--OF Ken Griffey Jr. will not be returning to the White Sox, at least not at the salary that was on his 2009 option. The Sox announced on Oct. 30 that they declined the $16.5 million option to bring the veteran outfielder back for the '09 season. This news came as a surprise to no one, as the Sox will now split the $4 million buyout with the Cincinnati Reds, making Griffey a free agent. The two sides could talk about Griffey coming back at a much cheaper rate, but there would be limited playing time for Griffey, and he said on several occasions he wanted to be a starter in '09.
--C Toby Hall had his 2009 option declined at $2.25 million, but that doesn't mean he and the White Sox are ready to part ways. As a matter of fact, Hall said the move was expected, and now his hope is to use the period where free agents can talk with their teams to try and rework a deal. "Two years ago when I signed this contract, we knew that's just the way the deal was set up," Hall said. "There's no reason for them to give me that kind of raise (from 2008). They know I love Chicago, and obviously I feel at home here, so we'll see what happens." --INF Jayson Nix agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Sox, and he will get a look as a possible reserve infielder for a team that is thin at that spot. With the Sox losing the left side of their infield to free agency and moving Alexei Ramirez over to short, Nix will get a look at second base once the team reports for spring training.
--OF Nick Swisher spent most of the final months of the regular season as a bench player, but the Sox have let him know that he will be counted on heavily as not only a starter next year, but possibly a starter at first base. If the Sox are able to persuade Paul Konerko to waive his no-trade clause, Swisher would move from the outfield to first base.
--RHP Bobby Jenks could finally see the contract extension that he has been hoping for, coming off a season in which he had 30 saves with a 2.63 ERA. There was talk that Jenks was going to get his first big pay day last spring, but it didn't happen.
BY THE NUMBERS: 93 -- Quality starts by White Sox pitchers in 2008, which led the American League. The team went 67-26 in those games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "No matter if he's coming here or another place, he has to clear his mind up and show people how good he is." -- White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on RHP Javier Vazquez getting his confidence back.
