CHICAGO -- Behind the plate, the Chicago White Sox appear settled on shared playing time after left-handed hitting catcher Alex Avila was signed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal announced Wednesday.
Avila, a seven-year major league veteran, figures to split time with the right-handed hitting Tyler Flowers as the White Sox look to get more offensively out of a position that was on the bottom half of the American League in batting average (ninth at .230), slugging percentage (10th at .376) and on-base percentage (11th at .293).
Avila essentially replaces the right-handed hitting Geovany Soto, who signed a free-agent deal Tuesday with the Los Angeles Angels.