Full plate for 2008

White Sox general manager Kenny Williams has a lengthy list of decisions to make this off-season.

Does he trade a proven starting pitcher such as Jon Garland for two or three players capable of helping the Sox bounce back in 2008?

Does he pick up the $5 million option on erratic shortstop Juan Uribe?

And what about the bullpen, which, aside from closer Bobby Jenks, was an unmitigated disaster?

There are plenty of questions, but Williams is determined to turn around a disappointing White Sox team that was out of contention in mid-June and finished with its worst record (72-90) in 18 years.

"I know it is going to be a long winter for the White Sox' organization to put this thing back together, put it back on top,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I don't think it is going to be an easy and nice winter for Kenny and (assistant GM) Rick Hahn and his group. It is going to be tough for them.

"Hopefully, when the winter is over, we have something out there that can take us back up to the top.''

One of the off-season's most critical decisions involves the status of several young players -- left fielder/third baseman Josh Fields, center fielder Jerry Owens, second baseman Danny Richar and starting pitchers John Danks and Gavin Floyd.

All five were afforded long looks in 2007, with mixed results.

After spending the first two months of the season at Class AAA Charlotte, Fields came up to the major leagues when incumbent Joe Crede had back surgery.

Fields flashed impressive power -- 23 home runs in just 373 at-bats -- but he struck out 125 times, the second-highest total on the club.

After shifting to left field in late August, Fields scuffled and ultimately moved back to third base late in the season.

Is he a left fielder next year, assuming Crede returns? That will be a hot topic at White Sox organizational meetings in two weeks.

Owens played in 93 games and batted .267 while stealing 32 bases in 40 attempts and playing solid defense.

But the 26-year-old rookie also was strikeout prone, and Owens finished with a low (.324) on-base percentage.

"Hopefully I did enough to get a chance to play center field again next year,'' Owens said. "I saw some positives, but that stuff is out of my control.''

When the Sox traded Tadahtio Iguchi in late July, Richar came up from Charlotte and batted .230 in 56 games. Like Owens, Richar's on-base percentage (.289) was not good.

Then there are Danks (6-13, 5.50 ERA) and Floyd (1-5, 5.27), who were up and down.

Williams said the temptation to pull the plug on young players is not wise.

"It is not very often that a guy in his first go-round in the big leagues is going to show you everything he is going to be,'' Williams said. "There is more in Josh Fields. There is more in Danny Richar.

"There is more in a lot of guys that we have, more in our pitchers as you have seen with the way Gavin has picked it up. John Danks has more in him. So I expect a certain amount of growth in all these guys.''

If Williams does give Fields, Owens, Richar, Danks and Floyd another chance in 2008, will they show enough improvement to become championship players?

Or, does the Sox' GM go outside and get more proven commodities?

Given the White Sox' poor showing, most fans are hoping Williams takes the second path.

Despite finishing with the fourth-worst record in the American League, the Sox drew almost 2.7 million fans, the third-highest total in franchise history.

Will they continue coming out in 2008? Add that to the list of questions the White Sox are trying to answer.

"We have gotten great support from our fans for a number of years, and we've set franchise records,'' Williams said. "If that continues, obviously we'll have more resources to work with because the standard policy remains that whatever we take in goes back out the door in terms of improving our club. That is not going to change.

"What will change, what we don't know, how will our fan base react? Will they continue to have faith in us? I hope they do because we are going to go out and do what we always have done and try to make this thing happen.

"To a large degree, we are going to have to see how that plays itself out. If it turns out there is a (attendance) drop-off, there is not going to be any 'woe is me, woe is us' around here. We're just going to go out and be creative, as we have done in the past, to try to make it happen.''