Ozzie Guillen's most glaring weakness as a manager has been letting players know that they had no future with the club.
The White Sox skipper has often tiptoed out of his office during cut-down days, leaving it to general manager Ken Williams or assistant GM Rick Hahn to play the turk.
Over the last four days, there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Guillen had to make the final decision on veteran slugger Jim Thome, and on Monday he finally did.
The Thome chapter is over on the South Side.
"It came down to getting enough at-bats,'' Guillen explained. "I don't want a season where Jim sits three or four days in-a-row and the media comes up to him and asks, 'You're not playing ... '' This thing will become a soap opera. It's about at-bats.
"I talked to Jim [Sunday] and I made everything clear, how he would have to work with the ballclub. I wouldn't get that many at-bats for the ballclub. Play once a week, twice a week. I don't think it was fair for him. I have too much respect for the man. It was not an easy decision. Every decision is harder than another, but that one was not easy. I wanted to let him know in case he had something else with someone else.''
That he does.
The Sun-Times learned that Thome's representatives had already spoken with Minnesota, while Detroit and Tampa Bay are also possibilities for the soon-to-be 40-year-old free agent.
"[Thome] was cool with it,'' Guillen said. "He told me straight up how he felt. The reason we are doing this whole thing is because of the person we're talking about. The way we feel about him and the special guy he is. Anyone else we would have just let him go like we always do. We care for each other and we wish the best for him.''
Although Guillen did say that if Thome were to be out there still come spring training and the current plan of DH-by-committee wasn't working, well, bringing him back would be revisited.
"We might see in spring training that we're missing a piece and go get him,'' Guillen said. "But hopefully Jim is not waiting that long. Hopefully Jim has found a job.''
Without Thome, it's still a mix of Andruw Jones, Mark Kotsay and Omar Vizquel rotating in and out, and then Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko getting time there when they need a breather.
"It's weird because since I've been the manager we've always had the big boys in the middle,'' Guillen said. "We have a little different philosophy. I'm very, very optimistic. I don't want to say I've put my job on the line, but I've been telling Kenny for three weeks that I like what I have.''
As far as where this decision ranked for Guillen? Well, no comparison.
"He's a friend, there's a respect thing, and as far as feeling bad, no doubt [it was the toughest],'' he added. "Little by little you learn about this job and find out you have to do something you don't want to do.''
Well Ozzie, it's your move.
That was the message from White Sox general manager Ken Williams on Saturday, as the team continued to debate amongst themselves whether or not Jim Thome should be brought back into the mix and off the free-agent market.
The Sun-Times reported on Friday that Thome had jumped back into the mix, despite manager Ozzie Guillen comfortable with the idea of designated-hitter-by-committee entering camp next month.
Williams seemed in favor of bringing back Thome, as well, but didn't want to step on his skipper's toes, either.
"I'm resigned to the feeling that Ozzie is sold on wanting to do it this way,'' Williams did say Friday night. "Is it a little different for me not to have that left-handed power guy in the middle of the lineup? Yeah.''
In a town-hall type meeting with Sox fans on Saturday morning, however, Williams wasted little time letting everyone know who had the final say on Thome back on the South Side.
"No, not really,'' Guillen said, when asked if the pressure was now on him. "That's the reason I manage the ballclub. We've talked about it, we're still thinking about it, if Thome is the right fit for the ballclub or what we should do. When it's time to make this decision ... I said a couple days ago, sometimes when you think with your heart you make the wrong decision. In baseball, unfortunately, you have to think with your brains.
"I have to see what's best for the ballclub. The next couple of days, I'm going to look around, and if Jim Thome fits in the ballclub then I will make the decision. It's not any pressure at all. This is my job.''
To be fair to his players, as well as Thome, Guillen said he wanted to make the decision before he left SoxFest on Sunday to head back to Miami.
Adding to the drama is the fact that the Minnesota Twins also have interest in adding Thome.
"That's not going to be fair for Jimmy,'' Guillen said about dragging this on. "We don't care about us. We don't want to do, 'wait, wait, wait, OK all of a sudden we need you, come in.' If we're going to make that decision then we should make that decision before I leave for Miami [on Sunday].''
Thome, who will turn 40 this season, hit .249 with 23 homers and 74 RBI last season for the Sox, before they traded him to Los Angeles.
If Guillen does decide to bring him back it would have to be with the understanding that he would be another piece in the DH puzzle - not the everyday DH - and Guillen would have to be comfortable with the idea of carrying 11 pitchers and not 12.
