Headlines of July 24, 2015 “As rumors swirl, Samardzija keeps his focus” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Offensive outburst a reminder of lineup's potency” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “White Sox crack four homers to rout Tribe” … Jordan Bastian and Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Soto hitting his way to more playing time” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Sanchez continues to improve on offense” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Quintana hopes to best Kluber, Indians” … August Fagerstrom / MLB.com “Jeff Samardzija impressive in increasing his trade value with 8-1 victory” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Thursday's recap: White Sox 8, Indians 1” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Carlos Sanchez believes he has turned corner at the plate” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Robin Ventura says White Sox can't get sentimental about Jeff Samardzija's potential departure” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox pick Carson Fulmer jumps to Winston-Salem” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Bulls, White Sox deals put WLS-AM back in the game in a big way” … Ed Sherman, Chicago Tribune “Samardzija helps his cause, and White Sox too, as deadline nears” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun Times “Chicago’s greatest athletes by uniform number Day 5: Nos. 19-0” … David Just, Chicago Sun Times “White Sox notes: Fulmer, Saladino, Sanchez, Soto, Bonifacio” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun Times “Hawk Harrelson traded Bobby Bonilla 29 years ago today” … Dan Cahill, Chicago Sun Times “Samardzija, Cabrera lead White Sox past Indians 8-1” … Associated Press, ESPN.com “White Sox put infielder Emilio Bonifacio on bereavement list” … Associated Press, ESPN.com “White Sox: Jeff Samardzija shines on mound as hot stove heats up” … Dan Hayes, CSN “Altered stance has helped Carlos Sanchez find comfort at bat” … Dan Hayes, CSN “White Sox place Emilio Bonifacio on bereavement list, call up Leury Garcia” … Dan Hayes, CSN “Chicago White Sox promote former Olympic speed skater in minor-league system” … FoxSports.com “Eddy Alvarez, Olympic short track silver medalist, promoted in Chicago White Sox system” … Nick Zaccardi, NBCSports.com

As rumors swirl, Samardzija keeps his focus Right-hander spins great outing as White Sox inch closer to Trade Deadline By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | July 23rd, 2015 CLEVELAND -- There are some who believe Jeff Samardzija increased his trade value via a stellar eight-inning performance during the White Sox 8-1 victory over the Indians Thursday night at Progressive Field.

Others look at Samardzija's line, featuring one run allowed on four hits, no walks and three strikeouts, and view the right-hander's 12th start in his last 13 appearances covering at least seven innings as another quality effort from a pitcher they want long term on the South Side.

As for Samardzija, even with the non-waiver Trade Deadline approaching in eight days and Scott Kazmir moving from Oakland to Houston Thursday, he's simply focused on pitching.

"I haven't heard anything, so I haven't had any way to have an opinion on the matter," said Samardzija, after throwing 99 pitches in helping the White Sox end a four-game losing streak. "It's been totally silent on my end, which allows me to go out and do my job which has been nice. I understand the business and how it works.

"All I can do is increase my value as much as possible and make both sides come out on top. The better I play, the better the White Sox will get in return if they do trade me and it's better for me to go to a better situation."

So on one front, Samardzija hasn't heard anything from the White Sox about any potential suitors. On the other side, the veteran who was traded from the Cubs to the A's in 2014 certainly gets how this time of year works. A trade also brought Samardzija to the White Sox in December.

The White Sox entered this season with high expectations, and at 43-50, have fallen short of meeting those goals. Samardzija stands as a free agent to be after this season and appears ready to test the open market.

A move involving Samardzija could bring back important pieces to the White Sox reshaping process. The White Sox also could pursue him again during the upcoming offseason.

This potential deal might go down to the final hours of the final day before the 3 p.m. CT deadline next Friday with so much parity existing, especially in the Wild Card fights.

"Nobody can decide what they want to be and which direction they're going," Samardzija said. "That's with the new Wild Card spots and profit sharing and a lot of things contributing to these teams being bundled up.

"It's like a NASCAR race out there. Just keep battling every day and when that time comes to make a decision, like you saw this year, it happened really late for the first one [Kazmir]. Maybe you see things after that, but who knows. Again that's out of my hands. All I can do is go out and perform and increase my value to make it great no matter what the situation is."

Next up for Samardzija would be the Red Sox on Tuesday at Fenway Park. But as Samardzija candidly explained, that start and team he's starting for could change.

"We're going to keep playing. We have no other plans," a smiling Samardzija said. "We're going to go out and play every day."

Offensive outburst a reminder of lineup's potency White Sox launch four homers in rout of Indians on Thursday By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | July 23rd, 2015

CLEVELAND -- Remember all those years the White Sox were considered too home run reliant as an offense? After hitting a season-high four as a team in an 8-1 victory over the Indians on Thursday at Progressive Field, the South Siders would long for that problem once again.

