Chicago, IL (My Sportsbook) - The Chicago White Sox have decided not to tender contracts to pitchers Todd Ritchie and Jim Parque, making the pair free agents. "We plan to continue talking with both players' representatives but want to do so without the prospect of arbitration and its salary constraints factoring into the negotiations," assistant general manager Rick Hahn said. The 31-year-old Ritchie posted a 5-15 record with a 6.06 earned run average in 26 appearances in 2002, including 23 starts. Ritchie went 3-4 with a 3.32 ERA in his first nine starts last season before falling to 2-11 with an 8.39 ERA over his last 14 starts. Ritchie has a lifetime mark of 42-50 with a 4.65 earned run average in 175 major-league games. Ritchie also spent time in Minnesota and Pittsburgh. Parque, 27, compiled a 1-4 record with a 9.95 ERA in eight appearances, including four starts, for Chicago in 2002. The southpaw began the season with Triple-A Charlotte and finished with a 7-9 record and a 6.47 ERA in 20 starts for the Knights. Parque owns a 30-33 record with a 5.21 ERA in 98 career appearances, including 92 starts, over parts of five seasons with the White Sox. |
