General Manager, Ken Williams, takes the caution route on Jake Peavy
Nothing can be set and done before the spring training session. That holds true for every team in Major League Baseball and while teams are making their efforts count in the offseason period, the action from the spring training will set the tempo up for
the Major Leagues in April. The regular season will kick off on the 1st and that brings a lot of questions to the managers in the clubs.
The Chicago White Sox have been adjusting their bullpen for quite some time. After the departure of Bobby Jenks, there has been much concern over who will feature in the relief role and how many would have to come in to strengthening the starting pitchers’
rotation. Jake Peavy has been one man absent from the horizon. The fifth starter suffered an injury last season and since then has been out of the picture.
However he’s been working hard at rehab following a surgery to repair a detached latissimus dorsi muscle. The starter has voiced his intention to head back to work in the first month of the league season but General Manager Ken Williams is not taking an
idle chance on the player.
“He’s very optimistic and he’s very positive, and we are going to be very judicious in how we formulate a plan for him,” Williams said. “He’s going to absolutely have to prove he’s healthy and ready to go out. We want a full and healthy season, not only
for Chicago, the White Sox this year, but for next year’s White Sox – and I don’t know how many years are left on his contract. He had a good (contract), a real good one.”
Peavy has another year left on his contract after which the club can exercise an option on him in 2013. The fact that there is time left on his stay means things are to be taken lightly. Williams believes the player will be back in a month following the
start of the season. His dilemma however is selecting a starter to replace Peavy. Most are suggesting Lucas Harrell and Phil Humber but there’s a chance to see Jake back on the mound sooner.
John Danks was available to talk about Jake and he wasted no time in sharing his thoughts on the pitcher.
“Jake, when he’s healthy, is a true ace,” said John Danks. “Just the little bit I’ve talked to him, it sounds like he’s doing really well. He’s throwing and is getting back. The sooner the better, because a healthy Jake is a huge boost.”