Your 2009 White Sox

Looks like the White Sox’ 25-man roster is all set after Monday’s moves. Barring any late changes/injuries, the Sox are keeping 12 pitchers: Mark Buehrle Gavin Floyd John Danks Jose Contreras Bartolo Colon Bobby Jenks Scott Linebrink Matt Thornton Octavio Dotel Mike MacDougal D.J. Carrasco Clayton Richard The Sox are keeping 7 infielders: Paul Konerko Jim Thome (DH) Chris Getz Alexei Ramirez Josh Fields Wilson Betemit Brent Lillibridge The Sox are keeping 4 outfielders (note: Lillibridge can also play center): Jermaine Dye Dewayne Wise Carlos Quentin Brian Anderson The Sox are keeping 2 catchers: A.J. Pierzynski Corky Miller That’s 25 by my count, and here are some thoughts as the White Sox wrap up a long training camp: Wise clearly beat out Jerry Owens (who was waived) for the starting job in center field. Can he handle the leadoff spot? The Sox are going to find out, and they are really rolling the dice on a journeyman that has a career .214 batting average and .254 on-base percentage. There is something about Wise, though. He nearly signed with the Somerset (N.J.) Patriots in the independent Atlantic League last year before agreeing to a minor-league deal with the White Sox. Wise wound up playing in 57 games in 2008, batting .248 with a .293 on-base percentage. The 31-year-old outfielder hit .286 (2-for-7) in the playoffs, including a big 3-run homer vs. Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the ALDS. He led the Sox with 5 RBI in the series. Wise’s long history (he was originally the Reds’ fifth-round draft pick in 1997) is littered with stints on the disabled list. With the Blue Jays in 2000, he missed almost three months with an inflamed big toe. He fractured his right thumb with Class AAA Syracuse in 2003. With AAA Louisville in ’06, it was a sprained right ankle. In ’07, with Louisville again, it was a strained right hamstring. Maybe a healthy Wise is a good Wise. Sure looks like we’ll find out. MacDougal pitched himself off the White Sox’ 40-man roster last season and would have been released if not for the $2.65 million he’s owed this year. He’s had a great spring (19 strikeouts in 12 innings), but MacDougal is still trying to put a disastrous 2007 (2-5, 6.80 ERA) behind him. If the lanky right-hander can throw the ball over the plate, he’s as good as any reliever in baseball. As for Abraham “Corky” Miller, he batted just .083 (5-for-60) in 31 games with the Braves last season. But the 33-year-old reserve catcher was 6-for-15 throwing out base stealers. Last year, backup Toby Hall was 3-for-46 and Pierzynski wasn’t much better at 11-for-107.