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Looking for some outfield depth, the New York Yankees are the leading candidate to land free agent Andruw Jones, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Monday.

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The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox are back to business as both teams' offices re-opened Tuesday after closing for the holidays.

It appears the Cubs and Texas Rangers are still the teams that have the best matchups in a trade for Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Matt Garza. At this point, the Rays are holding out for top talent from both organizations. The Rangers took a step over the weekend to protect themselves by signing former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb to a one-year contract. The Cubs also talked to Webb and brought him in for a physical before Texas signed him.

The Cubs are very interested in Garza, and they also kicked the tires on free agent left-handed pitcher Chris Capuano before the former 18-game winner with the Brewers signed a one-year contract with the New York Mets over the weekend.

Although it appears that the White Sox may be done as far as their 25-man roster, there are rumors out there that they are showing interest in former Rays closer Rafael Soriano. The Sox have already spent $123 million on their 2011 payroll and that figure is $15 million more than the franchise has ever spent on their 25-man roster.

Soriano, who made $7.275 million in 2010, had 45 saves in 48 opportunities last season and held hitters to a .163 batting average against him. If the White Sox were to add a pitcher like Soriano, that would allow them to move Chris Sale out of the bullpen and into contention for a spot in the rotation. That move itself might allow them to trade a starter and use that money toward a Soriano-like contract. Edwin Jackson will make $8.75 million in 2011, Gavin Floyd will earn $5 million as will John Danks through arbitration.

Mark Buehrle's salary in 2011 is $14 million, the last year of his deal. He has five and 10 rights, meaning he can veto any trade. With the unknown status of Jake Peavy, who will make $15 million next year, trading a starter would be a gamble for the Sox regardless of how well fortified their pen is.

Here’s the scoop on the rumors that the White Sox are trying to shop right fielder Carlos Quentin.

First and foremost, the White Sox management team, led by Chairman of the Board Jerry Reinsdorf, general manager Ken Williams and assistant GM Rick Hahn, keep all information between themselves when it comes to player movement. No other front office people, coaches or scouts in the organization are included in conversations about player trades or free-agent signings. When it comes to all other White Sox business, communication flows in the entire organization.

During the Winter Meetings, three teams approached Williams and asked about the availability of Quentin, according a major league source.

As any baseball official would, the White Sox GM listened to the offers, but he found nothing close to what he’d want in return for his everyday right fielder.

One other club called with interest on Thursday, and was told that the Sox were not shopping Quentin, according to a major league source.

The White Sox most likely will have to make a trade to obtain the bullpen help they need, considering they already have $119 million committed towards their 2011 payroll, $12 million more than they’ve ever paid for their 25-man roster.

Obviously the White Sox are maxed out after signing Paul Konerko to a three-year deal.

The free-agent price for a good middle reliever is $5 million per season. At this point, the White Sox are considering trading some of their young farm system types to acquire what they need in the bullpen.

It’s also possible that they could put infielder Dayan Viciedo and catcher Tyler Flowers in the mix to acquire some help as well. Both Viciedo and Flowers are still viewed as future starters and might only be used in a bigger trade for impact players.

There are still about ten middle relievers of quality left on the free agent market. The White Sox and Cubs both are hoping that the price for their services may drop as other teams slowly fill their needs in the bullpen.

One week to go before the winter meetings and while the White Sox certainly have a game plan for the offseason, all has been quiet.

Operating in a self-described holding pattern, general manager Kenny Williams said he is he is waiting for the market to establish itself. Call it patience or self-imposed financial restraints (or both),the White Sox are taking the conservative approach when it comes to re-signing players such as Paul Konerko, J.J. Putz and A.J. Pierzynski.

While the Tigers’ signing of Victor Martinez gives an early indication of where prices may go, more moves will need to be made around baseball before many teams, the White Sox included, know what they will be able to afford.

Enter baseball’s winter meetings. What Memorial Day means to summer, the winter meetings are to the offseason as the unofficial start to player movement and roster formation.

If there are areas where the White Sox might be proactive over the next week and a half, it might be with adding an affordable veteran piece to the bullpen or the bench. Otherwise Williams will wait for signings to happen in the coming days and on into next week before solidifying a plan to move forward.

And high free-agent prices won’t necessarily mean that the White Sox will be unable to make roster improvements. It only means that those trade plans the team has formulated and will start proposing in earnest next week during the nightly general manager gatherings will become more of a reality.

