WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF NOVEMBER

Transcription

1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF NOVEMBER 8, 2016 Direction of White Sox will determine FA targets Scott Merkin, MLB.com Hawk among nominees for 2017 Frick Award Scott Merkin, MLB.com Potential Chris Sale suitor Dave Dombrowski: Starting pitching not top priority for Red Sox Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Cubs Anthony Rizzo on new White Sox manager Rick Renteria: He ll do well there Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Baseball America names White Sox first-rounder Zack Collins organization s top prospect Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago White Sox claim left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto off waivers Staff, CSN Chicago White Sox Hawk Harrelson, Cubs Pat Hughes on Ford C. Frick award ballot Staff, CSN Chicago Former White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand enjoying taste test as manager Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune Top White Sox prospect Zack Collins maturing during Arizona Fall League stint Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune Cubs Pat Hughes, White Sox s Hawk Harrelson finalists for Frick Award Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune White Sox claim pitcher Giovanni Soto off waivers from A s Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune Harrelson, Hughes named finalists for Frick Award Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times White Sox claim lefty Giovanni Soto off waivers from A s Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times White Sox ballpark transforms into football field for Toledo vs. NIU Staff, CBS Chicago White Sox nab pitcher Giovanni Soto off waivers from Athletics Staff, CBS Chicago White Sox Free Agents: Who s staying and who s leaving? James Neveau, NBC Chicago 2017 Chicago White Sox Top 10 Prospects Hudson Belinsky, Baseball America The enticing domino that could catapult White Sox into fire sale Joel Sherman, New York Post Mixed emotions when covering Chicago Championship from the other side Tim Moran, Patch.com Shields keeps deal with White Sox rather than go free Associated Press Direction of White Sox will determine FA targets Clubs could make a run at postseason in 2017 or commit to rebuild By Scott Merkin / MLB.com November 7th, 2016 CHICAGO -- White Sox organization meetings finished up Sunday afternoon in Arizona, further shaping the immediate future of the team -- a shape which has yet to be made public. That direction, even in a full rebuild, could include the addition of a free agent or two. But regardless of the path chosen, the White Sox probably won't be major spenders in the open market. Arbitration-eligible: 3B Todd Frazier, 2B Brett Lawrie, RHP Zach Putnam, RHP Jake Petricka, LHP Dan Jennings, OF J.B. Shuck, RHP Jacob Tuner, RHP Miguel Gonzalez, OF Avisail Garcia, RHP Daniel Webb. Free agents: OF Austin Jackson, C Alex Avila, DH Justin Morneau, RHP Matt Albers (buyout exercised Thursday).

2 Biggest potential free-agent loss: Each of the free agents made some sort of contribution to the 2016 roster. However, none of them figure to return in '17, unless Avila is back behind the plate in a reserve role. Jackson would be the biggest loss of the group after proving to be an important defensive anchor in center field before being lost with a left knee injury on June 9 that required season-ending surgery. Potential free-agent targets: Center field and catcher stand as spots where the White Sox need to upgrade, but those changes could come in the form of younger players acquired in trades if the team decides to rebuild. If the White Sox go for it again, fans would like to see the team pursue a player of Yoenis Cespedes' ilk. That commitment seems unlikely, but even in a rebuild, the White Sox could add someone like near World Series hero Rajai Davis to potentially platoon with Charlie Tilson in center, as an example. Wild card scenario: If the White Sox embark on a rebuild, veteran players from starting pitchers Chris Sale and Jose Quintana to third baseman Frazier to closer David Robertson to right fielder Adam Eaton would be made available. Moving any or all of these players, though, doesn't mean the White Sox would turn to free agency to fill their voids. They have in-house options, such as Matt Davidson at third base, but also would be looking at younger players they would get in return for traded veterans. The White Sox have not shied away from free agency in trying to upgrade the roster, and that probably won't change much in '17. Hawk among nominees for 2017 Frick Award Longtime White Sox broadcaster Harrelson going to savor the moment By Scott Merkin / MLB.com November 7th, 2016 CHICAGO -- Ken "Hawk" Harrelson received a phone call Monday afternoon with the information that he was one of the eight finalists for the 2017 Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. And now the 75-year-old iconic White Sox broadcaster doesn't intend to think much about the possibility of being named the winner, announced on Dec. 7 at Baseball's Winter Meetings. "I'm going to just savor the moment," Harrelson told MLB.com by phone Monday afternoon. "I really haven't had a chance for it to sink in, except for the fact I feel deeply honored. No question about that." Harrelson is joined by nominees Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Pat Hughes, Bill King, Mike Krukow, Ned Martin and Dewayne Staats. The winner will be honored at the July 29 awards presentation during Hall of Fame Weekend 2017 in Cooperstown, N.Y. All candidates except King and Martin are living. "Everybody in there is deserving," said Harrelson, who knows almost all the Frick finalists. "It's just that simple." Final voting for the 2017 Frick Award will be conducted by an electorate comprised of the 13 living Frick Award recipients and four broadcast historians/columnists. That list includes past Frick honorees Marty Brennaman, Dick Enberg, Jaime Jarrín, Tony Kubek, Denny Matthews, Tim McCarver, Jon Miller, Eric Nadel, Felo Ramírez, Vin Scully, Bob Uecker, Dave Van Horne and Bob Wolff, and historians/columnists David J. Halberstam (historian), Barry Horn (Dallas Morning News), Ted Patterson (historian) and Curt Smith (historian). The Hall of Fame selected only Major League, team-specific broadcasters based on commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans and recognition by peers. Candidates, active or retired, must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous Major League broadcast service with a ballclub, network or a combination of the two.

