Veteran first baseman Paul Konerko decided to put off retirement, as he signed a one-year deal worth $3 million to return to the Chicago White Sox for his 16th season. Ken Rosenthal originally reported the signing.
Konerko is coming off a rough year where he hit .244/.313/.355 with an 82 wRC+ and -1.8 fWAR. The 12 home runs he hit was his lowest total since his 1998 season where he played just 75 games.
Despite the awful 2013 season, it’s a good bet that the 37 year-old first baseman will recover some of the pop in his bat. In the three previous seasons, Konerko had a .304/.384/.530 line with 96 home runs and a 143 wRC+.
Steamer Projections thinks that Konerko won’t return to his 2010-12 peak years, but it doesn’t think he’s done yet. It projects Konerko to produce a .266/.342/.420 line for a 110 wRC+. With the signing of Cuban first baseman Jose Dariel Abreu, Konerko probably won’t see much time at first base. This is just as well, as defensive metrics say that he’s been one of the game’s worst fielders at that position over the last four to five years.
As a respected veteran and a fan favorite, Konerko is a positive presence on the team. If anybody earned the right to retire on their own terms, it would be him. At $3 million, the contract is no golden parachute, and Konerko could have some value as a designated hitter or pinch hitter and occasional first baseman.
There’s a good chance that Konerko will return to the White Sox in some capacity once his playing days are over. He’s their longest tenured player, and the last remaining player from the 2005 World Series team. If 2014 is Konerko’s final season, I hope he goes out on a good note.
