New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox Tickets

White Sox News:

With Saturday's acquisition of Andrew Sisco from the Royals in exchange for Ross Gload, the White Sox appeared to add to an already impressive cast of power arms making up their revamped bullpen.

But during a Saturday afternoon conference call, general manager Ken Williams cautioned that appearances can be deceiving in terms of Sisco's future role.

The hard-throwing, 6-foot-10 southpaw started in 65 of his 69 Minor League appearances as part of the Cubs' farm system from 2001-04, posting an 18-20 record, 3.69 ERA and 371 strikeouts over 336 2/3 innings. It's a job Sisco could once again assume in 2007.

Before making any definitive decisions, though, Williams wanted to talk with Sisco himself.

"Right now, without having talked to him, I'm not sure which direction we are going to run with this," said Williams, on whether to use Sisco as part of Triple-A Charlotte's rotation or as the sixth and final piece of the White Sox bullpen. "I want to hear from him as to where he sees himself.

"Does he see himself as a starter down the road, and he certainly has the stuff, or does he see himself in the bullpen as a late-inning guy? In short, we are going to play with this a little bit. It's intriguing on both ends with the possibilities."

Sisco, who turns 24 on Jan. 13, was converted into a reliever when the Royals took him away from the Cubs in the Rule 5 Draft in Dec. 2004. Sisco posted a 2-5 record with an impressive 3.11 ERA over 67 games in 2005, but he finished 1-3 with a 7.10 ERA during the 2006 campaign for Kansas City.

Yankees News:

The Yankees offered arbitration to left-hander Ron Villone on Friday night, assuring themselves of a compensatory draft pick if the reliever signs elsewhere this winter.

Villone, who turns 37 in January, went 3-3 with a 5.04 ERA in 2006, his first season with the Yankees.

The southpaw was acquired by the Yankees in a trade with the Marlins last December, part of a bullpen makeover that also included the acquisition of Kyle Farnsworth and Mike Myers from the free-agent market.

Villone played parts of 12 seasons in the Majors, so he is no stranger to free agency. He signed a two-year contract with the Mariners before the 2005 season then was traded to the Marlins at the trade deadline later that year.

"I've been through this before, so I don't sit around biting my nails," Villone said in an interview last week. "At the same time, I'm kind of on the edge of my seat. Things usually happen pretty quick."

Villone has said several times that he hopes to play for the Yankees next season, and now that is officially his decision to make. Should he choose to accept arbitration, he would guarantee his return to New York for at least one more season. Villone has until Dec. 7 to accept or decline the arbitration offer.

A native of Upper Saddle River, N.J., Villone had a great time playing near his hometown, spending time with family and friends and living in his own house during the season.