The White Sox might be restricted by their contract commitments for 2011, but they have plenty of wiggle room when it comes to being creative.

With a wild week of rumors and speculation coming to a close, here is what we think we know about the White Sox, with nearly all of the information coming from the GM meetings this week:

Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon are on the White Sox’s wish list as the team seeks offense from the left side of the plate.

Teams like the Phillies are showing an interest in outfielder Carlos Quentin, but the White Sox appear to want to keep their talented but often-injured player.

Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said he really would have considered trading manager Ozzie Guillen to the Florida Marlins, but Guillen and general manager Kenny Williams were able to (sort of) patch up their rocky relationship.

The Diamondbacks appear to be out of the sweepstakes for Arizona resident Paul Konerko, enhancing the chances that he could return to the South Side.

The White Sox still have a major interest in landing left-handed hitting slugger Adam Dunn, but it might be tough to fit him in their budget.

Jake Peavy might not be ready to return from a detached muscle under his right shoulder until June, giving Chris Sale a chance to open the season in the rotation.

Those are some big names being thrown around, and the winter meetings are still weeks away. Things will get very interesting over the next three weeks.

ORLANDO -- This has been an active general manager meetings for the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry met with Carlos Zambrano's agent Barry Praver for a 30-minute session on Wednesday.

"I can tell you that Carlos has not asked to be traded and the Cubs haven't asked us to waive his no-trade clause," Praver said after the Wednesday afternoon meeting.

The two sides did talk about Zambrano, however trading him never came up in the conversation. Part of the meeting was for Praver to talk about closer Carlos Marmol, whom he also represents. Marmol is eligible for salary arbitration again in 2011. Marmol made $2.1 million in his first year of arbitration and will get a hefty raise somewhere between $4 million-$5 million this time.

At some point the Cubs will want to talk to Praver about a long-term deal for Marmol, who will be eligible to become a free agent after 2012.

Hendry has had numerous meetings with representatives for free agents and has talked to other teams about trade possibilities. The Cubs and Texas Rangers were scheduled to get together to talk about possible matchups. Texas has a need for catching and the Cubs have two solid young catchers in Welington Castillo and Robinson Chirinos. Texas has an abundance of good hitting in their organization and they have excess at first base, a position where the Cubs have a need.

Left-handed hitting Chris Davis is a home-run hitter who turns 25 in March. Davis only played 45 games for the Rangers in 2010. However, in 2008 and 2009 combined he hit 37 home runs in 193 games. The Cubs could make Davis their everyday first baseman and put the money they have available this offseason toward starting pitching and the bullpen.

"This year we obviously need a first baseman for sure," Hendry said. "But there is a large group of free agents and there are trade possibilities as well. I think there is going to be more volume at that position than what people need at that position."

The Cubs have not talked to the agents for Adam Dunn. However, they expect to talk to them at some point soon. Dunn is still the center of attention for the Chicago White Sox. But on Wednesday the Detroit Tigers were said to be ready to throw big money at Dunn, whose bidding begins at three years and $40 million.

The White Sox are serious bidders in the Dunn derby. GM Kenny Williams tried to trade for Dunn before the July 31 trading deadline. The White Sox should have the resources to sign Dunn, especially if they don't bring back Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski. Williams told Japanese media members in Orlando on Tuesday that the Sox are interested in Hideki Matsui, the former Yankee and Angel slugger.

The White Sox made a run at Matsui last year at this time before he signed with the Angels.
On Wednesday ESPN.com Jayson Stark reported the White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies have been talking about a trade that would send Carlos Quentin to Philadelphia. A White Sox source told ESPNChicago.com that the Sox are not shopping Quentin at this time.

ORLANDO -- Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams met with Adam Dunn's agent in preliminary discussions on what Dunn is expecting in free agency this offseason, according to a major league source.

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ORLANDO -- The Chicago White Sox's focus is on Nov. 23. That's the date you must offer arbitration to your own arbitration-eligible players.

Because of recent rule changes, not offering arbitration to your own player does not exclude you from signing them back as a free agent. For example, in the case of A.J. Pierzynski, the White Sox might hurt the catcher's chances in the free-agent market if they offer him arbitration. That would mean a team signing Pierzynski would lose two draft picks to the White Sox. Because of their relationship with Pierzynski and the fact they might want to bring him back, the White Sox may pass on offering arbitration which would give Pierzynski and his agent an even playing field to find his best offer elsehwere or return to the White Sox on a shorter contract in a good frame of mind.

