Many players put in a little offseason practice on that talking point, shown here in this edition of They Said It.

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1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF FEBRUARY 14, 2017 They Said It: Rumors until agent calls Scott Merkin, MLB.com Rebuilding White Sox looking for success Scott Merkin, MLB.com White Sox Manager Rick Renteria Ready for New Challenge Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Young White Sox Superfan Has SoxFest to Remember CSN Chicago Staff Rick Renteria to bring detailed, energetic approach as White Sox open camp Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune Hometown kid Charlie Tilson ready to shed anonymity in White Sox camp Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune Renteria on White Sox trade candidates: They have job to do Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun- Times White Sox notes: Renteria on tough love; Tilson, salaries Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times Players with something to prove Bradford Doolittle, ESPN.com 5 key questions as Chicago White Sox head to training camp Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Ignoring Outside Perception, Rick Renteria Holds High Expectations For White Sox Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago White Sox Spring Training Primer Chris Emma, CBS Chicago They Said It: Rumors until agent calls White Sox chatter from Spring Training By Scott Merkin / MLB.com February 13th, 2017 GLENDALE, ARIZ. -- White Sox players will be telling their stories, both on the individual and team level, for much of the next seven weeks. MLB.com will be there to listen and write about Spring Training moves and machinations. Many players put in a little offseason practice on that talking point, shown here in this edition of They Said It. "I pay a little bit of attention. I enjoy it. When my agent tells me what's going on, then it's serious.... I think it's funny. It's cool to see. My son watches with me and says, 'There's Dada' on the TV. Fun couple of minutes." -- Third baseman Todd Frazier, on being part of the offseason trade rumors "Yeah, I'm ready. I'm ready. I was born ready and I'm ready to play in the Majors right now." -- Yoan Moncada, MLBPipeline.com's No. 2 prospect overall, on his timetable for Major League arrival "You would like to play your own game and not care what anyone else thinks about you, but what other people think about you is the name of the game. That's how you perform, get to the next level." -- Michael Kopech, on being placed in numerous Top 100 prospects lists, including being ranked No. 16 for MLBPipeline.com. "There are some ups and downs. You get knocked around a little bit, you knock a few people around and you have to fight through that stuff to be the pitcher you were meant to be." -- White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, on elite prospects such as Carson Fulmer and Lucas Giolito pitching through struggles to find their niche

2 "I went a couple of games and I was like, 'Not again, not again.' But I was just like, 'Trust everything you do.' It obviously worked in spring. So keep on doing it. It took a couple of weeks to finally get over that mental hurdle. But once I did that, you take out that first month and that was a good season." -- Matt Davidson, on turning early 2016 offensive issues at Triple-A Charlotte into a strong campaign after overhauling his swing before the season "Without a doubt, face of the franchise. When I first walked in the first couple of weeks of Spring Training, I knew who our leader was. That definitely was him. He spoke up. He wasn't afraid to speak up. You can always respect a guy like that." -- Frazier, on Chris Sale, now pitching for the Red Sox after being traded in a December deal "It's going to be exciting here in a few more years as the guys come up. We are all young so we are going to be together for a while." -- Shortstop Tim Anderson, on the White Sox rebuilding "I like the city. It's a beautiful city. It's a big city. But it's cold, too." -- Moncada, on his January impressions of Chicago while attending SoxFest. "That's what all the good ones do. They watch the other good players that do things a certain way and they try to emulate it and take what works for their game. So yeah he's been a joy to work with from the get go." -- White Sox Minor League catching coordinator John Orton, on working with Zack Collins, the team's top pick in the 2016 Draft "It's tough to serve two masters in that regard." -- White Sox general manager Rick Hahn, on the team being able to rebuild and contend at the same time. Rebuilding White Sox looking for success Renteria focuses on daily 'high expectations' By Scott Merkin / MLB.com February 13th, 2017 GLENDALE, ARIZ. -- Nobody expects the White Sox to be a winning team in 2017, let alone contend for a postseason appearance. That sort of outlook goes hand and hand with any organization undergoing a full rebuild such as the White Sox. But manager Rick Renteria isn't giving much thought to outside expectations, a point he reinforced during his Monday meeting with the media, one day before pitchers and catchers report to Camelback Ranch. "We still have to have high expectations for ourselves," said Renteria, speaking in front of the White Sox batting cages on a sunny start to Spring Training. "Part of the process of playing the game a certain way is obviously looking for the victory. The question is: How are we going to approach our attack on a daily basis? "Everyone is going to have high expectations for themselves in that clubhouse. It's not going to change for me. Most people will say if you lay high expectations and they don't rise to the occasion you're setting them up for defeat. I don't agree with that. "You set high expectations, you allow them to go through the process and you figure out what we failed at in order to get the job done," Renteria said. "That's a part of learning how to win also." Renteria begins Camp No. 1 as White Sox manager, after serving as the team's bench coach under Robin Ventura last season and working as Cubs manager in He presides over an interesting mix of top young prospects, including Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech and Zack Collins, as well as established veterans, including third baseman Todd Frazier, closer David Robertson and left-handed starter Jose Quintana.

