NewsDotel knows trade from Sox is possible
If team falls from contention, reliever could be dealt
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com
06/25/09 2:31 PM ET
CHICAGO -- With a six-run White Sox lead having been cut to three in the eighth inning Wednesday night, Octavio Dotel entered the game to prevent the Dodgers from getting any closer.
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Dotel struck out Rafael Furcal swinging to end the frame, and the hard-throwing right-hander's night was done. It's the sort of strong late-inning effort that has made Dotel an integral part of one of the toughest back ends of the bullpen in all of baseball.
But will Dotel remain a part of this South Side relief crew with closer Bobby Jenks, Matt Thornton and Scott Linebrink for the rest of the season? The nine-year veteran, and free-agent-to-be after this current campaign, knows his address could quickly change if the White Sox don't make strides into American League Central contention.
"Nothing will surprise me," Dotel told MLB.com on Thursday morning, prior to the series finale with the Dodgers. "If the team falls down, I know I'm going to be the first guy to move on and go somewhere and get some prospects and get some young guys. I understand."
In parts of two seasons with the White Sox, Dotel has posted a 3.62 ERA over 104 games, covering 94 2/3 innings. He has 127 strikes, 49 walks and 14 home runs allowed. Despite posting a 7.45 ERA over his past 11 outings, watching his ERA jump from 1.00 to 3.25, the right-hander still has limited first batters to three hits in 26 overall at-bats.
Past results don't seem to worry the experienced Dotel, not as much as how he can help the team in his next trip to the mound.
"Sometimes you are going to have tough times and sometimes you are going to get hit," Dotel said. "The only thing you can control is get the ball the next day if they give it to you and try to do your best.
"If you don't, there's another day. It goes by that situation, day by day, even when it's a good outing or great outing. There are times where you find little things to help you out, but that's how baseball goes. The big thing is to have a strong mind for the 162 games."
That strong mind, along with his strong arm, led general manager Ken Williams to sign Dotel to a two-year, $11 million deal before the 2008 season. Dotel would like nothing more than to stay with the White Sox through the length of this deal and possibly beyond.
Even if Dotel was dealt somewhere in the next month or so, the 35-year-old certainly would not rule out a return to the White Sox after the season based on the enjoyable time he has found in Chicago.
"Of course, because I love this city. I love Ozzie [Guillen], Kenny. Every player we got here. I'm really happy here," Dotel said. "I don't think there's another place better than this one. I love Coop [White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper]. I have a great connection with him. That's the right place for me.
"I've been through this situation many times. I'm ready for it. I hope we don't get to that point. I hope we step up and do what we have to do and be in the competition and go from there. That would be better for me, so I don't have to move somewhere. But it's business. If I have to go somewhere, I'll go happy and do my job over there. That's how it is."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