In the case of Bobby Jenks, his arbitration number will be around $9 million. That price is way more than the White Sox want to pay to re-sign Jenks, whose production has dropped off in the last few seasons. If the White Sox can't find a trade for Jenks within the next 10 days -- and that hypothesis seems unlikely -- he will become a free agent after they refuse to offer him arbitration.

On Tuesday we'll visit the Paul Konerko situation and talk about whether the face of the organization over the last 12 years will be returning next season. And my live chat from Orlando will start at noon CT Tuesday. You can submit questions here. Look forward to talking with a lot of you then.

The Chicago White Sox have pushed John Danks near the top of their offseason priorities.

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CHICAGO -- From early indications, it looks as if Joey Cora will likely be back as bench coach for the Chicago White Sox next season.

According to a major league source, the Seattle Mariners never considered Cora a candidate for their managerial opening and the Pittsburgh Pirates don't have Ozzie Guillen's right-hand man on their preliminary list of candidates for their manager opening.

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CHICAGO –- While the Dodgers are apparently ready to let Manny Ramirez go to the White Sox on Monday, a source with the White Sox, who requested anonymity, said Sunday night that “there is no deal at this time” between the clubs.

While the White Sox are apparently trying to push a mid-level prospect on the Dodgers to avoid paying all of the nearly $4 million in salary Ramirez is owed, they are also prepared to absorb all of the money owed to the veteran run producer.

In any event, the White Sox are ready for a deal to go down Monday and are just waiting to find out what the Dodgers decided to do. The arrival of Ramirez comes at a key time for the White Sox, not to mention an interesting time during their schedule.

The White Sox will play this week in the two cities where Ramirez made a name for himself. On Monday they will open a three-game series at Cleveland. After a day off Thursday, the White Sox will travel to Fenway Park to face the Boston Red Sox for the first time this season.

Ramirez already has played at Boston this season, going there for a three-game June 18-20 interleague series with the Dodgers. He went 5-for-12 in those games with a home run over the Green Monster.

The White Sox will open their key 10-game road trip 4 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central standings. They have 32 games remaining, including three with the Twins Sept 14-16 in Chicago.

CHICAGO –- A report from ESPNLosAngeles.com that the Dodgers are ready to deal Manny Ramirez to the White Sox on Monday for a prospect and cash considerations or just let him go on a straight waiver claim appears to put the ball in the White Sox’s court.

The White Sox can attempt to deal a prospect so they have to pay only part of what is remaining on Ramirez’s $4 million-plus salary, or they can do what they were prepared to do anyway and assume all of Ramirez’s money (more than $3 million of which is deferred).

In any regard, it looks as though Ramirez could be White Sox property by the end of Monday.

The last straw for the Dodgers was apparently Ramirez’s pinch-hit appearance Sunday, when he took a called first strike and was ejected for arguing. The Dodgers elected not to start Ramirez for four consecutive games even though he reached base four times the last time he was in the lineup.

The debate still rages on whether this is a good idea for the White Sox. Although regular designated hitters Mark Kotsay and Mark Teahen have had their moments in recent weeks, Ramirez would provide an upgrade over those players. Not only that, but a motivated Ramirez could supply so much more when it comes to driving in runs.

With Carlos Quentin going through a relatively quiet 6-for-22 homestand, Ramirez's arrival would help run production from the right side.

Ramirez is set to be a free agent at the end of the season and could use a solid month with the White Sox to drive up his value.

There also seems to be no doubt that his arrival would supply a boost of energy to a club that looked to be running on vapors Sunday against the Yankees. Paul Konerko admitted as much after Sunday’s game when he said that both teams looked to be worn out from the first two games of the series, especially the 12-9 Yankees victory on Saturday.

CHICAGO – As the White Sox and Dodgers work out a deal for Manny Ramirez, word comes that the veteran run producer has been held out of the Dodgers’ lineup tonight at Colorado.

The White Sox were awarded a waiver claim on Ramirez on Friday and have until Tuesday to work a trade with the Dodgers.

Ramirez was out of the Dodgers lineup as expected for Thursday’s day game at Milwaukee and manager Joe Torre said then that it was just a one-day break. Apparently not.

