(Image Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

Going by the clock, the Chicago White Sox decided that catcher A.J. Pierzynski wasn’t worth keeping around for a ninth season. The feisty catcher went off and joined the Texas Rangers instead and is hitting .310.

His is a bat that the White Sox could use this season, especially since Chicago is going nowhere in the standings and the biggest guns in the batting order have turned out to be pop guns or firing blanks. That includes the venerable Paul Konerko, who just can’t get anything going this year.

The White Sox were adhering to the law of averages rather than the law of A.J., or the evidence that Pierzynski had shown no sign of slippage behind the plate and particularly at-bat. Yes, Pierzynski is a 36-year-old catcher, but at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds he is still a stone wall blocking the plate when needed. And he is still smacking the ball around the yard.

Texas is playing well enough that it will be one of the favorites to win the American League pennant at the end of the season. Pierzynski is being used judiciously so that he doesn’t add too much wear and tear to his veteran backstop’s body. He has appeared in 44 games and is lucky enough to play in the designated hitter league so he can sometimes get a game full of swings without straining his knees.

So far Pierzynski has clouted four home runs and driven in 17 runs in addition to that glittering .310 average, an average that has improved this week with some big showings. That’s very respectable for a catcher of A.J.’s age and one who is in his 16th year in the big leagues.

Pierzynski has always been a stamina catcher, ready to do the job behind the plate just about every day. He was probably at the apex of his abilities as a hitter, fielder and leader during the 2005 season when the White Sox won the World Series.

During his career Pierzynski has been a two-time All-Star, once with the Minnesota Twins, and once with the White Sox. He also earned a reputation as an instigator, as a player who could irritate opponents, provoke them into anger and into sometimes making ill-advised plays. It’s not clear if A.J. has mellowed or just isn’t as cocky and doesn’t get into as much trouble because he is older.

If you google Pierzynski’s name one of the hits that comes up is “most hated man in baseball.” That seems outdated and exaggerated at the moment, but does support the notion that at his peak Pierzynski could definitely get on foes’ nerves.

Ozzie Guillen was the White Sox manager when the club won that World Series and for most of Piersynzki’s tenure in Chicago. Guillen’s candor was always refreshing and he usually found a cute way to describe something. In the case of A.J. he said, “If you play against him, you hate him. If you play with him, you hate him a little less.”

That may or may not have been a compliment, but surely Pierzynski smiled when he heard that comment. At the last Pierzynski’s rep for being outspoken earned him a shot at national TV work during the playoffs and he has been entertaining in those limited post-season gigs.

However, the way they are playing and the way he is playing for Texas, the White Sox probably wish they still had A.J. Pierzynski on their roster in 2013.

Infielder Angel Sanchez has been outrighted to the minor leagues by the White Sox, after the Angels declined to accept the Rule 5 pick back. (Image Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports)

Already on the shelf since early April due to a lower back strain, Angel Sanchez has been outrighted to Triple-A by the Chicago White Sox. The Rule 5 Draft pick had been offered back to the Los Angeles Angels, but the team declined to accept him back due to limited roster space in their upper minors, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

Sanchez appeared in just one game for the White Sox before suffering the back injury, going hitless in a pair of plate appearances. The move frees up a spot on Chicago’s 40-man roster.

In parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues with the Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, and Houston Astros the 29 year old infielder has hit just .254/.303/.307 with one home run in 630 PA. Most of his playing time has come at shortstop, though he has also seen time at second and third base.

Gavin Floyd will undergo surgery today to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament and a torn flexor muscle in his pitching elbow. (Image Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)

A torn ulnar collateral ligament and a torn flexor muscle in his right elbow will conclusively end Gavin Floyd’s season and could potentially keep the right-hander out for a substantial amount of time. The 30 year old is scheduled to undergo Tommy John Surgery later today. Due to the complexity of the two procedures, thanks to the flexor muscle concern, he’s projected to miss 14-19 months, which could cost him all of next season as well.

Floyd made five starts for the Chicago White Sox this season, totaling just 24.1 IP, in which he went 0-4 with a 5.18 ERA and 1.603 WHIP. His K/9 and BB/9 were at career best levels, despite the small sample size, but something was clearly not right with Floyd’s mechanics as he’d struggled mightily on the mound. His last start lasted just 2.2 IP on April 27th against the Tampa Bay Rays, ultimately leading Floyd to visit with orthopedic surgeon David Altchek Monday morning. It was then that the decision was made to undergo surgery.

