Mark Buehrle: World Series Hero, Fan Favorite, Buzz Killington

Well, White Sox Spring camp has literally only been in session for a few hours, but you can already break out the "News I Didn't Want to Hear" folder to file away this nugget... Mark Buehrle is mulling retiring in a few years.

Now, before I do something crazy like overreact, let's remember two key things. First, Mark Buehrle has supposedly wanted to go to St. Louis and pitch for his boyhood idol Cardinals forever. I think I knew Buehrle was a Cardinal fan before I knew who Buehrle was. The guy proved his loyalty to the Sox when he took a hefty hometown discount in 2007 to stay here through his prime years. Next, this article is from Phil Rogers, one of my least favorite baseball writers (and for good reason).

Now, that all said... What the hell, man? It's not like I'm so vain that I think Mark Buehrle "owes" me something, but why does he always drop hints like this? Yeah, he signed the long-term deal here, but for a few years there always seemed to be a story out with him talking about how much he'd like to pitch in St. Louis. Maybe in the fake world of pro sports, he's just too honest of a guy, but for one day, I'd like the fake smile and faux happiness, you know? Pitchers and catchers reported today and now, Mark Buehrle might have less than 100 starts left in his career? Ouch.

Ultimately, I don't think he'll do it. As much of a family guy as he is, I think the competitive fire will still be burning, and at 32, he's going to have to leave an awful lot of money on the table and not just from the Sox. I don't see him pulling a Jamie Moyer and pitching until he can start cashing Social Security checks, but reliable left-handed starting pitchers are just too rare. Now, whether he spends his whole career with the Sox, I'm not sure.

Ah, the joys of being a White Sox fan.

Phil Rogers Making Things Up, Passing Them Off as Fact

If you caught the latest edition of Phil Rogers' MLB Whispers, you undoubtedly saw that he suggests the White Sox pick up former American League MVP and free agent Ivan Rodriguez. Now, this would normally not be a big deal, but for two reasons. First, the name of Rogers' piece is entitled "MLB Whispers," which would lead you to believe that there's some element of a legitimate rumor or two there, right? Nope, the column is all about what Phil thinks KW and the Cubs should be doing. Fine, but it doesn't take much of a search to see that I-Rod isn't generating a lot of interest especially not for the money he's still holding out for. What's especially bothersome, though, is this exact same faux rumor was posted days ago by Scot Gregor at the Daily Herald. But at least Gregor can admit that this is just a wild internet-only rumor with no basis in reality.

However, this does reveal a lot about the White Sox off-season... It's more interesting to talk about what's not happening that what is. Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month, the first Spring Training game is less than a month away and the Sox still have numerous holes on this team. There's no lead-off hitter. There's no centerfielder. There's no lefty in the bullpen after Matt Thornton. There seem to be no real plans at second base or third base. I know the Sox want to invigorate the team with a boost of youth, but they seem to be just a few moves away from being the clear favorite in the Central division. Not all youth movements are the same, and unfortunately, I don't completely feel comfortable with this one.