MEDIA HEADLINES FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017

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1 Frazier rewarded for design work on Glove Day By Scott Merkin / MLB.com GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Todd Frazier has two All-Star Game appearances, a Home Run Derby title and 40 home runs in a season to highlight his impressive Major League Baseball resume. The phrase "glove designer" can be added to that list as well. Frazier stopped into the Wilson headquarters in Chicago during the offseason and worked with Shigeaki Aso, Wilson's glove guru, and Ryan Smith, the product line manager, to come up with the A2000 TDFTHR GM. The name comes from Frazier's nickname, The Toddfather, and his hand-crafted glove design -- along with those of Robinson Cano, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia and Brandon Phillips -- is available to fans alongside the rest of Wilson's pro stock models. The planning session took about 90 minutes on a quick Chicago visit, with Frazier picking up the finished product early Friday morning during White Sox Glove Day outside the home clubhouse at Camelback Ranch. "It's my own now," a smiling Frazier said of his A ¼ with a dual post web. "We have made some designs to kind of get something a little different but this is the one we came up with here. It's pretty cool. "I got a lot of help from the Wilson staff making my own. As you can see, it came out perfect." A logo on Frazier's glove features him holding up the mock WWE championship belt after winning the 2015 Gillette Home Run Derby. It still could change, but that idea came straight from Frazier. Eighteen White Sox players picked up their gloves Friday. Shortstop Tim Anderson elected to have his soon-to-be 1-yearold daughter's first and middle names, Peyton Kensleigh, placed on his glove with his jersey number, 7, next to it. "That kind of keeps me motivated, putting her name there," Anderson said. Anderson praised the tight-feeling pocket on the glove, adding that it fits his hand. Highly-touted pitching prospect Carson Fulmer went with the blonde color featuring black accents, giving a collegiate look back to his Vanderbilt days. You wear that the most besides your cleats and your uniform," said Fulmer of his glove's importance. "It's definitely special for us. You have to hide the ball. Guys like to go with a little bigger glove or something that is going to hide a little better. You definitely have to feel comfortable." Fellow pitching prospect Zack Burdi went somewhat simple, adding a personal touch with a cross to the Kershaw model. He picked Wilson because of "how comfortable it was."

2 "But a glove is a glove," said Burdi with a laugh. "You either can pitch or you can't." Yoan Moncada's glove still featured Red Sox colors but will be changed for his new locale. Frazier went with the silverand-black White Sox colors, adding a little red on the logo for the team's Sunday home uniforms. "Nobody else can say they have this glove. It's for me," a proud Frazier said. "We worked hard, about an hour and a half to figure this out, and it's unique. It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life, and hopefully make more designs." Fulmer gets nod to start Cactus League opener By Scott Merkin / MLB.com GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Carson Fulmer gets the honor of starting the White Sox Cactus League opener Saturday afternoon against the Dodgers, with a first pitch scheduled for 2:05 p.m. CT/1:05 MST at Camelback Ranch -- live on MLB.TV. Clayton Kershaw gets the call for the Dodgers. "As a young player, you look up to people like that," said Fulmer of Kershaw. "It's great. I mean, I'm looking forward to it. Obviously it's an opportunity that I want and we'll see what happens." Jose Quintana is scheduled to start Sunday's home opener against the Rockies, and Lucas Giolito gets the call Monday against the Cubs in Mesa. Fulmer, the organization's fifth-ranked prospect per MLBPipeline.com, posted an 8.49 ERA over eight relief appearances with the White Sox last season. He finished the '16 campaign strong, with one run allowed over his final 15 innings for Triple-A Charlotte, and will try to implement the changes made while being used as a starter during Cactus League action. "I think that the difference between forcing weak contact and getting hit hard is [the] angle on your fastball and your other pitches," Fulmer said. "For me, being a smaller guy, it's easier for me to be flat. "They've really put an emphasis on keeping me tall and working down in the zone with the angle, and when I was in Triple-A last year, I was able to work with our pitching coach there and really learn how to keep the ball down and with angle. I continued to do that in the offseason. I feel like I've done a good job of that this spring so far and hopefully I can go out and do the same thing tomorrow." Manager Rick Renteria didn't commit to an opening game lineup, but he did list goals expected from his team over the next five weeks. "Effort, our ability to execute," Renteria said. "I would expect, it's not always clean, but hopefully it is. We use [the games] as a forum to be able to address certain issues and highlight the good and take care of what's not going so well and continue to improve it as we move forward this spring."

