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The offense mustered by the Chicago White Sox in their 9-3 loss to Detroit is typical of the team’s misfortunes of late.  With the loss to the Tigers in the first game of a weekend series, the White Sox have lost eight of their last nine games.

Apart from their 9-2 win Thursday over the Rays, runs have been hard to come by for Chicago.  The Sox are averaging two runs a game in their last eight defeats.  Friday night’s offensive production came solely via the long ball, courtesy of Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko.

That’s appropriate in that the two sluggers have paced the Chicago attack all season.

Konerko, who until last season was a notorious slow starter in April, is hitting .329 with five homers and 16 RBI.  He shares the lead in that category with Quentin, who is hitting .320.  The two dingers he hit in Friday’s game now give him the team lead with six on the year.

For Konerko, a solid start is validation of the three-year contract he signed last winter.  It’s also a sign that the veteran first baseman still has pop in his bat after a career-season in 2010.

The bat work by Quentin and Konerko are highlighted further when compared to the rest of the White Sox lineup.

Free-agent acquisition Adam Dunn has struggled out of the gate.  The new DH has had an appendectomy that saw him miss six games.  He’s been dropped a few spots in the lineup and has an anemic .163 batting average thus far in 2011.

Alex Rios isn’t hitting the ball, for power or otherwise.  Gordon Beckham is treating us to a reprise of his poor start last season, hitting .213.  Brent Morel is hitting .208.

The fact that Quentin and Konerko are one-two in runs scored for the White Sox is a disturbing stat.  The table setters aren’t getting it done.  Ozzie Guillen is now starting to shuffle the lineup to get something going on the base paths.

Beckham, like last year, is being moved toward the bottom of the order.  Omar Vizquel is going to get more at-bats in the two spot, and Mark Teahen may have the chance for more plate appearances if Morel continues to flirt with the Mendoza line.

It’s a tough spot for the Chicago manager.  Last season, Rios and Konerko were the hot bats while everyone else slumped.  Now Konerko and Quentin, who himself was hitting in the .150 range at this time last season, are the bright spots in a lineup that is misfiring to say the least.

The White Sox ran hot and cold for most of last season, so this shouldn’t come as a complete shock.  It’s frustrating to watch a team with four regulars, including two high-priced veterans, hitting a combined .188.

I expected Morel to struggle at the plate, but with so many guys slumping, Guillen can’t afford to give his rookie third baseman the slack he requires.

Equally frustrating is the feeling that the White Sox just have to ride out this stretch and make it up later in the season.  The question then becomes this: Just how much ground will Chicago have to make up this season when the bats finally wake up?

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Opening Day for the Chicago White Sox is finally here.

With the entire season before us, it’s easy to be optimistic about the White Sox’s chances in the American League Central in 2011.  Money has been spent (and then some) and everyone is itching to get onto the field and start winning ballgames, starting Friday in Cleveland.

If the snow is removed from Jacobs Field, that is.

Much like the Indians ground crew, the ChiSox have their work cut out for them if they are to contend in a division with a hard-hitting lineup in Detroit along with the ever-competetive Twins.

If the White Sox can follow these 10 commandments, they should be in the thick of the division title hunt in six months.

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In an era of back-pedaling and whining about being “taken out of context,” Chicago White Sox hurler Mark Buehrle is taking a different approach to spin control after making comments that caused a stir last week.

Buehrle’s being honest and taking ownership of his opinion.  Even if it’s not the popular opinion.

How refreshing.

A story on MLB.com last week featured the following quote by Buehrle, who was speaking about NFL quarterback and this season’s Comeback Player of the Year:

“He had a great year and a great comeback, but there were times where we watched the game, and I know it’s bad to say, but there were times where we hope he gets hurt.  Everything you’ve done to these dogs, something bad needs to happen to these guys.”

Buehrle was asked about the comment by ESPN.com’s Doug Padilla today.  His response?