With a 14-19 month expected recovery period, the best case scenario would have Floyd returning to a Major League mound in July 2014.

Floyd came to the White Sox in a 2006 trade from the Philadelphia Phillies, a deal which sent Freddy Garcia to Philadelphia and also brought Gio Gonzalez to Chicago (though he’d never throw a pitch for them in the Major Leagues). Over the following seven seasons he’s thrown 1,042.1 IP with a 4.22 ERA, 1.296 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, and 2.8 BB/9. He’d post a 63-65 record over that stretch, including a 17 win season in 2008. Chicago exercised a $9.5 Million club option last October to bring Floyd back for another year, but he will be a free agent at season’s end.

Presuming he can demonstrate that he’s healthy Floyd will land a contract somewhere – he’ll still only be 32 even if he is forced to miss the entire 2014 season. It still remains to be seen when and where he will throw his next pitch.

Apr 5, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox designated hitter Adam Dunn (32) hits a single against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Adam, Adam, Adam, what are we going to do with you? One minute you’re going yard and the next minute you can’t find the yard with a compass. You’re a big-league enigma, but not swinging a big-league bat. Just how long can the Chicago White Sox put up with a ball and chain weighting down the batting order the way Dunn is?

Going into weekend play Dunn was batting .108 on the season. I remember when the joke about a slumping hitter used to be that he wasn’t even hitting his weight. Well, in this case Dunn wouldn’t be hitting the weight of fifth-grade twins.

Mario Mendoza the player does not live on, but the phrase “Medoza Line” does, as applied to anyone not hitting at least .200. Two hundred! Dunn is cruising along at half that. Yikes. He is approaching the Bull Dozer Line, or some other uncharted territory.

Way back when in the 1960s there was a pitcher named Hank Aguirre (this is BDH, Before the Designated Hitter), against whom all hopeless hitters were measured. Aguirre won 75 games and had an earned run average in the 3.00s, but his lifetime batting average was .085. So there is something for Dunn to shoot for.

This is getting embarrassing. For one thing Dunn is a designated hitter. He is the guy that the White Sox turn to in the batting order so their pitchers don’t have to hit. Under the rules his bat is the bonus in the lineup. No team can afford a .108-hitting designated hitter. It might as well let the pitcher hit and take its chances.

Not that the White Sox thought they were getting Tony Gwynn when they signed Dunn. Dunn is a very specific commodity. He has never hit for average, but he has always hit for power. He has pretty much been the 2000s Dave Kingman.

Dunn has six 40-homer seasons and three additional 30-homer campaigns on his resume, plus six-100 RBI seasons, even if his lifetime average is .238. Chicago felt it could live with that, as other teams like Cincinnati, Arizona and Washington had before Dunn became a free agent.

The Sox signed Dunn to a multi-year, very rich contract and have been grimacing way too frequently to claim their money’s worth since he inked his name on the deal. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound Dunn joined the White Sox in 2011 and had a horrible year with just 11 homers and 42 RBIs and a microscopic .159 average in 122 games. There was a whole lot of “What’s wrong with Adam Dunn?” kvetching that year.

Dunn bounced back in 2012 with a bizarre statistical line of good and bad extremes. On the plus side he swatted 41 home runs with 96 RBIs and walked an American League-leading 105 times. On the negative side he struck out an American League-leading 222 times and batted .204.

During the first few weeks of the 2013 season there have been almost no pluses at all. In his first 20 games Dunn has four home runs and eight RBIs. He has walked six times and struck out 28. He has reverted back to 2011 and that’s a headache the White Sox can’t afford.

Whatever ails Dunn, he must fix it. Start wearing glasses or contacts. Tweak the swing. Bunt every time up. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but hitting .108 could get a guy sent to AAA Charlotte for some instruction. Right now Dunn is walking heartburn for Sox manager Robin Ventura, general manager Kenny Williams, and a generation of fans.

