It's official: another ex-Royals reliever is on his way to Chicago. The White Sox officially inked oft-injured right hander Octavio Dotel to a two-year, $11 million deal that continues the veteran-ization of the bullpen.

It just goes to show you what I always say: believe everything you read in the Impacto Deportivo.

Dotel, who spent the last five years bouncing around five different organizations (Houston, Oakland, New York, Kansas City and Atlanta), believes he is finally 100% healthy after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2005 and subsequently suffering set backs due to tendonitis (2006) and shoulder strain (2007).

Two years and $11 million are a lot to guarantee any non-closer relief pitcher, let alone one who isn't in good health. But if the Sox did their homework their bullpen is suddenly looking very formidable with Dotel setting up Bobby Jenks; Scott Linebrink and Matt Thornton in middle relief and Ehren Wasserman and Boone Logan as Ozzie Guillen's pet one-out guys.

A seventh reliever seems likely at this point as well, with Mike Macdougal the favorite if he can recapture some of his 2006 form. Minor league starters Lance Broadway, Charlie Haeger and Nick Masset might be more useful, however, in that they could be used as long relievers.

In any case, slowly but surely, this team is starting to look like a contender. But of course I am contractually obligated to say it-- there's still been no aid to the area the Sox need it the most: starting pitching.

Dotel posted dominant numbers as a set up man for the Astros in the early '00s, and, despite a post-surgery drop off, has maintained a very high K/9 rate (12.03 in 2007) and a solid K/BB rate (3.42) to go with a respectable WHIP (1.24 career, 1.34 in '07) and ERA (3.76 career, 4.11 in '07).

To me that says two things: 1.) his stuff is still nasty and 2.) Linebrink's 4-year, $19 million contract, for a middle reliever with lesser stuff, looks even sillier than it did a month ago.

One other thing to consider here:

Sox fans, and probably Ken Williams as well, laughed when the Cubs, with a bullpen as leaky as a water main on Montrose Avenue, signed Bob Howry and Scott Eye for a combined $23 million in 2005.

Well, the Sox have their own version of the free agent reliever game with Linebrink and Dotel clocked in at $30 million.

Who would you rather have: Howry and Eyre in '06 or Linebrink and Dotel in '08?

Comments

Please log in or register to post your comment.