3 Buehrle 'blown away' by having number retired By Scott Merkin / MLB.com GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Mark Buehrle took part in an almost eight-minute conference call Friday morning to discuss the White Sox honoring the left-hander with his No. 56 jersey being retired on June 24 prior to a home game with Oakland. When apprised of the length of Friday's call, Buehrle laughed and added it's about 7 minutes, 30 seconds longer than his speech will be in June. "I told my son we get to go out on the field and daddy has to give a speech and he's like, 'What do I get to do?'" Buehrle said. "And I said, 'Sit there and watch.' He said, 'If I'm down there, I'd rather give the speech,' and I'm like, 'Well, have at it.'" Although he was one of the most quotable players during his 12 years with the White Sox, Buehrle never counted public speaking high among his list of likes or hobbies. He's honored to be the 12th player to have his number retired by the organization, but as White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams pointed out, Buehrle's speech will be the most succinct and direct of any in this category. "It's hard to wrap your head around," Buehrle said. "Obviously they called me a month or so ago and told me they thought about doing this and I was blown away and floored by it. It's obviously a great honor. It's something you don't really intend to happen or you don't play for that reason. "You just go out there and play. I had a long, successful career there in Chicago. I just tried to do everything right and that's how I was kind of raised and how I went about it. [White Sox chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] is kind enough to come with this offer about retiring my jersey. I really don't know. "I've been joking around with friends, saying my jersey is going to be up there next to Frank Thomas," Buehrle said. "I grew up watching this guy, it doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem like it belongs up there next to his." Buehrle has loved being at home in Missouri with his wife, Jamie, his kids, Braden and Brooklyn, and their dogs over the past year during the first stage of a retirement that was never officially announced. The southpaw really made up his mind three years ago and after sneaking in as what he described as an unknown, he wanted to exit in the same way following 214 victories, 493 starts and 33 complete games.

4 If not for an illness involving one of the family's dogs, Buehrle would have been part of this current White Sox Spring Training for a brief period per Williams' request. Instead, his next reunion with the organization figures to be on this special weekend. "I'm going to be up there with all those numbers and it doesn't seem right, like that's where I belong," Buehrle said. "I just did what I was supposed to do, had fun with it and lived every day like it was my last." Quintana eager to face USA, teammates in Classic By Scott Merkin / MLB.com GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Colombia's starting pitcher against Team USA on March 10 during Miami's first-round pool play of the 2017 World Baseball Classic will look very familiar to White Sox fans. "Yeah, it's really exciting. I'm happy to be part of this tournament the first time for Colombia," said White Sox ace Jose Quintana, who will get the call for Colombia, as he should on April 3 at home against the Tigers for the White Sox Opening Day. "That's an honor to have the first game. "Everybody in Colombia is excited when this opportunity was there. And it's a huge tournament." Quintana should get two Cactus League starts before he leaves Arizona on March 6 for the competition, during which he will face White Sox teammates Nate Jones and David Robertson, who are on Team USA. "You know all the time they play with me on the same team," a smiling Quintana said. "But I think it's fun too, because it's a good opportunity for us to be part of this tournament: them for the U.S. and me for Colombia." Rodon still throwing White Sox manager Rick Renteria corrected himself in stating that Carlos Rodon played long toss Thursday and not Friday. Rodon will go through long toss again on Saturday. "We're going to give him a few more sessions of those and see where he's at," Renteria said. "I think we still have two more long-toss sessions before we get him out there. It's such a long spring, that for us and him it's the right time. "I'm sure [White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper] will set something up to get him comfortable. But when he gets on the hill and starts on the sides, he's in really good shape." Sign on the dotted line The White Sox agreed to terms on 2017 contracts with the following 25 players: Pitchers (12): Chris Beck, Dylan Covey, Tyler Danish, Carson Fulmer, Lucas Giolito, Brad Goldberg, Tommy Kahnle, Reynaldo Lopez, Juan Minaya, Rodon, Giovanni Soto and Michael Ynoa. Catchers (2): Omar Narvaez and Alfredo Gonzalez.