3 All three of the veterans could be moved a part of the rebuild, with Hot Stove rumors already mentioning the White Sox being close on a few occasions for a deal sending Robertson to Washington. But these players currently stand as part of the White Sox and will prepare as such. "Obviously it's something that is swirling but for the most part, we all know that they come to the ballpark preparing for the upcoming season," Renteria said. "It would be foolish for me to say they probably don't have it in the back of their mind. It's probably there but it shouldn't be something that encompasses their every waking moment. "They still have a job to do. They have to come here and prepare to get ready for the upcoming season. If there are any obstacles or annoyances that occur, we will do the best we can to kind of minimize those. Their day-to-day operations, so to speak, are what they have to do to prepare for the upcoming season so I think we will try to focus on that." Don't look for any big changes in regard to how White Sox Spring Training is run compared with Renteria has high expectations for the work put in by this group, regardless of the outside expectations for the team. "My concern is what's going to be going on within the walls of that clubhouse and between the lines on the field," Renteria said. "Our expectation is always to win ballgames. How we go about doing it might be a different, take a different mode. We're all still trying to come out on top on a daily basis." White Sox Manager Rick Renteria Ready for New Challenge With trades of Sale and Eaton, South Siders feature a plethora of prospects By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago February 13th, 2017 GLENDALE, Ariz. He's going from Mr. Nice Guy to Family Guy and Rick Renteria sounds ready for the difference. Although he'll have to adapt some to his new role as White Sox manager, Renteria, who spent last season as the team's bench coach under Robin Ventura, said Monday at Camelback Ranch that he doesn't expect his upbeat personality would change much. A father of four, Renteria sees a lot of similarities between parenting and being the manager of a baseball team. He intends to use that experience when his tenure as White Sox manager officially begins on Tuesday when pitchers and catchers report to camp and hold their first workout. Position players arrive on Saturday. "The reality is I have a line that I have to toe in terms of having the responsibility to lead these guys in a particular direction," Renteria said. "So that is on me now, that is my law. "There are going to be times where my guys don't like me very much, and that's OK. There are going to be time where I don't like them very much. But I'm always going to love them. A priest told me, kids aren't always going to love your parents, and parents are not always going to love your kids. But it's the same thing, same approach." Unlike when he managed the Cubs for two seasons, Renteria is already familiar with his roster after he spent last season with the White Sox. When Ventura stepped down at the end of last season, the White Sox didn't hesitate, naming Renteria their manager the very next day. Renteria is at an advantage as he already knows the temperature of the room having been around most of his club for the past season. There's still plenty of work to be done, but Renteria is starting in a good position.

