After much deliberation Ozzie Guillen has decided to stick to his guns and use a rotating DH position thus eliminating the chances of Jim Thome returning to the south side of the Chicago. Guillen felt he would not be giving Thome the amount of at bats he deserved. Thome however, is not the only aging slugger who is having trouble finding a new home this off season.
Jim Thome will be 38 this season and has been limited to exclusively playing designated hitter due to his bad back. However he has been productive at the plate and affords protection to all those around him in the lineup. Thome is a career .277 hitter with 564 home runs and 1565 RBI.
Jermaine Dye who is 36 has been rumored to be in consideration for the fourth outfielder spot on the Chicago Cubs roster. Even though Dye had a horrendous second half last season he isn’t completely washed up and I doubt his talent just shut off completely. Dye is a career .274 hitter with 325 homers and 1072 RBI.
Carlos Delgado at 37 is also having issues finding a job. Delgado was injured last season and has been showing some signs of lingering issues while he has been playing in the Puerto Rican Winter league. It looks as though Delgado will be a DH candidate only. He has hit .280 with 473 homers and 1512 RBI for his career.
Gary Sheffield is also on the market. Though not putting up near the number the previous three candidates have in recent years. The 41 year old Sheffield has and is still a feared hitter when ever he steps to the plate. For his career he has hit .292, 509 homers and 1676 RBI.
There is no question that each one of these men could contribute to any team in baseball but they also pose a great risk to which even team does sign them. Most of them are strictly DH candidates or serious liabilities in the field. Should they consider hanging up their spikes? Will they find a place to contribute regularly or will they be signed to tip the caps to the crowd and pinch for the pitcher on a regular basis? Would you want any of these guys as an intricate part of your team at this stage in their careers?
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I think Jermaine Dye has the most to offer a team for next year out of those names. Despite a poor second half, he still had at least 25 homers and 85 RBI. I think he will have a lot to prove next season with whoever signs him. As for Delgado and Sheffield, I feel they both need to hang them up. It’s looking like at best they will get a minor league deal and Delgado is rumored to be struggling mightily defensively in Winter League due to bad knees. Thome needs to stay in the AL where he still be a part-time DH as he is isnt a prototypical NL bench player as his time with the Dodgers last season showed. He still has something to offer a team, but not as much as Dye in my opinion. It will be interesting to see where these names end up.
yeah both Delgado and Thome belong in the AL. I think Dye will end up on a contender and won’t play full time.
too bad they didnt play for the cubs or cardinals…they could get a job as a coach
or a front office guy