Rick Gano, of The Associated Press, reports Chicago White Sox C A.J. Pierzynski is expected to return to the team for the 2009 season.

Another workmanlike showing from Pierzynski, whose average jumped 18 points from 2007, thanks in large part to newfound protection from Carlos Quentin and Nick Swisher. There are certainly flashier catchers than Pierzynski, but he remains a steady, serviceable option behind the dish.

Another workmanlike showing from Pierzynski, whose average jumped 18 points from 2007, thanks in large part to newfound protection from Carlos Quentin and Nick Swisher.

The Chicago Tribune speculates that the White Sox and Angels may discuss a Paul Konerko-for-Chone Figgins trade if Mark Teixeira leaves Anaheim as a free agent. The two sides pulled off the Orlando Cabrera-for-Jon Garland deal last November and the White Sox have long been linked to Figgins. Konerko has full no-trade rights, but was close to signing with the Angels as a free agent in 2005 before deciding to remain with the White Sox.Source: Chicago Tribune Related: Chone Figgins, Angels

The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers reports the San Francisco Giants could inquire about Chicago White Sox 1B Paul Konerko.

The Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales reports Chicago White Sox 1B Paul Konerko is making fitness his top priority this offseason. "In a nutshell, my body was just down this year," said Konerko.

Jayson Nix went 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and five RBI for Obregon of the MPL on Friday. Nix has homered in three of his last four games and is now batting .295/.362/.526 in 95 at-bats. It's not anything to get excited about, but it won't hurt his case for landing a spot on Chicago's roster next year.

Favored to win Colorado's second-base job last March, Nix never lived up to expectations in 2008 with a meager .125 average. All wasn't lost, however, as the 26-year-old put together a solid campaign for Triple-A Colorado Springs (.303 AVG, 17 HR). Maybe a scenery change will do the trick.

The White Sox confirmed that Jayson Nix was given a one-year, major league contract. We weren't sure initially whether it was a major or minor league deal, but it figured that it was the former, since Nix had no reason to agree to a minor league deal so early in the offseason. Nix doesn't stand to make much more than the minimum if he earns a spot on the White Sox roster next spring.

Mark Gonzales, of The Chicago Tribune, reports Chicago White Sox IF Jayson Nix is expected to compete for the starting second base position next year with 2B Chris Getz.

Chris Getz will get an opportunity to be the second baseman for the Chicago White Sox come next spring, according to the Chicago Tribune.With Orlando Cabrera likely moving on, Alexi Ramirez will probably move to shortstop. Getz hit .286 in seven at-bats with Chicago this year, but hit .302 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI, along with 11 stolen bases, in Triple-A.

With Spring Training's opening more than three months away, there's no huge rush for Getz. Instead, he remains as focused as possible on being at full strength for a possible move into the 2009 White Sox starting lineup. Getz hit .302 with 11 home runs, 52 RBIs and 11 stolen bases for Triple-A Charlotte -- not to mention a .366 on-base percentage and 53 strikeouts in 404 at-bats -- in 2008.

Joe Cowley, of the Chicago Sun-Times, reports Chicago White Sox 3B Dayan Viciedo will likely make the team's 25-man roster going into the 2009 season and will compete for playing time at third base with 3B Josh Fields.

Scot Gregor, of The Arlington Heights Daily Herald, reports Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams still considers 3B Josh Fields the top choice at third base, but he said 3B Wilson Betemit will get a shot. "I've not been shy saying a healthy Josh Fields goes in as the leading candidate for third base," Williams said. "He deserves it, but Wilson's going to get a shot and he could push Josh."

The Chicago Tribune reports that "it looks as if" Josh Fields will be "taking over for Joe Crede at third base, for now." With both Crede and Juan Uribe becoming free agents the White Sox may finally turn to Fields, but he no longer looks like a great bet after hitting just .246/.341/.431 in 75 games at Triple-A last season. "I have all the confidence that a healthy Josh Fields will give us what we need at third base," general manager Ken Williams said. Everything that's happened the last two years suggests that Ozzie Guillen doesn't feel the same way.Source: Chicago Tribune

Alden Gonzalez, of MLB.com, reports the 50th annual Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team was announced Thursday, Nov. 20. The team includes Cincinnati Reds 1B Joey Votto, Chicago White Sox SS Alexei Ramirez, Tampa Bay Rays 3B Evan Longoria, Kansas City Royals SS Mike Aviles, Chicago Cubs C Geovany Soto, Oakland Athletics CL Brad Ziegler, Cincinnati Reds OF Jay Bruce, Minnesota Twins OF Denard Span, Texas Rangers OF David Murphy and Washington Nationals SP John Lannan.

The White Sox are believed to upgrade their infield in free agency and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports believes Orlando Hudson would be a good fit at second base with Alexei Ramirez moving to shortstop.Hudson would be a solid additon for the Sox as he batted .305 over 107 games with Arizona in 2008. That would allow Chris Getz and Jayson Nix to provide depth off the bench.

News: Alexei Ramirez emerged as one of the biggest surprises for the White Sox last season and now he's ready -- if needed -- to move from second base to shortstop. "I'd be extremely happy. I do feel it's my natural position, I feel it's the position that I've always felt most comfortable and natural in," he said. Ramirez started last season in center field on opening day and ended up playing in 121 games at second base after getting his chance when Juan Uribe was injured. He also appeared in 16 games at shortstop, but it was his quick bat that made him such a key addition and helped the White Sox win the AL Central. With the White Sox not expected to re-sign free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera, Ramirez could be asked to make the switch. "It's been a dream of mine to play shortstop at the major league level, but of course there have been much more experienced and much more seasoned players at that position," Ramirez said through a translator.