4 "Obviously having the ability to know some of the personalities is a big difference," Renteria said. "We tried to do as much studying as we could on the other young men we had previous. But getting to know some of the guys that were here all last year, it's still going to be a process getting to know the new guys coming into camp. We are watching a little bit of what they have done from the game's perspective, but getting to know them personally is another big piece of the puzzle." Renteria doesn't intend to make wholesale changes to how spring camp is run "just trying to be a little bit more detailed," he said. As for his own management style, Renteria doesn't plan much adjustment there, either, based off his 2014 experience with the Cubs. "If there's anything, from a personal standpoint, is that you know that a process does work," Renteria said. "When you're going about doing things and understanding that outcomes, results they'll hear me talking about it a lot. Everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to get the big hit those are all results. We have to concentrate on making sure we understand when we don't get it done, was it because we failed in our approach or was it the outcome based on we did everything perfectly well and it was just what was given to us in that particular moment?" Young White Sox Superfan Has SoxFest to Remember By CSN Chicago Staff February 13th, 2017 White Sox general manager Rick Hahn has had a busy offseason. But his best acquisiton to date has been 10-year-old Olivia Pierce. The young White Sox superfan has battled cancer in her eyes her entire life, with her bilateral retinal blastoma taking her left eye when she was just 3 years old. Thirty-five surgeries later Olivia is a smiling, happy White Sox fan who has been to 129 games in her life. She also received a surprise from Hahn earlier this year when the White Sox general manager asked Olivia to be his special guest at SoxFest 2017 and act as honorary assistant to the general manager. "As a parent, with a child with a terminal illness, we know that there's a chance that Olivia could lose her other eye and lose her vision," Olivia's mother said. "Obviously that is not the road we want to take and we pray that never happens, but if it does bringing her here all the time to all the games, these will be things that she'll remember. "Olivia loves the White Sox and it's an honor to be here, it's an honor for Rick to invite her and I to SoxFest. Unbelievable." Rick Renteria to bring detailed, energetic approach as White Sox open camp By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune February 13th, 2017 As Rick Renteria dives into his first spring training as White Sox manager this week, he seemingly does so without the weight of outside expectations to contend. A Sox team that won 78 games in 2016 shed its best starting pitcher and its leadoff hitter when it traded Chris Sale and Adam Eaton in the offseason. The front office is expected to deal more veterans for prospects before the season is up. And general manager Rick Hahn acknowledged late last month that it would be difficult to rebuild and field a contender at the same time. But Renteria said Monday at Camelback Ranch he won't concern himself with outside expectations as he begins his second stint as a big-league manager.

5 "We still have to have high expectations for ourselves," Renteria said. "Part of the process of playing the game a certain way is looking for the victory. The question is how are we going to approach our attack on a daily basis. Everyone is going to have high expectations for themselves in that clubhouse." Renteria has been in Arizona for a few days already, but when camp officially opens Tuesday as pitchers and catchers report, he'll be in a much different role than last year as Robin Ventura's bench coach. He said he doesn't plan to make huge changes to camp, but he does want to be more detailed in his approach. He mentioned baserunning, backing up bases and battling better with two strikes as areas the coaches might target. He likened his new role to being a parent, but he said his personality will remain the same. "We're always talking baseball, so that's not going to change," Renteria said. "The reality is I have a line that I have to toe in terms of having the responsibility to lead these guys in a particular direction. So that is on me now; that is my law. "There are going to be times where my guys don't like me very much, and that's OK. There are going to be times where I don't like them very much. But I'm always going to love them." Among the challenges the Sox face this spring is veterans wondering if they could be traded at any moment. The Sox reportedly were in talks with the Nationals to trade closer David Robertson last week, but the deal stalled. Rumors surrounding left-hander Jose Quintana are likely to continue as they did all offseason. Renteria's approach to such talk is to acknowledge it and then return to work. "It would be foolish for me to say they probably don't have it in the back of their mind," Renteria said. "It's probably there, but it shouldn't be something that encompasses their every waking moment. They still have a job to do. "If there are any obstacles or annoyances that occur, we will do the best we can to minimize those. For the most part, I think they are professionals." Another challenge will be integrating several new prospects into the clubhouse, but Renteria has experience molding a young group during his year as Cubs manager. He expects to bring an energetic approach and said he won't hang his head after every loss, acknowledging there will be failures along the way. "We have to give ourselves an opportunity to grow in confidence," Renteria said. "We have to understand when you do fail, it's not the end of the world. It's just a moment, and we have to question how we went about it with our approach in that particular moment. I want them to know we're not going to be quitters." Hometown kid Charlie Tilson ready to shed anonymity in White Sox camp By Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune February 13th, 2017 With most of the eyes in White Sox camp focused on top prospects Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito and Michael Kopech, the first acquisition of the long-awaited rebuild can do his thing in relative peace. That's fine with Charlie Tilson, the center fielder from New Trier who received a humbling lesson in August when he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in his major-league debut in Detroit. Nothing is promised in life, even if you think you've finally made it.

