The White Sox won’t come out of the general managers’ meetings in Tucson, Ariz., with a starting pitcher, but they’re sizing up the possibilities.
The latest suspect in the Sox’s search for a No. 2 starter is Oakland right-hander Cory Lidle, whom the A’s reportedly are shopping for outfield help.
White Sox general manager Ken Williams and A’s GM Billy Beane met for longer than an hour Tuesday, though Williams said nothing could be read into the discussions.
“I’ve spoken to every GM who’s here,” Williams said. “I’m talking to everyone who has a good starting pitcher available.”
Lidle’s name came up in conversations between Williams and Beane last spring, though it ended quickly when the A’s began to emerge from their April slump. Lidle, who turns 31 in March, will earn $4.8 million next year in the final year of a two-year deal. He was 13-6 in 2001 and went 8-10 with a 3.89 earned-run average with the A’s last year, starting out 1-6 with a 6.20 ERA before a one-game demotion to the bullpen. After that game, however, Lidle went 7-4 with a 2.82 earned-run average over his last 19 starts, limiting opposing batters to a .217 average.
He didn’t get a start in the postseason, as then-manager Art Howe used his Big Three of Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson in the A’s five-game loss to Minnesota in the division series.
The A’s are looking for a big bat in the lineup and could be interested in left fielder Carlos Lee. The Sox aren’t expected to trade any of their top minor-league talent, including outfielder Joe Borchard, which makes Lee obvious trade bait.
The Sox aren’t expected to make any moves at the GM meetings, preferring to wait until the winter meetings in Nashville on Dec. 13. After shedding the contracts of Ray Durham, Royce Clayton and Sandy Alomar Jr. last July, Williams should have enough in the budget to obtain a top starter and still keep the payroll in line for 2003.
