Can the White Sox add Konerko and a significant left-handed bat?
With 13 players already under contract for 2011 at just over $80 million, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of spending flexibility with a payroll figuring to check in around last year’s $104 million. Don’t count out general manager Ken Williams in creative operating. If Konerko does return for two or three years, the South Siders might have to use one of their starting pitchers, packaged with another young player or two, to secure that left-handed run producer. Also, remember that a Type A free agent doesn’t always indicate an impact player in Williams’ mind. Make no mistake, acquiring a left-handed hitter is an offseason priority. It would seem unlikely the White Sox would add both Konerko and, let’s say, Adam Dunn through free agency with the bullpen and catcher still needing to be addressed. Does the White Sox future outlook matter to Konerko? White Sox players, such as Pierzynski, Konerko and Buehrle, have the same philosophy: They are in it to win it. It’s not about individual accol