5 Infielders (6): Tim Anderson, Matt Davidson, Leury Garcia, Yoan Moncada, Tyler Saladino and Yolmer Sanchez. Outfielders (5): Adam Engel, Willy Garcia, Rymer Liriano, Jacob May and Charlie Tilson. Rodon had the top contract of the group at $600,000. With the signings, all members of the White Sox 40-man roster are under contract for the 2017 season. Third to first Todd Frazier continues to improve from a left oblique strain suffered this past Monday on a swing. CARSON FULMER TO START FOR WHITE SOX IN EXHIBITION OPENER By Dan Hayes February 24, :07 AM GLENDALE, Ariz. The White Sox have lined up their first three starting pitchers of the spring starting with Carson Fulmer on Saturday afternoon. The team's 2015 first-round draft pick received the nod as the White Sox open their exhibition schedule against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. CST. Jose Quintana pitches Sunday at home against the Colorado Rockies while Lucas Giolito is set to start at the Cubs on Monday. Fulmer who went 0-2 with an 8.49 ERA in 11 2/3 innings in 2016 likened the start to pitching against the Dodgers in a night game last spring in front of a sellout crowd at Camelback Ranch. "I'm definitely honored," Fulmer said. "It's great. I feel like the coaching staff here stresses that in order to be a good player, you have to put yourself in situations that you are uncomfortable with. I'm not saying I'm uncomfortable with it but it was definitely a unique situation where I can go out there and help us win. So, spring training and the season, our goal is to win and I feel like with the coaching staff putting us young guys in that situation, I think it's going to benefit us." Fulmer is also excited to face his counterpart Saturday, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw. "That's awesome," Fulmer said. "I've been watching him pitch since I was a little kid. I'm definitely pumped to see him out there. It's going to be awesome. "He's one of the best pitchers in baseball. I mean, he's a pitcher that you look up to and for me, it's going to be awesome. I hopefully can keep the scorecard or something." The White Sox also announced Friday they have signed 25 players to one-year contracts, including Fulmer. Carlos Rodon's one-year deal for $600,000 is the highest of the bunch. MARK BUEHRLE 'FLOORED' WHITE SOX WILL RETIRE HIS NUMBER By Dan Hayes February 24, :12 PM GLENDALE, Ariz. He's a little nervous now that he has a speech to make, but Mark Buehrle is enjoying life and has no regrets about retiring from baseball. Addressing the media for the first time since his final game on Oct. 4, 2015, Buehrle said Friday he's right where he wants to be at home with his family. Buehrle determined 3-4 years ago he would retire after his contract expired to spend more time with his wife and kids. The pitcher, who will have his number 56 retired by the White Sox on June 24, said he didn't announce his decision to step away because he hoped to do so with much fanfare.

6 "I knew I was done, that I didn't have the drive any more," Buehrle said on a conference call. "I think a big part of it was missing the family, they weren't up in Toronto the whole season and I think that just kind of drained on me. The reason I didn't say anything I didn't want all the attention. I've always told people I was a young guy that came into the big leagues unknown. Kind of snuck into the big leagues and I wanted to kind of sneak my way out. That's why I haven't said anything, I haven't talked to anybody, I just kind of let it go. Hopefully one day it was just kind of got forgotten and five years down the road, Where's that Buehrle guy? Is he still around?'" Buehrle, who won 161 games and completed 200 innings in 11 straight seasons with the White Sox, has spent the past year-plus on his Missouri farm with his wife, Jamie, and two children, "doing what I've been wanting to do for 20 years," he said. While he misses teammates and life in the clubhouse, Buehrle is at peace with his decision to retire after 16 seasons. He discovered when watching games last season that he didn't miss playing as much as he expected. Buehrle joked that he doesn't want many former teammates to attend the ceremony because it means he'd have to speak in front of a larger audience. He promises to keep his speech brief, similar to the way he pitched. The left-hander even joked that he offered to allow his son to make the speech in his stead. Even though he's one of the most popular players in club history, Buehrle was surprised last month when the White Sox informed him of their plans. He'll be the 12th player to have his number retired by the White Sox. "I was blown away and floored by it," Buehrle said. "It's obviously a great honor. It's something you don't really intend to happen or you don't play for that reason. You just go out there and play. I had a long, successful career there in Chicago. I just tried to do everything right and that's how I was kind of raised and how I went about it. Jerry (Reinsdorf) is kind enough to come with this offer about retiring my jersey. I really don't know. "I've been joking around with friends saying my jersey is going to be up there next to Frank Thomas. I grew up watching this guy. It doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem like it belongs up there next to his. "I'm going to be up there with all those numbers and it doesn't seem right, like that's where I belong. I just did what I was supposed to do, had fun with it and lived every day like it was my last. Now my number is going to be up there. I haven't really soaked everything in. It just doesn't make sense right now." Levine: White Sox Closer David Robertson Goes About Business With Trade Rumors Swirling February 24, :07 AM By Bruce Levine GLENDALE, Ariz. (CBS) At nearly every turn when reporters convene at White Sox closer David Robertson s locker, the conversation turns to trade talk. As the White Sox have embarked on a ground-up rebuilding process, this is unavoidable. Robertson s is a proven closer who could do wonders for contending teams, and everyone knows that. After having a knee cleanup with arthroscopic surgery last fall, the 31-year-old Robertson is ready for whatever fate awaits him. My job is to do my thing and help some of these younger guys along the way, Robertson said. Robertson hasn t been in this situation before. For seven seasons, he played on Yankees teams that were in win-now mode, then he controlled his own destiny when he became a free agent after the 2014 season. It was then that he signed a four-year deal with the White Sox for $44 million. He did so with the thought that the White Sox were on a winning path with a young, talented rotation and a veteran-laden group of position players.