Analysis: At 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, the 27-year-old Ramirez earned the nickname the "Cuban Missile." He batted .290 with 21 homers, including a major league rookie record four grand slams, and 77 RBI. He finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting to Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria. Ramirez is a top 10 Fantasy second baseman with top-five potential. With the added eligibility as a shortstop -- which he won't have in leagues that require 20 games in the previous year at a position -- Ramirez is justifiably a top-five second baseman on Draft Day. Our current projections for him would already slot him as a top-five Fantasy shortstop between Derek Jeter and Stephen Drew

News: White Sox OF Carlos Quentin said his surgically repaired right wrist has responded well and he's been able to do some light hitting without any problems. "Just kind of going through the normal routine in the offseason where I've just gotten back into hitting and I really haven't felt much of it during the swing," Quentin said Friday during a conference call. Quentin worked hard to rehab and said he would have been able to play if the White Sox had made it past the first round of the playoffs, where they lost in four games to the Rays. "I think everyone knows I was ready to go if we had continued with the season," Quentin said.

Analysis: Quentin was leading the AL with 36 homers on Sept. 1 when he broke his wrist in a fit of frustration in Cleveland. After fouling off a pitch from Cliff Lee, he slapped his bat with his right hand while holding it with the left. He ended up with a broken bone that needed surgery and a screw was inserted. The former Diamondback's breakout looks legitimate, and we rank him among the top five Fantasy outfielders entering 2009, especially with this news of his recovery

As the White Sox were trying to stave off ALDS elimination at the hands of the Rays, Quentin already had begun to take batting practice off live pitching. His results -- spraying line drives to all fields -- had general manager Ken Williams ready to explore Quentin's availability if the White Sox battled back to advance to the ALCS. Instead, Quentin was left with a season befitting of Most Valuable Player consideration. There's no reason to believe Quentin won't be ready in time for Spring Training.

Carlos Quentin said Friday that his wrist is fully healed. "I took two or three weeks off (after the season) because at that point, there was no need to do anything else," Quentin said. "It's doing great. I started hitting a week ago, and it's a nonfactor. I really haven't felt it." The big 26-year-old outfielder had a breakout season in '08, hitting .288 with 36 dingers and 100 RBI. He collected his first Silver Slugger award on Thursday.Source: Arlington Daily Herald

Jonah Keri, of ESPN.com, reports Chicago White Sox OF Dewayne Wise will likely return to a fourth outfielder role in the 2009 season.

Dewayne Wise had a hit, scored a run, stole a base and knocked in two batters in the White Sox 5-3 victory in Game 3.Wise has been a key member of what the Sox are trying to do in the absence of slugger Carlos Quentin as he has infused the lineup with some speed, a little bit of defense, and the ability to play "small ball" to help the club score runs.

Mark Gonzales, of The Chicago Tribune, reports Chicago White Sox OF Dewayne Wise is not in the lineup for Game 2 of the ALDS Friday, Oct. 3.

News: The White Sox purchased the contracts of OF Brandon Allen, RHP Jon Link, RHP Jhonny Nunez and RHP Clevelan Santeliz, adding them to the 40-man roster and protecting them from the Rule-5 draft.

Analysis: Allen has pop in his bat, but he will need to open the year back in the minors along with these other prospects. Ignore them in Fantasy leagues at this point

White Sox purchased the contracts of 1B Brandon Allen, RHP Jon Link, RHP Jhonny Nunez and RHP Clevelan Santeliz. Allen took a big step forward as a 22-year-old, hitting .279/.372/.527 in 319 at-bats for Single-A Winston-Salem and .275/.358/.614 in 153 at-bats for Double-A Birmingham. He might eventually replace Paul Konerko as the first baseman for the White Sox. Link and Nunez, who was just picked up in the Nick Swisher deal, are candidates to log time in the pen at some point during 2009.

White Sox prospect Allen returns to action

WhiteSox.MLB.com's Scott Merkin reports Chicago White Sox OF Jerry Owens earned the final outfield slot on the ALDS roster.

Mark Gonzales, of The Chicago Tribune, reports Chicago White Sox OF Jerry Owens is on the team's playoff roster for the ALDS.

News: Chicago White Sox outfielders Carlos Quentin, who leads the AL in home runs, and Ken Griffey Jr. were out of the lineup Tuesday night against Cleveland. Quentin has a sore left forearm while Griffey has tightness in his lower back. Both are considered day-to-day. Jerry Owens, who was called up from Triple-A Charlotte on Monday, started in center field. Nick Swisher, who started in center Monday, played left field.

Analysis: Owens is nothing more than a reserve outfielder for the White Sox, but the slap-hitting base-stealer can impact deeper Rotisserie leagues with a handful of steals down the stretch. He will be in a very deep outfield rotation in the coming weeks, though

MLB.com reports that Ken Griffey Jr. will be out of the starting lineup tonight against lefty Scott Kazmir in Game 2 of the ALDS. Brian Anderson takes over in center field.Griffey is not hurt so don't be surprised to make a pinch-hitting appearance should Tampa Bay turn to a right-hander later in the game.

Manager Ozzie Guillen noted that Nick Swisher will see less playing time while working in an outfield platoon with Brian Anderson, Dewayne Wise, and speedster Jerry Owens, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.Swisher was covering at first base, but Paul Konerko has returned from his knee injury. He had been experimenting with different stances in the batting box, and the club cannot afford to wait for him to break out of his hitting slump while in a tight race with the Twins for the AL Central crown.

Anderson's gone deep in each of his last two starts, marking his first long balls -- and his first RBIs -- since July 5. However, the recent addition to Ken Griffey subtracts from Anderson's already waning fantasy value, as he's likely to see very limited playing time in the weeks ahead.