White Sox continue busy offseason by signing Emilio Bonifacio
The Chicago White Sox have made themselves relevant in the AL Central again, making over their lineup this offseason with seven new players who could very well have the South Side in contention next fall.
The seventh addition came Monday, as the White Sox reportedly agreed to terms with utility man Emilio Bonifacio, who fits almost anywhere on the diamond, giving Chicago a bit of versatility as it puts the pieces together for 2015.
Jon Morosi of Fox Sports was first to report the deal, which is for $4 million and one season, plus a club option for 2016. The White Sox haven’t yet announced the signing, but Scott Merkin at MLB.com confirms Morosi’s report.
This will be the eighth team in nine years for Bonifacio, who doesn’t stay in one place too long — neither cities nor positions. The 29-year-old can play second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions. Throughout his career, he’s played most frequently at second (196 games) and in centerfield (175 games). Last season, playing for both the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs, Bonifacio hit .259/.305/.345, stole 26 bases and registered 2.1 WAR, according to Fangraphs.
The White Sox can certainly do a number of things with Bonifacio, so the question is where he goes. Their outfield seems to be set, with Adam Eaton, Avisail Garcia and free-agent signing Melky Cabrera. They’re good at shortstop with Alexei Ramirez. Third base belongs to Conor Gillaspie while prospects Micah Johnson and Carlos Sanchez were expected to compete for the second-base job.
So Bonifacio could be either insurance if neither youngster seizes that job, or the White Sox could make Bonifacio the starter and give Johnson, 24, and Sanchez, 22, more time to mature. Bonifacio may very well just rove around the lineup, replacing people when manager Robin Ventura thinks they need a day off. He’s got the skill set for such a role.
No matter where they put him, Bonifacio is another piece that general manager Rick Hahn can happily add to his overhaul. Since the 2014 season ended, the White Sox have signed Cabrera, Adam LaRoche, added relievers David Robertson, Dan Jennings and Zach Duke, plus traded for starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija, who should give them a formidable 1-2 punch next to ace Chris Sale.
With Jose Abreu’s big bat looming in the middle of the order, those two top pitchers and a long list of complementary players — Bonifacio being the latest — the White Sox should make one of baseball’s most fascinating divisions even more interesting in 2015.
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
