Why didn't the Sox go with Jordan Danks?

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The White Sox left Jordan Danks unprotected in December's Rule 5 Draft, meaning they didn't select him for their 40-man roster and he could've been claimed by another team. While it's rare for Rule 5 picks to stick with the team that claims them, that the White Sox not only left him unprotected but that no team selected him is pretty telling about how he's viewed.

Danks' offensive ability has quite a few question marks. Since his promotion to Triple-A in 2010, Danks' strikeout rate has hovered near 30 percent -- meaning he's pretty close to striking out one in every three trips to the plate. While he showed improvement in repeating at Charlotte in 2011, posting a .344 OBP, it's apparent that the hole in his swing many noticed back in 2009 hasn't closed.

But Danks does bring two clear assets to the table: defense and speed. Danks is regarded as a plus defender who can play right and center field. And he's stolen 33 of 43 bases in the last two years, so he's at least somewhat of a speed threat.

That skillset screams fourth outfielder, a perfect guy to replace Dayan Viciedo late in games or pinch-run for Paul Konerko or Adam Dunn when needed. Ideally, Danks would fit into that role for the White Sox.

He doesn't, though, because of the uncertainty of Alex Rios. The White Sox needed somebody who could be more than a fourth outfielder -- they needed somebody who could start.

And that's why Kosuke Fukudome, not Jordan Danks, will be on the White Sox in 2012.

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