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The Chicago White Sox Thread

The White Sox and Darin Erstad agreed on a one-year contract, pending a physical, Tuesday, giving the South Siders a veteran to help answer some of the uncertainty surrounding Brian Anderson and Scott Podsednik, who underwent surgery.


Tuesday's signing leaves the White Sox roster all but set in regard to position players. The final two battles to be waged in Spring Training center on filling out the rotation at fifth starter, with Gavin Floyd holding the upper hand, and figuring out the sixth reliever on an 11-man staff. With the South Siders poised to go with two left-handers, hard-throwing Nick Masset looks to be the early front-runner to finish off the bullpen.
 
CHICAGO -- Darin Erstad officially joined the White Sox on Thursday afternoon, coming to terms with the team on a one-year, $1 million contract, including a 2008 club option.


"I'm excited about joining the White Sox," said Erstad in Thursday's press release. Erstad will first meet the Chicago media as a member of his new team on Friday prior to the start of SoxFest.


"This is a new opportunity and challenge for me," Erstad added. "I've heard this is a great group of guys, and this is a team with a good chance to win it all."



Hopefully when Podsednic returns, Erstad will take over at Centerfield,
Bumping Anderson.
 
White Sox GM Ken Williams said he had no trades or free-agent talks in progress and declined to elaborate on the status of Jermaine Dye, who can become a free agent in 2008.
-- Chicago Tribune
 
The Marlins were one of several teams on hand to watch outfielder Shannon Stewart provide a private workout Friday at Miami-Dade Community College. He also was being scouted by the Mariners, A's, Rangers, Angels, Reds, Padres and White Sox.
-- Miami Herald
 
The White Sox added some infield insurance Tuesday as they signed second baseman Junior Spivey to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training.


Spivey, 32, holds a career .270 batting average with 48 home runs and 201 RBIs in five Major League seasons spent with Arizona, Milwaukee and Washington. The 2002 National League All-Star spent the '06 season with the Cardinals' Triple-A Memphis club, where he hit .200 with nine homers and 29 RBIs in 89 games.

The White Sox currently lack middle infield depth in their farm system, and Spivey could provide an option should the team need backup help. The addition of Spivey also brings the club's number of non-roster invitees for Spring Training to 16: eight pitchers, four catchers, three infielders and one outfielder.
 
Ray Berres, well-respected pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox from 1949-66 and again in 1969, passed away Thursday. Berres, 99, the architect of the pitching staffs for the Go-Go Sox era, was believed to be the second-oldest living Major League player.

R.I.P. :(
 
Ozzie Guillen has made no secrets about his desire for Robin Ventura to play a bigger role with the team. At SoxFest, Ventura, who may assist at camp, reunited with his old teammate and a young cancer patient, with whom he's been friends for 10 years.


Ventura was my favorite White Sox player, it would be great to have him back with the team in some capacity.
 
Perez inks Minor League deal with Sox.

It seems only fitting that Eduardo Perez and the White Sox agreed to a Minor League contract Monday, including a Spring Training invite, considering two of the more entertaining moments in Perez's 2006 performance took place at U.S. Cellular Field.


Much like the recent signing and Spring Training invite given to infielder Junior Spivey, Perez will have the chance to show off his skills during Cactus League action and ultimately could serve as veteran insurance at Triple-A Charlotte if needed by the parent club. If Scott Podsednik starts the season on the disabled list, Perez or Spivey would have an outside shot at claiming the final roster spot over a group of young outfielders including Josh Fields, Ryan Sweeney and Jerry Owens.

With Rob Mackowiak and Pablo Ozuna already holding down reserve roles and having the ability to play the outfield, manager Ozzie Guillen could opt for a right-handed pinch-hitter instead of a young talent. Perez, 37, has played 13 Major League seasons with the Angels (1993-95), Cincinnati (1996-98), St. Louis (1999-2000, 2002-03), Tampa Bay (2004-05) and Cleveland and Seattle last year. He is a career .247 hitter with 79 home runs.
 
Not only will Mark Buehrle's streak of five consecutive Opening Day starts end on April 2, but as it sits right now he has slipped to the No. 3 spot in the starting rotation. Ozzie Guillen wanted to reward Jose Contreras and Jon Garland for what they've accomplished since the second half of the 2005 season.
-- Chicago Sun-Times
 
icephinfan said:
Not only will Mark Buehrle's streak of five consecutive Opening Day starts end on April 2, but as it sits right now he has slipped to the No. 3 spot in the starting rotation. Ozzie Guillen wanted to reward Jose Contreras and Jon Garland for what they've accomplished since the second half of the 2005 season.
-- Chicago Sun-Times
Click to expand...


I've read that Buehrle has dropped weight, though it's a walk year for him so we'll see whether he's the guy from the first half of '06 or the 2nd half. Darin Erstad will be in LF untill Podsednik heals. Though if he has a good spring we'll see if that pushed Podsednik or Anderson out. Also I read that Ozzie wants Owens, Fields, Sweeney to get alot of PT so I don't think they're going to be on the roster. Just because they'd be bench players. Of the young pitchers trying for the 5th spot I read that Floyd has the inside track but they want to bring him along slowly.
 
The door is all but closed on contract extensions before White Sox Mark Buehrle, Jermaine Dye and Tadahito Iguchi become free agents after the 2007 season.
-- Chicago Tribune
 
icephinfan said:
The door is all but closed on contract extensions before White Sox Mark Buehrle, Jermaine Dye and Tadahito Iguchi become free agents after the 2007 season.
-- Chicago Tribune
Click to expand...

I'm not sure Buehrle is going to resign with the White Sox. He ticked off the FO when he showed up at the WS this year wearing a Cardinals hat and he's also said he'd love to pitch for them. I would be shocked if the Sox are out of the race in July and Buehrle isn't traded.
 
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