Kenny doesn’t have any money

Rogers:

Williams took a knee throughout Figgins’ brief time on the free-agent market, unable to do anything except wish him well after he agreed to a four-year, $36 million deal with the Mariners.

“I don’t have any money,” said Williams, who projects the Sox’s payroll to wind up near $100 million. “I would have loved to (add him), but it didn’t work.”

it’s not due to the Rios claim says Kenny:

“We wanted that player,” Williams said. “We don’t look at (the situation) as a hindrance. We look at him as an answer to one problem we’ve had for a long time. This guy is a career .280 hitter with power speed, with speed, with defense. We’re happy to have him.”

Gonzales says the Sox have about $20 million to spend.

Kenny is waiting for bargains

Kenny sees more players signings after the Winter Meetings next week and that could mean better bargains, like for a leadoff hitter:

“As much as 90 percent of the other teams in the league that don’t have the ideal leadoff guy. Just like we had Orlando Cabrera a couple years ago. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but we won a division title with it.  You look at some of the teams that are around that have been successful, and they don’t have the ideal guy.”

Kenny, also, isn’t worrying about a backup catcher:

“We’ve asked around a litlte bit, we’ve had some talks, but we don’t see it as a sitatuion where we have to do something that doesn’t fit in what we’re trying to do overall, because we do have options there at the positton.”

And Andruw Jones wants to compete for a starting outfield spot but he’s seen more as a backup.

BTW, Buster Olney hears the Sox don’t have much payroll flexibility.

UPDATE: Rest assured, the Sox won’t be forfeiting the #1 spot in the hitting order says Kenny.

Kenny Williams on Hideki Matsui and Chone Figgins

Kenny on Hideki Matsui:

“I think he’s an excellent outfielder and I think he’s a World Series MVP. How can I not have as much respect for him as I could possibly have?” said the White Sox general manager with a wry smile. “I would imagine he’s going to command in salary more than we can afford to pay him. But should he want what we have available … you never know.”

This philosophy espoused by Williams in regard to Matsui should pretty much be applied to any and all big-ticket free agents where the White Sox are concerned. At least that image was depicted by Williams during his 45-minute chat on the state of the White Sox and Major League Baseball’s general economic climate. During a Friday conference call, Williams mentioned how the White Sox would spend whatever they had to break even, but there wasn’t much there to spend. That idea was driven home again Monday. “Our bottom line is we are not going to spend more than we have,” Williams said. “Well, there’s always hope that people get excited about the club. The economy comes back up and advertising and sponsorship levels increase. I know our marketing and sales people are working their tails off to try to find new ways to bring in revenue. “So, whatever we have, we will work with it and try to be creative, if necessary,” Williams said.

and Chone Figgins:

Williams was pushed a little further on this matter, asked if the White Sox had money for one free-agent addition. He quickly smiled and said it would depend on who that free agent would be. When the name brought up as an example was Chone Figgins, the Angels’ outstanding leadoff man, Williams didn’t hesitate in knocking down that present possibility. “If you are asking me today if we have those kinds of dollars, the answer is no,” Williams said. “We don’t have that kind of money.” …

Matsui is a no compensation free-agent. Figgins is a Type-B free-agent.

… but not Chone Figgins

from Bruce Miles’ GM meetings report:

It doesn’t look like Chone Figgins, late of the Angels, is a monetary fit for either team in Chicago. “That’s not ‘little,’” Kenny said of the kind of money Figgins will be looking for.

and

Kenny Williams said he feels about outfielder Jordan Danks the same way at this time that he felt about Gordon Beckham last year. That’s high praise. So maybe we will see Danks at the Cell come spring

or Kenny is preparing to ship him out of town!

Figgins is is a Type-A free-agent.

It’s alive! It’s alive!

Phil Rogers says Konerko-for-Figgins is still alive!

Teahen’s arrival — not yet official, although widely reported — would position the White Sox to deal Paul Konerko this winter, assuming Konerko is willing to waive his no-trade rights. Konerko has one year left on his contract and isn’t believed to have received overtures about staying past 2010. He could be attractive to teams looking for leadership and run-production, with San Francisco, Arizona, Boston and the Angels among the possibilities. Shedding his $12-million salary would make it easier to pursue a top free agent, such as the long rumored Chone Figgins. …

Chone Figgins doesn’t fit the current budget [UPDATE]

says Ozzie:

“I don’t think Figgins. To be honest with you, would we like to have players like him? [Bleep], everybody does. But this kid is going to cost you a lot of money. If we figure out this guy is going to solve our problem, then [board chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] will take a shot because Jerry wants to win. Jerry wants to win. [general manager] Kenny [Williams] wants to win. I want to win. Everybody wants to win. In the meanwhile, Kenny is going to go see the market and we are going to see how … I would love to have [Scott] Podsednik back but that’s my call. It’s between Podsednik’s agent and Kenny and the White Sox, but we just need someone. That was our problem this year, our center field problem was pretty deep.”

Dye isn’t even in Ozzie’s plans:

“Having Rios at the start of the season will make everything easier. With Rios, Quentin and whoever is out there, hopefully Podsednik, but I don’t make that call. There are a lot of names out there but I’m not going to tell you we bring this guy or that guy because I don’t know exactly. I know where we are going when you trade for Peavy and Rios. We are going in the right direction. We are going to win. We do things little by little and hopefully everything work out.”

And Carlos Quentin will moving from left field to right field says Cowley.

UPDATE: Gregor says the Angels, Cubs, and Yankees seem more possible destinations for Figgins.

And Gonzales says “Guillen is relieved the rotation appears set.”

Sox to re-sign Freddy?

MLBTR dissects John Perrotto’s column. Here’s one nugget:

The White Sox plan to re-sign Freddy Garcia to be their fifth starter.

BTW, here’s another MLBTR post: The Sox like Chone Figgins.

Let the off-season plans begin!

Cowley:

There’s only one offseason target on [Kenny] Williams’ radar. The money off the books in losing Jim Thome, Jose Contreras, Octavio Dotel as well as possibly Jermaine Dye and Jenks not only covers the losses in ’09 and the additions of Peavy and Rios, but allows Williams one big-ticket item. In this case, a speedy-ticket item.

Chone Figgins, come on down!

The Sox have been infatuated with the speedy leadoff hitter for four years, and now that he becomes a free agent, they’ll make a serious play for him. If the asking price on Figgins is too high, then Scott Podsednik becomes Plan B, as well as talking to Dye about redoing a short-term contract and becoming a designated hitter.

Needz moar Casey Cotchman!

Mark Buehrle to the rescue!

Mark Gonzales looks at the Sox financial picture:

“We follow the traditional business model,” said Boyer, the Sox’s vice president/chief marketing officer. “Projected revenues minor projected expenses equal the player payroll.” Boyer admits the Sox were “sitting on more inventory than anticipated” until Mark Buehrle’s perfect game July 23 accelerated ticket sales. Sales for the Sept. 25-27 series against the division leading Tigers have increased, and a four-game series against the Red Sox — a traditionally strong attraction — Sept. 4-7 could accelerate.

Gonzales notes tht A.J. Pierzynski will gain full no-trade rights (10 and 5 player) at the middle of next season.