"The only reason I'm thinking about this and the conversation with Jimmy is I don't know how many at-bats I'm going to get him,'' Guillen added. "It's not fair to Jim Thome and the ballclub to play with that. I'm not going to lie to Jimmy and say, 'We're going to bring you, you can play every day,' then all of a sudden I change my mind.
"I want to walk into the clubhouse with my head up. I don't want to walk into the clubhouse and try to avoid Jimmy because he's not playing. I have to make it clear about the situation on both sides, not just him. I said a couple days ago, I wish I hated this guy. I wish I can say to Kenny, 'I don't want to have him in my brain, I don't want to talk about him.' But this guy is so special to us, that's why we're still talking about bringing him back.''
The White Sox and Twins are already in a battle, and pitchers and catchers are still a month away from reporting to spring training.
A source close to the Jim Thome camp told the Sun-Times on Friday that the Sox are now rethinking the idea of life without the veteran slugger, despite the wishes of manager Ozzie Guillen to try the designated-hitter by committee.
"It's 50-50 now, which couldn't be said [Thursday],'' the source said, referring to the chances of Thome re-signing. "Jim is just waiting to hear.''
Even Guillen all but confirmed that, after insisting on Thursday, "I think we're going in a different direction, but the right direction'' when talking about Thome. During a town-hall meeting session with fans on the first day of SoxFest, Guillen then had to backtrack a bit, saying he thought it was settled on, but then general manager Ken Williams wanted to "have another two-hour talk'' about it.
It seems that Williams and board chairman Jerry Reinsdorf might want to bring Thome back on the cheap, not to be a full-time DH, but more of a safety net that is in that DH by-committee mix.
It's obvious what the players want, as well.
"I'm a little bit biased, but I still think you put a bat in his hand he's still a dangerous human being,'' team captain Paul Konerko said of Thome. "He's going to help somebody. He and Jermaine [Dye], you look at their numbers, both of them were productive compared to what other guys did in this league. It's not like you're begging anybody to let those guys still play.
"Most players here, we're biased. If you told us that Jim is coming on this team and won't get a hit all year we would still say, 'sign him,' because we love him so much. He's like a [Juan] Uribe ... well, not really but, same type of thing, he's a guy you just want around.''
Williams met with the members of the media privately later on Friday evening, and even produced a list he was keeping in his back pocket of left-handed hitters with some pop who are still available. Thome was obviously on that list.
In talking about it, it was almost like Williams was still self-debating the idea.
The problem is that the Sox might not want to drag their feet too long, as the Twins are also interested in Thome's services.
The source said that the Sox top Thome's list of teams he wants to play for, but he does have interest in Minnesota.
"I'm resigned to the feeling that Ozzie is sold on wanting to do it this way,'' Williams did say. "Is it a little different for me not to have that left-handed power guy in the middle of the lineup? Yeah. But when I hear [Guillen's] plan and how he plans to match up, whether it's power right-handers or soft-tossing right-handers, soft-throwing left-handers, whatever, or giving [Juan] Pierre some time off and fitting [Andruw] Jones out there. Or giving Pierre a day off to DH and [Omar] Vizquel getting in the lineup. ... get Paulie off his feet...there are a lot of different things he's talk to me about and it's interesting to me. Not far off from what the Angels have done the last few years.''
Third week of January and Ozzie Guillen was already in midseason form.
Some things never change.
On the eve of the annual SoxFest weekend, the say-anything White Sox manager addressed the perception of a cold war between he and closer Bobby Jenks, life without a true designated hitter, expected fan reaction over the next three days and outfielder Alex Rios electing to skip out of the weekend festivities.
And yes, he even dropped an F-bomb here and there.
The one topic that put Guillen on the defensive was the notion that this team is still missing something - specifically a DH - even with veteran Jim Thome still out there in free agency.
"Some of the fans are excited about this team and the moves we made,'' Guillen said. "It is different for everyone. But everyone should be happy because I know I am. This is the first time I can remember where we are set at almost every position before camp even starts. In the past we had to choose between, 'do we want this guy or that guy?' I think [general manager] Kenny [Williams] and [assistant GM] Rick Hahn did a tremendous job. I don't see why a fan can be upset, but that's why they are fans.
"I will say this about our DH - whoever is the DH will be in the [bleeping] lineup.''
As it stands right now, Mark Kotsay and Andruw Jones are the most logical candidates, but Guillen will also use Omar Vizquel, Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko in that spot, allowing him to play with the lineup in certain matchups as well as get guys rested without taking their bat out of the lineup.
