Hey... Some Good News, Finally!

In this new, Golden Age of White Sox Thriftiness (oops, did I mean "Smarter Spending?"), it's nice to finally get some good news. Though it's not the lead-off man, center fielder, third baseman, second baseman, 5th starter, backup catcher, or 2nd bullpen lefty we could still use, the White Sox avoided arbitration with Bobby Jenks by agreeing today to a 1-year, $5.6 million deal according to Tribune's Dave Van Dyck.

I like this deal a lot. On the field, he's been a workhorse for the Sox, averaging over 64 IP and 37 saves per season through his first three full years in the Majors. True, his strikeout numbers are a cause for concern, as they have declined steadily over those three years (80 in 2006, 56 in 2007, and 38 last year), but, and not to sound like an apologist, anyone who has watched the Sox consistently during the Bobby Jenks era knows he has grown from simply a flame-throwing, one-trick pony to a more polished pitcher, with other weapons in his arsenal, in hope of extending his career. Yes, the strikeouts have been down, but I remain confident in Jenks because even though opponents are putting the ball in play, he's keeping them on the ground, critical for pitchers who play in a home run-friendly launching pad. Last season, Jenks allowed 184 balls in play; 109 of them were ground balls, almost 60%.

Financially this move is a slam dunk by the Sox. Though Jenks' salary will balloon 10x larger than it was in '07, he's still one of the most affordable, proven closers in the game. As of tonight, with only a few veteran relievers still on the market, Jenks' 2009 salary of $5.6 million isn't even in the top 10 of projected closer's salaries. The list:

1. Mariano Rivera, Yankees - $15 million
2. Francisco Cordero, Reds - $12 million
3. Brad Lidge, Phillies - $11.5 million
4. Joe Nathan, Twins - $11.25 million
5. Kerry Wood, Indians - $10 million
6. B.J. Ryan, Blue Jays - $10 million
7. Francisco Rodriguez, Mets - $8.5 million
8. Brian Fuentes, Angels - $8.5 million
9. Jose Valverde, Astros - $8 million
10. Trevor Hoffman, Brewers - $6 million
11. Bobby Jenks, White Sox - $5.6 million
12. Mike Gonzalez, Braves - $3.5 million
13. Dan Wheeler, Rays - $3.2 million
14. Fernando Rodney, Tigers - $2.7 million
15. Matt Capps, Pirates - $2.3 million
16. Chad Qualls, Diamondbacks - $1.3 million*
17. Aaron Heilman, Mariners - $1.2 million*
18. Joakim Soria, Royals - $1 million
19. George Sherrill, Oriolez - $900,000*
20. Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox - $775,000*
21. Manny Corpas, Rockies - $750,000
22. Jonathan Broxton, Dodgers - $454,000
23. Carlos Marmol, Cubs - $430,000
24. Heath Bell, Padres - $420,000*
25. CJ Wilson, Rangers - $417,460*
26. Joel Hanrahan, Nationals - $400,000
27. Matt Lindstrom, Marlins - $395,000
28. Brian Wilson, Giants - $392,500
29. Chris Perez, Cardinals - $390,000
30. Brad Ziegler, Athletics - $390,000
    Notes: I took the closers from today's projected closers on the ESPN Hot Stove Reports for all teams. All contract information comes from, of course, Cot's Baseball Contracts. Finally, those salaries marked with an asterik are the player's 2008 salary, since those players are still eligible for arbitration and have not had their 2009 salary determined.

As you can see, there are few better players that combine Jenks' durability and affordability. I would say the only team with a better deal for their closer are the Red Sox and Jonathan Papelbon, but with him eligible for salary arbitration this year as well, his contract will likely skyrocket, and probably surpass Jenks', before Opening Day. In any case, with 117 career saves, Jenks has the 24th most saves of all active pitchers, and is ahead of a couple of guys who will be cashing bigger checks than him in 2009: BJ Ryan (115), Brian Fuentes (115), and Kerry Wood (34).

Finally, on a personal note, I've really come to like Jenks. I think he genuinely enjoys playing for the Sox and is appreciative of the organization for the chance they took on him in 2004 when they plucked him from the Angels in what will go down as one of the best waiver wire steals of all-time. Bobby's personal deamons that nearly cost him his career in baseball have been well documented, but you don't have to look too hard in sports to find guys who still retain a sense of entitlement about their profession, despite their best efforts to waste their talent.

Here's to another season in the sun, #45. If you could find a lead-off hitter, though, to come with you, that would be great.