“No, I said it,” Buehrle said when asked if he regretted making the statement. “It’s an old story. Again, we are not bringing drama inside and past history stuff. So, I said it, meant it. It’s over, and we’ll move on.”

No PR spin doctor with an apology or excuse.

No blaming the media for blowing his statements out of proportion.

No denials.  No waffling.  No false remorse.

Buehrle once again said exactly what he felt.  The rest of the world can take it or leave it.

I’m not offering an opinion on what he said last week.  That’s not the point.  What is unique about Buehrle’s stance is that he has conviction enough to stand by what he feels.  He was honest.  He said what he felt.  Period.

In an age where athletes spout off about any number of topics and condemn their own opinions later that afternoon, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a person to voice the same opinion on one day as he does the next.  You may agree with what Buehrle said.  You may disagree.  You may still be weighing his opinions in your mind.

One thing is clear: Buehrle deserves a tip of the cap for his resolve to stand by his words.

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It would have appeared that the Chicago White Sox had parted ways with pitcher Freddy Garcia after the 2010 season.  However, a return to the south side may still be in the cards for the veteran right-hander.

If a report from SI.com is accurate, the White Sox may be looking to bring Garcia back into the fold.

Garcia hasn’t been signed by another big league club as we head into February.  The Yankees and Orioles have shown interest, but New York’s signing of Bartolo Colon may have signaled the end of their courting of Garcia.

What does that mean for the White Sox?

Garcia went 12-6 as Chicago’s fifth starter in 2010.  Despite a 4.64 ERA, his win total was third highest on the team.  For the price of a million dollars, he proved to be a bargain for the club.

Ozzie Guillen, White Sox manager and related to Garcia by marriage, has shown that he can get production from the 35-year-old hurler in two different stints with Chicago.  Would Kenny Williams pony up enough scratch to extend Garcia’s second run with the organization?

More importantly, how would re-signing Garcia shake up the White Sox pitching situation as it currently stands?

Garcia would likely be back in the starting rotation, which would mean two things:

1.  The White Sox are looking for insurance because they realize Jake Peavy may not be ready for opening day.

2.  The White Sox plan to use Chris Sale out of the bullpen, at least for 2011.

One could speculate that signing Garcia on the cheap could pave the way for a starter to be dealt.  If that was the plan, why wait until now to make this move?

The Sox didn’t expect Garcia to be on the market for this long.  He still may sign with another team, but the fact that Chicago may be back in the mix could be an indicator of how the White Sox rate their pitching corps going into Spring Training.

Or could it be Ozzie Guillen’s way of helping out Garcia by generating some interest for a guy who proved to be a valuable arm last season?

With Guillen, you never know.  We’ll see how the rumors shake out this week.

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Every winter, you see it.

A team makes a relatively inexpensive signing of an aging former superstar.  He may not be an everyday solution, but could put up some plate appearances at DH, get new life as a pinch hitter, or become a late-inning defensive replacement.

Jim Thome was that kind of a guy with the Twins last season.  Heck, the White Sox got 19 homers out of Andruw Jones in 2010.  Happens all the time.

Why isn’t it happening for former Chicago slugger Jermaine Dye?

The White Sox bought out Dye’s option after the 2009 season, and although he has professed a desire to put on a big league uniform again, he hasn’t.

The Cubs offered $3 million for his services, but no dice.  The Mariners were a team Dye was interested in, but they wouldn’t pony up $4 million for the season. 

All through the summer, here sat a guy who had hit 27 home runs the season before.  Not one club took a shot.  Was it ridiculous to think that a well-rested Dye could knock in some runs down the stretch?

There are players that had plenty worse years in 2009 still claiming a major league paycheck.  So why isn’t Dye one of those guys?

My only guess is that Dye is unwilling to take the field under anything but his own terms.

“I’m not going to a bad team, and I’m not playing for $1.5M,” Dye said last spring.

Thome signed for a similar number and became a hero in Minnesota.  He turned down $4 million from the Rangers to stay with the Twins.  Texas, along with San Diego and Colorado had the man on their radar last summer and might have liked to have his bat in September.  Dye, who has been representing himself, apparently didn’t find the money to his liking in 2010.  As a result, he sat while Thome ended up in a pennant race.