As for Thome, Guillen said there is no bigger fan of the veteran than him, but life in the American League is changing.
"No one except his wife is a bigger fan of Jim Thome than me,'' Guillen said. "I will be grateful and pleased one day to say that I had an opportunity to manage this man, but this game is changing a little bit. It's easy for manager when you don't have a true DH. I can move things around, give guys more playing time. That's the way it's going to be.
"Fans out there will be looking at this team a little different. They might be saying, 'Hey, we're missing something.' I think we're going in a different direction, but the right direction. Our team is going to create different things. That's why things will look weird. People shouldn't be worried about that. Thome to me is one of the best guys ever to wear the uniform, but DH is changing. Few teams will have a legit DH. Those days are going away.''
The story that won't go away is the idea that there are lingering hard feelings between Guillen and Jenks.
Jenks didn't like some of the comments made about his conditioning at the end of last season and told the Sun-Times in November, "I felt I was the easy scapegoat because I had struggled in the end with some nagging injuries. This organization, just like most in this game, tell you, 'Come in, our door is open and tell us what's on your mind,' and when you do they turn it around on you and make you feel bad. They're playing on your own words. They want you to come in, be honest and then they turn it around.''
The two have not spoken the entire offseason, and Guillen said it's not his job to seek Jenks out this weekend for a sit-down.
"To be honest I'm still surprised Bobby made those comments,'' Guillen said. "Bobby knows how I feel about him. I saw what Kenny said [on it being a non-issue], but I'm surprised that [Jenks] said he doesn't talk to anyone. The thing about this organization is we tell people the truth. Sometimes they don't want to hear that.
"I don't have to talk to Bobby. All I have to do is shake his hand when he saves the game. I will always have a friendship. He knows how I feel about him and his family. If he wants to talk to me my door is never closed. We can talk as a friend, we can talk as a manager and player.''
Finally, Guillen did admit that he wasn't thrilled that Rios is skipping out of this year's SoxFest, but understood why.
"I was very pleased that Alex flew to Miami [last week] and worked [with Greg Walker] those three days ... actually I was shocked he showed up there,'' Guillen said. "Everybody has their own way. This guy is a very shy kid. He wants to come to the field and play the game. Every player has right to do what they want to do, but yes, I wish he was coming. That was a little disappointing.''
At some point in his career, J.J. Putz would like to once again have that rush that getting the final three outs of a ballgame brings to a reliever.
Right now, however, the right-hander is willing to put the title of closer on hold if it means champagne showers in October.
And the way he was talking on Wednesday, Putz thinks he's on the team to do just that.
"I definitely put it in one of the elite teams in the American League,'' Putz replied, when asked about his decision to sign a one-year, $3 million free-agent deal with the White Sox last week. "They seem to have pretty much everything you're looking for - great starting pitcher, power in the backend of the bullpen. They definitely have some power in the lineup, and I think adding Juan Pierre definitely creates some havoc at the top of the order. On paper, it looks like a team that's going to be a force this year.''
The Sox are banking on the 32-year-old former closer to be another reason why.
In inking Putz, the Sox feel that games can be shortened to just six innings, with Putz, Matt Thornton and Bobby Jenks awaiting opposing lineups sometime before the seventh-inning stretch and all the way until the last out of the game.
"Obviously, we have a great closer in Bobby Jenks and a great left-handed set-up guy in Matt Thornton, so I'm thinking going into it I'll be a seventh, eighth-inning guy with the right-handers and Matt with the left-handers, trying to hand the ball to Bobby as often as we can,'' Putz assessed.
Even better news from the pitcher, however, came when his health was brought up. Putz' 2009 season was shortened because of bone spurs that had to be removed, but when asked where he was in that recovery, declared he was "probably a little bit more advanced this year than any other year.''
"In October I started doing my offseason workouts cause I knew I needed to throw for some teams,'' he continued. " I definitely feel stronger than I have in the past.''
As far as getting the chance to close like he did in Seattle a few years ago, well, first things first.
"Anybody that's closed before really cherishes the time they do get to close, and in my opinion it's the best job in baseball,'' he added. "I would like to be a closer again, but given what's happened this past season I know that's not going to happen. I'm definitely, totally fine with setting up. I'm pretty excited. Excited to be on a winning team and do pretty much what they need me to do.''
This is Ken Williams' Randy Watson moment.
The part of the offseason program where the general manager stomps his feet several times on the stage, yells out "Sexual Chocolate ... Sexual Chocolate ...'' drops the microphone and exits stage right.