Infielder Tyler Greene has reached a deal with the Chicago White Sox. He’ll likely begin the season with their Triple-A affiliate. (Image Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)

Free agent infielder Tyler Greene, who was released by the Houston Astros late last month after the team brought aboard veteran shortstop Ronny Cedeno, has signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Greene will report to the team’s Triple-A affiliate in the coming days where he’ll provide some depth across the infield in the event that the team needs him at the Major League level down the road.

Greene, a former 1st Round pick in the 2005 Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, has seen time in the Major Leagues over parts of the past four seasons. He’s a career .224/.292/.356 hitter in 689 PA with the Cardinals and Astros. Houston acquired him from St. Louis last August. 2012 was easily his best season to date, as he batted .230/.274/.400 with 15 2B and 11 HR in 330 PA, though most of that power came in the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park.

With under three years of service time to his credit, the White Sox could potentially retain Green’s services for a while to come if he is able to produce for them.

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander is just about the best pitcher in baseball and gives his team a head start in locking down the American League Central Division.Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Although the Detroit Tigers were picked apart in the World Series by the San Francisco Giants in 2012 and their closer situation is iffy, they should be strong enough to take command of the American League Central Division early and hold it all summer long.

Fireballing Justin Verlander on the mound and triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera at bat give the Tigers two major components in putting a winner on the field at Comerica Park.  They’ve also got slugger Prince Fielder manning first base and Victor Martinez coming back from a year sidelined with a knee injury and they added outfielder Torii Hunter. The starting rotation is solid and Phil Coke is Mr. Reliability in the bullpen however he is used. Bruce Rondon was supposed to be the closer, but the Tigers sent him to the minors Thursday, leaving a rather large hole in the bullpen.

Having a dependable closer is generally a must cornerstone for choosing a team to finish first, but the Tigers have all the other ingredients dominate the division. If they have to go to closer-by-committee, though that weakens their position, it might mean the difference between advancing in the playoffs and not.

The fact that Rick Porcello claimed the fifth starter spot over Doug Smyly is a sign of strength on the mound. Verlander, Max Scherzer, Doug Fister and Anibel Sanchez make for an otherwise sturdy rotation and Verlander may be the finest pitcher in the game. His numbers weren’t quite as gaudy last year as they were in 2011, but he was just about as effective–his teammates didn’t perform as well for him as they had the year before.

Generally speaking the Tigers are so much more talented across the board than the other four teams in the AL Central that it would be hard to see them losing the division crown. If anyone has an outside shot at the Tigers–and it really is a longshot–it’s the Cleveland Indians. The Indians worked harder than anyone else in baseball to upgrade without adding a superstar. They brought in a new manager in Terry Francona and played the free-agent market aggressively. The Indians were big spenders without being complete break-the-bank spenders.

Nick Swisher was a big-ticket item and they may have overspent for his services. But the Indians also brought in Michael Bourn, a National League All-Star, Drew Stubbs, an ace fielder, and Mark Reynolds, among others. The Indians are sick of losing and they don’t even have too many fans lef alive who remember their last World Series triumph in 1948.

Doormats for so long, there is something to be said for the Kansas City Royals, too. They have cast their lot with homegrown talent and much of its is coming of age. At the least the days of 100-l0ss seasons are in the rearview mirror. It might be a lot to ask for a winning record, but the Royals could eke out a .500-plus mark by a game or two.

Forget the hopes of the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins. Not very long ago they were both division challengers or winners, but in 2013 they will be in a dogfight for the basement.

I feel a bit bad for White Sox second-year manager and veteran slugger Paul Konerko. I just don’t see much help for Paulie on the roster. Designated hitter Adam Dunn could hit 40 home runs with 100 RBIs and still bat under .200. That would be something to see. Also possible rescuers of Konerko’s lonely success might be some members of the starting rotation. At one time or another Chris Sale, Jake Peavy, Gavin Floyd and John Danks have all done well. But they almost all no longer seem to have good years at the same time or all stay healthy at the same time. Danks is on the 15-day disabled list now.

Joe Mauer may be king of the Twin Cities, but his royal court is substandard.

This is how I see the American League Central playing out this season: 1) Detroit Tigers; 2) Cleveland Indians; 3) Kansas City Royals; 4) Chicago White Sox; 5) Minnesota Twins.