6 Tilson figured that out one day in the basement of his parent's home in Wilmette, when asked to send a smartphone photo of his hamstring to Sox doctors before undergoing surgery. "My mom comes down, and I said, 'I've got to send some photos to the surgeon,'" Tilson recalled. "So I'm like dropping trou for my mom, leaning over this thing and thinking, 'Yesterday I was in the big leagues, and now " Tilson chuckled at the strange photo-op with his mom. "That was rock bottom for me," he said. There's only one way to go after you've hit rock bottom, and as Sox camp opens on Tuesday in Glendale, Tilson appears to be well on his way back to the majors. The hamstring is completely healed, and with a strong spring he has a good shot at becoming the regular center fielder in "What an opportunity, to be out there wearing my hometown's jersey," he said. "I was a huge Sox fan. It's an opportunity I've been thinking about my whole life. It's a dream come true." Tilson was a second-round pick of the Cardinals in the 2011 draft after hitting.406 during his senior season at New Trier and being named Illinois' Gatorade Player of the Year. The Sox acquired him for Zach Duke at the trade deadline in July, well before general manager Rick Hahn announced the rebuild was underway. But two days later, after being called up and singling in his first major-league at-bat, Tilson ruptured his left hamstring attempting a diving catch of a Miguel Cabrera fly in the fifth inning of his debut. He was done for the season. Tilson joined Kevan Smith (back spasms), Jason Coats (collision, cut mouth) and Matt Davidson (broken right foot) among the victims of the so-called 'Sox Rookie Curse.' All went down on their first day in the Sox lineup, and Smith didn't even make it into the game. Tilson spent the next six weeks on crutches, lamenting the fact his storybook return to Chicago was already on hold after only two at-bats. "It was tough," he said. "I had one day in a brand-new organization, and even though it's my hometown I really hadn't been acclimated to the people, and you feel a little bit isolated when you're sitting on the couch watching the game. "To get out to Arizona (to rehab) was awesome, kind of get out of the mud. Those first six weeks were tough, but I cherish that opportunity, and even thinking about that day, I think of it as a positive. "You've just got to get back on your feet, I kept telling myself, even if you wake up and kind of look around and think, 'I can't believe that happened.'" Tilson moved to the Ukrainian Village neighborhood shortly after being dealt to the Sox, and has enjoyed the offseason at home, sampling sushi bars and Mexican joints and venturing out to the California Clipper for some live music. Almost every kid growing up in the suburbs thinks about someday moving into Chicago. Tilson did just that, and said he has made the most of his brief time in the city. "I can go around and be anonymous for the most part," he said. "Every once in a while I'll catch someone (who knows me).

