White Sox not resting on laurels in offseason

~ The World champions added a powerful left-handed bat in Jim Thome.

CHICAGO -- Convinced the Chicago White Sox needed more than just a fine-tuning after their first World Series title in 88 years, general manager Ken Williams brought in the strong left-handed bat he craved by trading for Jim Thome.

Now he hopes to bring back the big right-handed bat from last season by re-signing free agent first baseman Paul Konerko.

"This was something we had to do to give us a little protection in the event Paulie doesn't come back, but it also gives ourselves a chance to have one of the better middle parts of the lineup around," Williams said Friday.

The trade that sent Thome and $22 million in cash from the Phillies to the White Sox for center fielder Aaron Rowand and two minor league pitchers was completed Friday. And now Williams hopes to soon find out what Konerko will do, probably by the winter meetings that begin Dec. 5.

His preference: a lineup with Konerko and Thome batting Nos. 4-5.

"There is nothing more to report," Williams said. "Their stance hasn't changed. He wants to go through the process and take this through the winter meetings. I will remain positive, but at the same time not so much so that I'm not pursuing other avenues in the event he does not come back."

According to Williams, Konerko was aware that the White Sox wanted to acquire Thome. Thome, 35, has 430 career homers, but had elbow surgery in August.

"I told Paulie before we left Chicago not only what I wanted hitting behind him, but I told him who it was. So this did not come as a shock to him," Williams said.

It didn't come as a complete shock to Rowand, either, because he'd heard the rumors, but it was still an emotional experience for him and Williams, who'd watched him develop through the White Sox's minor league system

"This was the hardest conversation I've ever had telling a player because of the closeness of the relationship," Williams said.

But Williams thought the White Sox needed more punch and knew Thome would mix right in with the team's closely knit clubhouse under manager Ozzie Guillen

With promising young players like Brian Anderson and Jerry Owens ready to move in to center field, it was a deal he felt he had to make, especially for a proven slugger like Thome.

"It was just an effort to simply get better," Williams said. "Yes, I loved how we finished the season obviously, but I think I stated very early only that not only we did we want to get to a point where we had a championship, but we wanted to sustain that. I simply felt we had to make some adjustments."