Chris Sale has already climbed to the top of the Chicago rotation and now it appears the team is considering signing him to a contract extension. (Image Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports)

Coming off his first season as a member of the Chicago White Sox starting rotation, left-hander Chris Sale and the organization may already be looking ahead to the 23 year old’s future. According to Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com, Sale confirmed on Tuesday that his representatives have had some early discussions with the team regarding a contract extension. Sale will be arbitration eligible for the first time next winter if he remains in the Major Leagues for the bulk of the 2013 season.

Sale made 29 starts for Chicago in 2012, totaling 192.0 innings. He posted a 17-8 record, 3.05 ERA, and 1.135 WHIP. He made the All Star Game, finished 6th in AL Cy Young Award voting, and already projects as the ace of the White Sox pitching staff.

Scheduled to earn $600,000 this coming season, Sale could be in line for a significant raise through arbitration next winter. Talks between the two sides appear preliminary at this point, as there truly is no big rush for a deal to be completed. An extension would certainly offer benefits to both – giving the team some cost certainty over Sale’s four pre-free agency seasons while giving Sale financial security – but we can’t assume that a deal will end up getting done.

MLBTR suggests that Trevor Cahill and Clay Buchholz are two possible comparables for an extension, based largely on service time. Cahill signed a five year, $30.5 Million extension with Oakland early in the 2011 season (the deal replaced his existing 2011 commitment). The deal includes a pair of team options that could potentially add another $26.5 Million to it’s overall value. Oakland traded Cahill to the Arizona Diamondbacks the following winter.

Buchholz agreed to a four year, $29.945 Million deal that same Spring. Interestingly it also contains a pair of club options for 2016 and 2017, potentially valued at the same $26.5 Million that Cahill’s could be worth.

Cahill had made 62 starts for the A’s when he signed his new deal, going 28-21 with a 3.76 ERA over 375.1 IP. Buchholz started 62 games for Red Sox before his extension, posting a 29-21 mark and a 3.68 ERA in 364.1 IP.

Sale has one solid season as a starter under his belt and one dominant one as a reliever. His future is in the rotation, however, and he’ll end up getting paid as a starter if/when a deal is reached between the two sides. He won’t, however, end up with a deal quite as lucrative as Cahill and/or Buchholz. He doesn’t carry a comparable track record to the pair (not yet) and hasn’t earned such a deal. It’s entirely conceivable to expect a similar four year deal, likely with a team option or two that could buyout a year of free agency, but Sale isn’t likely to command the same overall value as two more proven starters did just two years ago.

$29 million man Jake Peavy, the lynchpin of the White Sox offseason. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago White Sox did not collapse down the stretch as much as run out of gas near the finish line. Robin Ventura’s crew tried to hold off the favored Tigers until a 4-11 finish dropped them from the postseason picture. In charge of retooling the ChiSox this offseason was new GM Rick Hahn who took over from longtime GM Kenny Williams.

Hahn described the signing of starting pitcher Jake Peavy as “the lynchpin of our offseason plan.” Despite his 11-12 record Peavy had a bounceback year reminiscent of his old Padre days. After throwing just 219.2 innings in 2010 and 2011, Peavy made 32 starts and pitched 219 innings in 2012, posting 1.10 WHIP and a .234 batting average against. Peavy was signed to a two year $29 million extension shortly after the 2012 season.

Jeff Keppinger could probably bat around .280 and slug close to .400 in his sleep. The right handed hitting utility player is steady and dependable. He was signed to a $12 million three year deal and will replace the departed Kevin Youkilis at third base. Keppinger had a strong season with Tampa Bay in 2012 hitting 9 home runs and driving in 40 runs with an OPS of .806 in 418 at bats.

The White Sox have been waiting three years for second baseman Gordon Beckham to regain the form of his rookie season in 2009. Apparently his 16 home runs in 2012 bought him one more year at $2.95 million.

The White Sox exercised the $9.5 million team option on starter Gavin Floyd, retaining his services for the 2013 season. Floyd had made at least 29 starts with an ERA between 4.00 and 4.37 each of the last three seasons.

Outfielder DeWayne Wise was re-signed to one year deal to provide depth in center and left field.

