| Douglas Benton. 5th December, 2010 - 8:59 pm
 The Chicago White Sox have become somewhat of a haven for pure power hitters over the years and they add another one with Adam Dunn, signing him to a four-year, $56 million contract to head to the American League for the first time in his career.
Dunn has hit at least 38 home runs in each of the last seven seasons, but with his power comes a wide strike zone that has produced at least 164 strikeouts over the same time period. Using his 2010 numbers, Dunn is still one of the most potent power hitters in the game and shows little sign of steep decline on the horizon. He was fourth in home runs (38) and 10th in slugging percentage (.536) in 2010.
In coming to Chicago, Dunn brings a power bat to the middle of an order which could be very good this year. Already strong up the middle with Alexei Ramirez and Gordon Beckman, the White Sox also have potential in the outfield with Alex Rios and Carlos Quentin to round out the line-up. Chicago was 10th in runs scored last year.
However, with the expected re-signing of fellow 1B/DH Paul Konerko, is the Dunn signing a duplicate move with both players in their 30s?
The move to the American League will give Chicago a chance to rotate Dunn and Konerko between first base and designated hitter and keep them fresh and producing in the middle of the order. Missed games haven?t been a problem for Dunn though in recent years.
The real question comes to how the White Sox line up defensively with Dunn a below average to poor option at first and Konerko below average to average at this point in his career. The starting rotation for Chicago isn?t filled with strikeout artists, so strong defense is key in keeping the run total down.
Final Verdict: In an era of dropping power numbers, Dunn has been fairly consistent in that department. He is just 31 years old with no warning signs of potential breakdown. Playing in the American League enhances his value because it decreases the impact of his defensive liability. The combination with Konerko raises questions if this was money well spent, but the move does keep Chicago in the discussion for the AL Central likely as the top contender to Minnesota.
Grade for White Sox: B+ |
