Chicago White Sox Roster Report 2009-04-08

The White Sox are surprised to have both Jose Contreras and Bartolo Colon back from injuries and ready to start the season in the rotation, and they also are pleased with the emergence of young players such as Josh Fields and Chris Getz. That doesn't mean the spring was all roses -- the team still is looking for a consistent leadoff hitter to emerge in April.

--GM Ken Williams is well aware of the criticism directed at him and the club concerning the lack of a true leadoff hitter, but he explained that going outside the organization to acquire a more proven leadoff hitter was an avenue that had been exhausted. "The easiest thing in the world is to say you have to go out and get a leadoff hitter, get the prototypical guy who can hit you .300 and get on base at .370, steal 50 bases," Williams said. "But when people are pressed to say, 'Where are you going to get that guy?' It's, 'Don't worry about it. You just go get him.' I have to go back in the lab and create that guy. Rest assured, we have been looking for, and aggressively, whatever those type of guys are, we've asked about them and tried to get them ... and that's no sleight on Dewayne (Wise). You can't create something that's not there, so you make do."

--RF Jermaine Dye could become a free agent after this season but said before the game that his only thoughts are on this season. That was good news for GM Ken Williams and the front office, considering the last time Dye was a possible free agent in 2007, it became a distraction. "You know my style," Williams said. "We sit down and talk about everything. If they have any questions on their mind, all they have to do is pick up the phone or for most cases during spring training, just talk to me across the lunch table because I eat lunch with a lot of them. We talk about everything under the sun, including family. Jermaine has his priorities and focus in the right place, as does everyone else."

--LHP Clayton Richard showed last fall in the postseason that he could give the Sox some quality innings out of the bullpen as well as be a spot starter, and he only strengthened that thought Tuesday, coming in for starter Mark Buehrle and throwing two hitless innings. While Richard is still an emergency starter, especially with Jose Contreras and Bartolo Colon deemed fragile in their returns from injuries, he is starting to show the club that he can be an effective middle reliever.

RHP Bartolo Colon (elbow surgery) showed enough this spring to be named the No. 5 starter, but LHP Clayton Richard is waiting in the wings if Colon struggles.

RHP Jose Contreras (ruptured Achilles tendon in August 2008) was the talk of the camp, not only showing up 30 pounds lighter, but also three months ahead of schedule. He is in the regular rotation now and ran through all the pitching drills with no setbacks.

INF Jayson Nix (right quad) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He injured the leg early in camp, missed a week and then tried coming back, only to suffer a setback.