White Sox sign Mark Teahen to three year deal

Posted on December 8, 2009

Mark Teahen of the Kansas City Royals gets ready in the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California on July 30, 2008. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

In a move that will not effect many baseball fans on the west coast, but will be very important to ball fans on Chicago’s South Side, The Chicago White Sox agreed Tuesday to a $14 million, three-year deal with former Kansas City Royals third baseman Mark Teahen. Teahen hit 271 with a career-high 34 doubles, 12 home runs and 50 RBIs in 144 games with the Royals last season.

Teahen was acquired in a trade with the White Sox for infielders Chris Getz and Josh Fields on November 4, 2009 and was facing salary arbitration. Now he can settle into his new role with the Pale Hose and focus on baseball. White Sox general manager Ken Williams has said that Teahen will play third base, meaning last year’s rookie standout, Gordon Beckham, will move to second.

I first came across Teahen, who played his college ball here in the Bay Area at Saint Mary’s, during spring training in 2005 when Sports Illustrated had me photograph him in several Cactus League games in beautiful Surprise, AZ. The first thing that struck me about Teahen was his great size and his total lack of power. He is a big kid with a great smile and a pretty swing, but the ball never seemed to jump off his bat.

I am not sure if Teahen will make anyone forget the great Joe Crede at the hot corner, but for the sake of my good friend and Sox team photographer Ron Vesely I hope he gets off to a good start and hits for a little more power for his new skipper Ozzie Guillen. I look forward to the first chance I get to photograph Teahen during spring training in a few months. He will definitely be one of those new guys in a new uniform that I will be assigned to shoot. I can hardly wait to make my first 2010 appearance at Camelback Ranch!