7 "It's cool, especially when I got the crutches off. I biked on the lakefront and walked on the 606 (trail). It was cool to be able to explore the city like that. Hopefully I'll be able to make it home for a while." Aside from his debut, Tilson's most memorable day may have been this winter at the United Center, when the Blackhawks asked him to take part in the "Shoot the Puck" competition between periods. Tilson asked a Hawks employee for strategy, and it paid off with a goal. "He said, 'Whatever you do, don't come short of the net,'" Tilson said. "He's like, 'You're supposed to be the athlete, so just go big with it.' I went out there and my first one I really flung it in the air. I'm like, 'I've got to tone it down a little.' My heart was beating. It was luck for sure." Now the comeback is about to get underway at Camelback Ranch, and Tilson is ready. He's motivated to win the starting job and become a vital cog in the rebuild, but whether he makes it into the opening-day lineup or not, Tilson feels Sox fans are going to be happy with the new direction of the team. "Obviously there's not a wealth of experience among those young guys, but the talent is there and (Hahn has) made some exciting moves," he said. "I'd be excited if I was a Sox fan. I know the guys on the North Side had a big season last year, but I think we can do some special things. "I'm just happy to be a part of it and I just want to go out there and make an impact." Renteria on White Sox trade candidates: They have job to do By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times February 13th, 2017 GLENDALE, Ariz. There will be no getting around swirling trade rumors when White Sox pitchers and catchers report to spring training Tuesday. Left-hander Jose Quintana has been a hot topic ever since the Sox dealt Chris Sale and Adam Eaton. David Robertson also has value as a proven closer and setup man and is at or near the top of the contending Nationals priority list. Some believe Robertson could go this week if the sides come to an agreement on prospects going to the Sox in return and the amount of salary the Nationals are willing to pay. Robertson has $11 million and $12 million on the last two years of his four-year deal, and the Sox historically are not big on eating contract dollars. Obviously it s something that is swirling, but for the most part, we all know that they come to the ballpark preparing for the upcoming season, manager Rick Renteria said Monday. It would be foolish for me to say they probably don t have it in the back of their mind. It s probably there, but it shouldn t be something that encompasses their every waking moment. They still have a job to do. They have to come here and prepare to get ready for the upcoming season. That s what pitchers and catchers will begin doing in earnest, taking physicals starting at 6 a.m. before taking the field for their first organized work. The Sox are in rebuild mode, and it seems only a matter of when, not if, some of their most valuable assets will move on. If there are any obstacles or annoyances that occur, we will do the best we can to kind of minimize those, Renteria said. For the most part, they are professionals. They know what they have to do. Their day-to-day operations are what they have to do to prepare for the upcoming season, so I think we will try to focus on that. This is Renteria s first year after managing the Cubs for one season, sitting one out, then serving as former manager Robin Ventura s bench coach in He steps in with less pressure to win than Ventura had in most of his five seasons. In rebuild mode, and with Sale and Eaton already gone, the theme is the future, not the present.

8 The expectation outside can be what it s going to be, Renteria said. We still have to have high expectations for ourselves. When Robertson signed for $46 million over four years in December 2014, the Sox also signed Melky Cabrera to a three-year, $42 million deal and traded Marcus Semien and three other prospects to the Athletics for one year of Jeff Samardzija. The built-to-win buzz in camp that year lost momentum in the first weeks of the season. Patchwork signings, big and small, haven t worked for an organization with a weak farm system, prompting general manager Rick Hahn and Co. to begin the rebuilding phase. Already, the Sox have five top-100 prospects in their system with more trades to come. And likely more losses, although the players who are here will no doubt say in the coming days that they expect to win. Everyone is going to have high expectations for themselves in that clubhouse, Renteria said. It s not going to change for me. Most people will say if you set high expectations and they don t rise to the occasion, you re setting them up for defeat. I don t agree with that. I think you set high expectations, you allow them to go through the process and you figure out what we failed at in order to get the job done. That s also a part of learning how to win. White Sox notes: Renteria on tough love; Tilson, salaries By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-TImes February 13th, 2017 GLENDALE, Ariz. White Sox manager Rick Renteria will be a tough love kind of leader. On the outside, his gentle, upbeat demeanor says nice guy. Behind that lies a no-nonsense longtime baseball guy who wants things done his way. He wants the game played a certain way under his watch, and the task of making that happen begins this week with veterans and prospects alike. There are going to be times where my guys don t like me very much, and that s OK; there are going to be times when I don t like them very much, Renteria said Monday. But I m always going to love them. As most parents can relate to. A priest told me, Kids aren t always going to love their parents, and parents are not always going to love their kids. But it s the same thing, same approach. The reality is I have a line that I have to toe in terms of having the responsibility to lead these guys in a particular direction. So that is on me now, that is my law. Renteria comes back to managing with a second chance after unceremoniously getting let go by the Cubs, while still under contract, when Joe Maddon was hired. There may be some good in taking a step back despite the unfortunate circumstances. The first time around, I think it went fast for him, a veteran scout said. They asked him to babysit those kids instead of being a manager, and he got clipped. But he knew what he was doing, and hopefully he s seen things, and it has slowed down for him a little bit. And the American League game doesn t come at you as fast. He may have a shot at it. Every year you learn something new, Renteria said.

