Beckham thriving in new role with White Sox

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn was applauded for adding proven offensive pieces during the off-season.

Hahn signed Melky Cabrera, a career .286 hitter, to a three-year, $42 million contract in December.

Hahn signed Adam LaRoche, who hit 28 homers and drove in 92 runs for the Washington Nationals last season, to a two-year, $25 million deal in November.

Hahn also earned positive reviews after adding Emilio Bonifacio and Geovany Soto to the Sox' bench.

There was one more signing that caused many White Sox fans to question Hahn's sanity.

It came in late January, when Gordon Beckham returned to the South Side on a one-year, $2 million contract.

Drafted by the Sox with the No. 8 overall pick in 2008 after a star-studded collegiate career at Georgia, Beckham looked like a franchise cornerstone the following year, when he batted .270 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI in just 103 games.

It was all downhill from there with the bat, and the White Sox traded Beckham and his .221 average to the Los Angeles Angels last August.

Clearly, it was time to sever ties with a standout defensive player who just couldn't hit.

That's why there was an understandable wave of angst when Beckham returned, but thus far he has been Hahn's best offensive addition.

Cabrera has been in and out, LaRoche doesn't look much better than Adam Dunn, and Bonifacio and Soto are a combined 5-for-42 (.119).

Beckham, on the other hand, has thrived as the Sox' utility infielder. He typically has pinch hit for Conor Gillaspie late in games and then stayed in at third base this season, and that's not an easy role to fill.

Beckham has made it work, batting .350 while handling 21 chances at third and 3 at shortstop without an error.

"It's definitely good to be back here," Beckham said. "I needed to get away to kind of clear my head a little bit. I kind of view this differently. I don't feel that any of the weight that I had is still on me. I don't know why, but I don't feel that way."

Not having to play every day has likely removed much of the weight and allowed Beckham to relax and become one of the White Sox' few dangerous hitters over the frustrating first month of the season.

"It can happen, it can jump on guys when there are expectations and the pressure gets there," manager Robin Ventura said. "For him, it might have been helpful to get traded away and go away for a while and come back with more of a clear conscience of who he is, where he's at. You get some information from somewhere else that maybe sticks in your skull differently than it did here.

"He's in a good frame of mind and that's the other big thing. All the stuff that has been said about him, but he can play baseball. We know that. He's a good player."

If he keeps hitting and the Sox' offense continues to slumber, Beckham could find himself back in the starting lineup at third base.

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