Alex Rios Dealt to Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox have acquired Alex Rios on waivers, in a surprising move. Rios has spent his entire baseball career on the Blue Jays, getting drafted in the first round, with the 19th overall pick, by Toronto in the 1999 Draft, but not getting any playing time in the majors, until the 2004 season. Rios signed a six-year contract extension with Toronto, before the 2008 season, making him a Blue Jay through 2014. The deal was worth $64 million, with an option for the 2015 season. The White Sox now take over Rios' remaining $58 million contract, and become Rios' second MLB team.

Rios goes from a team who had almost no chance of making the playoffs, to a team who is in a very tight playoff race. In Rios' five previous seasons with the Blue Jays, his team had never advanced to the playoffs, usually finishing third or fourth in the AL East behind the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The Blue Jays are currently in a disappointing fourth place, with a record of 54-57, and 14.5 games out of first place. They are behind the Yankees, Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays.

The White Sox, on the other hand, have a record of 57-55, and are currently in second place in their division, the AL Central, only 2.5 games behind the leading Detroit Tigers. The White Sox have had great success in the playoffs in recent years, making multiple postseason runs this decade, culminating in a 2005 World Series victory.

Getting Alex Rios is not the only move that General Manager of the White Sox, Kenny Williams, has made recently. A few weeks ago, just before the trading deadline expired, the White Sox acquired Jake Peavy, one of the top pitchers in all of baseball. Peavy had earlier rejected a trade to the White Sox this season, but accepted it, the second time. To go with his pitching skills, Peavy brought his $52 million contract with him. Peavy is slated to make $15 million next season, and $16 million and $17 million in upcoming seasons.

Rios, who was mostly a right fielder during his time with the Blue Jays, can play all the outfield positions if needed for Chicago. The White Sox already have veterans in the outfield, making this move even more surprising. The current White Sox outfielders include Carlos Quentin, Scott Podsednik, and Jermaine Dye. Rios could also rotate being the designated hitter with Jim Thome or be a pinch hitter late in the game.

General Manager Williams is not afraid to spend money on the top players, as long as it means success and more playoff runs. Williams has made another bold move, and only time will tell if the gamble will pay off.