"Sometimes you wish you could get to that point," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura of his team's long ball uprising against Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer and reliever Kyle Crockett. "For us, it was just a good night of guys getting on base, guys attacking hitter's counts, and they were hitting it hard. It was great."

Melky Cabrera homered leading off the fourth for the game's first run. That blast came as a left-handed hitter against Bauer. He added another home run in the seventh, giving him six for the season, from the right side against Crockett.

Cabrera has four career multi-homer games and three games where he has homered from both sides of the plate.

"I've been working hard the whole year on both sides of the plate," said Cabrera, through interpreter and White Sox Spanish language broadcaster Billy Russo. "It's a routine that I have in BP and the cage, always keep the same amount of at-bats in both sides. That's the thing that will give you consistency that will prove in the game and get the results in the game."

Adam Eaton increased his career-high to eight with a homer in the fifth, and Alexei Ramirez capped off a four-run fourth started by Cabrera with a three-run shot. Ramirez, who could be a trade target in the upcoming week approaching the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, also made a tremendous defensive play at shortstop in the fourth to take away a hit from David Murphy.

But for a team that entered the night ranked 28th in baseball with 66 homers, this victory was a rare one centered upon the offense. With Jeff Samardzija allowing one run over eight innings, it pretty much represented the blueprint as to how this 2015 season was supposed to work.

"I tip my hat to the offense and defense today," Samardzija said. "I was just out there throwing the ball over the plate and letting them work behind me. Alexei had a great play, a couple of great plays in the outfield, and you get a cushion like they gave me early and you can relax."

White Sox crack four homers to rout Tribe By Jordan Bastian and Scott Merkin / MLB.com | July 23rd, 2015

CLEVELAND -- If Jeff Samardzija pitched his final game with the White Sox on Thursday night, the right-hander went out on a high note. Facing swirling trade rumors, Samardzija handcuffed Cleveland over eight innings, guiding Chicago to an 8-1 win at Progressive Field.

Samardzija received plenty of help from the White Sox offense, which launched four home runs, including one from each side of the plate from Melky Cabrera. Alexei Ramirez and Adam Eaton also went deep for Chicago, which tagged Tribe starter Trevor Bauer for six runs on six hits (three homers) in his six-inning loss.

Cleveland's lone breakthrough against Samardzija came in the sixth inning, courtesy of an RBI single from rookie Francisco Lindor. The big righty ended with three strikeouts, scattering four hits and walking none en route to his seventh win of the year.

"He throws his fastball, angles his fastball really well," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Samardzija. "And he had enough to beat us with it, whether he got it by us with a miss or maybe just where guys didn't get quite extended. He got a lead and did what you're supposed to -- came after guys and threw strikes."

"It's a nice game to have, especially after a tough one yesterday, you come back. Shark was fantastic," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Right out of the gate, he just looked like he had command. Tough lineup to go through, all the lefties, and for him to do that was big for us."

Bauer struck out nine, but slipped to 8-7 for the Indians, who saw their home record drop to 19-27 on the year.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Fourth-inning outburst: Bauer entered this series opener having allowed three runs over 20 1/3 innings in three previous starts against the White Sox this season. The White Sox topped that total in the fourth inning alone on Thursday, scoring four times. Cabrera hit a solo shot, and Ramirez launched a three-run homer to left.

"We swung the bat," Ventura said. "Alexei, a big homer that pushed us ahead. Melky swung it great tonight. It was a nice night to have offensively, especially as tough as it's been for these guys. They're having fun swinging the bat, putting it on the barrel, getting some over the fence is even better."

Homer prone: Following Chicago's four-run outburst in the fourth, Bauer allowed another homer to open the fifth. Eaton drilled a 1-1 pitch to deep right field, marking his eighth homer of the season. For Bauer, the three blasts gave him 17 homers surrendered in 115 1/3 innings this year. He allowed 16 in 153 innings last year.

"The definition of insanity is you try the same thing over and over and expect different results," Bauer said. "I'm not insane, so clearly there's some adjustments to be made. I guess I'll have to figure it out. Obviously, if I knew, I'd change something already."

Cabrera doubles his power: It was July 28, 2014, when Cabrera last hit two homers in a game (for Toronto), taking place at Boston. That also was the last time the switch-hitter homered from both sides of the plate, as he did on Thursday. The last White Sox batter to do so in a game was Nick Swisher, who belted a pair against Cleveland on June 30, 2008. Bourn

does his part: It's no secret that Indians center fielder Michael Bourn has been struggling lately (.162 average and .404 OPS in his past 35 games, entering Thursday). Against the White Sox, though, Bourn tried to ignite the offense. He doubled in the third inning, but was stranded. In the sixth, Bourn singled and scored on Lindor's hit. In the process, Bourn improved to .500 (8-for-16) in his career against Samardzija.

