White Sox Sign Octavio Dotel

MLB Trade Rumors is reporting the White Sox have signed reliever Octavio Dotel to a two-year deal worth $11 million. The Sox are staying mum on whether or not this rumor is true, but it will likely be confirmed or denied in the next 24 hours.

This is a risky move for KW, but it could pay huge dividends should Dotel stay healthy--he's only pitched 56 innings in the past three years combined because of injuries. I think $11 million is way too much money to throw at him, not only because of his health problems but also because he got hit fairly hard in his few appearances last year. That said, I've always liked Dotel and don't think there is any question he can still bring it. He has the ability to provide considerable reliability for a very shaky bullpen, and his arrival likely moves Scott Linebrink to a role in which he pitches the earlier innings, which is great news for Sox fans because I'm not sold that Linebrink is the guy we want to hold the game for Bobby.

Everyone has to withhold judgment about this trade, positive or negative, until we see how Dotel holds up after the twenty or thirty innings mark. If he proves to be more durable than his recent past would indicate, this turns out to be a great signing, amplified by the fact that we got a top-notch reliever without conceding compensation draft picks (one of the big problems I had with the Linebrink deal). Like I said, I do think that it is too much money, but this winner's curse may prove to be a moot point should he pan out.