CHICAGO -- Behind the plate, the Chicago White Sox appear settled on shared playing time after left-handed-hitting catcher Alex Avila was signed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal announced Wednesday.
Avila, a seven-year major league veteran, figures to split time with the right-handed-hitting Tyler Flowers as the White Sox look to get more offensively out of a position that ranked in the bottom half of the American League in batting average (ninth at .230), slugging percentage (10th at .376) and on-base percentage (11th at .293).
Avila essentially replaces the right-handed-hitting Geovany Soto, who signed a free-agent deal Tuesday with the Los Angeles Angels. Avila also comes with more of a financial commitment since Soto made $1.5 million in 2015.
The White Sox are obviously projecting more than the .191 batting average over 67 games Avila posted last season with the Detroit Tigers, to go along with four home runs and 13 RBIs. The 29-year-old dealt with a bone bruise in his left knee last season that kept him out of action for nearly two months.
Avila's best season came in 2011 when he finished 12th in the AL MVP voting. He batted .295 that season with 19 home runs and 82 RBIs, while playing in his only All-Star Game.
Not only was Avila's knee an issue last season, he also suffered a concussion in 2014 that cost him time. So he comes to the White Sox as a bit of an injury risk.
"He came through all our exams yesterday without restriction," general manager Rick Hahn said. "Our doctors are very optimistic about where he is right now, what it means for his ability to perform through the next year.
"Obviously there's a little bit of a health risk with any guy, much less someone who is coming off injury issues the last couple years, but it is one of the areas -- knock on wood -- that we've been pretty good at in terms of keeping guys healthy and getting them on the field."
How much he plays, even if healthy, remains to be seen. A straight platoon would figure to give Avila more playing time over Flowers since there is far more right-handed pitching than left-handed.
"How the playing time will break down between the catchers at the start of the season, we're going to leave that to [manager] Robin [Ventura] and hopefully provide him with some good options depending on that day's matchups," Hahn said.
Flowers has received rave reviews for his work behind the plate from pitchers such as Chris Sale and John Danks, but his offense has never developed like the White Sox had projected when he was obtained from the Atlanta Braves organization before the 2009 season.
Flowers has averaged 13 home runs and 38 RBIs over the past three seasons, while striking out 357 times, compared to 227 hits.
"I think [the Avila signing] was about providing flexibility behind the plate," Hahn said. "Obviously, we have some other offensive needs that we need to address around the diamond, it just happened that the catching market moved a little quicker than other segments within the market. So we thought it was important to get the guy we targeted in Avila and provide us with some balance and alternatives behind the plate."
On top of the $2.5 million Avila will make, Flowers is due a raise on the $2.675 million he made last season as an arbitration-eligible player. But Avila could be the one to end up with a bulk of the playing time.
"I will point out that even though [Avila's] numbers have declined a little bit, he still does possess the ability to get on base and provide some power against right-handed pitching," Hahn said. "It's not as strong as it was when he was totally healthy a few years ago and hopefully not as strong as it will be in the next several years in his career. But there are some skills he does possess, even when he was struggling."