The 2006 Chicago White Sox featured 30 year old speedster Scott Podsednik in left field. Pods posted a line of .261/.330/.353 in 524 AB. He posted an OPS+ of 76 and an EqA of .250. Obviously, from these stats it is obvious Podsednik was an enormous failure in LF. Even when weighing the more basic stats, he was not much better. He stole 40 bases in 59 attempts, good for an average of 67%. He also struck out 96 times against 54 walks.
Ok, enough thrashing of Pods, what can Kenny Williams conceivably do about LF in a market where overrated players like Gary Matthews Jr. and Gil Meche are raking in large amounts of cash? He can buy low.
There are many options out there, but I am most intrigued by Ryan Church. The 28 year old outfielder has succeeded at all levels in MiLB, and had a very successful age 27 season in Washington. Church posted a .276/.366/.526 line to go alongside an OPS+ 128 and an EqA of .308. Church had a .9 IsoD, significantly better than other outfielders like Chone Figgins and Carl Crawford, both of whom have been bandied about for the vacant leadoff and LF position. Jim Bowden, being the plethora of ignorance and incompetence that he tends to be, will most likely look to either move or cut Church in favor of a more athletic outfielder like Nook Logan. The guys over at Gotham Baseball even speculated that Bowden was looking at troubled uber-prospect Lastings Milledge to join an already crowded outfield.
Some feel it is time for the Ryan Sweeney era to begin in 2007, but I feel he can afford to spend one more year in AAA. He is only 21, and still has some power and patience to develop. Hopefully he can contribute on opening day 2008, or as soon as July 2007.
My suggestion: pick up Ryan Church and annoint him the starting LF for 2007. He has the patience, the power, the numbers, the fielding, everything. He can leadoff with that kind of OBP, or bat in the seven, eight, or nine hole. Church can most likely be had for the perpetually underappreciated Heath Phillips. If Church were to falter or injure himself, some combination of Rob Mackowiak, Ross Gload, Pablo Ozuna and Josh Fields could perform at or slightly above league average. I know as a major market ballclub, we should expect better than league average at every position, but with the market as inflated as it is right now you have to be fiscal at some positions. Plus, I'd bet some serious mulah that Church will outperform Alfonso Soriano over the course of 162 games.
What to do with Podsednik? Cut your losses and try to pick up a single A RP with decent upside. Some teams may still value him for his speed (I'm looking at you Colorado Rockies).
Church has also played a little center field, which happens to be the next position I will examine. See you soon.
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