The Detroit Tigers’ 6-5 victory over the Cleveland Indians officially eliminated the White Sox from playoff contention.
Thank God.
From this point on, wins and losses themselves don’t mean much. The Sox are virtually guaranteed to have a protected first-round pick (top 15), and that’s all that matters. You could say that they’re better off losing, but it’s a more charming idea in theory than practice, considering it involves alienating paying customers to various extents.
Anyway, here’s a quick list of five players who would benefit from getting off the bench for the final nine games. It doesn’t count Daniel Hudson since he’s starting Sunday and that’s about all you can hope for:
No. 1: Jhonny Nunez. Nunez’s season line (4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER) is skewed by his last appearance against the Royals, in which he allowed two runs for every batter he retired (two). I don’t think the Sox should plan around him by any means, but he’s a lights-out spring from being in the mix for 2010. He hasn’t walked any of the 20 batters he’s faced this season, so at least he’s challenging hitters. Guillen should challenge himself and give Nunez a few more looks this season, especially in situations where it might hurt (higher leverage, against lefties, etc.).
No. 2: Alex Rios. It might feel like a kick in the nuts if he turns it on in garbage time, but it’d be nice if he could create some video of good habits to study in the offseason. He might be the most crucial position player of the 2010 team, which is a little bit scary, but we’ll wait to see what Kenny Williams does with the designated hitter spot.
