AL Central Preview - The Sox

Does it matter that the White Sox are 7-19 in spring training?
That's a .269 winning percentage - not exactly setting the tone for a title defense.
Nearly every baseball publication I've come across has picked the Sox to get back to the World Series - and why not?
The Red Sox and Yankees are ancient with crappy pitching, while Chicago added Jim Thome and Javier Vazquez.
(The fact that they lost their excellent CF and have no bullpen, while the Twins and Tigers both look significantly improved apparently has gone unnoticed.)
But a close look at the Sox suggests that they won't be able to just cruise to the title.
The AL Central will be strong 1-4, and if they don't catch seemingly every break like they did a year ago, the Sox might struggle to repeat.
Probable Starting Lineup:
LF Scott Podsednik
2B Tadahito Iguchi
DH Jim Thome
1B Paul Konerko
RF Jermaine Dye
3B Joe Crede
C AJ Pierzynski
SS Juan Uribe
CF Brian Anderson
Starting Rotation:
LH Mark Buehrle
RH Freddy Garcia
RH Jose Contreras
RH Jon Garland
RH Javier Vazquez
Closer: Bobby Jenks
It would be fair to say, as many have, that the White Sox simply have the fewest amount of questions entering the season, which is a perfectly sound reason for favoring them.
On the other hand, this is a team for which nearly everything went right last year - and I have a hunch it won't go that way this time around.
And when it doesn't, how will the players respond to Ozzie Guillen's antics?
He's already called his closer, the unproven Bobby Jenks, a "fatass." (hey, at least he tells the truth) and he has a bad tendency to speak first without thinking of how his words might be perceived.
Personally, I thought the moment the Sox hired Guillen that he'd be a perfect fit. The Sox were a talented team that simply needed a kick in the ass - a manager to challenge them, rather than tell them how much better they were than the Twins like Jerry Manuel did. But now that he got them to win I wonder how he'll motivate them as favorites, rather than underdogs.
There are a few questions with this team, starting in CF, where rookie Brian Anderson replaces the vastly underrated Aaron Rowand. And who's the closer? The 290-pound Jenks, who had a great postseason but had done nothing in the bigs before that? With Dustin Hermanson injured and Damaso Marte and Luis Vizcaino gone, the Sox are seriously thin in the pen.
Last year perennial underachiever Jon Garland went 18-10 with a 3.50 ERA. Do you think he'll do that again? I don't.
I also have my doubts about 52-year old Cuban Jose Contreras, while Javier Vazquez, the 5th starter, is way overrated. Buehrle and Garcia are, however, as good as it gets 1-2.
Offensively, Jim Thome and Paul Konerko could be deadly in the 3-4 spots. I don't think Thome is the same player he was five years ago, but I don't think he's finished, either.
2B Tadahito Iguchi was the most underrated acquistion in all of baseball last year, helping to shore up what was once a terrible infield. However, Iguchi has been awful this spring, hitting below .150. It's possible that ML pitchers have adjusted to him.
LF Scott Podsednik is also battling injuries. He's another guy who could see a drop off in production in his second year in the AL.
C AJ Pierzynski is a lot like Ozzie. When you're winning everyone thinks he's funny and makes the clubhouse a better place. If things go bad, he's often made a scapegoat for problems. We'll see how things play out with him as well. Rob Mackowiak gives them a strong bench player.
The Good: Deep and balanced lineup, 5 starters capable of throwing 200 innings, defense has no gold glovers but no liabilities.
The Bad: Brian Anderson has very big shoes to fill in CF, bullpen could be the worst in the division if Jenks doesn't get it together.
Best-case scenario: Thome hits 40 homers in front of Konerko; Iguchi and Podsednik ignite the top of the order; Anderson has a rookie of the year type season replacing Rowand; Jenks saves 40; Garland and Contreras do it again; Vazquez settles in as the 5th starter. Sox go back to the series.
Worst-case scenario: A couple bad breaks early, combined with the strong play of the rest of the division, cause the Sox to press. Guillen's loud-mouth act wears thin, Thome goes on DL, Iguchi and Podsednik fall off some, Anderson goes back to AAA, bullpen is a disaster and bottom half of rotation bombs. Sox barely manage .500.
Chicago White Sox
Manager: Ozzie Guillen
Offense: A-
Defense: B
Starting Pitching: A-
Bullpen: C-
Bench: B
Prediction: 88-74 2nd in AL Central