Love it or hate it, meet your 2010 White Sox.
Sure, this is a team that only a crazy manager could love, but the Sox have that department covered.
Since Ozzie Guillen took the gig in 2004, his three requests have been pitching, defense and speed. It was that last request that his general manager had a hard time meeting, loading up Guillen's plate with snail rather than rabbit.
Until now that is.
In obtaining Alex Rios off the waiver wire last August - whether it was done purposely or not - trading the likes of Jim Thome, letting Jermaine Dye stroll into free agency, and now adding Juan Pierre on Tuesday, it's the "Slow-Slow Sox'' no more.
And unless some team comes a knocking with a left-handed hitting designated hitter and an offer the Sox can't refuse, well, there's the end of your 2009-10 hot-stove talk. Pitchers and catchers report Feb. 21.
"Ozzie and I have been speaking on that, and we spoke on it again [Tuesday],'' Williams said of the DH spot. "Right now, what he would like to do is sit where we are right now because he likes flexibility with the DH position, whether it be a guy getting a break or keeping your bench players fresh. Guys like [Andruw] Jones, [Mark] Kotsay, [Omar] Vizquel, getting [Paul] Konerko off of his feet and getting into the DH spot ... he likes the flexibility that comes with it.
"I've given him some names - this is a very critical last thing on our list. I certainly don't want to do anything from my seat that conflicts with what my manager wants, so regardless if I think there may be a need for a bigger left-handed bat in the middle of the lineup, he's the one in there and I fully support how he and his coaching staff see the situation fitting. That's something we'll continue to think about.''
Yeah, like June or July, come trade deadline time.
But will quicker be better?
In adding Jones, Vizquel, reliever J.J. Putz and now Pierre, the Sox would be penciled in for a postseason spot if this was say 2003 - or at least the junior varsity that is the National League. The bar, however, is set high, New York Yankee high, where the World Champs have speed, power, pitching, defense and now a sad, empty seat in the stands that has "Alex loves Kate'' carved into it.
Are the Sox better than they were in 2009? Yes. Are they Yankee better? No.
There's no question that they have taken strides in being Central Division favorites. If that's the end game then Williams sleeps well tonight.
The wildcard in all of this come April, however, is now Guillen. We will find out just how good of a manager he is because this is a team tailored to fit.
"I don't want people in Chicago now to say, we need a power-hitter,'' Guillen said. "The last four years they have been on Kenny and myself, 'we're too slow.' We're excited with what we have. We have a more athletic ballclub and can do a lot of things. Kenny has done a miracle, I don't know how he did it. It's going to be fun. You're going to see a different ballclub.
"And I was looking for a challenge, looking for the challenge to see how good I can be, moving the pieces the way I like to move them.''
He better like challenges because 2005 is starting to seem a long, long time ago.
Let the "bromance'' continue.
Thanks to the recruiting influence of White Sox lefty Matt Thornton, as well as the small matter of $3 million, the club announced on Friday that right-handed reliever J.J. Putz was headed to the South Side for the 2010 season.
In inking the 32-year-old to the one-year deal, the Sox are hoping that the elbow surgery to remove bone spurs from Putz's elbow last season are no longer a problem, as they look to make the backend of the bullpen even more formidable.
The Sun-Times reported on Tuesday that general manager Ken Williams had Thornton working on Putz - a close friend of Thornton's for more than 10 years - trying to convince the veteran free agent to make the jump, similar to the way Scott Linebrink was used to recruit Jake Peavy last season.
Thornton told the newspaper, "We've known each other for over a decade, it's a bromance.''
Williams seemed angry the next day that word leaked out of the possible Putz deal, but the Sun-Times then reported on Wednesday that a deal was close. It happened less than 48 hours later.
With Putz, the Sox get a pitcher with a career 23-19 record and 3.24 ERA to go along with 103 saves and 356 strikeouts in 337 relief appearances over seven major-league seasons with Seattle and the New York Mets.
His one year with the Mets last season was very forgettable, as he went 1-4 with a 5.22 ERA, 10 holds and two saves in 29 relief appearances, before the injury required surgery and shut him down for the year.
As for the plans with Putz, he gives Williams a much-needed replacement for Octavio Dotel, as well as insurance in both the eighth and ninth innings, especially if they opt to trade Bobby Jenks.
The only question now left was what was Thornton's cut?
"I need to talk to them about some extra money for being pitch guy,'' Thornton joked.
INDIANAPOLIS - It's not a phrase that was coming out of the mouth of Ken Williams for the very first time.
