The Phillies Make a Move, and the White Sox Add Another Key Piece

Phillies

The Phillies has signed veteran starter Aaron Harang to a one year deal worth five million dollars. Harang is 36 years old and has played 13 major league seasons. He hasn't been on the same team since 2010, where he spent eight seasons with the Reds. He bounces around because he is the back of the rotation starter, which don't get long term deals. He is a quality pitcher, and you can still get a solid 10 wins out of Harang.

He is coming off a good season where he finished with a 12-12 record, a 3.57 ERA, 204.1 innings, 161 strikeouts in 33 games started. This signing confuses me for only one reason, the Phillies said they are trying to get younger. This move doesn't make you any younger, even though I believe it helps the ball club. They already had the veteran starters in Cole Hammels, and Cliff Lee. This could indicate that the Phillies could be trading Hammels, and they signed Harang to fill the veteran role in the starting rotation.

White Sox

The White Sox have made another key role in this offseason by signing 29 year old Emilio Bonifacio.  He has played 8 solid major league seasons, where he has bounced around of late. I think Emilio is a very unrated player that brings a lot to a playoff contender. He can play all three outfield positions, short-stop, and second base. That is the ultimate utility player in the field, someone who can play both the outfield and the infield.

He also is a switch hitter who can play as a starter or off the bench, which makes him a valuable piece to an offense. Emilio finished last year with a .259 AVG, with 3 home runs, 24 RBI's, with 26 stolen bases. He isn't a super star, but definitely a dynamic player. A guy that is a utility player in the field helps give people days off, defensive substitutions, and it gives Emilio playing time. He brings a switch hitting presence, which makes him good for any pinch hit spot, and he can also be brought into the game as a pinch runner, for he has a little speed. This adds up to a great role piece for a team trying to make the playoffs.