Sitting down to eat I notice that the cheese of my enchiladas is oozing out of every corner of the tortilla. How does that relate to the Chicago White Sox? Well like my delicious meal the Sox have talent oozing out of every corner of their organization. Having seen things first-hand for the past 3 weeks, I can give you fans hope for the present and the future.

Last year, anyone who was anyone predicted the team to languish near the bottom of the Central Division. They, whoever THEY are was wrong. Once again, those same they guys are predicting the same fate for the 2013 version of the Sox. They will be wrong again!

Am I going to go out on a limb and say the Sox will win the division? No, but they won’t be a second-rate team. I see the same quiet determination that I observed last year. These guys want to close the deal that they were unable to do in 2012.

Expect the same solid number from Paul Konerko. By solid I mean 25 home runs, not 35, and 80 RBI’s. He is a prideful player and wouldn’t be taking the field if was to just collect a check. Same for Adam Dunn, who looks and acts like a guy ready to explode. He has made it a point to be more aggressive early in counts, so that should, and I am saying should lead to more success, and possible more home runs.

The rest of the infield is defensively solid, if not spectacular. Gordon Beckham is a Gold Glove 2nd baseman. The same goes with Alexei Ramirez, who still makes all the spectacular plays, but can fumble away a routine one from time to time. 3rd base is a hodge-podge, Jeff Keppinger was signed to take the roll, and very well might, but don’t count out the quiet Morel. Morel looks to have added muscle, while his creaky back appears to be a thing of the past. However, herniated disks do have a way of rearing their ugly heads, so until he plays 80+ games there will still be trepidation in the organization. Anyhow, when healthy, Morel can pick it with the best of em. And if he swings the bat like he did near the end of 2011, Keppinger will find himself playing a lot of other positions besides third.

Beckham is the x-factor though. He looked to be figuring things out in the 2nd half of last year, and should be up to the .250′s this year as far as batting average. I do think his power numbers will decrease a tad though. If Ramirez gets off to a good start with the bat, he’ll have a great year. If not, he’ll have a good one. I think we all know what to expect from the shortstop.

Things will get real interesting if Dayan Viciedo and Alejandro De Aza continue to mature. Viciedo has the ability to his 40 home runs. I said the ability….and he very well might, if he cuts down on his swing, something I have not seen him do this spring.

De Aza will never get the respect he deserves because he is not a glamour name, but he could swipe 40-50bases. His average will continue to climb as well if he incorporates bunting into his game. Haven’t seen him do that yet, and I don’t expect him to. I can hope, can’t I?

From what I have seen so far, Alex Rios could have an even better year than his 2012 career year. Rios is locked in, and we haven’t even gotten out of February. He is also taking the ball to right on a regular basis, which should move his numbers in a positive direction. Expect a better than average year for Rios, who is 32 and in his prime.

It’s the pitching that really excites me. Chris Sale has the arm, makeup and demeanor to be a big winner in baseball. He is always looking for ways to improve, picking the brains of other pitchers and any coach who has an opinion. Another guy that I expect to explode will be Jake Peavy. Peavy threw a ton of innings, and could very well do it again this year. He also has his swagger back. By that I mean he isn’t wondering if he can come back, he knows he is back, and one of baseballs best. I think he’ll be in the top 5 of the Cy Young voting.

John Danks looks ready to go, but until I see him in regular action, I will reserve judgment. Knowing him and watching him, it’s hard not to pull for him.

I know a lot of people don’t like Gavin Floyd, but his numbers are solid every year. Usually winning in double-digits with a passable ERA. You another guy who was like that? Jon Garland. Garland did have two 18 win seasons and helped the team win a title, but Floyd won 17 games back in 2008. He like, Garland was close to .500 most of the rest of his career, similar to Garland. Anyhow, Floyd says he’s healthy, but like Danks, I’ll believe it when I see it.

Jose Quintana, I want him to win a bunch of games. However, he could be one of those guys who surprises one year, then fades away in his second. I have a hunch that could happen to this guy, but I have been wrong once or twice in my life–haha.

The bullpen is loaded with great arms. From Addison Reed to Nate Jones to Jesse Crain, Matt Lindstrom and Matt Thornton, there is a lot of heat in them arms. I didn’t even mention Donnie Veal or Leyson Septimo or Hector Santiago, who very possibly will make up the rest of the pen. This will be the strength of the Sox and should win them a number of games.

Following them could be Simon Castro, Scott Snodgress, Dylan Axelrod, Nestor Molina, Andre Rienzo and more. The Sox are stacked with good arms who can start or relieve. Not many teams have the plethora of arms the Sox have.

All told, this should be a good year for the Sox. I am saying they will finish second with about 82 wins.

Now back to my enchiladas..Yummy!

