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 The Chicago White Sox brought back infielder Gordon Beckham on
Jan. 28 while cutting ties outfielder Dayan Viciedo.
The moves came two weeks after the team signed Viciedo to a one-year
deal worth $4.4 million to avoid arbitration.
Beckham signed a one-year, $2 million contract to return to the team
that traded him to the Angels in August. He was non-tendered by Los
Angeles on Dec. 2, making him a free agent.
To make room for Beckham on the 40-player roster, the White Sox
designated Viciedo for assignment -- a possible precursor to a
trade.
Beckham, 28, played his first five-plus seasons with the White Sox.
He figures to compete for time at second base or be used as a
utility infielder.
"Adding Gordon improves the depth and flexibility of our roster,"
general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement. "We are thrilled to
have him back. Like Emilio Bonifacio, Gordon brings the ability to
play solid defense at multiple positions or play on an everyday
basis should the need arise. This also gives (manager) Robin
(Ventura) the ability to play matchups more effectively when setting
the lineup."
 Since a solid rookie season in 2009, Beckham has become known more
for his defense. He hit just .226/.271/.348 with nine home runs and
44 RBIs in 127 games last season with the White Sox and Angels. He
has a .245/.307/.375 career batting line with 63 home runs and 264
RBIs.
Viciedo, 25, hit .231/.281/.405 with 21 home runs and 58 RBIs in 145
games last season. The White Sox reportedly were trying to deal him.
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MLB Team Report - Chicago White Sox - NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 73-89, fourth place in American League Central
PLAYER NOTES:
--RHP Brad Penny signed a minor league deal with the White Sox on
Jan. 22 and was invited to the team's major league spring camp.
Penny, 36, revived his career last year after three years out of the
majors. He went 2-1 with a 6.58 ERA in eight games (four starts) for
the Marlins in 2014. In 14 major league seasons with six teams,
Penny has a career 121-101 record and a 4.29 ERA in 349 games (319
starts).
--C Geovany Soto signed a minor league deal with the White Sox on
Jan. 22 and was invited to the team's major league spring camp. Soto
hit .250/.302/.363 with one homer and 11 RBIs in a combined 24 games
for Texas and Oakland in 2014, missing most of the season due to
injuries. He was the Rookie of the Year for the Cubs in 2008, when
he posted career-best offensive numbers: .285/.364/.504 with 23
homers and 86 RBIs.
--RHP Scott Carroll, non-tendered by the White Sox on Dec. 2,
re-signed with the organization on Jan. 22, receiving a minor league
deal and an invitation to spring training. Carroll, 30, went 5-10
with a 4.80 ERA in 26 games (19 starts) as a rookie for Chicago last
year.
--RHP Jeff Samardzija and the White Sox agreed to a one-year, $9.8
million contract to avoid arbitration Jan. 16. Samardzija went 7-13
with a 2.99 ERA with the Cubs and Athletics last season.
--C Tyler Flowers and the White Sox agreed to a one-year $2.675
million contract to avoid arbitration Jan. 16. Flowers hit .241 with
15 homers and 50 RBIs last season.
--OF Jordan Danks, designated for assignment by the White Sox on
Jan. 8, was claimed off waivers by the Phillies on Jan. 16. Danks,
28, hit .222/.303/.291 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 51 games for
Chicago last season. He batted .270/.355/.460 with 16 homers and 57
RBIs in 93 games for Triple-A Charlotte. In parts of three seasons
with the White Sox, he has a career .227/.303/.326 hitting line with
eight homers and 26 RBIs in 180 games.
--RHP Hector Noesi and the White Sox avoided arbitration, agreeing
to a one-year, $1.95 million deal on Jan. 15. Noesi, 27, went 8-12
with a 4.75 ERA with the White Sox, Rangers and Mariners last
season. He was traded from Seattle to Texas on April 12, designated
for assignment by the Rangers on April 22 and claimed off waivers by
the White Sox on April 25. He pitched in a career-high 33 games.
