with the White Sox and .305 in 98 games at two Triple-A stops last year. If he can build on that success, then this job could be his to lose, both this season and in the future.

Fantasy Summary

Early on in camp, it appears as though Richar and Ramirez have the best chances at grabbing the starting job. Uribe might not even be with the team on opening day as he is not a favorite of manager Ozzie Guillen due to his low average and poor plate discipline. If Richar grabs the starting job, he would be worth a draft pick in AL-only leagues that has decent potential due to his power numbers. Uribe could also be worth a late-round pick if he surprises and claims the job, but his low average is an albatross for fantasy squads, and he does not have the potential that Richar has. If Ramirez wins the job, he might be worth a pick near the end of drafts simply due to the fact he is starting and could score some runs in a potentially potent lineup. Fantasy owners should avoid this situation if at all possible, since all three are waiver wire material at this point.

KFFLians are saying....

Comment

 

---

What do you think? We want to hear from you!

Name: E-mail: Please, enter the number that you see

Comment Guidelines

Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

Talk Sports 24/7!
KFFL Sports Forums: Over 24,000 strong and growing!

One Day FREE Fantasy Contest - $350 in cash prizes (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: John Danks placed on DL (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: The substandard Roy Halladay (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting: Danny Hultzen, Roger Kieschnick, more (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Austin Jackson headed to DL (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat: Addison Reed, J.J. Putz, Ernesto Frieri, more (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Brian Roberts seeing the light at the end of the rehab tunnel (05/24)
I am not afraid of Hakeem Nicks' foot injury (05/24)
Fantasy baseball closer depth charts - AL (05/24)
Fantasy baseball closer depth charts - NL (05/24)