It could mean a deal is close to being announced, but not necessarily. The teams could be convinced a deal will be completed in the next 24 to 48 hours and neither wants to take a chance that Ramirez gets hurt. He has been on the disabled list three times this season, twice for a calf strain.

CHICAGO -- Manny Ramirez has had one of the more interesting seasons of his career, and in his zany world, that is saying something.

From an early arrival in spring training to three disabled list trips, it’s been anything but a normal ride during what Ramirez called his final year in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.

A timetable of events:

Offseason: Ramirez admits to working on his hitting over the winter saying, “My whole career I never hit [during the winter], but after [2009] I needed to figure out some stuff so that’s what I did.”

Feb. 20: A day before pitchers and catchers are expected to arrive in camp, Ramirez is already in Arizona and ready to start spring training.

Feb. 22: Ramirez declares it his final season in Los Angeles and suggests he could retire after the end of the year. “I know I’m not going to be here next year so I’m enjoying myself. That’s what I plan to do.” On retirement: “I think I have to wait until the season ends and see where my family’s at and make a choice.”

Feb. 23: Amused at all the waves made by his comments that it was his final year with the Dodgers and he could retire, Manny starts being Manny. “After I practiced I feel like I can play five more years," he said. "I’ll play three more for this team and two more in Japan. Put that in there. I want to see myself on ESPN again.”

Feb. 24: Ramirez casually declines an interview request. He makes no grand statement, but in ends up being the start of a season-long interview blackout that has lasted to this day. When asked to speak, Ramirez generally replies with a low key, “No thank you.”

March 18: Ramirez hits his first home run of the spring, against the Cubs.

April 5: Ramirez has a double and two RBIs on Opening Day at Pitsburgh while batting out of the cleanup spot.

April 13: Ramirez hits his first home run of the season in a game against the Diamondbacks. It is one of just eight he has hit this season.

April 16: Ramirez limps off the field in a game against the Giants with a calf injury. It will end up sending him to the DL for the first time. He is batting .355 with eight RBIs in nine games at the time the injury first surfaces.

April 18: Ramirez limps back on the field and hits a two-run homer in a 2-1 victory over the Giants. The Dodgers had been shut out for 17 consecutive innings at the time, all with Ramirez resting his calf.

April 23: Ramirez goes on the DL with a calf injury.

May 8: Ramirez returns from the DL.

June 1: Ramirez hits the 550th home run of his career, just his second home run since April 15.

June 19: Back at Boston amid cheers and boos for an interleague series, Ramirez hits a home run ove the Green Monster.

July 3: Ramirez goes on the DL (retroactive to June 29) for a second time, this time for a hamstring injury.

July 15: Ramirez returns from the DL.

July 16: One day after returning, Ramirez begins having calf issues again.

July 20: Ramirez lands on the DL for the third time, with an MRI revealing a significant calf strain.

July 31: White Sox general manager Ken Williams reportedly calls Dodgers GM Ned Colletti to ask if Ramirez is available in a trade. Williams reportedly offers no players in return and is only willing to pay around $1 million of the $7 million Ramirez still had remaining on his contract.

Aug. 21: Ramirez finally comes off the DL.

Aug. 23: It is reported that the Dodgers put Ramirez on waivers.

Aug. 25: Conflicting reports surface about the White Sox and Dodgers working on a deal for Ramirez. Some reports say a deal is near while others state that the teams haven’t talked trade since July 31.

Aug. 27: MLB to determine who, if anybody, has made a waiver claim on Ramirez.

CHICAGO -- If you believe everything White Sox general manager Ken Williams says, then the White Sox did not put in a claim on Brewers veteran reliever Trevor Hoffman.

Reports surfaced Thursday that the White Sox had the winning claim on the right-hander, but were unable to come to an agreement a deal and the Brewers pulled him off waivers, deciding to keep him.

“It didn’t [happen] by the way,” Williams said. “Don’t take that any further than you need to.”

Williams had just spent nearly a minute explaining why he wouldn’t comment on a Hoffman claim, before then saying there was none.

“I have no comment on it because if I answer that question, I’m going to give you an answer that I’m going to give you, and the next time you ask a question, and I don’t give the answer in the same form, then it will tell you what I’m doing,” Williams said. “It establishes a pattern, and you can figure me out.’’