--SS Orlando Cabrera, and even OF/1B Nick Swisher, were used in the leadoff spot last season, and both are out of the picture. But because the team was successful for the most part in 2008, GM Ken Williams feels that finding a new leadoff hitter won't be an uphill battle.
"Whoever is the best candidate, it will be that person," Williams said of the vacancy. "Those that are maybe available aren't necessarily (better) than what we already have in house. They're just different. Different doesn't always mean better. We need to see, unless there's an obvious answer, we need to see what's in house, because that was the original plan." In-house options include OF Jerry Owens and possibly INF Chris Getz.
--INF Brent Lillibridge, whom the White Sox acquired in the Javier Vazquez deal with Atlanta, might be coming off a disappointing season, but that didn't change the high hopes GM Ken Williams has for him. While Chris Getz is the front-runner for second base, Williams was adamant in making sure Lillibridge wasn't overlooked. Lillibridge was a .287 hitter for Class AAA Richmond in 2007 before struggling in '08.
"We've got Lillibridge, and I think just one year ago, if we acquired him one year ago coming off of a good season, I could say this is going to be the guy," Williams said. "Lillibridge can steal 40 bases for you."
--3B Josh Fields will head to Miami after the holidays and begin working out daily with bench coach Joey Cora and manager Ozzie Guillen to improve his defense. This was Fields' idea after hearing how Guillen was critical in his decline in the field last season. Fields is penciled in to take over the third base duties from free agent Joe Crede.
--OF Carlos Quentin has been cleared to start full baseball activity just four months after cracking a bone in his wrist. Quentin was expected to be completely healthy for camp, but the fact that he can now resume full baseball activity allows the Sox to take a deep sigh of relief.
--RHP Scott Linebrink -- like LHP Mark Buehrle -- will be brought around on a slower pace come spring camp. The Sox watched the veteran reliever break down in July and August, and he never got back to where he was at the start of the year. Linebrink is a huge part of the bullpen, and the Sox want to make sure they have him at peak performance when the playoff push heats up.
BY THE NUMBERS: 95 -- Combined total of stolen bases for INF Brent Lillibridge in 2006-07 in the minor leagues. That number is a huge reason why GM Ken Williams feels Lillibridge could be a huge surprise in spring camp.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "If there's anything I can impart to everyone, it's that this is not a change in direction. This is not a change in philosophy. We started this three years ago, after we won the World Series. People asked why we traded Freddy Garcia and Aaron Rowand. This is a continuation of that process." -- GM Ken Williams, on the transition the White Sox are in this offseason.