Hahn signed relief pitcher Matt Lindstrom for one year $2.8 million. He had solid 2012 between Baltimore and Arizona with a 2.68 ERA in 46 games.

The biggest loss of the offseason is catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Pierzynski had been the backstop on the South Side since the 2005 World Series season. He enjoyed a great 2012, winning the Silver Slugger with career highs 27 HR’s/.501 slugging/.827 OPS. He will be replaced by Tyler Flowers.

Kevin Youkilis hit only .236 in 80 games with the White Sox, but he did provide power with 15 homers. He signed with the Yankees for 1 year $12 million in the offseason. The bullpen will miss the services of Brett Myers who was acquired midseason. He signed with division rival Cleveland.

Entering 2013, the White Sox will have to overperform to beat out favored Detroit. Chris Sale looked like an ace during the first half of 2012, but faded badly down the stretch. The Sox should be concerned about the 6’6” 180 pound lefty bouncing back from a heavy innings increase over his 2010-2011 workload. Hopefully for Hahn, Peavy has two more years in the tank like 2012, and not like 2010 and 2011.

The lineup is O.K.,lefty-righty sluggers Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko are the cornerstones with Dayan Viciedo providing support. Keppinger was a smart sign, he can start at third or move around the infield. The losses of Pierzynski and Youkilis will be tough to make up for, but Pierzynski had a career year in 2012 and Youkilis’s numbers have been trending down.

The White Sox have a solid bullpen, Addison Reed, Jesse Crain and Matt Thornton are all quality arms. The addition of Lidstrom makes up for the departure of Myers.

The White Sox have the makings of a slightly above .500 team. They will probably be locked in a fight with the new look Indians and youthful Royals for second place in the AL Central.

(Image Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports)

Lindstrom, a soon-to-be 33 year old right-hander, split the 2012 season between the Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks, throwing 47.0 innings on the year. He posted a 2.68 ERA, 1.255 WHIP, 7.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 over 46 appearances. Baltimore, who had acquired him just before the start of Spring Training a year ago, flipped Lindstrom to the D’backs in late August in the deal that brought them Joe Saunders. For his career he’s 13-15 with 45 saves across 326.0 innings, adding a 3.64 ERA, 1.414 WHIP and 7.3 K/9.

Chicago’s bullpen appeared set, but Lindstrom adds another veteran arm to help fill out the staff alongside Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain. He also adequately replaces Brett Myers, who the team allowed to leave via free agency this winter to little surprise. Add in Addison Russell and Nate Jones and the team appears to have a strength to lean on towards the end of games, which could certainly bode well for a White Sox team hoping to compete in the AL Central in 2013.

Lindstrom earned roughly $3.6 Million this past season, but after being non-tendered after the season it’s unclear what he may be earning on this deal with the White Sox. In all likelihood the deal won’t be paying him significantly more than that amount, further making this a nice deal for the Sox in the long run if he’s able to produce for them. At worst, they could potentially look to move him at the July trade deadline if they aren’t in contention.

(Image Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

According to MLBTR, representatives from multiple teams – including Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo and scouts from both the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox – were in attendance at the game to watch Vazquez pitch. Washington is one team that has been linked to the veteran already, as he specifically cited them as a place he’d have interest in playing, but they likely would not offer him anything more than a minor league deal given the current makeup of their projected starting rotation (notably Dan Haren’s injury history, which causes a number of people to have concerns about his ability to remain in the rotation for the full season). Rizzo is searching for depth to give the team added protection in case they are forced to overcome injuries during the 2013 season.

The White Sox and Red Sox have both reportedly expressed interest in upgrading their rotations this winter, but appear to have a more passive interest level in Vazquez at this point in time.

ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden has reported that as many as 15 teams have contacted Vazquez’s representatives about his potential availability but he prefers to join a contender. It would seem that Vazquez will not sign until after the upcoming World Baseball Classic, in which he’ll pitch for team Puerto Rico.

Vazquez went 13-11 with a 3.69 ERA in 32 starts (192.2 IP) during his last season in the Major Leagues, adding a 1.183 WHIP and 7.6 K/9 for the Florida Marlins in 2011. For his career he holds a 165-160 mark with a 4.22 ERA over 2,840.0 innings of work (450 G, 443 GS).