3 This 2016 season marked the 27th straight season for Harrelson as the television voice of the White Sox, and his 31st overall. Harrelson worked through his first year broadcasting primarily road games and a few select home games, raving once again Monday about moving to that plan and noting the plethora of young talent he gets to witness across baseball on a daily basis. When asked about what winning the Frick would mean to him, Harrelson -- a Frick finalist from 2007 and '14 -- was momentarily speechless before admitting, "It would just be unbelievable." "I have never been a memorabilia guy. I've never been a guy who saved a lot of things. I wish now that I had because of the grandkids," Harrelson said. "And if that were to happen, certainly this would be for the [three] grandkids." Although Harrelson is never one to really set goals, he had one focus beginning this year, and and it has nothing to do with winning the Frick. "My one goal is to go up until 2020," Harrelson said. "... There might be more, I only know of a couple of guys who have been in professional baseball parts of eight decades. And that would put me in professional baseball in all parts of eight decades with Don Zimmer and Dave Garcia. I've been lucky enough to be around it all these years." Potential Chris Sale suitor Dave Dombrowski: Starting pitching not top priority for Red Sox By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago November 7th, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- One of the White Sox best potential suitors for Chris Sale has had a change of priorities. Well, at least that s how Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski painted the picture on Monday evening at the GM meetings. Speaking to a large group of reporters, Dombrowski listed Boston s top offseason needs as a setup man and a designated hitter in the wake of the expected retirement of David Ortiz. While Dombrowski wouldn t rule out a potential trade for a starting pitcher, he said he s satisfied with the team s current rotation, which includes American League Cy Young finalist Rick Porcello and past Cy David Price. Coming off an eighth straight season without reaching the playoffs, the White Sox haven t publicly said they d trade Sale. But it s believed that were Sale available that the Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers are the teams best equipped to trade for the ace left-hander. I feel pretty good about our starting pitching, Dombrowski said. Right now we have six starters. Could we? Sure. Is it one our top priorities? I would say no. Boston not only has Porcello, a 22-game winner, but last offseason signed Price to a seven-year deal for $217 million. Steven Wright won 13 games last season and earned an All-Star nod and the Red Sox acquired Drew Pomeranz from the San Diego Padres last July. The Red Sox potential rotation also includes youngster Eduardo Rodriguez and last week they picked up a $13.5 million club option on Clay Buchholz, who finished strong with a 3.17 ERA over his final 48 1/3 innings. Still, there s a belief Boston would be willing to add another top-notch starter if an affordable option exists after it was swept out of the playoffs in the AL Division Series by Cleveland. Porcello, Price and Buchholz combined to allow 12 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings in the series (9.26 ERA). The potential for a Sale trade (or Jose Quintana) of course all hinges upon what direction the White Sox decide to head. The team wrapped up its organizational meetings in Phoenix earlier Monday. General manager Rick Hahn wasn't available to reporters Monday.

4 But several signs over the past few months have pointed toward the White Sox deciding to rebuild. Back in July, Hahn said the White Sox were mired in mediocrity en route to their fourth straight losing season. He also noted the club would face tough decisions and since parted ways with Robin Ventura after five seasons. Last month, Hahn didn t go into detail on the club s direction on the day it named Rick Renteria its new manager. However, he thought the first few significant offseason moves would signal which way the White Sox are headed. Certainly with our first major transaction and the ones that follow behind, that will make it clear about which direction we intend to go, Hahn said in October. Cubs Anthony Rizzo on new White Sox manager Rick Renteria: He ll do well there By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago November 7th, 2016 Though he only had one season on the North Side, the Cubs think highly of former manager Rick Renteria and expect he ll succeed with the White Sox. Promoted by the White Sox last month to replace Robin Ventura, Renteria managed the Cubs to a mark in The 2014 Cubs played their best baseball down the stretch but chose to replace Renteria with current manager Joe Maddon after he opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. Renteria sat out the 2015 season before he returned to the dugout as the White Sox bench coach in But several members of the Cubs said Renteria conducted himself well in his first season as a manager and his style should lend itself to success in his new opportunity. It was fun, first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. I think he has the benefit now too of being there for a year so all their guys know him and what he s going to bring. They know how good the guy is. He ll do well there. I think he really will. Cubs third-base coach Gary Jones worked with Renteria at several stops in the San Diego Padres farm system and again with the Cubs in He thinks Renteria s upbeat personality, energy and effective personal skills make him a good leader. "He s going to be a good communicator, a calming influence, just a good person, Jones said. Not only is he a good baseball coach, he s a good person in general. He has probably one of the biggest hearts of anybody I ve been around. I can t say enough good about him. He s definitely going to be a positive influence in that clubhouse. He s always been the energy, the positivity, just always dwells on the positive. I think that s part of what makes him so unique is he s just a good baseball person, but he dwells on the positive and he gets the most out of the players. Players love playing for him and that s a big thing. General manager Jed Hoyer said Renteria was a particularly effective teacher to younger players. Exshortstop Starlin Castro had his best season ever when he played for Renteria in Castro hit.292/.339/.438 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs and was worth 2.8 f-war. The team also produced its best two months at the end of the 2014 season, going in August and September. I m really excited for him, Hoyer said. He s a wonderful person. He did a great job in San Diego. Obviously we ve talked about it a lot here I don t think we were entirely fair to him. He did a good job for us. We just had a chance to hire who we thought was the best manager in the game, who had the

