Posted on
3/12/2008 11:12:15 PM
2008 Baseball Betting Preview - Chicago White Sox
By Dave Golokhov
The Chicago White Sox are rolling the dice in their rotation. Mark Buehrle and Javier Vazquez anchor the top of the rotation but there is trepidation surrounding the remaining three spots.
John Danks and Gavin Floyd are expected to play a major role in the rotation this year (holes three and five) but Danks struggled down the stretch last year and Floyd is unproven. Jose Contreras, who posted a record of 10-17 with an ERA of 5.57, also isn’t exactly reliable.
Trading Jon Garland for shortstop Orlando Cabrera filled one need but left a gaping void in the rotation.
Relief Pitching:
The White Sox bullpen was horrible in 2007 and the team made it a priority in the offseason. Octavio Dotel and Scott Linebrink will help in the setup role and getting to closer Bobby Jenks was a problem last year.
Jenks is still one of the better closers in the game, posting a career-best 2.77 ERA in 65 innings pitched last year.
Lefty Matt Thornton and Mike MacDougal are decent but adding another arm at the trade deadline would be ideal.
Hitting:
The White Sox have a pretty good lineup but for them to compete with the ranks of the Cleveland Indians or the Detroit Tigers, a number of young players to perform consistently.
Jerry Owens has to win the job in centerfield but more importantly, needs to be an effective leadoff hitter. If prospect Danny Richar could emerge at second base and if Josh Fields can also have an impact, the White Sox will have a pretty good lineup. Those are a lot of ‘ifs’.
Veterans like Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko will still provide the power in the heart of the order but optimism will once again die down quickly for the White Sox if that trio starts slowly again.
If Joe Crede bounces back from season-ending back surgery it will be a nice bonus.
Regular Season Win Total: 77.5
The White Sox have made changes but the question is are they significantly better? There is a mix of young prospects ready to step up with some of the proven veterans that led this club to a World Series in 2005.
Josh Fields and Jerry Owens are really the key to the lineup, while John Danks and Gavin Floyd are the key in the starting rotation. With added arms, the performance in the bullpen will be improved over last season’s debacle but unless those four key members contribute quality minutes at the major league level, the White Sox will still be the third best team in this division.
But with Johan Santana off in the National League, the White Sox should at the very least swap spots with the Twins and win six more games than last year.
MLB Free Picks: Over 77.5 wins
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