Sox keep fans in the dark heading into winter meetings
General manager Kenny Williams was scheduled to speak with the media on a conference call Saturday afternoon, ostensibly to discuss the White Sox' strategy heading into this week's winter meetings in Dallas.
About two hours before the call, Williams and the Sox pulled the plug.
Perhaps Williams' cell phone was dead. Maybe he contracted laryngitis. Hopefully, he was not a repeat victim of home burglary.
Most likely, Williams is closing in on a trade. In year's past, the GM has hit the mute button when a deal was imminent.
So, all we can do is speculate.
ŸWilliams is close to trading starting pitcher John Danks back home to Texas. The Rangers are loaded with the type of talented young players the White Sox are looking for.
ŸWilliams is close to trading right fielder Carlos Quentin back home to San Diego. Maybe he can reacquire starter Clayton Richard from the Padres.
ŸWilliams is close to trading starter pitcher Gavin Floyd back home to Baltimore. As usual, the Orioles are short on pitching and they've been stockpiling high draft picks for years.
ŸWilliams is close to trading reliever Matt Thornton to any team that can absorb the $13 million he is guaranteed over the next two years. The Yankees look like a fit.
We'll see what happens this week at the winter meetings in Dallas, but the White Sox are clearly in sell mode after two false starts.
In June 2010, Williams was livid with the Sox' uninspired play and matching 24-33 record.
Williams was prepared to start unloading players, but the White Sox woke up and went 25-5 before hitting the all-star break.
The Sox still finished the season 6 games behind the Twins, but Williams talked Jerry Reinsdorf into going “All In” for 2011.
Williams even joked how Reinsdorf had to look for loose change under his couch cushions to cover the record $128 million payroll.
Well, as you probably heard, the White Sox were a colossal flop this past season. Williams actually started scaling back in late July when he traded Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen.
Free agents Mark Buehrle, Juan Pierre, Omar Vizquel and Ramon Castro are expected to sign elsewhere or retire, but even more cuts appear to be coming.
New manager Robin Ventura is in constant contact with Williams, and he is well aware he might have a drastically different team when spring training begins.
For now, Ventura is holding out hope Williams does not go “All Out.”
“You kind of go into it with a wait-and-see attitude over the next two weeks and see how it goes down,” Ventura said. “I think (moves) are possible, but it's not guaranteed. That's the one thing — just because those names are out there doesn't mean it's guaranteed.
“It's one thing to say you're going to trade them; it's another thing to actually do it. We all realize their value and how good they are.”
sgregor@dailyherald.com