7 The results of Robertson s two seasons with Chicago have been mostly positive. He has converted 71 of 85 save chances, with a 3.41 ERA in 2015 and 3.47 ERA last year. Still, those numbers haven t been good enough in Robertson s mind, as he doesn t like the seven blown saves he had in each of the past two seasons. My knee had nothing to do with my last two seasons, Robertson said. The knee irritated me. That is not why I had a tough season last year. In my opinion, these have been the worst two seasons of my career. I am not happy with it, and I am hoping to definitely improve. I will not blame an injury. We all play with some pain. I should have pitched better. The possibility of getting traded isn t something Robertson worries about as he prepares for 2017, but he knows he could be dealt anytime. I have never been in this situation before, Robertson said. Obviously I play to win. Nothing says we can t do that with this great group of guys. I know the front office has said this is a rebuilding year. I don t know what will happen to me in the process. I will just get ready to play. I will try to help these younger guys along and lead by example. Hopefully if I stay here, I can be a part of a winning team. If I get moved, I still prepare the same way and stay ready to pitch. The tough part is always the family angle. We are always moving our family from point to point. If we are going to move, I would prefer it s sooner than later. I am a baseball player, so I am prepared for what happens. I can t worry about a trade. I can only control what I control. This is a business. People have to make tough decisions all of the time. I don t make them, so that is up to the baseball people. It s out of my hands. Anderson excited to be key block in Chicago White Sox rebuild By Scot Gregor Daily Herald With so many young players in camp, everyone from Chicago White Sox vice president Kenny Williams to new director of player development Chris Getz to new manager Rick Renteria is trying to figure out who can do what. Tim Anderson is one of those youngsters, but the Sox's 23-year-old shortstop is already leaning more toward exclamation point than question mark. "He's pretty happy," Renteria said. "He's loose, he's comfortable. He's starting to get a bit more comfortable with everything, the whole aspect that surrounds the game of baseball." The White Sox's first-round draft pick in 2013 out of East Central (Miss.) Community College, Anderson was initially a very raw talent better known for his basketball prowess. Could he play shortstop? Could he show discipline as a hitter? Anderson answered both questions last season when he joined the Sox from Class AAA Charlotte on June 10. "It was such a blessing to come up and do what I did," the soft-spoken infielder said. In 99 games with the White Sox, Anderson had a.283/.306/.432 hitting line with 22 doubles, 6 triples, 9 home runs, 30 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

8 Among American League rookies, he was first in doubles, tied for first with 33 multihit games, second with 57 runs and third with 116 hits. Anderson, who also showed he has the ability to play shortstop, drew only 7 walks in 292 at-bats from his June debut through the end of August. But as he settled in and started taking more pitches, Anderson walked 6 times in 118 at-bats to close the season. Over the winter, he continued working to become an even better hitter. "I just wanted to work more away because I feel like my strength is away," Anderson said. "I feel like when I tend to kind of pull a little, I seem to roll over a lot of things. It's really just up the middle and away." The Sox still have veterans in camp like Todd Frazier, Jose Abreu, Jose Quintana and Melky Cabrera. Renteria looks to them for leadership, but he already sees a similar quality in Anderson. "We talked about him just being a leader by example," Renteria said. "He doesn't have to say much but I said, 'You can if you want.' But just be a leader by example, by going about your business. I think he's going to continue to develop and be a pretty good piece." As a young holdover from last season, Anderson is excited about continuing to develop with other young players like Yoan Moncada, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, Zack Collins and Zack Burdi. "It's going to be exciting here in a few more years as the guys come up," Anderson said. "We are all young, so we are going to be together for a while."