WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF DECEMBER 18, 2017 “Former White Sox players return to rep team”… Scott Merkin, MLB.com “White Sox reportedly not offering up top prospects for Manny Machado” … Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago “Jose Contreras, Tim Raines join A.J. Pierzynski as new White Sox ambassadors” … Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago “Player injured at Guaranteed Rate Field sues White Sox for negligence” … Staff, Chicago Tribune “Tim Raines joins A.J. Pierzynski, Jose Contreras as White Sox ambassadors” … Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune “Ballplayer sues White Sox over injury at Guaranteed Rate Field” … Tom Schuba, Chicago Tribune “Jose Contreras embracing new role with White Sox” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Rick Hahn: Acquiring more talent, inspiring more dreams” … Jon Greenberg, The Athletic “The votes are in for The Athletic Chicago’s Person of the Year” … Jon Greenberg, The Athletic “White Sox have eyes trained on players’ offseason progress, but balance is key” … James Fegan, The Athletic “Q&A: Nick Hostetler on slow starts, best player available myths and the deepest draft he’s ever seen” … James Fegan, The Athletic “Jose Contreras aims to make transitions for Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert easier than his own” … James Fegan, The Athletic “Ballplayer sues White Sox over injury at Guaranteed Rate Field” … Staff, NBC Chicago “Ex-Yankee sues White Sox over season-ending injury” … Greg Joyce, New York Post “MLB player sues White Sox, Illinois over injury suffered in outfield” … Matt Bonesteel, The Washington Post “Former Yankees Outfielder Dustin Fowler is suing the White Sox” … Charlotte Carroll, Sports Illustrated “Dustin Fowler, former Yankee, sues White Sox over injury” … Nicholas Parco, New York Daily News “Dustin Fowler suing White Sox, Guaranteed Rate Field agency for serious knee injury” … Staff, ESPN.com Former White Sox players return to rep team Contreras, Pierzynski, Raines brought aboard as ambassadors By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | Dec. 15, 2017 CHICAGO -- Jose Contreras was working out recently when he received a call from White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams to rejoin the organization as a team ambassador. "I was almost in shock," Contreras said through interpreter Billy Russo during a Friday conference call following the official announcement. "I had to discuss it with my family, and we're ready to do it because it's a very good opportunity. "Baseball is my life. I've been around it for 30 years." The White Sox also announced A.J. Pierzynski and Hall of Famer Tim Raines as part of Friday's new ambassador trio, joining Harold Baines, Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk, Mike Huff, Bo Jackson, Ron Kittle, Carlos May, Bill Melton, Donn Pall, Dan Pasqua and Mike Squires. Team ambassadors make appearances on behalf of the organization and serve as team representatives in the community and throughout baseball. "It's always good to have former White Sox back and looking to contribute," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said of the new ambassadors. "It's a testament to their time here and their loyalty to [chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] and appreciation to him." "I'm looking forward to it," said Raines, who played five years for the White Sox and coached for two years, joining Contreras and Pierzynski as part of the 2005 World Series championship team. "Being a part of an organization after being a player is sort of giving back, giving back to the game, giving back to some of the players that are trying to reach their goal as far as being Major Leaguers. I feel like that's my way of giving back." Contreras' role runs deeper within the organization. The 46-year-old will do work on the baseball side and spend time in the Minor Leagues with some of the club's Latin players to help in their acclimation to being pro players in the states. This job already has been achieved unofficially by Contreras, who served as a mentor to Cuban countrymen Alexei Ramirez and Dayan Viciedo while playing for the White Sox. Contreras had two years of big league experience before his '05 season, which stands as the best of his career. Contreras credits that development, in part, to the presence of fellow Cuban Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez guiding him in the rotation. Cuban natives Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert all hold significant roles in the current White Sox rebuild. "When I left the island, I spent 11 years after I was able to come back," Contreras said. "My dad died and I had to bury him by phone. I wasn't able to come back there to be with