While the mantra out of the south side of Chicago the last few months has been to go younger, the team has been signing the all-stars from the 2000 season.  In Omar Vizquel though, they get an extra coach.  In Andruw Jones, the latest player to be locked up by the White Sox, they get some one they can release by the end of April when Jayson Nix is ready to come to the majors.  They also send the signal to Nix that he better show up at spring training ready to play.  The theory, I am sure, is that the Sox  won’t want to bring Nix up to sit and watch, better for him to spend time in AAA actually swinging and hitting balls than watching other hit balls.  The $500,000 contract pays Jones for close to league minimum, so if the team does release him, they won’t owe him money to play for another team.  It won’t be that Jones will ever be an everyday player.   Someone else will hold that spot either Nix, Teahen or one we aren’t aware of yet.  Nix though can show up and prove he is ready to play everyday, and then Jones will be gone.

What’s nice to see is that Williams is out there getting his team set. He knows what is out there and available, and he is seizing the opportunity to get his team set, rather than hemming and hawing hoping to make something happen that will never materialize.   There is still time to upgrade in several areas, and yet, Williams has a team that can compete in place.  Additionally, he has some pieces to trade, and some back-ups to his back-ups.

The White Sox at this moment do not look like AL Champions- but they have pieces that if everything breaks right, they could be there at the end.  There is plenty of time to fortify that plan in the next 6-8 months.

The fact that Kenny Williams can take his time comes from the fact he has been in his job so long.  He has learned that he doesn’t keep his job by spending money in one lump sum just because he can.  He keeps his job by spending wisely.  That’s not always going to work out, but it is much better than overspending an having it not work out. 

There is still time, spring training is still months away.