Sox GM Williams 'may get creative'

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Even before news broke Monday that reliever J.J. Putz left the White Sox for the Arizona Diamondbacks as a free agent, Sox general manager Kenny Williams seemed to be writing Putz off.

Putz's new deal is worth a reported $10 million over two years.

On top of that, the Sox did not tender a contract to erstwhile closer Bobby Jenks, making him a free agent.

“I think Putz is going to be elsewhere,” Williams said early Monday evening. “We wanted him back, but I think he's going elsewhere. Bobby is new to the market, and I think he's got to flush some things out before he gets back to us.”

Field manager Ozzie Guillen had some thoughts on who his closer might be, at least now, before Williams finds additional bullpen help.

“To me, it's got to be between Matt Thornton and (Chris) Sale,” Guillen said. “Thornton has the experience, and Sale has the stuff. Last year, at the end of the season, Sale was a guy who was doing a pretty good job. Maybe if there's a drastic change, we've got to put Sale in the starting rotation. Right now, Sale and Thornton are the two guys I have in mind to do it.”

Williams said he may have to explore the trade market to find a reliever.

“That may be quite possibly the way we have to go because we've kind of taken ourselves to or beyond our payroll limits to do what we've done,” he said, referring in part to the recent signing of slugger Adam Dunn. “I may have to get a little creative.”

Tired talk:

Kenny Williams said he's getting tired of talking about his relationship with Ozzie Guillen. The two did have dinner recently.

“I took him over to a friend of mine who is a chef, Jackie Shen, over at Red Light, and she was really excited to see him and made him some special entrees,” Williams said. “He loved it and she loved it and we held hands. It was good. ... It was old conversation, like old times and that's basically who we are.

“Sometimes you get away from things but it was more peripheral things that came about that we have at least pushed those aside. I am tired about talking about it because all it does is it stops you from moving forward.”

No more captains:

Ozzie Guillen said he would not name a new captain if Paul Konerko leaves via free agency.

“No, that's it,” he said. “There's nobody who's earned that. To be the captain on the White Sox, and I am the manager, that's a pretty tough one, because you've got to earn it, first of all, not because of what you do on the field. It is what you do with your teammates, the respect in the clubhouse, the presence in the lineup. It's so many things combined to be the captain on any ballclub.

“Whoever is named captain of any team should be proud because that's not an easy thing to do.”