Ryan Sweeney

If this is Ryan Sweeney's only time with the White Sox, let's take a look at how he fared. You never know with Kenny Williams running things, Sweeney may be back at some point.

Ryan appeared in 33 games for the White Sox since 2006. His average for that entire time was .213. He had 1 home run, 10 RBI, 3 doubles, 6 runs scored and 17 total hits in 80 at-bats. OK, that's not really setting the world on fire, is it?

Let's look into his minor league numbers with the White Sox. In 5 minor league seasons he played 499 games and averaged .289. That's a bit better. He hit 33 home runs, 239 RBI, 91 doubles, 11 triples, 260 runs scored and 547 total hits in 1,891 at-bats.

Looking at individual seasons, the last time he averaged over .300 for a season was in rookie ball. The more I look at Ryan's numbers, the more I'm convinced that he has hit his ceiling. The Swisher trade is beginning to look better every day. I wish Ryan well and his time was well received in Chicago despite his low numbers.

The cluster of outfielders in the wake of Aaron Rowand and the injuries of Scott Podsednik created hurried opportunities for a mix from the Sox farm system and veterans. Brian Anderson may still redeem himself for center field, but he was rushed in 2006. That led to frustrations by Anderson and the White Sox.

Ryan Sweeney was in a similar situation. While Brian Anderson was failing, Scott Podsednik was struggling with injuries on and off. This created an opportunity for Ryan, but like Brian, he was also rushed onto the parent club and expected to produce right away. It's not that easy.

Ryan's struggles came mostly from the need of outfielders the past two years. Perhaps he will find a more suitable environment in Oakland. Ryan certainly has the potential to stay in the majors. Let's hope he takes advantage of it.