Not by a long shot.
"We don't have any money," the White Sox general manager said during his Wednesday meeting with the media. "We're close to our budget right now, and that really inhibits what we can do in terms of the free agent market. So we have to get creative, and we've done that before.''
Meet the latest face of Williams getting creative.
According to a scout familiar with the situation, the Sox were one of two teams in the American League Central Division letting the New York Yankees know during this week's Winter Meetings that they covet the services of outfielder Brett Gardner. The problem is Kansas City was also sniffing around what it would take to get the promising 26-year-old leadoff hitter.
What might work in Williams' favor, however, is that he is not only friendly with Brian Cashman, but is no stranger to doing deals with the Yankees GM. Not only did Williams get Jose Contreras from New York back in 2004, but the two paired up again last winter, with the Sox finding a new residence for disgruntled outfielder Nick Swisher.
They know each other's farm system up and down, and Williams is all too familiar with the idea that New York's outfield, especially center field, suddenly got crowded with New York acquiring Curtis Granderson in a three-way trade with Detroit and Arizona this week.
What was not known, however, was who had the better package to acquire Gardner?
What they would be getting back is a left-handed hitter that many feel could be on the brink of being a special prototypical leadoff hitter.
Gardner was drafted out of the College of Charleston back in 2005, but according to the scout, really caught Williams' eye, playing in the Arizona Fall League in 2007. Gardner led the league in runs and stolen bases, getting picked off just once. He hit .343 with a .433 on-base percentage and was third in the league in walks with 17.
Williams is no stranger to falling for standout players in the Fall League and then going after them - see Gavin Floyd and Tyler Flowers.
As far as what he did in his major-league looks, Gardner has played in 150 games the past two seasons, including 108 games in 2009, going 67-for-248 (.270 average) with six doubles, six triples and three homers, as well as adding 26 stolen bases.
The Yankees are reportedly still entertaining talks with free agent Johnny Damon, as well as having Hideki Matsui in the rearview mirror, so it would seem that there is a serious logjam awaiting Gardner at this point.
On the other hand, the Sox would have nothing but open arms.
Alex Rios is versatile enough to play center or either corner spot, so Gardner would fill a hole at the top of the order, as well as make the defense even more solid.
Williams made it very clear at the meetings that with veteran outfielders Andruw Jones and Mark Kotsay on the bench, he would have no concerns going with a younger player in that third starting outfield spot.
Coincidentally, the Royals - as well as the Tigers - were talking with Scott Podsednik's representation at the meetings, but again did not want to commit to the two years that Podsednik is asking. The Sox have walked away from the table twice since the end of the year because Podsednik has been anchored on getting two years in free agency.
INDIANAPOLIS - It doesn't take long for the flip to happen.
The smile is gone and the usually articulate replies are reduced to one-word grunts.
"Busy day?'' Ken Williams was asked during his daily state of the White Sox address with the media.
"Yes,'' was the quick response.
"Busier than yesterday or are things going in a certain direction with anybody?'' was question two.
"Yes and yes ... '' was the response.
Welcome to Day 3 of the Winter Meetings where Williams is all business, and business isn't going as planned.
With the Sun-Times reporting Tuesday how serious the interest was in reliever J.J. Putz - enough so that they had current Sox reliever Matt Thornton recruiting the pitcher he has a self-proclaimed "bromance'' with - the market instantly grew on the hard-throwing right-hander by Wednesday morning, enough so that Williams wasn't even sure it would happen.
"We thought we had something going on but you know, like I've told you guys a million times before, when things become public, to a large degree the entire game changes and more times than not you're not going to get a deal,'' Williams explained, without saying Putz's name. "So something we thought we might be a little closer on becomes public and now it's not so close.''
Sources have indicated that's not the case, however.
Yes, the Sox might have to up the ante a bit, but Putz wants to pitch on the South Side and there is still a deal close to happening.
It didn't help Williams' mood that there was almost 20 members of the Japanese media awaiting him, as the rumors of Hideki Matsui joining the Sox heated up. According to several members of the Japanese media, Matsui's left knee has been cleared to not only be ready to play come spring training, but also play the outfield. That was the hurdle that the Sox wanted to see cleared.
Matsui, who is rehabbing in California, also made it known that he was awaiting final word from the Yankees on their plans for him - if any - but if they only wanted him to DH he would walk away. The Sox were atop the free agent's list, and he said that it was about opportunity, not money or years on the contract.
Williams' response to that?
"Well, good,'' he said very matter-of-factly.
