Ostrowski: Chicago White Sox newcomers making an impact
Much of the Chicago White Sox off-season chatter consisted of missing out on all of the big-ticket corner outfielders in free agency, along with clubhouse drama. Meanwhile, general manager Rick Hahn replaced more than half of the starting lineup with low-risk upgrades.
Those moves paid off in the first week. Jimmy Rollins provided a game winning home run and Todd Frazier had a 3-run blast of his own. Starting pitcher Mat Latos allowed just 1 hit in his 6-inning White Sox debut.
Hahn managed to add 8 wins to the starting lineup by improving at third base, second base and designated hitter, according to the 2015 statistic for wins above replacement.
All-star Frazier is at the hot corner instead of the law firm of Saladino, Gillaspie, Beckham & Olt. Second baseman Brett Lawrie is an improvement over the Carlos Sanchez and Micah Johnson combination. Center fielder Austin Jackson took a spot in the lineup, allowing others to replace designated hitter Adam LaRoche.
Jackson at the bottom of the order is more beneficial than most realize. Yes, he was available in March, but LaRoche is gone and Adam Eaton is out of center field.
Eaton was an embarrassment on defense. Taking a look at some of the popular sabermetric stats such as defensive runs saved or ultimate zone rating tells you that last year Eaton was the third worst at his position in the game.
Jackson, Latos and Rollins have one-year contracts that total $6 million less than John Danks' 2016 salary.
Hahn may be a numbers guy, but he hasn't underestimated the value of veteran leadership this season. If all goes well, newcomers Frazier and Rollins could be steady voices in the clubhouse. Lawrie has injected much-needed life into the team. They may push Jose Abreu as the leader as he gets a better grasp on the English language.
After spending more than $100 million and "winning the off-season" with David Robertson, Melky Cabrera and LaRoche a season ago, the value approach by the White Sox may end up working best for this club. Add in a pair of trades for everyday players Frazier and Lawrie and this has the signs of an American League Central contender.
Relying heavily on sought-after free agents always is a spin of the roulette wheel. The decisions by Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon, Jason Heyward and Justin Upton made perfect sense for them.
Overreacting to one week of baseball is a tradition unlike any other. Only 25 more of these to go, but it was a much improved start compared to the 0-4 record to open 2015.
• Joe Ostrowski is a co-host of the "Hit & Run" baseball show from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on WSCR 670-AM The Score with Barry Rozner. Follow him on Twitter@JoeO670.