5 experience and felt like was the perfect person for this job. Any other person and (Renteria) may well still be a Cub. I m thrilled for him, and he must have done a really good job as their bench coach to make them kind of short-circuit the process and do it early. I think the White Sox will really enjoy getting to know him. Baseball America names White Sox first-rounder Zack Collins organization s top prospect By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago November 7th, 2016 Baseball America s top-10 White Sox prospects list is dominated by the club s 2016 draft class. The team s top five selections from this June s amateur baseball draft are all represented on the list, which was released on Monday. University of Miami product Zack Collins, the No. 10 pick in the draft, is the team s top prospect, according to the publication. Right-hander Zack Burdi is the franchise s No. 2 prospect, while 2015 firstrounder Carson Fulmer is ranked third in the system. Other 2016 draftees on the list include: pitcher Alec Hansen (fifth) and outfielders Jameson Fisher and Alex Call, who rank eighth and ninth, respectively. Baseball America said the franchise got a much-needed face lift with its picks this June. When they were selected, Collins and Burdi were thought to be two of the closest-to-ready draftees taken. The 2016 Johnny Bench Award winner (given to the nation s top collegiate catcher), Collins could provide the long-term answer at catcher the team has searched for since A.J. Pierzynski departed via free agency. Burdi features an outstanding arsenal of pitches, including a fastball that reaches triple digits, a slider and a changeup. Thought to be a project after a rough 2016 season at Oklahoma, Hansen dominated at Rookie-Great Falls after he was selected with the 49th overall pick. Hansen posted a 1.23 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings before he received a promotion to Single-A Kannapolis. Fisher, the team s third-round pick, had 18 extra-base hits and hit.342/.436/.487 in 219 plate appearances at Great Falls. A fourth-rounder, Call finished the season with a combined.839 OPS between Great Falls and Kannapolis. The rest of the team s top-10 list includes pitcher Spencer Adams (fourth), pitcher Jordan Stephens (sixth), third baseman Trey Michalczewski (seventh) and second baseman Jake Peter (No. 10). White Sox claim left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto off waivers By Staff / CSN Chicago November 7th, 2016 The White Sox claimed left-handed relief pitcher Giovanni Soto off waivers from the Oakland A's on Monday. No, it's not the same guy who caught 78 games for the White Sox during the 2015 season. This Soto has been in professional baseball since 2009, spending the vast majority of that time in the Cleveland Indians organization. Earlier this year, Soto was purchased from the Indians by the Cubs, and he made all 33 of his 2016 minor league appearances with the Cubs' Triple-A team, posting a 5.14 ERA in 49 innings.

6 He was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Oct. 3 and claimed off waivers by the A's late last month. Soto has appeared in six games as a major leaguer, all coming with the Indians during the 2015 season. He surrendered three hits in 3 1/3 innings. Soto goes to the White Sox 40-man roster, which currently stands at 38 players. White Sox Hawk Harrelson, Cubs Pat Hughes on Ford C. Frick award ballot By Staff / CSN Chicago November 7th, 2016 Each year, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum honors one of baseball's broadcasters with the Ford C. Frick Award, presented for excellence in broadcasting, and two of Chicago's most iconic voices are among the eight finalists for the 2017 edition of the award. White Sox television broadcaster Ken "Hawk" Harrelson and Cubs radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes were joined by six others on this year's ballot, which was announced Monday. The winner will be announced during the Winter Meetings. Together, Harrelson and Hughes have spent nearly 50 years calling Chicago baseball games. Harrelson has spent 26 years behind the microphone for White Sox games, and Hughes has been calling Cubs contests for the past 21 seasons. It is extremely humbling to even be considered within the company of the top broadcasters in our game, let alone a finalist for the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award, Harrelson said in a statement released by the White Sox. Nothing gives me more enjoyment than sharing the game of baseball with White Sox fans each season. Baseball is the greatest game there is, and it would certainly be the ultimate honor to be recognized among some if the great voices of the game in Cooperstown. Joining the two Chicago names on the ballot are Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen, former Expos broadcaster Jacques Doucet, former A's broadcaster Bill King, Giants broadcaster (and former Cubs player) Mike Krukow, former Red Sox broadcaster Ned Martin and Rays broadcaster (and former Cubs broadcaster) Dewayne Staats. The Frick Award has been handed out annually since Past winners include legendary Chicago voices Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray. Former White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand enjoying taste test as manager By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune November 8th, 2016 Former White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand said he doesn t have any specific aspirations for the next step in his career, but he is having fun with his first foray into managing. Rowand has spent the last month at Camelback Ranch managing the Arizona Fall League s Glendale Desert Dogs, a combination of the top prospects from the Sox, Astros, Phillies, Dodgers and Pirates. Rowand, who played five of his 11 major-league seasons with the Sox, was offered the opportunity this summer after joining the Sox staff last November as the minor-league outfield and baserunning instructor. The Desert Dogs have gone but continued a five-game winning streak on Monday, as he said his players were hitting their stride. Rowand didn t hint at future managerial aspirations. He said he simply likes being involved in the game again, though the amount of pregame work that goes into managing was the biggest challenge at first.