Dye has received interest from the Phillies, Rays and Rockies this winter, but at this time, he is still sitting.  It appears that that will remain to be the case unless the right club comes along and meets Dye’s asking price.

For $2 million, there are a host of clubs that could benefit from having Dye in their clubhouse.  He should be healthy with the time off.  If his timing hasn’t completely abandoned him, he could still hit 20 homers if given a full season of at-bats.  He was a settling presence in the White Sox locker room and could play the outfield in a reserve role, though his value may be higher as a DH.

Dye had a tendency to wear down, especially in his last season, but as a full-time DH and part-time player, would that be an issue?  If guys like Pat Burrell and Gabe Kapler can help a contending team, it stands to reason that Dye could pitch in for a contender.

I doubt that Dye’s future lies with the White Sox, as we have a right-handed DH.  However, it seems a bit sad that a guy who likely has some baseball left in him is finished after turning 35 in 2009.

Right now, Dye seems to be looking for the best possible deal.  Signing on his terms seems to be how Jermaine Dye wants to continue his major league career. 

Will we see him sign this winter and become one of those veteran success stories?

Or will Dye sit at home in 2011, along with his terms?

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I can understand where Oney Guillen is coming from.

Someone was taking shots at your dad, and you want to stick up for him.  I totally get it.

This wasn’t the way to do it.

The son of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen took it upon himself to respond to an interview departed White Sox reliever Bobby Jenks gave in which he criticized Guillen’s handling of the bullpen and his trust in Jenks.

Obviously, it would have been better if both of these former employees of the White Sox had just kept their mouths shut.  But they didn’t.  So here we are looking at another public feud.

Just remember that neither Jenks or Oney Guillen work for the White Sox.

Imagine you have an acquaintance who happens to be a relative of a local celebrity.  Someone pops off about said celebrity, you bring it up in conversation, the relative vents a while, and you move on.

In this day and age, a little venting amongst friends can circle the world pretty quickly.

Oney Guillen could have stomped around the beach for an hour or two telling his buddies what a punk he thought Jenks was, and the damage would have been minimal.  However, we live in a world where the most mundane of acts gets posted to Facebook and Twitter as if they were national news.

If Oney wanted to vent, why not call his dad?  Why not wait, oh, a half hour or so before posting?

Had he gone back and looked at his comments (which, unlike an interview, he easily could have done), he could have avoided a lot of scrutiny right now.

Oney appeared on several Chicago media outlets Wednesday to talk about the impact of his comments.  He stressed that he was sticking up the team and did not seem to think that his comments would damage the reputation of the organization because he wasn’t a team employee.

It seems that Oney reacted like a hot-headed fan and is now using the angle of defending the organization to defend his stance.  If you feel a certain way about the team, fine.  But don’t hide behind the team to bring up the personal issues of Jenks.

I think that we can agree that Ozzie Guillen is quite capable of speaking for himself.  He is capable of exchanging grievances with a host of former White Sox players.  He didn’t really need defending in a case of Jenks taking a departing shot. 

The past history of Jenks and the White Sox is pretty clear: the team felt that the price tag on Jenks was too much in return for what they thought they were getting, so they walked away.  Jenks commented on his sour grapes. 

If team wanted to return fire and get nasty, they could have.  They didn’t need Oney Guillen to throw gasoline on the dying embers of the situation.

Oney Guillen should have taken some of his own advice.  If he wanted to defend his dad, couldn’t he have called Jenks himself before launching personal attacks in the most public of forums?

Venting is acceptable.  Next time, do it away from your laptop.

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The Chicago White Sox have completed most of their holiday shopping for the 2011 season. However, there may be one item Kenny Williams desires before he feels his stocking is full.

Has the bullpen situation been fully addressed?

I think the White Sox are at least a piece or two short in the relief corps. Right now, I see the following guys in the bullpen on opening day:

Tony Pena, RHP-our spot starter/long relief man.

