While it wasn't the multi-year contract that Jenks was hoping for, it was the highest salary handed out in history to a closer who was arbitration-eligible for the first time. Of course, that was erased by Boston's Jonathan Papelbon the following day.

The 27-year-old Jenks was 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA to go along with 30 saves and 38 strikeouts in 57 relief outings in 2008. He ranked sixth in the American League in save percentage (88.2, 30 of 34) and eighth in saves while becoming the first pitcher in White Sox history to record 30 or more saves in three consecutive seasons.

Jenks has gone 10-11 with a 3.09 ERA over four seasons with the White Sox, and he has 117 saves and 224 strikeouts in 222 relief appearances.

His name was in the headlines early in December, however, when he was the subject of trade rumors with the Mets and Milwaukee. It was speculated that the White Sox were looking to move Jenks because of the drop in his velocity each season, but Williams and pitching coach Don Cooper went out of their way to put that type of speculation to rest.

"(Jenks) doesn't throw 100 mph anymore -- so what?" Williams said. "The short story is Bobby Jenks is one of the best closers in the game."

The White Sox do have two potential hard-throwing closers in the making with Jhonny Nunez and Aaron Poreda, but neither is battle-tested.

"What's not to like about (Jenks)?" Cooper said. "If someone out there is trying to cut down my guy, stop right there. He's become a pitcher. He's not out there trying to win kewpie dolls. The strikeouts are down because no one wants to be 0-and-2 against him and let Bobby have them by the balls."

Jenks was the team's last remaining arbitration-eligible player.