Noesi is expected to be Chicago's fifth starter this year.
--RHP Javy Guerra and the White Sox avoided arbitration, agreeing to
a one-year, $937,500 deal on Jan. 15. Guerra, 29, went 2-4 with a
2.91 ERA in 42 relief appearances last season.
--RHP Nate Jones and the White Sox avoided arbitration, agreeing to
a one-year, $660,000 deal on Jan. 15. Jones, 28, pitched in just two
games last year due to hip and elbow injuries that required surgery.
He is 12-5 with a 3.55 ERA in 137 appearances over three seasons
with the White Sox.
--LF Dayan Viciedo and the White Sox agreed to a one-year, $4.4
million contract Jan. 12, avoiding arbitration. The Cuban defector
hit .231 with 21 home runs and 58 RBIs last season and -- if he
makes the roster -- is expected to fill a reserve role behind free
agent acquisition Melky Cabrera and a healthy Avisail Garcia next
season. Viciedo made $2.8 million in 2014 and remains
arbitration-eligible for two more years.
--UT Emilio Bonifacio and the White Sox finalized a one-year, $4
million contract on Jan. 8. The deal calls for the 29-year-old to
receive $3 million in 2015, with the White Sox holding a $4 million
option for 2016 with a $1 million buyout. In 110 games last year for
the Cubs and Braves, Bonifacio batted .259 and had 26 stolen bases
while splitting time between center field, second base, third base,
right field, shortstop, left field and designated hitter.
--LHP Dan Jennings was acquired by the White Sox from the Marlins in
exchange for RHP Andre Rienzo on Dec. 11. Jennings, 27, went 0-2
with a 1.34 ERA in 47 relief appearances for Miami last season.
--RHP David Robertson and the White Sox finalized a four-year, $46
million deal on Dec. 10. Robertson, 29, earned 39 saves this year,
which ranked third in the American League. It was his first season
as a closer after the retirement of Yankees legend Mariano Rivera.
--C Rob Brantly was claimed off waivers by the White Sox from the
Marlins on Dec. 8. Brantly, 25, spent the entire season with
Triple-A New Orleans, batting .255/.291/.341 with four homers and 37
RBIs in 101 games. In 2013, he hit .211/.263/.265 with one homer and
18 RBIs in 67 games for Miami.
--LHP Scott Snodgress was non-tendered by the White Sox on Dec. 2,
making him a free agent. Snodgress, 25, had no decisions and a 15.43
ERA in four relief appearances for Chicago this year. He went a
combined 6-8 with a 4.01 ERA in 29 games (21 starts) in Double-A and
Triple-A.
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--RHP Ronald Belisario, designated for assignment by the White Sox
on Nov. 20, was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte on Nov. 26. He had
a 5.56 ERA over 66 1/3 innings after signing a $3 million deal for
2014, but he struggled when pressed into the closer's role. He would
have been arbitration-eligible this winter.
--1B Adam LaRoche's two-year, $25 million deal with the White Sox
was finalized Nov. 25. LaRoche, 35, hit .250/.362/.455 with 26
homers last season for the Nationals. LaRoche is a career
.264/.340/.472 hitter with 243 career home runs in 11 big league
seasons. He figures to see most of his action as a designated
hitter, replacing the White Sox's 2014 DH duo of Adam Dunn (traded
to A's, then retired) and Paul Konerko (retired).
--C Kevan Smith, RHP Frankie Montas, INF Rangel Ravelo and INF Tyler
Saldano were added to the White Sox 40-man roster on Nov. 20.
Smith, a former seventh-round draft pick in 2011, was a Southern
League midseason all-star last season.
Saldano batted .310 over 82 games for Triple-A Charlotte last season
but saw his season end early after elbow surgery.
Ravelo was a sixth-round draft pick by the White Sox in 2001 and was
rated by Baseball America as the 10th-best prospect in the club's
system.
Montas, 21, went a combined 5-0 with a 1.44 ERA, 80 strikeouts and a
.182 opponents' batting average over three different minor league
levels.