9 Early birds Charlie Tilson and Matt Davidson were among the early position-player arrivals. Tilson, who suffered a season-ending hamstring injury his first day in uniform after arriving from the Cardinals for Zach Duke last season, stands a good chance to be the Opening Day center fielder. He is ranked as the Sox No. 11 prospect by MLB.com. Third baseman Todd Frazier is expected to arrive soon. The first full-squad workout is Saturday. Playing for pay Melky Cabrera ($15 million) is earning the Sox highest salary in James Shields, at $21 million, is the highest-paid Sox player, although the Padres are paying $11 million of that. The Sox other top salaries: David Robertson, $12 million; Frazier, $12 million; Jose Abreu, $ million; Jose Quintana, $7 million; Derek Holland, $6 million; Miguel Gonzalez, $5.9 million; Brett Lawrie, $3.5 million, and Avisail Garcia, $3 million. Cabrera, Frazier, Holland, Gonzalez and Lawrie are eligible for free agency after the season. Camp Capra Nick Capra is coordinating camp again this year. Capra, who took over for former bench coach Mark Parent in that capacity last year, is taking over as third-base coach after serving as the organization s director of player development. Players with something to prove By Bradford Doolittle / ESPN.com February 12th, 2017 The offseason is over as players report to camp. Position battles, players on new teams and those returning from injuries, and prospects fighting for a spot create endless storylines before the regular season starts. Here is one player for each team to pay close attention to in the coming weeks. Chicago White Sox: Tim Anderson There is aggression, then there is flailing. Through his professional career, Anderson has managed to strike a precarious balance between the two. His.375 BABIP as a rookie would seem absurdly high if not for the fact that he has put up results like that all through his rise in the White Sox's system. His.999 OPS on balls in play was Chicago's best among players with at least 100 plate appearances. However, he struck out 117 times against just 13 walks. This, too, was a continuation of his minor league days. Anderson is never going to be Ben Zobrist at the dish, but you have to worry if -- or when -- a lack of refinement in his approach will undermine his budding power and exciting potential on the basepaths. 5 key questions as Chicago White Sox head to training camp By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald February 13th, 2017 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- With Chicago White Sox pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training here on Tuesday, the rebuilding project launched in early December officially gets underway. Here are five questions heading into camp:

10 Q. Why hasn't general manager Rick Hahn made a trade in over two months? A. Hahn moved Chris Sale and Adam Eaton on consecutive days during the winter meetings, and he was hoping to make more deals through the rest of the off-season. At SoxFest in late January, Hahn said he thought he had a trade done on Christmas Eve but it fell apart. Most likely, Jose Quintana was the White Sox player involved, and there is still a good chance the lefthander starting pitcher gets moved at some point in spring training or during the season. But after getting seven promising prospects for Sale and Eaton, Hahn has set an equally high price for Quintana, who has a cumulative 3.35 ERA over the past four seasons while averaging 204 innings pitched. If an interested team like the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers or Pittsburgh Pirates wants Quintana and his team-friendly contract, they'll need to pay big. Q. Of the seven players the Sox got back for Sale and Eaton, who is closest to the majors? A. Hahn said the White Sox are going to be very patient during the rebuild, so that means there's no need to rush anyone. With that in mind, look for second baseman Yoan Moncada to be the first position player to join the Sox, and Reynaldo Lopez to be the first pitcher. Moncada, Baseball America's No. 2 overall prospect, posted a.287/.395/.480 hitting line the past two seasons in the Boston Red Sox's minor-league system. The 21-year-old switch-hitter had 50 doubles, 9 triples, 23 home runs, 100 RBI and 94 stolen bases in 197 games, so it's easy to see why he is so highly regarded. Lopez came over from the Washington Nationals in the Eaton trade, and he checks in as Baseball America's No. 31 overall prospect. With Class AA Harrisburg and AAA Syracuse last season, the right-hander overpowered hitters with his fastball and had 126 strikeouts in 109 ⅓ innings. However, in 11 games (6 starts) with Washington the 23- year-old pitcher was not nearly as effective, allowing 24 earned runs in 