7 I like dealing with the players, he said. I like giving them information to help them get where they want to go. After the first couple of days you get into a routine and it s easy to get that (pregame) stuff done. The easy part is actually managing the game. The role has given Rowand a deeper look at some of the Sox s top prospects, including this year s No. 10 overall draft pick Zack Collins and left-handed pitcher Brian Clark, who was named to the league s Fall Stars Game team after posting a 1.69 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. Rowand also spoke highly of Nolan Sanburn, who gave up two earned runs over five innings on Monday, and lefty Louie Lechich, an outfielder-turned-pitcher who has thrown 9 2/3 scoreless innings. He s a laidback but also motivational coach, Collins said. He definitely wants to help every guy here, even though three-quarters of the guys aren t from the White Sox. Rowand, of course, is well known among Sox fans for his role in winning the 2005 World Series. He has been busy managing, but he said watching the Cubs celebration following their World Series victory from afar brings back that run. Absolutely, it brings back memories, Rowand said. Both teams have won in the recent past, and now we re going to see who does it again. Obviously there is a friendly rivalry there. I think everybody in this organization looks at it as, All right, now we both won, and we want to try to be the next one. But right now, the Cubs have a very good team. They re young, going to be there for a while, and they re set up for the next few years because of the guys they have under contract. There are a lot of good things going on on that side of town, and that s what we re trying to achieve. Top White Sox prospect Zack Collins maturing during Arizona Fall League stint By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune November 7th, 2016 Zack Collins played his first game this year for the University of Miami on Feb. 19, and he's still playing in the Arizona Fall League. In between, Collins played in the College World Series, was drafted 10th overall by the White Sox and played in his first 39 professional games. So he's tired. "I'm ready for a break," Collins said Monday before the Glendale Desert Dogs' 15-3 victory over the Peoria Javelinas at Camelback Ranch. "I'd be lying to you if I said no." But the exhaustion has been worth it for Collins, whom Baseball America named the Sox's top prospect Monday. The 21-year-old catcher said he has built confidence over the last month while working with the game's best young players in the Phoenix area, which becomes the center of the baseball universe this week as it hosts the general managers meetings. "He has come a long way already from when he got drafted in his receiving behind the plate (and) his game-calling," said Desert Dogs manager and former Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand. "Being able to play here with an older, veteran guy who has been around the game for a while in Carson Kelly, that's going to help his maturation process. "You can see (Collins' confidence) in the way he works behind the plate. You can see it in his at-bats."

8 Because of his long year, Collins is on the Glendale taxi squad. He plays twice a week and is 4-for-17 with a home run, three RBIs, six walks and five strikeouts in seven games. The bigger challenge has been working on his catching skills with more elite pitching. When he's not playing, he catches most of the bullpen sessions. He works with Sox catching coordinator John Orton and tries to soak up pointers from Kelly, a Cardinals minor-leaguer who plays for the Desert Dogs. Playing in the fall league in his first professional season could have been a leap, but Collins, who hit.258 with an.885 OPS at Class A Winston-Salem this year, said he hasn't found it intimidating. "I knew they were sending me here for a reason, and I knew I would be able to compete," Collins said. "I thought the guys here were going to be a lot better than me, but that really hasn't been the case. I feel like I can compete with anybody at this point. "That's probably the main reason they sent me here: for me to understand I could play with guys like this." Collins has room to grow at catcher after blooming late. He was a shortstop, pitcher and third baseman growing up, but he asked to try catcher as a high school freshman because he figured it was the most action-packed position. "At that age, I was playing with the dirt at third base and bored over there," Collins said. "I wanted to be in the game for every pitch, and I figured that was the position to do it.... I love it. I hope to be back there for another 20 years." Collins said he didn't realize his potential at the position until his junior year at Miami, when he worked under a catching coach for the first time. With the help of Norberto Lopez, he won the Johnny Bench Award as the country's top college catcher. "I was a little lost when I went to college, but I knew I was good enough to stick back there, just not as an elite catcher," Collins said. "After that, I have so much more confidence. "I don't know if I would be able to catch the guys here if it wasn't for last year and how much we worked on stuff. It has made it so much easier." Waiver moves: The Sox claimed left-handed reliever Giovanni Soto off waivers from the Athletics. Soto, 25, owns a 3.29 ERA and.235 opponents average over eight minor-league seasons, which included playing for the Cubs' Triple-A team this year. In an expected move, Sox right-hander James Shields chose not to opt out of his contract and will return to the South Side in Shields went 6-19 with a 5.85 ERA this year for the Padres and Sox. The Cubs claimed right-handed pitcher Conor Mullee off waivers from the Yankees. Mullee is 13-6 with 14 saves and a 2.00 ERA in 103 minor-league relief appearances since He is coming off ulnar nerve decompression surgery in August. The Cubs also selected the contract of right-hander Jose Rosario from Triple-A Iowa and activated three players from the 60-day disabled list: right-hander Aaron Brooks, left-hander Zac Rosscup and infielder Christian Villanueva. They outrighted right-handers Dallas Beeler and Andury Acevedo and catcher Tim Federowicz to Iowa.

