The Chicago White Sox have signed first baseman Adam LaRoche to a two-year, $25 million deal, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. He reportedly turned down a two-year, $20 million offer from the Marlins.
LaRoche, 35, owns a solid .264/.340/.472 slash line over a span of eleven major league seasons, hitting 20+ home runs in all but two of them. He has averaged 26 homers in the last three seasons, however, he owns a meager .204/.284/.336 career slash line against southpaws.
LaRoche will provide a solid platoon option with Jose Abreu at first base where he’s an excellent defender, and will project to see plenty of time at DH as well.
Thoughts:
Well, I’m just glad that Adam LaRoche is finally out of the NL East. I always hated facing him as a Brave, and even more so as a National because this dude absolutely demolished Mets pitchers throughout his career. It seemed like every time he faced the Mets, he would make Citi Field look like a band box, launching home runs into the Pepsi Porch.
LaRoche batted .321 with six homers and 18 RBI in 53 at-bats against the Mets in 2014 with a 1.226 OPS. Over his career, he’s hit 29 homers in 139 games against the Mets. The good news for us is we don’t even face the White Sox in 2015… Woohoo!
As for the contract, I think the White Sox made a nice pickup by signing LaRoche. He will be taking his talents to the hitter friendly park that is U.S. Cellular Field, and will provide some solid production in the middle of the White Sox lineup and plus-defense at first when he spells Abreu.