Williams did eventually discuss the matter in more detail, insisting that he hadn't spoken to Matsui's agent Arn Tellem since the GM meetings, and he hadn't asked for medical reports on the outfielder. Then again, he did say he didn't need medical reports because he knew everything there was to know about Matsui, including, "what he had for breakfast.''
Asked if he would fly to California for Matsui's open workout, Williams said he could use a California vacation, "where is it? Los Angeles?''
The Japanese reporter then brought a smile to Williams' face by replying, "I think you know where.''
So while questions remain about what the final 2010 Sox roster will look like come spring, at least one wild rumor had its eyes closed and was put to rest - no Milton Bradley on the South Side.
"The funny thing is I've had the pleasure of talking to Milton in the past and it saddens me to a great extent actually some of the things, some or the situations that he's been put in or put himself in,'' Williams said, when asked about the Bradley rumors. "I would like to see this guy just be able to go out there without all the distractions and everything and do what he could do.
"This guy can play, he can play. I don't know if I see a fit for us, and I probably shouldn't even be talking about him because he's not our player, but Milton Bradley can play. It's just too bad because he's really a more thoughtful person, he's a better person than what's been portrayed or he's shown, or however the hell it's manifested itself.''
Williams was then asked if he's talked to Bradley recently?
"No,'' he shot back.
It could only be Day 3.
INDIANAPOLIS - Matt Thornton doesn't start his offseason throwing program until December ends.
Until then, nothing like passing the time by playing recruiter.
According to the White Sox left-hander, the Sox are interested in adding free agent reliever J.J. Putz to the bullpen and it's Thornton's job to try and make the feeling mutual.
"There's no doubt that Kenny has interest in him,'' Thornton said on Tuesday. "[Putz] has been asking me what I think about it, what I think about the Sox. I told him we expect to win. I tell that to anyone that asks me, we expect to win. We prepare to win and if we don't win, well, we're pissed. I told [Putz] that if you're a free agent you want to go to a winner.''
Thornton and Putz have been good buddies since early on in their Seattle days.
"We've known each other for over a decade,'' Thornton said laughing. "It's a bromance.''
And the Sox, specifically general manager Ken Williams, have a history of having their current players try and persuade the opposition to join the club when it's time to get serious. The latest example was Scott Linebrink playing pitchman to Jake Peavy this past season.
It eventually worked, with Peavy waiving his no-trade clause to come to the South Side after initially turning it down earlier in the year.
The one problem is that the market on Putz is clouded. Enough so that Thornton said that Putz is still trying to figure out the value of a hard-throwing right-hander coming off a shortened season that resulted in surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow.
"You just don't know what the market will be,'' Thornton added.
Putz was front and center during last year's Winter Meetings, joining the Mets in a three-way trade. The elbow problems, however, limited him to just 29 1/3 innings. Back in 2006-07, Putz was as dominant a reliever as there was, fanning 186 and walking just 26 while posting a 1.86 ERA.
"If this gets done I need to talk to [the Sox] about some extra money for being the pitch guy,'' Thornton said.
Adding Putz makes a ton of sense for the club on a couple of fronts. It gives them a weapon in the set-up spot just in case Linebrink doesn't bounce back from a dismal second half, and it would also allow them to move a Bobby Jenks if they so choose because of Putz's versatility to close games as well.
Thornton and Putz would give manager Ozzie Guillen interchangeable parts for the eighth and ninth in Jenks' absence, depending on matchups or which reliever is hotter at the moment.
If it was up to Thornton, however, he would like the club to add Putz as well as keep Jenks.
"I think what happened is Bobby set his bar very high for what he did in 2005,'' Thornton said of all the Jenks trade talk this offseason. "To be the closer in the World Series in this city, and then what he did in 2006 and '07 ... this year he slipped up a bit but on his own standards. You look at the numbers in 2009 and they're good for most closers.''
Thornton has spoken to Jenks several times this offseason and said that the right-hander is facing a lot of uncertainty with all the trade talk. At the same time, Thornton said if Jenks is moved and he is pushed into the closer role, he'll embrace it.
"I'm comfortable in that role,'' Thornton added. "I enjoyed that feeling I had knowing that I was going into the ninth, I enjoyed that preparation. I like that routine. I enjoyed that sequence of, 'Hey, we have a lead, that's my inning.' In the same boat, if Bobby comes back right now I have no problem being the guy that gets Bobby the ball. Right now I'm preparing to be the seventh, eighth inning guy, and we'll see what happens.''
Recent Comments