9 Cubs Pat Hughes, White Sox s Hawk Harrelson finalists for Frick Award By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune November 7th, 2016 White Sox TV play-by-play announcer Ken Hawk Harrelson and Cubs radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes have been named finalists for the 2017 Ford C. Frick Award, which the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum presents annually for excellence in broadcasting. Other finalists for the award include Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Bill King, Mike Krukow, Ned Martin and Dewayne Staats. The winner will be announced Dec. 7 at baseball s winter meetings after a vote by a panel that includes the 13 living Frick Award recipients and four broadcast historians and columnists. The 2017 Frick Award focuses on team-specific announcers, while the award will rotate to national voices in 2018 and broadcast pioneers and early team voices in Harrelson just completed his 27th straight season in the Sox broadcast booth and has twice before been a finalist for the Frick Award, in 2007 and Hughes finished his 21st season as the radio play-by-play voice of the Cubs and worked 12 seasons before that on the Brewers Radio Network. It is extremely humbling to even be considered within the company of the top broadcasters in our game, let alone a finalist for the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award, Harrelson said in a statement from the Sox. Nothing gives me more enjoyment than sharing the game of baseball with White Sox fans each season. Baseball is the greatest game there is, and it would certainly be the ultimate honor to be recognized among some of the great voices of the game in Cooperstown. To be considered for the award, an active or retired broadcaster must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous major-league broadcast service with a team, network or combination of the two. More than 200 broadcasters were eligible this year. The award criteria include commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans, and recognition by peers. White Sox claim pitcher Giovanni Soto off waivers from A s By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune November 7th, 2016 White Sox claimed left-handed reliever Giovanni Soto off waivers from the Athletics on Monday. Soto, 25, owns a 3.29 ERA and a.235 opponents average over eight minor-league seasons. He spent 2016 with the Cubs Triple-A team, going 1-3 with a 5.14 ERA and 55 strikeouts over 33 appearances. The A s had claimed him off waivers on Oct. 26. He has also been a member of the Tigers and Indians organizations. He made six major-league appearances with the Indians in September 2015, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Soto is the second waivers claim in the last two weeks for the Sox. They also claimed outfielder Rymer Liriano off waivers from the Brewers on Oct. 28. The Sox 40-man roster is now at 38.

10 Harrelson, Hughes named finalists for Frick Award By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times November 7th, 2016 The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum today announced that White Sox television play-by-play announcer Ken Hawk Harrelson and Cubs radio announcer Pat Hughes are among eight finalists for the 2017 Ford C. Frick Award, which is presented for excellence in baseball broadcasting. Harrelson, 75, and Hughes, 61 are joined by Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen, former Expos broadcaster Jacques Doucet, A s broadcaster Bill King, Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow, former Red Sox broadcaster Ned Martin and Rays broadcaster Dewayne Staats as the eight finalists. It is extremely humbling to even be considered within the company of the top broadcasters in our game, let alone a finalist for the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award, Harrelson said in a statement released by the Sox. Nothing gives me more enjoyment than sharing the game of baseball with White Sox fans each season. Baseball is the greatest game there is, and it would certainly be the ultimate honor to be recognized among some if the great voices of the game in Cooperstown. Harrelson was a finalist in 2007 and He completed his 31st season in the Sox booth, taking on a lighter schedule by primarily doing road games only. Hughes competed his 21st season with the Cubs after calling games for the Brewers for 12 seasons. The Hall of Fame selected only major-league, team-specific broadcasters based on commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans and recognition by peers. Candidates, active or retired, must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous major league broadcast service with a ball club, network or a combination of the two. Final voting for the 2017 Frick Award will be conducted by a 17-member committee, comprised of the 13 living Frick Award recipients and four broadcast historians/columnists, including David J. Halberstam (historian), Barry Horn (Dallas Morning News), Ted Patterson (historian) and Curt Smith (historian). Past living Frick honorees include: Marty Brennaman, Dick Enberg, Jaime Jarrin, Tony Kubek, Denny Matthews, Tim McCarver, Jon Miller, Eric Nadel, Felo Ramirez, Vin Scully, Bob Uecker, Dave Van Horne and Bob Wolff. The winner will be announced December 5 at the 2016 Winter Meetings in National Harbor, Md. Induction ceremonies are July 30, 2017 in Cooperstown, N.Y. White Sox claim lefty Giovanni Soto off waivers from A s By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times November 7th, 2016 The White Sox claimed left-handed reliever Giovanni Soto off waivers from the Oakland Athletics on Monday. Soto, 25, spent the 2016 season with the Cubs AAA affiliate in Iowa, where he was 1-3 with a 5.14 ERA and 55 strikeouts over 33 appearances and 49 innings. Soto began the season with the Cleveland Indians organization before being traded to the Cubs on April 11 in exchange for cash considerations. The Cubs designated him for assignment on October 3 and the A s claimed him off waivers Oct. 26. Soto owns a 3.29 ERA over eight minor-league seasons. In six games with the Indians in 2015, he pitched 3.1 scoreless innings. Soto is not related to catcher Geovany Soto, who played for the Sox in 2015.

