White Sox sign Steve Lombardozzi

The White Sox have signed 2015 Pirates outfielder Steve Lombardozzi to a minor league deal.

Lombardozzi somehow appeared in 12 games for the Pirates last year but didn't play in the field once -- he was always either a pinch-hitter or a pinch-runner. That was partially dictated by circumstances, but in general, that doesn't seem like the best way to use him. It's not that he's an amazing defender, but a lot of what value he has comes from his ability to play second and third as well as either outfield corner. Anyway, Lombardozzi spent most of the season at Indianapolis and hit .282/.347/.324.

Heading to the White Sox is a smart career move for Lombardozzi. The White Sox were flat-out terrible at both second and third last season, with second baseman Carlos Sanchez batting .224/.268/.326 and third basemen Gordon Beckham, Tyler Saladino, Conor Gillaspie and Mike Olt hitting only a bit better than that. The White Sox will likely pass second base to Micah Johnson at some point, but he isn't a sure thing. And there isn't much third-base talent available in free agency this winter. The White Sox were bad at the outfield corners, too, come to think of it (although they'll probably be a bit more invested in Melky Cabrera and Avisail Garcia than in someone like Sanchez or Beckham). Lombardozzi could well end up with a fair bit of big-league playing time. Best of luck to him.