Scott Downs signing official, Santos Rodriguez designated for assignment

The White Sox start out 2014 by officially signing Scott Downs. Downs gets $3.75 million in 2014 with a team option for $4.25 million for 2015 with a $250,000 buyout.  This is less than the three year, $15 million contract that Downs signed with the Angels in 2011 and is almost  $1.5 million more than the deal that the Sox signed Matt Lindstrom to last offseason.

Downs primarily throws an upper 80's sinker that mixes in a curveball with a rare slider.  None of this is going to blow anyone away but his 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings between the Angels and Atlanta Braves shows there's some deception there.

To make room on the 40-man roster for Downs, LHP Santos Rodriguez was designated for assignment.  The White Sox originally acquired Rodriguez from the Atlanta Braves with Tyler Flowers and Brent Lillibridge for Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan.  While the Sox likely made this move to outright him to Triple-A Charlotte, he might not make it through waivers.  Rodriguez turned 26 today, is a lefty, has a mid-90's fastball, and has averaged 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors, so someone might take a chance with him.