When Dye sat down with the White Sox toward the end of the 2007 season to hammer out the details on a two-year contract extension with an option for a third season, most assumed that Dye would be in a Chicago uniform through 2010.
They were wrong.
Last week, the veteran outfielder received word that rather than getting $12 million to return in 2010, the White Sox' front office had opted to buy him out for $950,000 instead. Rather than bringing Dye back to a mediocre White Sox team and spending big money to bolster a third-place ball club, the Chicago front office instead made the fiscally responsible decision.
That means that Dye, who turns 36 this January, will be looking for work.
But he's got a pretty nice resume to send out. In his 14 seasons, Dye has put together a career .274 batting average, 325 home runs and 1,072 RBIs. He's a two-time All-Star and his name showed up in the MVP voting in the American League as recently as last year.
The one blemish on his resume is a disastrous second half of 2009, in which Dye hit .179 with just seven homers. He hit rock bottom in September, managing a measly batting average of .176. The big question for Dye this winter is whether his low numbers after the All-Star break will hurt his value on the open market. Given his extensive track record, it probably shouldn't.
If baseball's 30 general managers are smart, they'll take a step back this winter and look at the big picture. Despite the late-season funk, his final 2009 numbers were solid. His .340 on-base percentage placed him above average in the American League and his 27 home runs proved that he's still got plenty of power.
For any team in the major leagues with $7 or $8 million to burn, Dye would be a great guy to slide right into the heart of the order. For the Red Sox, he'd be a great backup plan for Jason Bay.
On Nov. 20, Bay becomes eligible to negotiate with the other 29 teams in baseball. In the days that follow, we'll begin to discover his true market value.
If the Red Sox can save $7 million a year by letting Bay walk, picking Dye up on the cheap and then putting the extra cash into bolstering their pitching staff, than that's an option worth considering. Which would Red Sox fans rather have: Bay and a cheap fifth starter off the free-agent market, or Dye and, say, John Lackey?
It's a long shot at the moment. Dye's future hangs in the balance, and although the most likely outcome of his free agency is a return to Chicago, it's an option for the Red Sox to keep in the back of their minds.
