Ken Williams doesn't allow himself time off. As a matter of fact, the aggressive White Sox general manager is already admitting that he has a plan for this offseason.
"I know what I want to do," Williams responded when asked about what tricks he has up his sleeve this winter. "I've known what I've wanted to do for three months." It will start with speed. And if manager Ozzie Guillen has his way, it will also end with speed.
"We need speed, but they have to have talent," Guillen said. "I know I would like to see some more speed. But when you talk about speed, you can't talk about nine rabbits. You can't."
Not at U.S. Cellular Field. The ballpark calls for thumpers in the middle of the lineup, so what Guillen has in mind are some changes at the top and the bottom.
Williams will spend the next four-plus months trying to get that. It was evident down the stretch that the home run-or-bust mentality of the AL Central Division champions worked well in June and July when their home park shrunk in the warmth of the summer, but there were too many games where the Sox sat around and waited for the home run to carry them.
Even in their 1-0 play-in game against Minnesota, a Jim Thome solo shot was their only offense.
From a pitching standpoint, the Sox will only need a few pieces, and those may already be in-house. With Jose Contreras (ruptured Achilles tendon) out until at least July, rookie Clayton Richard will get the first look in the No. 5 rotation spot. The bullpen is pretty solid, as well.
The changes will come in the lineup, starting with the free agent departures of Orlando Cabrera and Joe Crede. That means the left side of the infield from Opening Day will be gone. Cabrera's absence won't be felt in the least, as Alexei Ramirez will move from second to his natural position at short, and he will be a nightly "Web Gem" waiting to happen with his defense. Crede's loss could be a bit trickier.
With Juan Uribe also a free agent, that option also could be departing. That leaves Josh Fields, who is in dire need of a commitment to defense this winter. Then there's the trade route, which starts with calling the Angels and making a play for Chone Figgins.
With Ramirez sliding over, that leaves a hole at second base. Many in the organization feel that Chris Getz is ready. If that isn't the decision, they will go after free agent Orlando Hudson.
The bottom line is the Sox need to get faster, as the goal is to give them a more balanced offense.