11 The Sox 40-man roster is at 38. White Sox ballpark transforms into football field for Toledo vs. NIU By Staff / CBS Chicago November 8th, 2016 CHICAGO (CBS) For the first time ever, the home of the Chicago White Sox will host a football game, when the NIU Huskies face off against Toledo on Wednesday. WBBM Newsradio s Terry Keshner was the first to see the field s new look. You have a tough time telling it was ever a baseball field, said Roger Bossard, the head groundskeeper for the Chicago White Sox. Bossard has been very busy transforming the field from a baseball diamond to a football gridiron. This certainly is new to me. Usually at this time of year, I m rebuilding my clay, my pitching mounds, my bullpens. I have no pitching mound right now as we look around. So, it is different, he said. Bossard is considered the best groundskeeper in baseball, and is known as The Sodfather. I can guarantee you there is no baseball groundskeeper that s ever going to tell you that I want to see football on my field. However, the weather s been great. That s what I want to hear. I don t want to hear heavy storms, and 300 pound guys running on my field, and so obviously it was a lot of work. One end zone sits along the third base line, with the other in right field near the bullpen. The infield dirt has been covered in sod. The NIU-Toledo game at the White Sox ballpark will not only be the first football game at the stadium, it will be the first game ever played there since the ballpark got its new name, Guaranteed Rate Field. The game also will be kind of a throwback to the days when the Bears and Cubs shared Wrigley field and the White Sox and Cardinals (who have since moved to Arizona) shared the original Comiskey Park. You know what, we do a little bit of everything here in Chicago, Bossard said. White Sox nab pitcher Giovanni Soto off waivers from Athletics By Staff / CBS Chicago November 7th, 2016 (CBS) The White Sox have claimed left-handed reliever Giovanni Soto off waivers from the Athletics, they announced Monday. The 25-year-old Soto went 1-3 with a 5.14 ERA in 49 innings at Triple-A Iowa last season as a member of the Cubs organization. The Athletics had claimed him from the Cubs in early October. Soto has a 3.29 ERA across eight minor league seasons. He was a 21st-round pick of the Tigers in the 2009 draft. The White Sox s 40-man roster sits at 38 players now.

12 White Sox Free Agents: Who s staying and who s leaving? By James Neveau / NBC Chicago November 7th, 2016 It s already been an offseason of transition for the Chicago White Sox as they said goodbye to Robin Ventura and hired Rick Renteria as their new manager, but that is just the beginning as the team looks to begin reshaping its roster. While potential trades of players like Chris Sale could be on the menu, Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams will first have to make decisions on the team s free agents as the offseason begins. Will they hold onto the players whose contracts are up, or will they make a clean break and bring in fresh faces? Here are our thoughts on each of the team s unrestricted free agents. Matt Albers 2016 Salary: $2 million Chances of Coming Back: 1 percent Albers, who is 34 years old and coming off of a rough season, is now 34 years old, and the White Sox opted not to pick up his contract option for next season. It would seem highly unlikely that the team will bring him back at that price again, and he ll likely land another similar-paying gig in a relatively weak free agent market. Alex Avila 2016 Salary: $2.5 million Chances of Coming Back: 20 percent The White Sox signed Avila and Dioner Navarro to contracts before the 2016 season to give themselves a one-two punch of solid catchers, but that didn t really work out in Avila s case. In 209 at-bats, the catcher had a paltry.213 batting average, and although he did hit seven home runs, he only drove in 11 RBI, the lowest total of his big league career. The Sox will have plenty of options on the free agent market if they opt not to bring Avila back, including Matt Wieters and Kurt Suzuki, among others. Austin Jackson 2016 Salary: $5 million Chances of Coming Back: 10 percent The White Sox made a smart move when they brought in Jackson and shifted Adam Eaton to right field, but the Jackson portion of the equation didn t really work out as injuries derailed his season. Going into this offseason, the White Sox will have some options on the free agent market that would leave Eaton in right where he belongs and will give them a defensive upgrade in center, meaning that a player like Dexter Fowler could be an enticing prospect. Justin Morneau 2016 Salary: $1.1 million Chances of Coming Back: 40 percent

