White Sox bench starts to take shape

The Chicago team hope to add a power bat to the roster while improving the outfield depth with the signing of outfielder Andruw Jones.

Outfielder Andruw Jones, a 10-time Gold Glove winner, has signed a one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox, the team said on Wednesday. Jones, 32, will receive a base salary of US$500,000 (Dh1.8m) in 2010 and up to an additional $1m in performance bonuses. "This is an opportunity to add a power bat to the roster while improving our outfield depth," the White Sox general manager Ken Williams said.

"With the addition of Andruw, Mark Kotsay and Omar Vizquel, we feel our bench is taking shape to be a strong asset heading into the 2010 season." Jones batted .214 with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs in 82 games for the Texas Rangers last season while making 53 starts as the designated hitter. He was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in January, 11 months before the end of a lucrative two-year deal, after struggling with various injuries.

A five-time All Star with the Atlanta Braves, Jones has a career batting average of .257 with 388 home runs and 1,174 RBIs. He made a splash in his first season as the youngest player in the majors when he became the first National League player to hit home runs in his first two World Series at-bats, against the New York Yankees. * Reuters