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At age 36 and soon to be 37, Paul Konerko’s upside days for fantasy purposes are well behind him and his first half/second half splits from 2012 give us fantasy players pause on investing in him. What are your expectations from Konerko this season and would you draft him for 2013?

Great question!! On drafting the Sox icon, my answer is yes, and no. Nowadays, Konerko is a low round pick, but he is still is a guy that can put up decent numbers as shown by what he did last year. 26 home runs and 75 RBI’s isn’t too shabby, but it is a severe drop off from previous years. Optimists could equate that Konerko’s troubles stem from the lower body injuries he suffered the past couple years, or the wrist injury he got fixed this off-season. I just think father time is knocking on his door. His stats were down in almost every category, from hits, home runs, doubles, and walks. This year, I would expect about a .295 average, but the power numbers will continue to trend downward–think between 16-20. Draft with caution.

2) Alex Rios had a bounce back campaign in 2012, hitting .304 with 25 HRs and 23 steals and it’s pushing him up the draft boards for 2013. Given his inconsistent track record, how confident are you that Rios can come close to doing what he did in 2012 again in 2013?

Alex Rios had a career year last year, setting highs in average, home runs and RBI’s, but I think he’ll be hard-pressed to do it again. With Konerko on the downside of his career, and not sure what Adam Dunn will do, who will be Rios protection in the lineup? Keppinger, Beckham, Viciedo, Ramirez? If we know that, you can be sure that other teams know that as well. Rios is also an impatient hitter as his 26 walks in 605 plate appearances will attest, so watch for him to start swinging at bad pitches if he continually gets pitched around. The stolen bases are nice, and he should put up decent numbers in that category, but I wouldn’t bet your entire draft on him duplicating last seasons numbers.

3) With the departure of A.J., Tyler Flowers is getting a shot at being the full-time catcher for the White Sox. Though the power gets us excited with a .183 career ISO, the 33.8% strikeout rate is going to scare a lot of fantasy players away from investing. What do you see from Flowers in 2013? Is there any reason to think he could hit above .240?

This is a tough one, because I have been in Flowers corner the past three years. However, I find it hard to project who he’ll be. He has had only 273 career at bats, which is too small a sample size to say whether he’ll hit .250 or .190. The strike outs and low average have followed him of late. Just take his final couple seasons in Charlotte where in 568 at bats he hit a measly .235 with 205 strike outs. He has been working with hitting coach Jeff Manto this off-season so he could surprise, but as of early February I would expect an average in the low .220′s. Don’t be surprise if he hits close to 20 home runs though.

4) Gordon Beckham’s career started so promising but from most of the underlying stats, he seems to be trending downward. Is this a put up or shut up year for Beckham and is there any reason for optimism in drafting him for the 2013 fantasy season?

I am of the firm belief that Beckham will turn the corner this season. His numbers in the last couple months of the 2012 season leads me to believe that this’ll be his year. I know .242 isn’t eye-popping but for those waiting for Beckham to find his way, it is a improvement. And 16 home runs put him tied for 7th among MLB 2nd baseman. He has been frustrating, but this year I think he’ll reward Chisox fans for their patience. Just think how much he’d be worth if he could just hit a hard .270.

5) When the season’s over, what will people most remember about this White Sox team for 2013?
A) Chris Sale & Jake Peavy combine to put up Cy Young-type numbers. Unfortunately, by ‘combine’ we mean neither pitches for the full season due to injury.
B) Dayan Viciedo has a breakout season, hitting over 30 HRs.
C) Adam Dunn is re-nicknamed ‘the Big Ass’ as he returns to 2011 form and his career is officially over (or Dunn if you’d like a pun point).
D) Ozzie Guillen is brought back on board with the White Sox, this time as director of public relations.
E) With their states having legalized pot, the Rockies & Mariners get interested in Jordan and John as their scouts tell them they’re both Dank.

With spring fast approaching, I will stay optimistic, so I am gonna say B, although D would be the ultimate. Dayan Viciedo has the ability to mash as we all saw in May and a part of August. This was the young Cuban’s first full season in the bigs and he still went yard 25 times while driving in 78. The .255 average should be in the 270′s in 2013. Like a lot of young hitters, he takes walks only if he is forced to so his OBP will be low. The Sox are banking on his to make the transition rom the Konerko era a little less painful. My concern with the guy is his weight. He is listed at 240, and a lot of that isn’t muscle. If he cuts down on the carbs, he may cut down many a pitcher. With fingers crossed and pencil in hand I say yes, 30 home runs for Viciedo in 2013.

The other questions..for fun

About A–I have faith that each will make about 30 starts each and win upwards of 15.
C–Adam Dunn is a huge man, so I would call him that if I was driving away at a very fast speed.
D just makes me dream of the endless possibilities.
And E.. Jordan could very well be dealt to the Mariners, but unless he shows he can pitch, the Sox will be saddled with that John Danks contract for the next 4 years.