Jesse Crain, RHP-7th/8th inning setup man.

Sergio Santos, RHP-6th/7th inning short relief.

Matt Thornton, LHP-setup/closer

Chris Sale, LHP-setup/closer

This is assuming that:

1.  The Sox get Pena signed or get an arbitration number they like.

2.  Sale doesn’t get put in the starting rotation this spring.

If the Sox had either Bobby Jenks or J.J. Putz in the closer’s role for 2011, I’d feel pretty good about our bullpen. As it is, this unit lacks an experienced closer.

The White Sox could go by committee in the ninth inning with Crain, Sale, Thornton, and Santos. Of course, the organization tried to do that with the DH spot last season. The result? Adam Dunn in the spot this year.

The Sox have a lot of guys that can and have filled the set up role, but no solid, established closer to get the final three outs. There don’t seem to be funds to go out and buy that closer, so Williams needs to solve the problem another way.

Chicago took a risk in signing Putz and was rewarded with a solid season from a guy coming back from injury. Can Williams roll the dice again and come up with a winner?

You could throw a guy like Gregory Infante into the relief mix and go with a younger crew, but that situation could quickly go south. I don’t think the pocketbook can bring in a name-type closer, so I think Williams has three choices.

Option One

Let Thornton pitch for a big payday next season as the closer, and add Infante to the pen. Thornton is 34, but has been healthy and could earn a big contract from someone if he proves he can get the job done in the ninth. That carrot in front of Thornton could benefit the White Sox in 2011. Crain and Sale set up Thornton, and you hope that Thornton has developed the mindset to finish games.

Option Two

Pick up a rehabbing arm, or a cheaper-type reliever. Take a chance on a guy like, say, Kyle Farnsworth/Arthur Rhodes/Aging Reliever X, on the cheap and hope for the best. 

Option Three

Trade for a steady closer, using Carlos Quentin as the bait, and let Crain and Thornton stay in their familiar roles.

I don’t think the White Sox bullpen is a finished work by any means. Kenny Williams has a lot of options to solidify the late innings for his club.

How he does it is unknown to us at this point, but it’s safe to say that the wheels are turning as we speak.

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The big signings have been completed by White Sox GM Kenny Williams during the Winter Meetings.  Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski are safely in the fold, and Adam Dunn is looking for some Chi-town digs.

Now the wheeling and dealing can begin.

I don’t think Williams is anywhere near finished trying to improve this team.  Right now payroll could be in the $125 million range next year, or even a few dollars more.  I don’t think Williams wants to spend quite that much.

At the same time, the bullpen has several needs following the departures of Bobby Jenks, J.J. Putz and Scott Linebrink.  Late-inning pitching hurt the team in key stretches last season and an overhaul is now in order.

Please excuse Mr. Williams while he puts on his trading hat.

I won’t rule out a free-agent signing for part of that bullpen, but if that’s the case, Williams has got to move some salary.  I’m not saying he’ll be able to pull off a move like unloading Scott Linebrink, but he’s a creative thinker and loves to make deals.

Short of the three guys they just signed, plus Alexei Ramirez, I don’t think anyone is off limits.  Even those guys may not want to get too comfortable.  Williams is all about making the deal that will win a pennant this year.

Who are the leading candidates?

Mark Buehrle and his $14 million price tag could go a long way in the bullpen.  So could Edwin Jackson’s salary.  Could Gavin Floyd fetch a closer?

Carlos Quentin, Mark Teahen, Alex Rios… could Williams take advantage of a big rebound year for the Sox center fielder and turn it into some relief help?

If the right deal came along, would he be willing to part with his middle infielders?  Chris Getz found out last year that Williams would.

There are plenty of phone calls to make, scouts to consult and risks to be calculated. 

The White Sox are all-in, according to Williams.  When it comes to trades, all bets could be off.

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White Sox GM Kenny Williams sent a strong message that his team will be ready to compete for a Central Division title in 2011 with a lot of activity Friday.

