This Rios guy better get his act together..

I haven't really bashed the waiver claim made a few months ago on incumbent center fielder Alex Rios by Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams and I wasn't really planning on it until I saw what Chone Figgins made on the free agent market.
Figgins recently signed a 4-year deal with the Seattle Mariners worth $36 million.

For those like myself who are bad at quick-math, that would be $9 million per season.

Now let's take a look at Williams' relative signing of "free agent" Rios.

Rios was dumped through waivers and Williams claimed him for a "5-year deal" worth $58.7 million.

Now let's say we're optimists trying to compare the two players and slice the final $12.5 million year in 2014. We're left with a 4-year, $46.2 million contract.

So there we have it: Figgins for 4-years, $36 million or Rios for 4-years, $46.2 million.

In theory it seems like a simple thought. Williams got over excited with this waiver claim because for $10.2 million less we'd have a gold glove third baseman who can lead off and steal bases at will.

Somebody has to be able to explain this to me. It's not like Figgins wouldn't have played in Chicago for the same deal if they didn't already have Rios eating up payroll.

Not so fast...

First off sports fans, we have to consider a few outliers here.

No. 1: Figgins signing with the White Sox would have cost them their 1st round pick in 2010. Because the White Sox weren't particularly good in 2009, that means we'd be giving up a rather high draft pick.

No. 2: Outside of straight cash, Rios didn't cost Chicago a prospect or a draft pick in any round.

No. 3: In 35 career playoff games, Figgins hit .172 (21 for 122) with a .223 on-base percentage, 13 runs, six RBIs, four stolen bases, 35 strikeouts and six walks. Are we sure that Figgins is key to a deep playoff run?

No. 4: Nobody could have expected Rios to perform as poorly as he did after the waiver claim. With average hovering right around the Mendoza-line, Rios was downright horrific down the stretch for the White Sox.

No. 5: Is there any reason to believe Rios is headed for a dropoff in his career? Yes, he was awful in 2009 but he'll be 29-years-old in Feb., still in the prime of his career. His average season pegs him for 17 home runs, a .282 average, RBIs in the mid-70's range and he stole 32 bases in 2008.

No. 6: Figgins will be 32-years-old in Jan., an age where speedsters start to see regression. Figgins had a career year in 2009 winning the Gold Glove at third base, scoring 114 runs, hitting .298 with 42 steals. His second best season was 2005 when he scored 113 runs with stealing 62 bases. Yeah but can he keep that up going into his mid-30's? Perhaps.

No. 7: Figgins is a left fielder/second baseman/third baseman by trade. Yes, he is certainly versatile and would be a welcomed addition at anyone's hot corner but the White Sox were more desperate for a center fielder and he did not fill that need.

So all seven points considered it's still easy to poke fun at the Rios over Figgins decision but it's not a total wash. It all depends on what Chicago does the rest of the offseason. It is much harder to get a center fielder than a third baseman (filled now by Mark Teahen) and the White Sox wouldn't have had more than a few million to spend on a center fielder in a very thin free agent market for the position.

All that being said, if Rios has a season like his brief stint with the White Sox in 2009, they're doomed. If he gets his act together, it should give them an excellent option both defensively and offensively in center field. In fact, with the infield and bench set, Chicago is sitting in the cat-bird seat waiting to pluck the remaining deep crop of designated hitters and corner outfielders.

But it's all on Rios' plate to make good on his contract and Williams look golden, as opposed to a over-eager dope.