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Avila sees an opportunity to fit in with Chicago White Sox

After spending the last seven seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Alex Avila is with the Chicago White Sox now after agreeing to a one-year, $2.5 million contract last week.

While he understandably holds fond memories from his days with the Tigers - Avila was drafted by the organization in 2005 and his father, Al, is Detroit's general manager - his old team is now the new rival.

"It will be interesting for sure facing the Tigers again and going to Detroit," Avila said. "Obviously, with all the friends and relationships I have there, it will be interesting. It will be a lot of fun. Seven years is a long time in this game to be in one place.

"It will actually be nice to be able to see everybody off the field. At the same time, I can't wait to kick their (butt)."

A healthy Avila could help the White Sox accomplish that goal. But after posting a .295/.389/.506 hitting line with 19 home runs and 82 RBI in 2011, a string of injuries have severely diminished the 28-year-old catcher's offensive production.

While missing two months with a bone bruise in his left knee last season, Avila batted .191 with 4 homers and 13 RBI in 67 games.

"For catchers, as long as you show that you can handle yourself behind the plate defensively as far receiving, throwing, blocking, working well with pitchers and have production at the plate and being a presence for the team, being one of the leaders for the team on and off the field, there will always be opportunities," Avila said. "The reason catching is so thin, it's a tough job. You have more responsibility than other positions. If you're good in those aspects you can stick around. Teams need those types of players to have winning seasons."

A left-handed hitter, Avila is not viewing himself as the Sox' backup to Tyler Flowers.

"Once the season ended, once I kind of looked at all the teams out there that probably would be looking for a catcher, I thought that Chicago might be a good fit," said Avila, a lifetime .291 hitter at U.S. Cellular Field. "One of the things that was important to me was obviously an opportunity to play as opposed to being a straight backup catcher. I had talked to (general manager) Rick (Hahn) and when we were going through the whole process, to me, it seemed like that opportunity was going to be there with me and Tyler splitting time and letting (manager) Robin (Ventura) kind of use both of our strengths in order to be as productive as possible."

On the defensive side, Avila is looking forward to catching White Sox starters like Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Carlos Rodon.

"Sale, even when I was playing every day, that was always my day off," Avila said. "It'll be much better trying to catch them than to hit them. They have an exciting pitching staff, through the rotation and the bullpen, guys who have had some very good years. They have been throwing the ball well for the last couple of years.

"It will be a fun staff to catch. I can't want to get to spring training and get to know guys and figure out how guys tick, what they like to do."

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