13 The White Sox seemed to strike gold when they added Morneau on a cheap contract, as the slugger hit six home runs and drove in 25 RBI in 218 plate appearances after returning from an injury after the All- Star break. While it isn t likely that Morneau will be back, the White Sox do tend to like veteran left-handed hitters, so there is a stronger chance of the 35-year old returning than the other free agents that the White Sox have on their roster Chicago White Sox Top 10 Prospects By Hudson Belinsky / Baseball America November 7th, 2016 The White Sox entered 2016 with some optimism. They were returning a veteran pitching staff with an excellent 1-2 punch of Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. They acquired slugging third baseman Todd Frazier and brought in veterans such as catcher Alex Avila and shortstop Jimmy Rollins. They expected contributions from young cornerstone players like Carlos Rodon and Adam Eaton. In the beginning of the season, that optimism seemed plausible. Chicago got off to a start and appeared to be a contender in the American League Central. But things soured quickly, with a harsh slump in late May. The team bought low on righthander James Shields in early June, but Shields struggles only worsened when he got to Chicago. The White Sox got little production from Avila, Rollins or Austin Jackson, and before long they had settled into mediocrity. As postseason aspirations slipped away, the clubhouse atmosphere deteriorated, culminating in a bizarre incident when ace Chris Sale cut up his uniform in protest of a throwback jersey that made him uncomfortable. Ultimately, the White Sox had a run-of-the-mill rotation, with the back end failing to produce reliable results to support Sale and Quintana. Chicago s offense produced home run power, with Frazier smashing 40 home runs, but the team got on base at a below-average rate and failed to capitalize on many of those home runs. On the bright side, the White Sox got solid production from shortstop and No. 1 prospect Tim Anderson, who reached the majors and hit.283/.306/.432 in 99 games. He will still need to improve his approach at the plate to get on base more often, but he had a productive rookie season and appears to factor significantly in the organization s future. Rodon was inconsistent, but he was also brilliant in flashes and closed out the season with double-digit strikeouts in back-to-back starts. The farm system got a much-needed face lift in June, when the White Sox drafted catcher Zack Collins and righthander Zack Burdi in the first round. Both are likely to advance through the system quickly and could impact the major league roster sooner rather than later. Going forward, Chicago faces significant obstacles. The White Sox have not made the playoffs since 2008 and have finished 16 or more games out of first in five of the last six seasons. They have a farm system that lacks depth and few young, cost-controlled players at the big league level. It s hard to spell out a path to near-term success competing in a division that has had four of the past five AL pennant winners. The White Sox could be better positioned to compete if Collins and Burdi live up to expectations, and one of their starting-pitcher prospects proves able to start in Chicago soon. But the organization may be able to position itself better for the future by trading away big league talent, rebuilding the farm system and planning for long-term value. 1. Zack Collins, c

14 Born: Feb. 6, B-T: L-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 220. Drafted: Miami, 2016 (1st round). Signed by: Jose Ortega. SCOUTING GRADES Batting: 60. Power: 60. Speed: 30. Defense: 45. Arm: 50. Based on scouting scale where 50 represents major league average and future projection rather than present tools. Background: Collins was well-known as an amateur. A prolific high school hitter, he played for USA Baseball throughout his prep days and had significant draft interest as a high school senior. He slid to the late rounds of the draft, however, due to his Miami commitment and doubts about his ability to remain behind the plate. When Collins made it to campus, he had an immediate impact offensively. He was the 2014 college Freshman of the Year after batting.298 and swatting 11 home runs in a down year for offense in college baseball. His hot hitting never cooled off. In his draft year, Collins batted.363/.544/.668 and drew 78 walks, the most of any Division I player since Anthony Rendon walked 80 times in Collins focused on improving as a receiver as his junior year approached, encouraging the White Sox enough to make him the 10th overall pick in Collins had a solid pro debut at high Class A Winston- Salem, putting himself on the fast track to Chicago. Scouting Report: While Collins calling card will always be his offense, his defensive progress was exceptional in his junior year, and he particularly encouraged evaluators with his soft hands. He shows the ability to set a low target and keep his glove hand still, and he s shown the aptitude to understand umpires strike zones and adjust his framing technique in response. Collins has shown the ability to get underneath the ball down and far to his glove side as well as the ability to get his thumb under the ball when he has to extend his glove across his body for pitches towards the righthanded batter s box. His footwork is what holds him back from being an average defender. Collins has a thick, muscle-filled lower half and isn t nimble. His extra-large frame allows him to stay in front of the ball well, even if he can t make acrobatic scoops when pitchers miss their spots. Collins has an average arm with solid accuracy. Regardless of what kind of defensive player he ends up being, Collins offense will play. He has a rare combination of strength and bat speed, giving him plus power. In his pro debut, he showed the ability to drive the ball out to left-center field or turn on mistake pitches on the inner half, though he will occasionally collapse on his back side early and roll over high fastballs. Collins has a patient approach at the plate, with elite strike-zone awareness and an uncanny idea of which pitches he can do damage with. He has a rhythmic swing, with a bat tip forward as he loads his hands. Collins wrist movement gives his bat path extra length, but he s on time more often than not. The Future: As with any first-year professional, Collins has yet to be consistently challenged by pitchers who boast both command and stuff, so his performance in 2017 will be telling of his ultimate offensive ceiling. He will look to continue refining his defense as he progresses to the upper minors. He likely will advance to Double-A Birmingham in 2017, and could be on the fast track to the majors as the team s needed answer at catcher.

