It's time for Garland trade rumors to begin
The White Sox' win total is lacking this season, but they still have some enviable depth with starting pitching.
Mark Buehrle and Javier Vazquez anchor the rotation, followed by Jon Garland and Jose Contreras.
After that, the Sox have used John Danks and Gavin Floyd, and Lance Broadway makes his first start tonight against the Kansas City Royals.
Next spring, Gio Gonzalez and Jack Egbert should get long looks after turning in strong efforts at Class AA Birmingham this season.
With many holes to fill, the White Sox figure to trade some of their excess pitching this winter.
And once again, Garland seems to be attracting the most interest.
In his final start of the season Wednesday night, the veteran right-hander was brilliant against the Royals while leading the Sox to a 3-0 victory at U.S. Cellular Field.
"I just got into a nice little rhythm with (catcher) Toby (Hall),'' Garland said after pitching his sixth career shutout.
While it was a disappointing season for Garland (10-13, 4.23 ERA), he won 18 games in each of the last two years and allowed just 5 earned runs over 32 innings to end this season. With one year and $12 million left on his contract, let the trade rumors begin.
"There were the same questions last year and the same questions at the winter meetings,'' said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "Garland has been traded the last three years, and we still have him. I count on him for next year. If something happens over the winter, I'll say something different.''
Garland, who turns 28 today, has been a full-time starter for the Sox since 2002. He's not interested in wearing a different uniform.
"It's not even in my hands,'' Garland said. "I'd like to be back here and keep all my career in Chicago, but it remains to be seen. I still believe I'm going to be here.''
If Garland does come back in 2008 and picks up where he left off this season, the White Sox should have a better chance of bouncing back from a dismal year.
"That was an amazing display of pitching,'' Hall said. "That's a good way to end his year. He's just been pitching and executing everything. He's been pitching like the Jon Garland I used to face.''
Looking ahead: The 2008 season can't arrive fast enough for the White Sox.
They will open on the road, at Cleveland. The first game is scheduled for March 31. Following a day off, the Sox and Indians play on April 2-3.
The White Sox move on to Detroit for three more games and return home April 7, when they open a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins (April 7, 9-10).
The Sox are scheduled to host the Cubs on June 27-29. In other interleague matchups at U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox play the Colorado Rockies (June 13-15) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (June 17-19).
The Sox are scheduled to play interleague road games at San Francisco (May 16-18) and Los Angeles.
On Broadway: Lance Broadway makes his first major-league start for the White Sox today.
Broadway, the Sox' first-round draft pick in 2005, has made 3 relief appearances since coming up from Class AAA Charlotte on Sept. 4.
The 24-year-old right-hander is 0-1 and has allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in 4½ innings.
"I like what I see," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I don't know how consistent he's going to be because I have only seen him for a couple outings. But what I see, the stuff is good enough."
In 27 starts with Charlotte, Broadway was 8-9 with a 4.65 ERA.
White Sox 3, Royals 0
On the mound: Jon Garland pitched his sixth career shutout and second straight complete game. Garland also reached at least 10 wins and 30 starts for the sixth straight season, becoming the only right-hander in franchise history to accomplish that feat.
At the plate: Jim Thome hit a solo home run in the first inning, the 505th of his career. He moved past Eddie Murray and is now 22nd on the all-time leaderboard. Jermaine Dye hit a 2-run homer in the fourth.
-- Scot Gregor