Nov 6, 2009 5:30 pm US/Central
White Sox Begin Roster Overhaul
Sox Get Teahen From Royals For Getz, Fields; Will Reportedly Move Beckham To 2B, Teahen To 3B
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Chicago White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams hasn't wasted any time in reshaping the team's roster after a disappointing season that saw the White Sox miss the playoffs and finish in third place in the American League Central.
On the same day they declined a 2010 option for star right fielder Jermaine Dye -- clearing the way for him to become a free agent -- the White Sox acquired infielder/outfielder Mark Teahen in a trade with the Kansas City Royals for second baseman Chris Getz and third baseman Josh Fields.
Williams said Teahen will become the team's starting second baseman and rookie phenom Gordon Beckham will move from third base to second base.
Teahen said he's happy to be moving back to third base.
"That's really my comfort position," Teahen said. "It's huge. The past three years I haven't known where I'm going to play and the past 24 hours I haven't know what city I'm going to play in."
Teahen was established at third base in Kansas City, but three years ago the Royals called up Alex Gordon, who'd been the No. 2 overall draft pick two years earlier.
Thus began a trip around the diamond for Teahen and he never really settled in at any position.
"It is tough when you are coming to the ball park every day just kind of checking the lineup card and seeing where you're playing and figuring out where you are hitting in the lineup," Teahen said.
"I've always produced better when I've just been left alone," he said. "And playing third base I've been most productive there. My hope is settling back in there I can put up some bigger offensive numbers and not have to worry about as much stuff."
Williams said Beckham, who was a star shortstop at the University of Georgia before being a first-round pick in 2008, was OK with the move to second base.
The left-handed hitting Teahen is a player the White Sox have watched for a while and even inquired about his availability last season, Williams said.
Teahen had a career-high 34 doubles last season and the White Sox figure that in homer-friendly U.S. Cellular Field some of those will clear the fence.
Williams didn't rule out a possible return for Jermaine Dye, but that seems unlikely.
With slugger Carlos Quentin in left field and the expensive Alex Rios in center field, the team has only one open outfield spot and Williams said that spot would likely go to a speedy player or a left-handed power hitter. Dye is neither.
Williams said the White Sox were still in the market for another outfielder and that it likely will not be Scott Podsednik, who rejoined the White Sox last season and gave them a lift from the leadoff spot.
"Money is tight all over the world and certainly on the South Side," Williams said. "We're going to spend whatever we have available, but it's not much."
The World Series MVP in 2005 for the White Sox, Dye signed a two-year, $22 million extension late in the 2007 season.
This year, the 35-year-old slugger batted .250 with 27 home runs and 81 RBI in 141 games. But he hit only .179 with 7 home runs and 26 RBI after the All-Star break.
Teahen batted .271 with a 12 home runs and 50 RBI in 144 games with the Royals in 2009. He made 99 starts at third base, 31 in right field and three at second.
Getz, who was the starting second baseman for the White Sox in 2009, batted .261 with two homers, 31 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 107 games in his first full season in the majors.
Fields, a former college quarterback at Oklahoma State, appeared in 29 games and batted .222 with seven homers and 30 RBIs in 2009.
Fields show immense promise as a rookie in 2007 when he filled in for injured Joe Crede and hit 23 homers in 100 games. But his career with the White Sox never took off after that. And after Beckham was called up, it was clear he had no future with the team.
The trade was formally announced a day after the White Sox agreed Thursday to a $1.5 million contract to remain with the Chicago White Sox.
The 33-year-old infielder and outfielder, who had been eligible for free agency, hit .278 with four homers and 23 RBIs in 67 games combined with Boston and the White Sox last season.
Chicago acquired him from the Red Sox on July 28 for outfielder Brian Anderson. In 40 games with the White Sox, the left-handed hitting Kotsay batted .292 with three homers and 18 RBIs.
Kotsay is a .281 career hitter with 113 homers over 13 major league seasons with the Marlins, Padres, Athletics, Braves, Red Sox and White Sox. He also made $1.5 million this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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