PHOENIX — A payroll in excess of $125 million has given White Sox general manager Ken Williams plenty of sleepless nights.
“Hell no, I’m not comfortable with the payroll right now, we’re out on a limb,” Williams said Tuesday. “But that’s our choice. We made the choice in an effort to give our fans hope and give ourselves a chance to compete for a championship.
“If things don’t fall our way, if we don’t get the support, we’ll lose money. We’re going to lose money but we’ve gone into this knowing how long can you do that, how much can you absorb? Well I don’t have the answers to those questions just yet, but we made this decision. But it’s a risky proposition.”
Buehrle prefers Danks: The Sox’s rotation is aligned so that Mark Buehrle will pitch the April 1 opener in Cleveland, but Buehrle says John Danks should get the nod.
“If they come to me, obviously, what am I going to do?” Buehrle said. “Tell them ‘no?’ If they give me the option or toss it between (me) and Danks, go ahead and hand it to him. The last couple of years he has been better than me. It has to change here before long.”
Danks said Buehrle will be the Opening Day starter “until the day he dies. I’ll take it after he leaves.”
Manager Ozzie Guillen said he would wait until naming an Opening Day starter but confirmed Buehrle is the favorite to make it eight straight. The Sox have kept their April 6 game open against the Royals in the unlikely event Jake Peavy is ready.
Extra innings: Paul Konerko said his 12 years with the Sox ranks second to winning a World Series on his list of accomplishments. “It takes a relationship with the team, decisions have to be made on both sides,” Konerko said. “And everyone has to want that to happen in today’s business because it’s so easy to go in the other direction so many times and for them to do the same.” … Peavy said his right shoulder feels fine, and he will throw batting practice Wednesday. … The Sox will meet Wednesday morning with members of Major League Baseball’s security department.
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