15 The enticing domino that could catapult White Sox into fire sale By Joel Sherman / New York Post November 7th, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. In the best of times, the White Sox were the second baseball team in the Second City. These days it feels like they are as relevant as Morse code. The Cubs won the World Series, capturing not only a city s frenzy, but as much national attention as any champion in at least a decade. Yet as extraneous as the White Sox seem at this moment, they actually set up as a potentially far more interesting team this offseason than the Cubs and one of the pivotal clubs of the winter. Mainly it comes down to whether they are sellers or not, because if they are, they hold arguably the most enticing piece in the market: ace Chris Sale. As one outside executive said, If they trade Sale, they would be signaling that they are in a rebuild and then they become one of the busiest teams in the market. The White Sox would then have to consider also trading Jose Quintana, David Robertson, Todd Frazier, Melky Cabrera and perhaps even Jose Abreu and Adam Eaton. During the World Series, White Sox GM Rick Hahn responded to a text asking if he felt a different level of pressure with the rise of the Cubs, writing, The Cubs being in the Series really doesn t impact our plans. When asked what those plans were, Hahn said: There really is not any strategic advantage for us to discussing our plans publicly at this time. We will explain our thought process once we start making our moves. The White Sox significantly added to their payroll while subtracting from a subpar farm system to go for it the past two years, adding veterans such as Cabrera, Frazier, Robertson, Jeff Samardzija and Zach Duke. Nevertheless, they finished in fourth place in the AL Central in both seasons, remained without a winning record since 2012 and dismissed manager Robin Ventura. The industry belief is the White Sox built up and to date have not deconstructed because of an attempt to win another title for owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who turns 81 in February. They have proven to have talented but mismatched parts, and it does not seem likely they would add much more payroll this offseason nor that they could find the right pieces even if they did. Having Sale and Quintana is particularly valuable now because the free-agent starter market is viewed as poor. Thus, teams in need of rotation help want to make trades. At last July s deadline, the White Sox put such a huge price on Sale I think they asked for our first-born and our five best prospects, said an executive for one team the perception was they really did not want to trade. Will that price lower somewhat now? Several executives said they believed the White Sox would be more realistic now but still make a substantial demand. If that request is not met, Chicago would try to win and then revisit the Sale possibilities if the team is not contending in July. If the demands were met, the expectation would be that would steer the White Sox to a more total sell-off as a way to lower their payroll and replenish their farm system. Sale is attractive not only because he is among the majors best starters (likely to finish in the AL Cy Young top six for a fifth straight year) and in his prime (28 in March), but he also is on a team-friendly deal (three more years at $38 million). I think they have to trade the guy, another executive said. They have lots of needs short- and longterm. This is the kind of player who begins to solve those problems.

16 Mixed emotions when covering Chicago Championship from the other side City pride should come before crosstown rivalry for Chicago White Sox fans in wake of Cubs epic World Series comeback By Tim Moran / Patch.com November 5th, 2016 CHICAGO, IL - This entire week has been a bit surreal for any fan of Chicago sports. The Chicago Cubs were the favorites to win the World Series before the season started and followed up with a dominating regular season and National League playoff run. But nothing could have prepared us for this week. For this thing so many have dreamed of for years. This isn t something I dreamed of for years. But it turned out to be the biggest story I ve ever covered, and it was an honor to be a part of not only the biggest story in Chicago sports history but one of the biggest events in all of Chicago history. I m a fan of that other Chicago baseball team. My fascination with professional sports began in 1993 with the Good Guys Wear Black Chicago White Sox team that won the division and came within two wins of their first World Series appearance in 34 years. I ve been to the ballpark on 35th Street several times since then and always enjoy the mostly friendly rivalry that exists between fans of Chicago s two baseball teams. But while 2016 was not a championship season for my team, it was a championship for my city. And the most significant there ever was. The 5 million tally at Friday s parade (the 7th largest gathering in human history and the largest gathering ever in the United States) proves what any White Sox fan must admit: the Cubs simply move the needle more than our beloved South Siders. For me, city loyalty comes before what Laurence Holmes of 670 The Score described on Facebook years ago as Cubs-Sox stupidity, i.e. the ribbing we give each other all year regardless of how either team is doing on the field. It was still with mixed emotions to capture this memorable journey for Cubs fans. I was in Wrigleyville before and during Game 3 (the first World Series game on the North Side since 1945) and before, during and after the Game 7 drama that resulted in one of the biggest sports celebrations a city could have. I was also downtown Friday for the epic rally, one that dwarfed even the three recent Chicago Blackhawks championship parades. As fun as it was, the good vibes came with the undertone of I really wish this were the White Sox. I d give up my spot so close to the action to any Cubs fan I know in return to another White Sox championship in the near future. I was jealous. Even though we had our moments 11 years ago, taking in the joy Cubs fans had this year heightened the urge to witness it again on the South Side. We can only hope the White Sox team and front office is inspired by this as well. But at the same time, I am a fan of Chicago. Everything Chicago. And this was a big deal for Chicago, so I celebrated it as well. How can you describe celebrating the pride in your city while realizing you are at a championship rally of one of your rival teams? My experiences of the 2005 White Sox title and 2016 Cubs are in sharp contrast. And it almost feels like they should be switched. While I will never forget the special moment I spent with my father - a longtime White Sox fan who taught me everything about 1959, the Southside Hitmen of 1977 and memories of the Old Comiskey Park - at