The year ahead

So the trophy has been won and done its tours of the city of Chicago and Caracas, and the wheels of commerce have already begun in earnest for 2006. Let's look ahead and see what 2006 might likely bring for the White Sox, shall we?

Some action has already taken place since the season officially ended:

• the Sox declined their option on Carl Everett and paid him a $500,000 buyout (no big surprise)
• exercised their club buyout option on Frank Thomas and paid him a $3,500,000 buyout (again, no surprise...if the Sox kept him, his 2006 salary would have been a whopping $10,000,000)
• signed backup catcher Chris Widger for a 1-year deal @ $650,000
  
• signed Cliff Politte for a 1-year deal @ $1.2 million
  

So, here are the players that are definitely signed for 2006 (my "essential" players highlighted in bold):

C: Chris Widger (backup)

2B: Tadahito Iguchi

SS: Juan Uribe

LF: Scott Podsednik

CF: Aaron Rowand

RF: Jermaine Dye

Starting pitchers:

Mark Buehrle
Jose Contreras
Freddy Garcia
Orlando Hernandez

Relief pitchers:
Cliff Politte
Dustin Hermanson
Damaso Marte

Likely deals that the Sox will make:

C: AJ Pierzynski

The Sox absolutely NEED to re-sign AJ Pierzynski for at least 2 years. He proved what a great clubhouse guy he was in 2005 and he handles the Sox pitching staff great, making up for his tendency to let a lot of balls in the dirt get by him, which is a liability given Garcia and Contreras's tendency to occasionally uncork one. His '05 salary was $2.25 million, so I would expect the Sox to re-sign him for something in the neighborhood of $3 million + incentives. Widger is a fine backup, but the Sox have no other options right now, so AJ is a must.

1B: ? / backup Ross Gload (not signed for '06)

Obviously, the biggest hole the Sox must fill in the offseason is Konerko's spot. I personally feel confident the Sox can reach an agreement with PK. The money may not match what other teams like the Angels can offer, but Konerko -- if he's smart -- has to realize that his stature in Chicago has been cemented as a hero for what he did during the offseason. Gload is an inessential component of the team, albeit a serviceable backup, and he should be re-signed by the Sox for close to the minimum.

2B: Willie Harris

"Wheels" Harris is a versatile bench guy who can play 2B and CF, so I would expect him to be re-signed.

3B: Joe Crede

Joe is not signed yet, and he only made $400,000 in 2005 and his agent is Scott Boras (a/k/a the Devil), so hopefully the Sox can reach an agreement in the neighborhood of $1.75 - $2 million.

backup infielders: Pablo Ozuna / Geoff Blum

Of these 2, I think Ozuna proved himself the most valuable. He started off shaky at third base, but quickly improved his defense, and his speed on the basepaths is something this slow team really needs. Blum is serviceable, but really only had one good moment with the Sox in 2005, and that was the huge winning home run in Game 3 of the World Series.

backup OF: Timo Perez

Timo is a master of the clutch late-inning hit and plays some solid D, so I would guess the Sox will re-sign him.

Starting pitchers:

Jon Garland

Not signed for 2006. The Sox will reach an agreement with him and avoid arbitration.

Relief pitchers:
Neal Cotts
Bobby Jenks
Luis Vizcaino


Many of the unsigned players don't have many years of service, so the Sox will have the advantage as far as signing them.

Of the above players, the ones I think the Sox may try to deal include:

Freddy Garcia and/or Orlando Hernandez

With Brandon McCarthy as a viable starter in 2006, one of the 5 starter spots is going to be his for the taking. I personally would rather see the Sox keep Garcia as their #3/#4 starter and either trade El Duque or move him to a set-up role, but his $4,500,000+ salary in '06 is very, very rich for a relief pitcher. Given his shoulder troubles in '05, I don't think he'd hold up for an entire season as a starter.

Dustin Hermanson and/or Damaso Marte

Hermanson's back health is a big concern. He should be having surgery in the offseason, but who knows what state he'll be in for 2006. I think 2006 will find him reverting to the mean. Marte somewhat redeemed himself in Game 3 of the World Series with his gutty 2 innings of relief, but he's too much of a headcase, and as a hard-throwing lefty, the Sox should find a few clubs interested in a deal.

Other deals the Sox will probably work on soon:

Frank Thomas

In my opinion, it would be a real shame if Frank did not retire as a White Sox. I know he's not Kenny Williams' favorite player, but I hope that Jerry Reinsdorf can work out a deal in the neighborhood of $2 - $3 million + incentives for the next 2 years, taking into account his leg problems. I would not at all be surprised if Frank retires during the offseason, though.

Carl Everett

Yes, it does seem that the White Sox are constantly making deals to acquire Crazy Carl. Carl definitely isn't worth the $5 million option the Sox just turned down, but with his consistent power stats (23 HRs, 87 RBIs), he's a definite option especially considering the Big Hurt's health situation.

And, lastly, I think Brian Anderson has a very good chance of making the starting roster as a backup outfielder.

All in all, I think the White Sox are in good shape for 2006. It's hard to argue that many of the guys on the team had career/fluke years in 2005; I do think that 2006 won't see the same type of season from Jose Contreras, Dustin Hermanson or Bobby Jenks, but at the same time, I thought Aaron Rowand had a sub-par year offensively, and both Dye and Pierzynski could bump their BAs up 20 or 30 points. The biggest thing that made the 2005 White Sox was their health, and I would guess that they won't be nearly as lucky in 2006, so we'll see.