So far, Williams has played to form this winter.  He has not been afraid to make a splash and is retooling with veterans, as opposed to going young.

Let’s take a closer look…

Addition Through Subtraction

For minor league pitcher Kyle Cofield, Williams traded away much maligned reliever Scott Linebrink.

Cofield may or may not pan out to be a major league arm, but the White Sox general manager succeeded in unloading five million dollars from the payroll, which will be instrumental in continuing to address needs this winter.

Sure, the White Sox will have to find another guy to mop up in blowouts, but they should be able to do that at a more reasonable price than Linebrink’s five million dollars. 

Considering that Chicago is non-tendering Bobby Jenks, there is money to pursue J.J. Putz or other outside help in filling the White Sox bullpen.

Set Behind the Dish

Chicago signed A.J. Pierzynski to a two-year, eight million dollar contract, which I’m thrilled about. We signed one of the better free agent options behind the plate for two million a year less than he made a season ago.

Again, Williams went with experience, giving Tyler Flowers more time to develop, and saved some dough at the same time.  We win on both counts.

Adam Dunn Knows Why He’s Here, Right?

Most of the savings generated by the above activity, coupled with the non-tendering of Jenks, will go into bringing in Adam Dunn, who will sign a four-year, 56 million dollar contract.

Williams hinted that the organization could still bring back Paul Konerko, which would be great as long as everybody knows their role.

If the White Sox are serious about bringing Konerko back, they’ve made it clear to Dunn that he will be the regular DH, right?

Right?

Because if this isn’t the case, we could be in for some adventures in the clubhouse next year when Dunn starts griping for playing time at first base that he will not get if we have Konerko in place in 2011.  I hope both sides are clear on the situation and what Dunn’s role is on the club—provide a left-handed power stroke.

I trust that Williams felt confident that Dunn will accept the majority of his at-bats to come in the DH spot before he set his sights on retaining Konerko.  Of course, he could just be blowing smoke at this stage of the game. 

Konerko has other options and, with the winter meetings starting next week, so does Williams.

Not Done By a Long Shot

There are still holes to fill and I suspect that Williams is far from finished wheeling and dealing. We may hear of another deal yet today. Don’t think he won’t pull the trigger on any deal.

What’s next?  Dealing a starting pitcher?  Resigning Konerko?  Surprising us with Adrian Beltre? Trading Joey Cora for an espresso machine?

Hang on, Sox fans. I get the feeling that Kenny’s just getting warmed up.

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When Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams needs some talent, he’s proved that he’d rather harvest players from other clubs than go the home grown route.

Williams’ strategy over the years has been to use Chicago’s farm system to pick up more experienced commodities.

Look at how the current roster is constructed.  Mark Buehrle is the only starting pitcher that came through the White Sox system.  Of the everyday starters last season, just Gordon Beckham was drafted by the team and was developed in the minors.

Excluding Alexei Ramirez, who was signed as a free agent from Cuba, the Sox have depended on trades to fill out the lineup card.

Williams may very well be planning on dealing for some of Chicago’s needs (first and third base, catcher, bullpen) at the winter meetings.  However, big deals in the last two seasons have left the farm system a bit thin.  Williams has dealt most of his stronger pitching prospects to try and stay competitive in the now.

There is some talent, but do these prospects factor into the White Sox roster or as tender for a player outside the organization?

Here are my thoughts on some of the more prominent South Side prospects and how they may fit into the major league mix in 2001.

Chris Sale, Pitcher

2010’s first round pick was up with the club in August and made 21 appearances out of the bullpen.  The tall southpaw was used in relief and performed well in that capacity, but in the long term, Sale has more value as a starter and should be allowed to develop in that role.

Jake Peavy’s availability on Opening Day is in doubt.  It’s possible that Sale starts the season in the rotation and moves into the bullpen or to Charlotte when Peavy returns.  I’d like to see him as a starter, and I think the White Sox feel the same way.  However, if he can help them in the bullpen this season, he may stay up with the club throughout the season.  Remember, Buehrle spent time in the pen and found his spot as a starter.

