--RHP Bobby Jenks now stands alone as the only player left on the active roster who is arbitration-eligible. The Sox avoided arbitration with INF Wilson Betimit and OF Dewayne Wise, locking both up with one-year deals. Betimit, who was acquired in the Nick Swisher deal, will earn $1.3 million this season, while Wise will get $550,000. Betimit will get a chance to challenge for a starting job at third or second base but likely will stay a reserve, while Wise will get a look in the outfield. As far as Jenks, both sides are expected to begin talks soon on a contract extension.
--OF Jermaine Dye heard his name kicked around in trade rumors for the last month, but for now, all seems to have quieted. GM Ken Williams has stated on several occasions that the team has no concerns about going to spring camp with the roster as is, but few believe that Williams is done. He would like to add at least another veteran starting pitcher on the cheap. --OF Jerry Owens was going to be the starter last season until an injury late in spring camp sidelined him. GM Ken Williams is still counting on Owens to not only regain a starting job in the outfield, but also challenge for the leadoff job. "We like what we have in Jerry Owens," Williams said. "Jerry Owens was acquired to be (Scott) Podsednik's replacement, that type of player. There are times where it may behoove you more to find out about these guys. Find out what they are."
--OF Brian Anderson will get his best opportunity to earn a starting job this spring, adding to the logjam the team has in the outfield. "Brian Anderson was signed, was drafted to be an impact-type player," GM Ken Williams said. "If you put yourself in a position of contract flexibility then you can have it both ways. You can find out about them and at the same time you can correct a situation if it doesn't go as planned, and then go out and make a deal to reinforce yourself if it doesn't work out that way." If Jermaine Dye is moved, the plan would be to let Anderson challenge for the starting job in center, put Jerry Owens in left and move Carlos Quentin to right field, his natural spot.
--LHP Mark Buehrle will once again be brought along slowly this spring, as the Sox want to keep a lesser workload on him than the rest of the staff. Last spring, Buehrle was often pushed back days and didn't throw as much. There's a good reason why, with Buehrle throwing 1,789 1/3 innings since 2001, the most by any pitcher in the major leagues.
BY THE NUMBERS: 30 -- LHP Mark Buehrle is the only pitcher in White Sox history to make at least 30 starts in eight consecutive seasons.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm more set than I think you guys have written and talked about. We got a lot of confidence, but that's not unusual. Similarly to our confidence level in (John) Danks, (Carlos) Quentin, (Alexei) Ramirez and go on and on with (Gavin) Floyd last year. But it's our job. It's not your job to scout and project players' performance. That's our job, and we'll continue to do that with the best players we put on the field." -- GM Ken Williams, on criticism that he has not done enough to improve the team this offseason.
