White Sox trade part of rebuilding process

The initial signs were subtle.

Ÿ Robin Ventura replaced Ozzie Guillen as White Sox manager despite having no coaching experience at any professional level.

Ÿ Free-agent starter Mark Buehrle is still on the market, but the Sox haven’t tried to hide the fact they can’t afford to bring him back.

Ÿ Season-ticket prices for 2012 were slashed.

Ÿ Last week, the White Sox hired Marco Paddy to mine cheaper talent in Latin America.

Add everything up, and the direction appeared obvious.

At baseball’s winter meetings in Dallas on Tuesday, Sox general manager Kenny Williams finally made it official.

“It is the start of a rebuilding,” Williams told reporters after trading closer Sergio Santos to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor-league starter Nestor Molina. “You guys know that I have not used that word in 12 years. But it is the start of a rebuilding.”

It was a surprising first step, considering Santos has just two seasons of major-league experience and agreed to a very reasonable three-year, $8.25 million extension on Sept. 30. The deal also includes club options for 2015-17.

“We are very happy that we were able to acquire (Molina),” Williams said. “He was on a short target list to get in some way, shape or form. I did not anticipate it would take Sergio to do it. I was thinking more along the lines of starting pitching.”

For weeks, if not longer, Williams has been receiving calls about starters John Danks and Gavin Floyd, who are both eligible for free agency at the end of the 2012 season.

One or both pitchers might still be moved, which would shift the White Sox’ rebuilding project into high gear.

Williams knows there are negative ramifications when using the “rebuilding” word, especially in a large market such as Chicago. He tried to soften the tone a bit Tuesday.

“Is (this) the start of falling-dominoes type of rebuilding?” the GM said. “No, absolutely not, because as we currently sit, I do not like what is currently being offered for any of our valuable veteran pieces. I’m of the mindset that while we may do a couple more things, as we sit right now we’ll probably keep the rest of the pitching intact.

“We will focus on some peripheral things, to continue to get a piece here or there that will help us in 2013, 2014. But as I sit here right now, I don’t see any deals for any of the other pitchers.”

What about the White Sox’ new pitcher?

Williams raved about the 22-year-old Molina, who was actually signed by Paddy when he worked for the Blue Jays before joining the Sox.

Molina, a right-hander, played third base and the outfield in 2006-07 before being converted to a pitcher. Ironically, Santos started his professional career as a shortstop.

Molina, a native of Valencia, Venezuela, was a combined 12-3 with a 2.21 ERA for Class A Dunedin and AA New Hampshire last season, his first as a full-time starter.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder had 149 strikeouts, and just 18 walks, in 103⅓ innings.

“A guy that has a 90 to 96 mph fastball, bores in on right-handed hitters, keeps the ball down in the strike zone, can hit the outside corner, inside corner, take it upstairs if he needs to,” Williams said when asked to describe Molina. “His secondary stuff, he’s got a swing-and-miss type split that drops off the table, his slider is a plus slider and his changeup is equally effective.

“He’s obviously a four-pitch mix. He walked (18) guys in 130 some-odd innings and is in winter league right now and pitching with the same success.”

Molina spent most of last season with Dunedin and was 2-0 with a 0.41 ERA in 5 starts with New Hampshire.

Making the jump to the White Sox’ rotation next season would be difficult for Molina - but not impossible.

“I would think that we give him a little but more seasoning, but he’s got the kind of ability ... there are certain guys with ability that will force their way on to the major-league roster,” Williams said. “When you look at a young pitcher, you look at what kind of stuff he has, what kind of composure he has and his ability to command the strike zone. This guy does it in a way that very few do, so I’m not going to say he can’t and he won’t.”