No movement in Sox-Konerko talks

ORLANDO, Fla. -- White Sox general manager Kenny Williams wasn't drawing any lines in the sand Monday, but it's clear there are some lines being established in the ongoing talks with Paul Konerko.

Asked if there was a deadline to get a deal done with the free-agent first baseman, Williams replied, “There's a fine line, and that line is when do you risk losing your Plan B and C in favor of trying to be as patient as you can with your Plan A? We will wait as long as we can.”

Williams emerged Monday evening from White Sox meetings with Craig Landis, the agent for Konerko, the longtime Sox favorite.

Williams was tight-lipped about characterizing the talks.

Any progress?

“Nope,” Williams replied.

Did you guys talk?

“Yep.”

Good dialogue?

“I'm not going to take you through any blow by blow of any of our private conversations,” he said. “I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic, just going through the process of having dialogue.”

Williams, however, said his taciturn nature shouldn't have been construed as there being problems with the Konerko dialogue.

“Maybe it's just because it's been a long time and we've had countless discussions that I give you that impression, but there's no reason to feel one way or another,” he said.

Williams also did not comment much on reports that the Sox were willing to deal second baseman Gordon Beckham and prospects to San Diego for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who wound up being traded to the Boston Red Sox.

“I can't really talk about it,” Williams said. “All I would say is that it's always been business as usual for us. We try to go after impact players every year, but I'm not going to get into the particulars of those types of things.”

Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who made only a brief appearance at the winter meetings Monday before heading home to Venezuela, said he hoped the Sox and Konerko could work things out.

“I think everybody knows in Chicago, and White Sox fans, that they're talking, they're trying,” Guillen said. “This is the type of thing that if you do, you look great. If you don't, you're going to face people talking and making comments, ‘Why not?'

“That's why I keep saying the last thing I want to do in my life is be the GM because that decision you make there, you have to think with your brains, not your heart.

“Sometimes when you think with you're your heart, you make a lot of mistakes. Everybody in Chicago myself, everybody, players, front office, fans we want him. A lot of things go different ways. I don't know if it's about money. I don't know if it's about years.

“Hopefully, they make a decision, we make a decision right away and we set the team up and see what happens.”