On Sunday the White Sox made a move that some think was a little overdue. The team optioned struggling right-hander Jose Contreras to their AAA affiliate the Charlotte Knights. Contreras has been struggling since his first start of the year. In six starts this season, Contreras has a record of 0-5, an ERA of 8.19, and only 17 strikeouts in 29.2 innings this year. On last Friday, Jose went just 3.2 innings giving up 8 hits and 6 runs in a loss to the visiting Texas Rangers, whom the Sox have beaten just once this season.
The Sox made a questionable decision to put Contreras into the starting rotation after a pretty good spring training. Jose came back much earlier then the expected date for his knee injury that he suffered last year. Many people thought that he wouldn't be 100% until the All-Star break. But, Contreras made a strong showing in Arizona, and manager Ozzie Guillen and pitching coach Don Cooper decided that he was ready for the year. Obviously he wasn't.
In order to replace Contreras, the White Sox called up lefty Jimmy Gobble from AAA Charlotte. In six years as a major-leaguer with Kansas City, Gobble made 236 appearances and had a career record of 22-23 with an ERA of 5.24. Gobble is expected to do mostly long relief out of the Chicago bullpen, taking the place of Clayton Richard, who will be taking Contreras' place in the starting rotation. In his first year in the major league last season, Richard was 2-5 with a 6.04 ERA in eight starts and five relief appearances.
-Austin Ryan Miller
Keywords: Chicago White Sox, Jose Contreras