44 innings (4.91 ERA) while walking 22. Lopez did have some promising moments during his major-league debut, highlighted by an Aug. 18 outing against Atlanta where he allowed 1 earned run in 7 innings while striking out 11. Q. What hitter is worth watching in spring training? A. Matt Davidson. Acquired in a straight-up trade for former closer Addison Reed after the 2013 season, Davidson hit for good power with Class AAA Charlotte the next two years but was a strikeout machine. He finally made an adjustment last year and the White Sox called him up in late June. Davidson got a hit in his first game with the Sox but broke his foot running the bases and was lost for the season. He's 100 percent now, and a good showing in the Cactus League likely allows Davidson to break camp as the White Sox's designated hitter. Q. What pitcher is worth watching in spring training?

11 A. Zack Burdi. The Downers Grove native was drafted No. 26 overall last June following a standout collegiate career at Louisville, and Burdi rode his 100-mph fastball to success with the Arizona Rookie League Sox, high Class A Winston-Salem, AA Birmingham and AAA Charlotte. Like most young pitchers, the 21-year-old Burdi has to work on his command. While striking out 51 in 38 minor-league innings, the right-hander walked 20. Q. When can the White Sox expect to contend? A. If the current crop of new prospects is as good as expected and Hahn adds even more high-end young players in trades -- and if the Sox have another strong draft like last year sounds about right. Ignoring Outside Perception, Rick Renteria Holds High Expectations For White Sox By Bruce Levine / CBS Chicago February 13th, 2017 GLENDALE, Ariz. (CBS) The first day of spring training is always different for a new manager taking over. In the case of White Sox manager Rick Renteria, he has one year of experience as a bench coach for the organization that he ll draw on as the team embarks on a rebuild. My personality in and itself is what it is, he said. There are times when my guys will not like me very much. That is OK. There will be times I won t like them very much. I am always going to love them. Same approach for both sides. The expectations of our team from the outside can be what it is going to be. We still must lay out high expectations for ourselves. Part of the process is going out each day looking for a victory. The question is, how we are going to approach attacking on a daily basis? You set high expectations and if it does not work out, you go back and see what you failed at in order to get the job done. That is a big part of learning how to win also. Renteria is getting his second big league managing opportunity, both in the same city, as he managed the Cubs in This new chance will be unique and challenging at the same time for the 55-year-old Renteria. Having the ability to know some of the personalities is a nice advantage to have, Renteria said after arriving at the team s spring training complex Monday, a day before pitchers and catchers are due to report. Getting to know the new guys we have coming in will be a process. We have done our work, watching what they have done from the game s perspective. Getting to know them personally is another big piece of the puzzle. Handling early spring training with left-hander Jose Quintana and closer David Robertson being on the trade block will be a challenge for Renteria and his coaching staff. It s obviously something that is swirling, Renteria said of veterans being in trade rumors. For the most part, we know our people will come to the ballpark preparing for the upcoming season. It would be foolish for me to say they don t have it in the back of their mind. It is something that is there. This, however, should not encompass them every waking moment. They have a job to do. They must prepare for the upcoming season. If there are any problems, we will do our best to minimize them. For the most part, we know they are professional. We will try to focus on what they have to do for the upcoming season. Renteria won t change the White Sox s spring training day-to-day operation a great deal, though he does want to put his personal imprint on the camp without being too heavy-handed. We might not be making a whole lot of changes, Renteria said. We will just try and be a little more detailed. Every year, each organization tries to improve in its process. We might want to target some things like base-running or backing up bases. These are some of the things we talked about at Sox Fest, things like choking up on the bat with two strikes, hitting behind runners and things of that nature. Those

