[ThePundit]

Strengths
The middle of the order -- Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye -- can bang with anybody. Outfielder Darin Erstad will add grit to a club that already carries a chip on its shoulder. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski and crew always feel second-best in Chicago to the Cubs, and several of these guys again have things to prove. Dye, for one, is entering the final year of his contract and the Sox haven't made any overtures toward re-signing him. The presence of Erstad also makes the lineup better; I agree with manager Ozzie Guillen that Erstad batting second and Tadahito Iguchi seventh is better than Iguchi hitting second.

Weaknesses
The White Sox need to prove they can still pitch. Sounds funny, but it's true. A rotation that dominated two Octobers ago finished 10th in the AL in ERA in 2006. Mark Buehrle has not had a good spring. Jose Contreras is only getting older. Closer Bobby Jenks had a miserable spring. The Sox are hoping part of that is the desert air, which is tougher on pitchers in the spring than Florida's more humid climate. If not, there's a big problem here.

Difference Maker
Mark Buehrle. This division is all about pitching, and Buehrle's 12-13 record and 4.99 ERA last season ranked as one of the most disappointing aspects of Chicago's season. He's in a walk year -- eligible for free-agency after this season -- and will be pitching for a lot of money.


Player Spotlight

John Danks, LHP
All eyes will be on club's young pitchers. Besides Danks, Gavin Floyd, Charlie Haeger and Nick Masset are impressive and give the Sox plenty of depth now and for the next few seasons.

Chicago White Sox Preview | MLB Baseball at CBS SportsLine.com
ThePundit's prediction: 1st in AL Central. Not making the playoffs again will give them the competitive edge over the Tigers. Maybe because it's Buehrle's walk year, he'll pitch better than he did last year. He can't pitch much worse. What does everybody else think?

[azrael492]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

Chicago White Sox Preview | MLB Baseball at CBS SportsLine.com
ThePundit's prediction: 1st in AL Central. Not making the playoffs again will give them the competitive edge over the Tigers. Maybe because it's Buehrle's walk year, he'll pitch better than he did last year. He can't pitch much worse. What does everybody else think?

I have them in third this year. I think everything just fell in place for them 2 years ago. This is the real Sox team. Buehrle amy be a little better, but he has never shown me that he is the ace of a squad. They will score a lot of runs, but will need to.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

I think both Dye and the team is overrated... I stayed away from Whitesoxs in the GTG draft...