A big raise, but still a bargain

When people talk about the top closers in the American League, they don't often mention Bobby Jenks. They probably should.

Check out his numbers.

Jenks, seen at left celebrating the White Sox 2008 AL Central Division title, is the first reliever in franchise history to record 30 or more saves in three consecutive seasons. He's a two-time All-Star who recorded the final out in the 2005 World Series. He's converted 117 of his 133 career save opportunities, a rate of 87.9 percent.

Broadcaster Steve Stone always says any reliever who converts 85 percent or better should be considered elite. Stone knows as much about pitching as anyone out there, so I'll take his word for it.

But should Jenks be given a multiyear contract? The right-hander avoided arbitration Monday by agreeing to a one-year deal with the Sox worth $5.6 million. Jenks didn't comment in any of the Chicago papers this morning, so one can't help but wonder whether he would have preferred to get a two- or three-year deal.

Nevertheless, I think this is a fair deal for both sides. Jenks made only $550,000 last year. That means he'll make 10 times as much in 2009. That's a nice raise for Jenks, and he's worth every penny. It's a good deal for the Sox, too, because some of the free-agent closers (K-Rod, Kerry Wood) got eight-figure deals on the open market.

Would you rather have Wood for a little over $10 million or Jenks for $5.6 million? I'll take Jenks.

It's also good for the Sox because it's only a one-year commitment. Jenks is one of my favorite players, but there's no denying he's an injury risk. He already has two screws in his arm. He had a stint on the DL last year, although the injury had nothing to do with his pitching arm. No one is really sure whether Jenks will be a guy with the staying power to close games for the next five years.

Still, it's good that Jenks is still on the Sox. I was a little worried that he'd get traded this offseason. We all saw how the Sox bullpen struggled last July while Jenks was on the DL. He's the rock the relief corps is built upon.