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Commentary| With the holidays now behind us, it’s time to look forward to another fast-approaching baseball season. Hard to believe that pitchers and catchers report in just over a month. With that in mind, let me take a look at the pitching staff of the 2013 Chicago White Sox. The Pale Hose may have a couple moves left, but I’m talking about right now–early January.

The Sox rotation is Jake Peavy, Chris Sale, John Danks, Jose Quintana and Gavin Floyd. On paper that looks pretty good, but as we all know, the game is played on the field. The first question I need answered is how will last season’s innings affect Sale and Quintana?

Sale threw an astounding 192 innings in 2012, which is almost 100 more than he threw in his first two seasons combined. In his first 95.1 innings last year, Sale’s ERA was 2.27, while allowing 68 hits. In his final 96.1 innings his ERA was 3.83 and he gave up 99 hits. I also wonder if his (very) lean body is capable of throwing 200 or more innings every year? It’s unfair to say he’ll be like former Sox lefty Mark Buehrle, who’s twirled 200+ innings for 12 straight seasons. But for the Sox to contend, Sale will have to get close to the magical 200 inning mark. And it’s not just the pitching that Sale will have to deal with, he’ll also have to contend with raised expectations from media and fans. I promise you he’ll have a camera or pad shoved in his face every day in the spring. Also, don’t think for one minute that the league won’t make adjustments to his unorthodox style of pitching. From the intensity standpoint, Sale is a miniature version of Jake Peavy so he has the mental strength to persevere. I think Sale will win 14 games.

Jose Quintana is an even bigger question mark. The guy came out of nowhere in 2012 to post numbers that not even the most astute baseball pundits could have predicted. He finished 6-6 with a 3.76 ERA, and he kept the Sox in most games until the end. It’s those last six starts that concern me. In the thick of a pennant race, Quintana posted an ERA of 7.23 in just 31.1 IP. Quintana also allowed 41 hits and 19 walks in the same span. Was he just tired, or did the league catch up to him? I’ll admit, he did pitch a whale of a game against the Detroit Tigers in early September, and a decent one against the fading Los Angeles Angels, but you and I have to be concerned. I’ll also point out that the left-hander pitched 184 innings (combining Charlotte stats with the Sox)–which is just 67.1 innings less than he pitched the previous 5 seasons. Can anyone guess how he’ll fare in 2013? I don’t think so. One part of me wants to say his magic will continue in 2013, but there’s an even bigger part that thinks he’ll be back in Charlotte by June. If pitching coach Don Cooper does what he always does, Quintana could win eight to ten games.

Yes, John Danks is a question mark too. We’ll all know in early February if Danks is the guy who was tapped to replace Buehrle, or the guy who is tapped out. Knowing what kind of person he is and his work ethic, I lean to the positive side. He may not find his rhythm until the second half, but I still think he’ll win between eight to 12 games. That might be a shade low because I guarantee you he wasn’t happy watching his guys battle every day. Another thing to remember is that he’ll be extremely motivated to get back out on the mound and prove he is worth all the money the Sox spent to keep him.

I feel bad for Gavin Floyd. Great guy, good pitcher, but it seems like he can never get comfortable in Chicago. His name has been bandied about for the past few years. He’s headed to the Red Sox, Angels, Padres, who knows. Let me tell you, it makes him less than happy. I know from meeting a lot of Sox fans, they are not happy with him either. He can be maddening–pitch three great games, followed by three duds. At least until this past year, Floyd has always been an innings eater, averaging 195 innings over the previous four. Elbow soreness and other ailments allowed him to only throw 168 in 2012. Is that a sign of things to come, or could it disguise an even bigger problem? Saying he is healthy, and with the team all year, pencil in eleven wins.

Last, but not least, is Jake Peavy. Peavy won eleven games last season, but with a little more run support could have picked up about five more. He was even better at the end of the season, posting a 3.78 ERA in his last six starts. Take out the start against the Angels where he allowed five runs, and his ERA drops to an even three. The 219 innings scare me a tad, but I think he’ll come back even stronger this year. There is no more determined, driven guy in the league. He loves the Sox fans too, and I’m sure he still thinks he has a lot to prove after being injured in his first few years in town. He’ll also want to live up to his new contract. With run support, I believe Peavy will win 18 and finish top five in the Cy Young balloting. Call me crazy, but that’s my thinking.

All told, I think these Sox starter pitchers will win about 58 games–give or take. In my opinion, the Tigers are better. The Royals are pretty good too. I’m not too concerned about the Twins or the Indians, although in the future they could be pretty solid.

Next time I look at the bullpen.

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