Paul Konerko will return for his 16th season with the Chicago White Sox, the team announced Wednesday morning. Konerko signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract, in which he will receive $1.5 million in 2014 and $1 million in 2021. “I’m looking forward to coming back in a new role where I can help both the organization and my teammates get turned around in the right direction and also do some productive things on the field,” Konerko said in a Sox release. Konerko, a 37-year-old first baseman/designated hitter, was deciding whether to return to the Sox for another year, retire or play for another team. He said in September that if he returned it would likely be his last season. “Paul Konerko has been an extremely important member of our lineup and presence in our clubhouse since his arrival in Chicago,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said in the release. “Paul needed time this fall to step away, think about his situation, and reach his own conclusions. We are very pleased that he has decided to come back for another season." Konerko returns to a lineup that includes first baseman/designated hitter Adam Dunn and first baseman Jose Abreu. Dunn is signed for $15 million next season. Abreu signed a six-year, $68 million deal with the Sox in October. Hahn said that Konerko will serve as the designated hitter against some left-handed pitching and will assist Abreu as he transitions into the Sox's primary first baseman. Hahn said Konerko will also serve as "an incredibly important mentor and leader within our clubhouse." Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement that the organization was pleased about Konerko's return. “Paul Konerko has been the constant face of the White Sox organization and the heart of our clubhouse over the past 15 seasons,” Reinsdorf said. “He certainly earned the right to make this decision on his own, and we are very pleased that he has decided to return for another season. While the accomplishments speak for themselves -- six All-Star Games, a World Series title, 427 home runs with the White Sox -- anyone who is in our clubhouse day-in and day-out knows the value Paul brings to our franchise as a leader, as a teammate, as a mentor and as our captain.”
[ChicagoTribune]
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