2011 Projection: Sale should be around in some role for a majority of the season, though he may spend time in Charlotte if the White Sox want him to throw starter’s innings all year.

Brent Morel, Third Base

Morel came up and impressed White Sox management with his glove last September.  His .231 batting average left a lot to be desired, but he hit over .320 at Birmingham and Charlotte last season.

Given some time to find his offensive game at the big-league level, Morel should bring stability, if not a ton of power, to the hot corner for Chicago.

I think that the Sox have figured out that Mark Teahen is not an every day player at third.  The White Sox should show the patience they did with Joe Crede, who eventually found some pop in his bat.

2011 Projection: If the White Sox re-sign Paul Konerko or another big name bat to patrol first base, expect Morel to head into spring training as the starter at third. 

Dayan Viciedo, First Base

If Viciedo has a spot in the White Sox roster, it probably won’t be at third.

The Sox had hoped the Cuban free-agent signing of 2008 could fill that role, but his glove is a big question mark.  Morel’s arrival in Charlotte moved Viciedo to first base.  Any talk of him helping out the White Sox in 2011 starts there.

Viciedo has a heavy bat.  He had 20 dingers in 86 games with Charlotte last year before being called up this summer, but he swings at a lot of poor pitches. 

The amount of time Viciedo spends with Chicago will depend on Konerko’s possible return and what Williams finds available at first base.  I could see some at bats for him at the DH spot, but it’s likely Williams will want more game-tested production out of those positions than possibly trotting out the next Joe Borchard or Josh Fields.

2011 Projection: Viciedo starts the season at AAA trying to develop some plate discipline, then may be up mid-season or in 2012.

Tyler Flowers, Catcher

Traded along with Brent Lillibridge and two minor-leaguers for Boone Logan and Javier Vasquez before the 2009 season,  Flowers was looked at as the future behind the plate for the White Sox.

It doesn’t appear that he’s quite ready to assume that position just yet.

Flowers hit just .220 in Charlotte this season, despite 16 home runs.  His two short looks in Chicago the last two years didn’t get anyone excited. 

At 24, Flowers is probably going to be a below-average defensive backstop at best.  Until he proves he can be a .280, 20 homer type of guy, I don’t see the White Sox turning over the everyday catcher’s spot to him.  He may be that type of guy in two years, but he’s not that guy right now.

The fact that the White Sox bid in the Victor Martinez sweepstakes tells me the club feels the same way.

2011 Projection: Flowers plays everyday, in Charlotte.  He gets a call up in September, but I think the Sox either re-sign A.J. Pierzynski or bring in another veteran (Miguel Olivo, perhaps) to bridge the gap to the Flowers era. 

Gregory Infante, Pitcher

Infante wasn’t with the club long in 2010, but did not allow an earned run in his five September appearances.

He’s the prototypical Kenny Williams reliever.  He’s got a live arm, big fastball, impressive curve ball when it’s going well, may be a little spotty with control.

The bullpen is a major priority for improvement.  If the memory of the Scott Linebrink signing is still fresh in his mind, Williams trades for that arm or fills the need through the farm system.

2011 Projection:  Infante gets a long look in the spring.  Depending on what the White Sox are able to add in the arms department, he could find himself in a seventh inning set up role.  However, I don’t think the team is going to sit still in addressing the bullpen for long this winter.

Trade Bait?

The White Sox have showed over the years that they aren’t afraid of dealing a hot prospect to make the club better.  Any of the above guys could be sent packing if Williams gets the right offer.  He likes making deals, and I think overall his success rate gives him the benefit of the doubt when we hear of a trade on the South Side.

I think Sale and Morel are safe bets to be on Chicago’s 40-man roster come spring, and I don’t think the organization is ready to give up on Flowers.  But there are many highly touted players who found their way onto other rosters, and the wheeling and dealing of the Hot Stove League has just begun.

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