--OF Jared Mitchell was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte on Nov. 20,
as the White Sox removed him from the 40-man roster. Mitchell, 26,
batted a combined .256/.362/.444 with 19 homers and 50 RBIs in 120
games between Double-A Birmingham and Charlotte.
--LHP Onelki Garcia was claimed off waivers by the White Sox from
Los Angeles Dodgers on Nov. 20. Garcia, a third-round pick in 2012,
did not pitch for the Dodgers last season after undergoing offseason
arthroscopic elbow surgery and then later knee surgery. The
25-year-old went 2-3 with a 2.75 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 52 1/3
innings for Double-A Chattanooga in 2013.
--LHP Zach Duke signed a three-year, $15 million free agent contract
with the White Sox on Nov. 18. Duke pitched in 74 games in relief
for the Brewers this year and enjoyed a career renaissance, posting
a 5-1 record with a 2.45 ERA in 58 2/3 innings.
The 31-year-old began his major league career with Pittsburgh as a
starter but never excelled in that role. He went 45-70 with a 4.54
ERA in six seasons for the Pirates.
Duke left for Arizona after the 2010 season and spent one season
with the Diamondbacks. He joined the Washington Nationals in 2012
and was used mostly as a reliever by the Nationals before going to
the Cincinnati Reds during the 2013 season. In 14 games for the Reds
in relief, Duke posted a 0.84 ERA. From there, he joined the Brewers
and made the transition full time to the bullpen.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Part of the reason we brought him back was to sort
off set that tone and show that example of what a leader is and what
he does on and off the field. The impact that Paul had is certainly
not felt just in 2014, but it's going to be felt over the next
several years as the Adam Eatons and the Chris Sales grow into those
roles, as Jose Abreu continues to grow into that role. There's going
to be benefits for years to come as they sort of model some of their
behavior after Paulie's example and what Paulie taught them." --
White Sox GM Rick Hahn, on 1B Paul Konerko, who retired after the
season.
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MLB Team Report - Chicago White Sox - ROSTER REPORT
ARRIVALS: OF J.B. Shuck (waiver claim from Indians), LHP Zach Duke
(free agent from Brewers), 1B Adam LaRoche (free agent from
Nationals), RHP Jeff Samardzija (trade with A's), RHP David
Robertson (free agent from Yankees), LHP Dan Jennings (trade with
Marlins), LF Melky Cabrera (free agent from Blue Jays), UT Emilio
Bonifacio (free agent from Braves), INF Gordon Beckham (free agent
from Angels)
DEPARTURES: 1B Paul Konerko (retired), INF Marcus Semien (traded to
A's), RHP Andre Rienzo (traded to Marlins), OF Jordan Danks (claimed
off waivers by Phillies)
FREE AGENTS: RHP Matt Lindstrom, RHP Felipe Paulino
Lindstrom went through a tumultuous season marred by ankle surgery
and ineffectiveness. GM Rick Hahn said he's looking for "upgrades"
in the bullpen and Lindstrom's spot might be one of those targeted.
Paulino's $4 million option was declined.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE: None
IN LIMBO: LHP Jose Quintana, SS Alexei Ramirez, LHP John Danks
While it's tough to see any trade scenario involving Danks and the
$15.75 million a year he makes, it might be a topic that Hahn
investigates. If rookie LHP Carlos Rodon makes the team out of
spring training as a starter, that would give the White Sox four
lefties in their rotation, which is unheard of. That same scenario
puts Quintana in limbo because of his talent, age (25) and low
salary, which will pay him only $1 million next year. Ramirez could
also be used as a trade chip, but his age (33) and lack of
organizational depth at shortstop probably mean he won't be dealt.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--RHP Nate Jones (Tommy John surgery in July 2014) hopes to return
to the bullpen in late July 2015.
--RHP Felipe Paulino (right rotator cuff inflammation) missed the
final five months of the season.
--LF Melky Cabrera (right pinky finger surgery in September 2014) is
expected to be ready for spring training.
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