If White Sox want to make a run, defense can't rest
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn was widely lauded for making one impressive addition after another during the off-season.
But in late January, a big crowd of White Sox fans/followers lashed out when Hahn brought back Gordon Beckham on a one-year, $2 million contract.
After trading the former first-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Angels last August, it appeared that Beckham and his inconsistent bat had finally moved on for good.
But there was a method to Hahn's alleged madness.
While Beckham's bat remains suspect, his glove is close to gold, and that is very important on a Sox team that has been a collective failure in the field the last two seasons.
"We view (Beckham) as a player capable of playing solid defense at multiple positions and, if the need arises, fill in on an everyday basis at one of those positions," Hahn said. "When he left Chicago, he played more in that role in Anaheim. He actually played more at third and short than he did at second. We all saw for a number of years what he can do defensively as a second baseman. We also feel real good about his capabilities at third as well as short, where we expect he will get some time this year."
Good teams have big bats on the bench that can deliver needed hits late in the game. Beckham has a big glove, which he showed while starting a double play in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Angels.
In tight games this season, look for Beckham to enter the game in the eighth or ninth inning to play second or third base.
As for the White Sox' projected regulars, let's use the dWAR (defensive wins above replacement) metric to take a closer look.
Jose Abreu had a -2.1 dWAR last season, the worst rating among starting American League first basemen.
Abreu is still the Sox' starter at first, but Adam LaRoche, a Gold Glove winner with the Nationals in 2012, should get plenty of playing time.
Alexei Ramirez, who has the range and athletic ability to be a Gold Glove shortstop, had a 0.7 dWAR last year.
Conor Gillaspie played inconsistent defense at third base, and that's reflected in his -0.9 defensive rating.
Wonder why Tyler Flowers is back for another season with the Sox? His 1.4 dWAR ranked fourth among qualified AL catchers.
Moving to the outfield, Adam Eaton had a solid 1.8 rating and his standout speed makes him a Gold Glove candidate in center.
Right fielder Avisail Garcia, who injured his left shoulder diving for a ball in early April and missed four months, had a -1.2 dWAR. That rating should improve this year because Garcia was understandably tentative after returning to the White Sox' starting lineup in August.
In left, newcomer Melky Cabrera had a -1.1 dWAR with Toronto in 2014, but he is still considered a defensive upgrade over the departed Dayan Viciedo (-2.4) and Alejandro De Aza (-0.3).
A big key is Micah Johnson, who is expected to be the Sox' starting second baseman.
Johnson has above-average range, but he made 52 errors in 256 minor-league games over the last three seasons.
"I've spent a lot of time working on my defense." Johnson said at beginning of spring training. "Catching the ball, my footwork, everything. I think the big thing for me is just being relaxed out there and not forcing things that aren't there."
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Leaky defense
Here's how the White Sox have fared in team fielding the last five seasons in the American League:
2014: Ranked 13th in the AL with 107 errors
2013: Ranked 14th in the AL with 121 errors
2012: Ranked first in the AL with 70 errors
2011: Ranked second in the AL with 79 errors
2010: Ranked sixth in the AL with 103 errors
Source: MLB