--RHP Kelvin Jimenez was claimed off waivers by the White Sox from the Blue Jays. He made 15 appearances for St. Louis this year, posting a 5.63 ERA with no record. Toronto had claimed him off waivers from St. Louis earlier this month.
--OF Carlos Quentin, whose season ended when he fractured his right wrist in September, reported that he is back at full strength. He said he has resumed hitting. --RHP Mike MacDougal, who has been inconsistent since joining the White Sox in 2006, was outrighted to Class AAA Charlotte. In 16 big-league appearances this year, MacDougal had no record and a 2.12 ERA.
--3B Joe Crede's departure has seemed inevitable for some time, but the big question now is who would replace the All-Star. The Sox have other targets in their sights for the vacancy, and it once again goes back to the Angels' Chone Figgins. The Angels are reportedly inquiring about Colorado 3B Garrett Atkins, who would make Figgins expendable. What Figgins would bring to the Sox would be not only a third baseman, but also a leadoff man with speed. The Sox are also in the hunt for Cuban defector Dayan Viciedo, but they would have to find out in the spring if the 19-year-old would be ready for the major leagues.
--RHP Javier Vazquez continued to be in the rumor mill, as several scouts have indicated the Sox are busy talking to teams about Vazquez, as well as scouting some top minor league prospects in the Arizona Fall League. GM Ken Williams continued to insist that he would not discuss rumors, and he said that the organization often tries to find out the value of certain players.
--INF Alexei Ramirez is looking to add some muscle to his thin frame, and he has spent the first six weeks of the offseason on a weight-lifting program that the club put together for him. Ramirez is penciled in as the starting shortstop this year, and he wants to make sure he will be ready to be an everyday player. He started at second base last season but didn't inherit that position until mid-May.
--RHP Jose Contreras is doing well, according to agent Jamie Torres, after suffering a season-ending ruptured Achilles in midseason. The veteran pitcher, who is signed through 2009, is still on schedule for a midseason return in '09, but manager Ozzie Guillen's plan remains to bring him along slowly, possibly using him out of the bullpen when he is ready to return.
--LHP Aaron Poreda remained the talk of the offseason, especially with a lights-out showing at this year's Arizona Fall League. Poreda -- the club's first pick in the 2007 draft -- has put himself into position to at least grab a bullpen spot.
"I've heard different things from different people," Poreda said, when asked about the possibility of breaking camp with the big-league team. "If I had my preference, I would like to be a starter. But if it's out of the bullpen, I would do whatever I had to do to fulfill my role."
It was Sox minor league director Buddy Bell who insisted recently that "(Poreda) has a really good chance to be in the big leagues at some point next year." A 96 mph fastball makes that possible. If Poreda can spot that consistently come February, he would give the Sox a power lefty out of the 'pen.
BY THE NUMBERS: 29 -- Combined wins for second-year Sox starters John Danks and Gavin Floyd in 2008, while veterans Mark Buehrle, Javier Vazquez and Jose Contreras combined for just 34 wins.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The young man, for a 19-year-old, the power he has, the hands he has, scouts have told me that there's no reason that he shouldn't be hitting 35 to 40 home runs a year." -- Agent Jaime Torres on Cuban defector Dayan Viciedo, who is being heavily pursued by the White Sox.