him or with my family at that time. It's hard for everybody. "But the guys from Japan or the guys from the Dominican Republic or Venezuela, once the season ends, they could go back to their country. For us as Cubans, we couldn't and that made the process even tougher for us. "Having people who can understand that is going to help all those young guys in trying to make adjustments as easy as possible. I'm excited just to be with them and try to share my knowledge." White Sox reportedly not offering up top prospects for Manny Machado By Vinnie Duber / NBC Sports Chicago | Dec. 15, 2017 The Manny Machado saga spins on, though it’s looking far less promising for White Sox fans who wanted to see the Baltimore Orioles’ superstar third baseman come to the South Side this winter. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale chronicled the latest happenings with Machado in an exhaustive Thursday report that heavily featured the White Sox, who apparently have not decided to blow up their rebuilding effort by dealing away multiple top prospects. That’s not happening, per Nightengale, who reported the White Sox didn’t include any of their highest rated guys in an offer that was at one point reported to be the best out there for Machado. Nightengale did still report the White Sox offer as “solid.” In fact, as Nightengale continued, it seems the White Sox made their offer completely expecting to have Machado for just the 2018 season. Machado is slated to be one of the headliners of next winter’s crazy good free-agent class. The catch comes, perhaps not surprisingly to those familiar with the Orioles’ reputation, from Baltimore owner Peter Angelos, who is dramatically concerned that the White Sox would acquire Machado simply to flip him elsewhere in a trade — specifically, Angelos worries, to the New York Yankees, the Orioles’ division rivals. Nightengale added that the White Sox have repeatedly assured the Orioles they won’t do such a thing, but Angelos doesn’t seem to be sold. The big headline for the White Sox, though, from the whole thing is that all this buzz and speculation doesn’t seem to involve them pulling a 180 on what they’ve worked for more than a year to do: gather a ton of highly touted prospects and build a homegrown champion. Michael Kopech, who seemed to fit the Orioles’ wishes as a young controllable pitcher, has been said to be “untouchable.” And if none of the organization’s top prospects were included in the deal, as Nightengale said, it’d be logical to assume that Lucas Giolito wasn’t involved in the team’s trade proposal either. The White Sox became the buzz of baseball on the final day of the Winter Meetings with reports flying all over the place that they were making the most aggressive push for Machado and that they had made the Orioles the best offer of any team. The initial, middle-of-the-night report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal listed Kopech and Giolito as potential trade chips. But a trade seemed to make little sense for the South Siders, who would have to give up multiple of their precious prospects — players projected to be the future of the big league team and deliver perennial contention — for nothing more than one guaranteed season of Machado, who is expected to receive a huge payday once he hits the free-agent market. Even with Machado, the White Sox wouldn’t figure to be a championship contender in 2018. That’d be putting all the eggs into one basket, that one season in Chicago would somehow convince Machado to skip the free-agent frenzy and sign with the White Sox. Simply put, it’d be an incredibly risky move. But apparently those aren’t the dice Rick Hahn and his front office are ready to roll, which ought to ease the concerns of rebuild fans, even if it might disappoint those who wanted to see Machado come to Chicago. Jose Contreras, Tim Raines join A.J. Pierzynski as new White Sox ambassadors By Vinnie Duber / NBC Sports Chicago | Dec. 15, 2017 The White Sox are welcoming back two more fan favorites. They added to their growing list of team ambassadors Friday, announcing that Jose Contreras and Tim Raines will be joining A.J. Pierzynski — who made his own announcement Monday at the Winter Meetings — in returning to the organization. Like Pierzynski, Contreras was a member of the beloved 2005 world championship squad. He teamed with Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland and Orlando Hernandez to form a formidable rotation that season. Contreras posted a 3.61 ERA during the 2005 regular season but was even better in the postseason, turning in a 3.09 ERA in four starts. He pitched into the eighth inning in each of those starts, including a complete-game effort in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, which the White Sox won to clinch the pennant.