White Sox Find Some Relief in Left-Hander Duke

Midweek musings: The Chicago Cubs will receive more media attention for their courting of free-agent pitcher Jon Lester than the White Sox will for their signing of free-agent pitcher Zach Duke because …. Just because.

Can we skip winter for spring with April Rose? Credit: Brian B. Hayes

* Speaking of Duke, he does bolster the Sox’ bullpen. And if there’s anything the Sox bullpen needed it was bolstering — although blowing the whole thing up did seem awfully tempting. Mainly because the Sox relievers could be so awful in 2014.

* Good left-handed relievers are a valuable commodity. You don’t have to tell the Sox or their fans. The best earned-run average by a Sox left-handed reliever in 2014 was 4.81 by Eric Surkamp. Duke had a 2.45 ERA in 2014. The statistical-analysis department at ElliottHarris.com departed early to battle the elements, so that leaves any analysis up to your humble correspondent who is fairly certain the signing for three years and $15 million is an upgrade.

* “It was an important get, one we’re all very happy about,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said in a conference call, “but we’re not deluding ourselves that we’re, by any means, finished addressing our needs both in the bullpen or elsewhere.” Just about any Sox fan couldn’t have said it better. Or more accurately. The challenge is finding another piece or pieces to add to the Sox roster so that the 2015 season is better than 2014. OK, to be honest, it wouldn’t take much to be better than last season — although it would take much to be much better.

* If it’s any consolation to Cubs fans (and the guess here is that it might be), Duke’s previous employer was the Milwaukee Brewers. So Duke’s signing does mean the Brewers’ bullpen might be weaker in 2015. Meaning the Cubs conceivably could be moving closer to catching the Brewers? Conceivably. Actually might be another matter.

* Speaking of Lester, he reportedly went to dinner with Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein at a fancy Chicago restaurant. Something says what matters most on Lester’s menu in making a decision will be money, a chance to at least challenge for a World Series championship and a city with the best New England clam chowder. Given the choice of rejoining his former general manager from his Boston Red Sox days or rejoining the Red Sox, the guess here is the left-hander opts for Boston. Well, unless possibly the Cubs offer considerably more money and years and/or unless Lester finds Chicago cuisine more to his liking.

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