Sox GM: I think we can win the division
Last season and even beyond, general manager Kenny Williams heard the same criticism over and over: the White Sox were too old.
Now that Williams has trimmed years - and obvious dollars - off the Sox' payroll, he's taking heat for going young.
"Darned if you do, darned if you don't," Williams said Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field, two days before SoxFest opens at the Palmer House Hilton.
Williams said it's natural the White Sox aren't being talked up as World Series contenders with the opening of spring training just more than two weeks away. But that doesn't mean the GM thinks a long season awaits.
"I'll tell you if I feel like we are overmatched in the division," Williams said. "I think we can win it."
Williams followed with a statement that, on the surface, should raise the ire of Sox fans.
"I think the best team on paper in the American League is the New York Yankees," Williams said. "I think the Cubs are the best team on paper in the National League. I'm not afraid to say that. Some of our fans might not like that; it is what it is.
"Some (Cubs) fans might not like it because as I say that, being the best team on paper comes with a certain amount of pressure, a certain amount of expectations that for whatever the reason is in baseball, seems to just knock teams down."
Heading into the season with a young mix (Carlos Quentin, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, Alexei Ramirez, Josh Fields) joining core veterans Jim Thome, Mark Buehrle, Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski, Williams said the White Sox could be dangerous if they manage to defend their AL Central title.
"The funny thing is, when you get to the playoffs - and that's what our initial goal is, getting to the playoffs - it's a new game," Williams said. "And that's where a team with lesser expectations can beat a team that, on paper, may appear better. Because that team is playing with reckless abandon. You just saw it last week - who had the Arizona Cardinals?
"I learned some tough lessons in these years. Probably the most valuable is you can't just throw as much talent against the wall, formulate a club strictly on talent. Sometimes what appears to be the most obvious move, because Player X is the star or has been a star, that can ultimately be the worst thing you can do. We've brought enough young players in where we now will have a good young core moving forward. With that, now you can fit some of the pieces."
• After having bone chips removed from his elbow after the 2008 season, Bartolo Colon might not be up on the mound until the second half of spring training.
Signed by the Sox to a one-year, $1 million contract Jan. 15, Colon has been slowed by elbow, back and shoulder injuries the past three seasons.
The 35-year-old pitcher can earn an additional $2 million based on innings pitched if he stays healthy, and Williams said the White Sox are just being cautious.
"He's fine," the GM said. "Guys like Bartolo and (Mark) Buehrle, these guys need a couple of starts and they're ready to go 9 (innings)."