Chicago White Sox 2010 Primer

The 2010 season could turn out to be a pretty interesting one for the Chicago White Sox, as there's really no telling where this team could end up. On paper they appear to have a solid pitching staff, led as always by Mark Buehrle and the two youngsters Gavin Floyd and John Danks, but this year they're going to have Jake Peavy as well.

The question is, even if the White Sox pitching staff manages to hold their opponents to one run a game, are they going to be able to score the two runs they'll to win the game? It's an interesting experiment taking place on the south side of Chicago as the station-to-station, home run-or-bust team we're accustomed to seeing tries to morph into a team built on speed and defense.

The only thing we know for sure about the White Sox in 2010 is that Ozzie Guillen is still the manager, and no matter what happens, he'll be providing some great quotes.

Jeff Fletcher: Taking Risks Just Part of Williams' Way

Coming and Going

In: Juan Pierre, OF (trade); Mark Teahen, 3B (trade); Andruw Jones, OF (free agent); Omar Vizquel, SS (free agent); J.J. Putz, RHP (free agent)
Out: Scott Podsednik, OF (free agency); Chris Getz, 2B (trade); Josh Fields, 3B (trade); Jim Thome, DH (free agency); Jermaine Dye, OF (free agency); Octavio Dotel, RHP (free agency); D.J. Carrasco, RHP (free agency)

Around the Horn

Peavy's Presence ...

With Jake Peavy in the fold for a full season the White Sox may have the best rotation in the AL Central. If Peavy performs like he did for three starts last September all season and the Sox get above-average years from the rest of their starters, they will run away with the division.

Bacon Bits ...

So reaching the Majors within a year of being drafted, learning a new position and hitting 14 homers and driving in 63 runs wasn't enough for Gordon Beckham. Now the team wants him to move to second base. It'll be interesting to see if he succumbs to a sophomore slump at the plate and whether shifting across the diamond may play a role in it.

Ozzieball ...

Guillen has long talked of his desire to build a National League-style team in Chicago, and now he has his shot. Gone are the Jim Thomes and Jermaine Dyes, as they've been replaced with Juan Pierre, Omar Vizquel, Mark Kotsay and Andruw Jones. How long does Kenny Williams give this experiment before he pulls the trigger on a trade?

Jenks Insurance ...

The Sox feel that they've greatly improved their bullpen by bringing in J.J. Putz in case Bobby Jenks should have any more health/weight issues. Throw in another strong season from Matt Thornton and the Sox could turn games into six-inning affairs.

Projected Opening Day Roster

Lineup
1	Juan Pierre	LF
2	Alexei Ramirez	SS
3	Carlos Quentin	RF
4	Paul Konerko	1B
5	Gordon Beckham	2B
6	A.J. Pierzynski	C
7	Andruw Jones	DH
8	Alex Rios	CF
9	Mark Teahen	3B

Bench
Ramon Castro	C
Omar Vizquel	IF
Mark Kotsay	OF
Jayson Nix	IF
Brent Lillibridge	IF

Rotation
1	Mark Buehrle	LHP
2	Jake Peavy	RHP
3	John Danks	LHP
4	Gavin Floyd	RHP
5	Freddy Garcia	RHP

Bullpen
Bobby Jenks	RHP
Matt Thornton	LHP
J.J. Putz	RHP
Scott Linebrink	RHP
Tony Pena	RHP
Randy Williams	LHP

2010 Outlook

While we can't be sure how things will shake out for the White Sox, odds are they'll be in the hunt for the division title at the end of the season if they can stay healthy. Both the starting rotation and bullpen seem to be strengths, and that should be good enough to win some games. If the offense clicks and Alex Rios starts earning his lofty paycheck while Carlos Quentin stays healthy, this is a team that can make some noise.