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Bullpen still taking shape for White Sox

White Sox general manager Kenny Williams can’t afford to make too many more mistakes.

He already is responsible for three highly paid — and unproductive — players on the 25-man roster: Jake Peavy, Adam Dunn and Alex Rios.

If the trio flops again this season and the Sox fail to fire in the AL Central, Williams is likely out as GM.

At the winter meetings, Williams made another questionable move, trading closer Sergio Santos to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor-league starter Nestor Molina.

Yes, Santos did lose command of his nasty slider in the second half of 2011 while posting a 4.22 ERA and blowing 3 saves in 15 attempts.

But the former shortstop still acclimated himself well in his first season closing games, and Santos figures to be better in the future after learning the difficult role on the fly.

Williams was mainly criticized for trading such a favorable contract. In late September, Santos agreed to a three-year extension worth a relatively minuscule $8.75 million. The deal also included three reasonable club option years.

Williams has been shedding payroll since last July, but Santos was hardly a burden on the budget.

So why was he traded?

While admitting he still has reservations about the deal, Williams believes Molina is going to develop into a top-end starter. He also believes the White Sox are loaded with quality arms in the bullpen.

Let’s take a look:

Arms race:

Manager Robin Ventura might not know who his closer is until May or June, but he does like the Sox’ bullpen depth.

Relievers such as Hector Santiago, Zach Stewart, Dylan Axelrod, Brian Bruney and Eric Stults are battling for two, possibly three, open spots in the bullpen this spring.

“There is opportunity,” Ventura said earlier in camp. “They know it.”

We’ll look at the closer competition later in this series, but for now we’ll assume rookie Addison Reed eventually claims the role.

That also leaves Matt Thornton, Jesse Crain and Will Ohman as bullpen locks, so the other jobs are up for grabs.

“There’s a chance,” said Santiago, an intriguing left-hander who throws a screwball. “You just have to let them see what you have and hopefully you are that guy.”

The veterans:

Matt Thornton has long been one of the best left-handed setup men in baseball, but he struggled trying to close games last April and never really recovered.

Thornton’s 5 losses were a career high, and his 3.32 ERA and 63 strikeouts were his worst totals since 2007.

With an 8-3 record and 2.62 ERA, Jesse Crain was as good as advertised during his first season with the White Sox.

Will Ohman wasn’t bad in his Sox debut, the left-hander overcoming a dreadful start to finish 1-3 with a 4.22 ERA.

The new guys:

Hector Santiago did not allow a run in 5 innings of relief with the White Sox in 2 appearances last season, and he has been one of the best pitchers this spring.

Zach Stewart made 8 starts and only 2 relief appearances after being acquired from Toronto in a trade last season. This year he looks like a long reliever.

“It’s not really a change,” Stewart said. “Even when I was with the Reds and the Blue Jays, the thing going into camp was I was kind of in between. I might be a pen guy; I might be a starter. I’ve gotten used to it.”

Brian Bruney was designated for assignment last August after posting a 6.86 ERA in 23 relief appearances with the Sox.

The right-hander dropped 30 pounds over the winter and reported to training camp with a new outlook. Bruney is having a good spring, and his experience could earn him another shot with the Sox.

sgregor@dailyherald.com

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Matt Thornton seems most comfortable being one of the top left-handed setup men in baseball. Associated Press
Chicago White SoxÂ’s Hector Santiago pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in a spring training baseball game March 13, 2010, in Glendale, Ariz. Associated Press
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