Sox' GM: Winter meetings will be uneventful
Don't expect the White Sox to do much this week at the winter meetings in Las Vegas.
Then again, Sox fans have likely learned they never know what to expect from general manager Kenny Williams.
It's been two months since the White Sox were eliminated from the playoffs, and Williams already has traded three veterans (Nick Swisher, Javier Vazquez, Boone Logan) for six prospects, signed 19-year-old Cuban star Dayan Viciedo and cut ties with potential free agents Joe Crede, Orlando Cabrera, Juan Uribe, Ken Griffey Jr. and Toby Hall.
That's a season's full of activity for many of his peers but pretty much business as usual for Williams.
Still, the Sox' energetic GM sounds like he's going to be shutting it down during the winter meetings, if not longer.
If you believe Williams, that means players such as right fielder Jermaine Dye, closer Bobby Jenks and first baseman Paul Konerko are not going to be moved in Vegas or before the season.
"We've got good veteran players and they continue to produce year after year," Williams said. "If I had to guess, as things appear right now, I don't foresee any other movement with our veteran players. My plan remains to be in listening mode more so than aggressive mode."
Even though the White Sox won the AL Central in 2008, they apparently lost money.
Williams said getting younger is his prime objective this winter, but cutting the 2008 payroll ($121 million) ranks a close second.
"If there's something out there, whether it be by trade or through free agency, we'll explore it," Williams said. "But there are parameters we have right now. Payroll-wise, we are bumping up against our break-even point as we sit here today."
Williams said if he makes additional moves this winter, Sox fans hoping for marquee names are not going to be happy.
"I know it's not popular," Williams said, repeating the statement for emphasis. "We always look at it like maybe the guy on the left doesn't have the name, the history behind him versus a guy you know will be a middle-of-the road, safe choice that is going to appease the media, appease the fan base because you've got the name versus that other guy nobody knows about."
Guys like Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez last off-season, and guys like John Danks and Gavin Floyd the off-season before that.
This year, Williams is equally high on starting pitcher Jeff Marquez, who came over from the Yankees in the Swisher trade, and all four of the prospects he got from the Braves for Vazquez.
"That's why we have scouts, that's why we try to evaluate and we try to make determinations on the difference between Player A and Player B," Williams said. "Sometimes it's just opportunity. I'm talking about fielding a more youthful team, but our goal is still to win the division this year."
The White Sox need to find a leadoff hitter, which is probably the biggest challenge for any general manager.
"If someone wants to give me names," Williams said with more than a hint of sarcasm. "I can come up with fantasy names. It sounds great when you say it, but the reality is sometimes your in-house options are better than what you can ultimately get on the free-agent market.
"Sometimes you have to put them out there and see how they respond. If they don't respond accordingly, how you expect, then you make an adjustment at that point."
That sounds like an endorsement for center fielder Jerry Owens, who was positioned to fill the leadoff spot last year before suffering multiple groins injuries during spring training.