12 will be topics of conversation throughout the whole spring. We will certainly address a lot of those things as we move forward. We want to improve the mentality in our approaches. White Sox Spring Training Primer By Chris Emma / CBS Chicago February 13th, 2017 (CBS) While White Sox spring training opens Tuesday with pitchers and catchers due to report, general manager Rick Hahn will still be working the phones with yet another blockbuster trade in mind. After moving left-hander Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton for major hauls of prospects in December, he s hoping to do the same with left-hander Jose Quintana, closer David Robertson and third baseman Todd Frazier. White Sox spring training will have an awkward feel for this trio, with each well aware of what could be coming. Quintana is expected to be moved in the coming weeks, 670 The Score s Bruce Levine has reported. That move could return close to the haul that the White Sox received for Sale in the trade with Red Sox. Robertson and Frazier are veteran trade chips. The focus on this camp will be on youngsters like second baseman Yoan Moncada, one of baseball s top prospects who was acquired in the Sale deal. Young pitchers Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez join the likes of Carlos Rodon, Carson Fulmer, Zack Burdi and more in a potentially promising rotation down the road. Then there s the veteran group of players expected to make up the majority of this roster. Just months removed from their latest failure in an attempt to contend, the White Sox still have a cast of veterans on a team Hahn candidly conceded wouldn t likely be fighting for the playoffs in For a rebuilding team, many can be considered placeholders. These are unique circumstances for a team headed in a different direction after a decade of attempting to piece together a contender. As spring training opens, there will be plenty to watch on this team review The White Sox entered the 2015 season with what they believed to be a core ready for contention in the AL Central. That offseason s haul included the additions of Jeff Samardzija, Adam LaRoche, Melky Cabrera and Robertson. After that team failed, Chicago tried again by bringing in Frazier and Brett Lawrie ahead of the 2016 campaign. The White Sox then went and didn t renew manager Robin Ventura s contract, promoting Rick Renteria to fill his place. Last season started with promise, with the White Sox opening with a record and running to the front of the division. Their surge quickly ended, with Hahn later summarizing the season by saying the organization was mired in mediocrity. Because of their failures, the White Sox decided to move forward with a rebuild. Key players Todd Frazier, Carlos Rodon For different reasons, Frazier and Rodon are important figures for this White Sox team. Frazier turned 31 on Sunday and is a proven slugger coming off a career-high 40 home runs in He also hit.225, the worst mark of his career. That followed a tough second half in the 2015 season, raising concerns to his plate approach. There s no denying Frazier s talent, but the concerns to his average may scare away potential trade suitors.

13 Frazier will likely be moved at some point, with the trade deadline looking like an option. The White Sox would love to see him post a strong first half of the season at the plate, which would make him a more attractive trade chip. Then there s Rodon, the 24-year-old who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Assuming Quintana is moved, Rodon would become the new White Sox ace. He has a 3.90 ERA in 304 1/3 innings during his first two seasons, and struggles with his command have been an issue. Rodon is a key figure to the White Sox s future. They would love to see him look like an ace in Key to 2017 The focus this season is on the future. While the White Sox s veterans will come out and say they believe it s still all about winning, it s just not realistic. Development will be the key for this White Sox organization. Veterans like Frazier and Cabrera will be considered trade chips, and Quintana s fate could be sealed. James Shields could be moved if he responds from a disastrous 2016 season. This season will be about seeing progress from the likes of Rodon, Fulmer, shortstop Tim Anderson and outfielder Charlie Tilson. Giolito wants to make the Opening Day roster and will figures to be up at some point whether he does or not, while Moncada may make his debut as soon as mid-may. Ideally, the White Sox can finish this season with young prospects established at the major league level. With more coming in 2018, that would make this season a success. Key quote The focus of our scouting department, of our player development people, of our major league staff is on building something that s sustainable. In the short term, we might have to pay some price at the big league level. White Sox GM Rick Hahn.