Williams doesn't expect Sox to be terribly active in free agent market

With the biggest item - starting pitching - already checked off, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams heads to the winter meetings in Indianapolis this week with a smallish wish list: maybe a leadoff man, maybe a backup catcher, maybe an arm or two for the bullpen.

Or maybe he'll just do some window shopping and wait until later to do some dealing.

"I think we go in remaining open-minded, as we normally do," Williams said. "If there is something of substance to talk about or another club feels strongly that we sit down (with them), then we will."

But ...

"I think it will be busier after the meetings than it will be during."

Manager Ozzie Guillen agrees.

"I don't expect too much (to happen)," Guillen told WMVP AM-1000 on Saturday. "Obviously we have a couple of holes - a guy out of the bullpen and the question mark at leadoff hitter. We played two years without a leadoff hitter. The perfect guy is not there and the ones that are there are already taken.

"Hopefully we find one, but if not I have a couple of guys in mind."

One of those guys, on occasion, might be newly-acquired infielder Omar Vizquel.

"I think so," Guillen said. "We're going to have guys (DHing) who can play everywhere (in the field). We're not going to have guys that can play DH and that's it. We're going to go a different direction. Hopefully our DH can play a few positions. (Mark) Kotsay, Andruw (Jones), Vizquel - those guys can split some at-bats."

Williams said with the starting rotation the Sox have, the key this season will be an improvement in defense, one of the team's weaknesses last season.

"One thing we have focused on is our infield and outfield defense because we believe our pitching is going to be so good, really be the anchor to this club," Williams said. "We have to back that up with some guys that can really go out and catch the ball."

Just exactly what the starting outfield will look like come Opening Day is still up in the air, but Williams and Co. have options.

"We've got an interesting dynamic because we've got Alex Rios who could play center field or right field, so we have the option to go with another corner guy or a center fielder or a guy who can go over and play left, because we've got some interchangeable parts," Williams said. "Andruw was brought in here as support to what we think is going to be a strong asset for us - our bench.

"If we have to go with a younger player out there then we can back that up with a guy like Andruw or Kotsay."

Williams thinks that while the winter meetings might provide a bonanza for some, it will be the following months that will prove most intriguing.

"I think there will be some interesting pieces out there that you can take a look at and see if they fit for your club," he said. "We're prepared to go in with what we have. We're not stressed at any position. We've got five solid starters and we've got bullpen pieces that have already proven themselves in the major leagues.

"Would we like to add to that? Yes, we absolutely would."