March 9, 200620 yr Trib The White Sox got insurance at shortstop Wednesday while intensifying the scrutiny on former No. 1 pick Joe Borchard when they acquired switch-hitter Alex Cintron from Arizona for reliever Jeff Bajenaru. Cintron, 27, is a lifetime .279 left-handed hitter who also can play third and second base. The deal allows manager Ozzie Guillen to use Pablo Ozuna as a backup second baseman as well as a pinch-hitter, with Rob Mackowiak spelling center fielder Brian Anderson and third baseman Joe Crede against some tough right-handed pitchers. metromix.com Cintron is the starting shortstop for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic and will join the Sox when the tournament ends. The addition of Cintron will give Mackowiak more playing time in the outfield. Also, because the Sox are likely to have only 11 pitchers, his signing will narrow competition for the last backup spot among Ross Gload, Jerry Owens and Borchard. Gload is considered a superior defensive replacement at first, which could give him an edge over Borchard and the speedy Owens. Gload and Borchard are out of options, meaning each must be placed on waivers if he doesn't make the Opening Day roster. The deal completes the Sox's two-year pursuit of Cintron, whom the Diamondbacks deemed expendable because of their depth at short. "The one thing we worried about last year and this year is, if Juan Uribe goes down, then Pablo Ozuna is your shortstop, and you have lost a very valuable piece on your bench," general manager Ken Williams said Wednesday. "Even when I approached [club Chairman] Jerry Reinsdorf [for] a few more dollars to our payroll, I freely admitted to him I'm being a little greedy. I'm trying to cover our bases in every conceivable way." Cintron batted .273 in 122 games last season but hit .304 with three homers and 12 RBIs as a pinch-hitter. His best year was 2003 when he hit .317 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs. In 2004, his average tumbled to .262 and he committed 17 errors. "I wouldn't label him as a backup player," said Sox third-base coach Joey Cora, who has known Cintron since 1999 when Cora was the GM for Caguas of the Puerto Rican League. "He's going to be a good fit. He's still young. He's playing in the [WBC], so he's going to come ready to go." Cintron will earn $1.6 million in 2006, which will increase the Sox's projected payroll to nearly $96 million. Guillen said the final bench spot will go to "what we need." Gload provides defense and the most major-league experience; Owens is one of the organization's fastest players; and Borchard can hit for power from both sides of the plate and play all three outfield positions. Borchard, 27, has only two hits in 13 at-bats with four strikeouts this spring. He was 5-for-12 during a September promotion and was 3-for-4 as a pinch-hitter. After Borchard batted .174 in 63 games in 2004, the Sox signed Jermaine Dye to a two-year, $10.15 million contract to play right field. Borchard wasn't on the Sox's traveling squad to Tempe for Wednesday's exhibition game.
March 9, 200620 yr QUOTE(KevHead0881 @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 04:50 PM) I agree that Ozuna's only useful attribute to us is his speed. And I don't think we should underestimate that. With the exception of Pods, our lineup is filled with guys with decent to below-average speed. If he's kept on the team simply to steal a base in the late innings, I think he warrants a spot. Just adds another dimension to the bench. It's possible we don't win game 2 of the ALCS without Ozuna's speed.
March 9, 200620 yr According to that article, Ozuna is on the roster. Borchard wasn't on the Sox's traveling squad to Tempe for Wednesday's exhibition game Hmmm... Edited March 9, 200620 yr by SSH2005
March 9, 200620 yr QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Mar 9, 2006 -> 12:15 AM) According to that article, Ozuna is on the roster. Hmmm... OMG neither did THOME!
March 9, 200620 yr QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Mar 9, 2006 -> 04:47 PM) Trib Gload provides defense? Granted at first, but not in the OF.
March 9, 200620 yr QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Mar 9, 2006 -> 01:17 AM) Ozuna it's going anywhere. Ozuna: it's what's happening!
March 9, 200620 yr QUOTE(3E8 @ Mar 9, 2006 -> 12:53 AM) Ozuna: it's what's happening! Oops. Meant to say isn't going anywhere.
March 9, 200620 yr QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Mar 9, 2006 -> 12:54 AM) OMG didn't know that! Regulars who don't start that day almost never travel with the team to away games in Spring Training.
March 9, 200620 yr Regulars who don't start that day almost never travel with the team to away games in Spring Training. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I just figured that he would be playing or at least subbing at some point in the game because he's supposed to be fighting for a roster spot.
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