--OF Ken Griffey Jr. had surgery to clean up his knee, but with the World Series wrapping up soon and teams starting their offseason moves, the White Sox are likely to decline the $16.5 million option for the veteran, instead opting to buy him out at $4 million. There is no starting job available to Griffey, so if he did opt to tear up his deal and come back for less money, he would have to do so as a fourth outfielder. Griffey said on several occasions he wanted to be an everyday player.
--LHP Aaron Poreda and INF Gordon Beckham are top Sox prospects for a reason, as each was named to the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Game. Poreda hadn't allowed an earned run in four AFL appearances, while Beckham -- the first-round pick in June -- was hitting .250 with two doubles. Both will get a serious look this spring but will likely start the season in the minors. --INF Jason Bourgeois was a September call-up, but that didn't save him when it came to making room on the 40-man roster recently. The club announced that Bourgeois, Cs Donny Lucy and Paul Phillips and LHP Andrew Sisco were designated for assignment. Only Lucy, who missed most of 2008 because of knee surgery, accepted his assignment to Class AAA Charlotte. Bourgeois, Phillips and Sisco opted to become free agents.
--C Toby Hall will be awaiting word on his future with the Sox, as the club holds the $2.25 million option on him with a $150,000 buyout. Hall played 41 games for the Sox in 2008, hitting .260 with a .304 on-base percentage and was key in helping bring along young pitchers Gavin Floyd and John Danks, while giving A.J. Pierzynski off time when needed. Considering the Sox are paper thin in the catching department throughout the minors, all signs point to spending the money for Hall.
--RHP Jose Contreras was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list, but that doesn't mean the Sox expect to see him anytime soon. The 36-year-old was 7-6 with a 4.54 ERA in 20 starts before rupturing his left Achilles tendon Aug. 6. The usual recovery time for such an injury is a year, so late July would be the best-case scenario for a 2009 return. Manager Ozzie Guillen already said that even if Contreras is back by mid-summer, he likely would use him as a reliever, bringing him back slowly.
BY THE NUMBERS: 19 -- Stolen bases for SS Orlando Cabrera in 2008, which led the team. Next was 2B Alexei Ramirez at 13. No wonder speed will be a high priority for GM Ken Williams this winter.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I will say this -- last year was a lot tougher when we were 50 games out of first place. I'm proud. I'm not ashamed of anything this team did this year. I'm very proud of the way this team hung in and battled." -- C A.J. Pierzynski, on his team making a first-round exit from the postseason.
