Two for Two

By: Peter Bernstein

The deal that brought Jim Thome to the White Sox for Aaron Rowand was really a four-man exchange. The White Sox got a new DH (Thome instead of Frank Thomas) and a new centerfielder (Brian Anderson) instead of Rowand. With Thome having an MVP-caliber year, it’s easy to assume that the White Sox came away much the better. But as good as Thome has been, Anderson has been bad. Meanwhile, Rowand and Thomas have put together solid years for their respective new clubs, Philadelphia and Oakland.

So how does this 2-for-2 deal stack up for the Sox? Based on statistics so far, it’s surprisingly even.

Thomas and Rowand combine for the higher batting average, but Thome and Anderson (Thome really), have a small edge in on-base and slugging percentages. The Sox duo has scored and driven in more runs, but that is partly due to the overall strength of the White Sox lineup. Thome, along with Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye, give the White Sox the best 3-4-5 hitters in baseball. Anderson has at least played good defense, and he can be always be shipped to AAA and replaced with someone who is unlikely to hit any worse.

And with the Phillies eating a large part of Thome’s salary, the dollars involved are about the same. All in all, with the White Sox heading toward the post-season, I doubt that Reinsdorf or Williams are complaining much about these moves.

And I doubt the other teams involved are complaining either. Frank Thomas, with his power and high walk totals, is a perfect fit for the A’s. His $500,000 salary makes him one of this year’s best baseball bargains for a team known for its cost-conscious ways. Along with Nick Swisher and Eric Chavez, Thomas gives Oakland a solid 3-4-5 combination of their own. Oakland remains in contention in the sad sack AL West.

The Phillies are also in the playoff hunt as Aaron Rowand’s style of play has already made him a fan favorite. Plus, by dealing Thome, the Phillies have made room for Ryan Howard, who so far this year has 21 home runs and 53 RBIs, exactly matching Thome’s output with the Sox.

It looks like this was of those win-win-win situations.

Peter Bernstein
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Peter Bernstein teaches Economics at DePaul University and is a regular contributor to the Chicago Sports Review. His essay on steroids in baseball is appearing in the NY Times magazine, Front Page. Reach him at pbernstein@rcfecon.com.

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Peter Bernstein teaches Economics at DePaul University and is a regular contributor to the Chicago Sports Review. His essay on steroids in baseball is appearing in the NY Times magazine, Front Page. Reach him at pbernstein@rcfecon.com.

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