QUOTABLE

"I didn't see a change in his stuff. I thought he held his stuff pretty good. Even after he gave up the runs, he went back out and had a bunch of strikeouts and kept them off-balance. I just thought he got a little predictable in the way he was attacking them. He left some pitches that were real hittable." -- Francona, on Bauer's outing

"I try to contribute to the team's success and to the team having a chance to win, and I'm not doing that right now. And that's the worst part about it." -- Bauer

"With the Cubs, it was a long dragged out process. There was a lot of speculation for about a year and that was tough. After you've done it a couple of times, you realize it is out of your hands. Just go out and do your job." -- Samardzija, on the possibility of being traded

WHAT'S NEXT

White Sox: Jose Quintana takes the mound for his 20th start this season and 11th on the road on Friday at 6:10 p.m. CT. He is 2-4 with a 3.14 ERA over his last 10 starts, adding in 57 strikeouts over 66 innings. Quintana also leads the Majors with 45 no-decisions since 2012.

Indians: Reigning American League Cy Young Award-winner Corey Kluber (5-10, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Indians in their 7:10 p.m. ET tilt against the White Sox on Friday night. Kluber has gone 5-5 with a 2.62 ERA, 113 strikeouts and 18 walks in his last 13 starts (96 1/3 innings). He is 0-1 with a 4.20 ERA in two starts against Chicago this year.

Soto hitting his way to more playing time By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | July 23rd, 2015

CLEVELAND -- According to White Sox manager Robin Ventura, Tyler Flowers remains the team's starting catcher. But with four homers in his last 11 starts, Geovany Soto has earned more playing time behind the plate.

"Tyler is the starting catcher, so he gets most of the action, but Geo can creep in there and if he's swinging it, you need a little offense, you know, Geo can do that," Ventura said. "He's getting more time. He's played his way into that."

Soto has been paired with Jeff Samardzija this season, just as Flowers has been matched up with Chris Sale. Pitchers have a 3.71 ERA when Flowers catches and a 4.21 ERA when Soto is behind the plate. The two have combined to throw out just 11 of 64 would-be basestealers.

• Infielder Emilio Bonifacio was placed on the bereavement list prior to Thursday's contest at Progressive Field, and the White Sox called up infielder Leury Garcia from Triple-A Charlotte. Under Major League Baseball rules, Bonifacio must remain on the list for a minimum of three games and not more than seven.

Garcia, 24, has a .301 average with 15 doubles, one triple, one home run, 23 RBIs, 39 runs scored and 27 stolen bases over 73 games with Charlotte this season. He has played second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field and right field for the Knights, after spending the entire 2014 season with the White Sox, hitting .166 over 145 at-bats.

"Offensively has been the biggest adjustment for him," said Ventura of Garcia. "I'm interested in seeing what it looks like. You can look at it on video, but when he gets up here and we see him play and hopefully those reports and adjustments are good and what you would like to see."

• Carson Fulmer, the team's top selection and eighth overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, has been promoted to Class A Winston-Salem. The right-hander pitched two scoreless innings Thursday night for the Dash, striking out three and allowing one hit and one walk, after throwing one scoreless innings in his pro debut with the Arizona League White Sox.

Sanchez continues to improve on offense Second baseman boasts .276 average in July, entering Thursday's game By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | July 23rd, 2015

CLEVELAND -- Carlos Sanchez entered Thursday's series opener against the Indians hitting .200, which is not an average he aspires to achieve or one that shows anywhere close to his capabilities.

But considering that the 23-year-old switch-hitter was batting .162 as recently as July 6 and .141 on June 20, it's a sign that Sanchez once again has found something that works for him at the plate.

"I'm feeling very comfortable," said Sanchez, through interpreter and White Sox Spanish language broadcaster Billy Russo. "My confidence is coming back since I've started to hit a little bit better. I feel very good right now. I'm playing good and helping the team."

Sanchez arrived with the White Sox prior to the series in Oakland on May 15, with the team looking for a bit more defensive stability at second base. But Sanchez also brought with him a .344 average over 137 plate appearances for Triple-A Charlotte, so the sort of offensive dropoff that followed was not expected.

"I was surprised because as a player you're going to struggle sometimes," Sanchez said. "But I was feeling good and suddenly I couldn't hit. I kept working and now I'm glad the results are good with me because it was a tough time."

Sanchez made changes to his stance and tried to be a little bit more ready when the pitchers would throw. Those adjustments have translated to a .276 average in July and making him a viable threat at the bottom of the order.

Struggling for the first time as a professional at the big league level is a tough challenge to handle. But Sanchez, who actually broke camp with the team as a utility player despite Micah Johnson winning the starting job at second, seems to have battled through the worst-case scenario.

"I've been able to do that because of all the changes," said Sanchez, who is hitting .326 with a .341 on-base percentage over his last 12 games. "Especially when I'm ready early, because before when pitchers threw me a fastball, they wanted to because I couldn't get my bat ahead of the ball. Now I feel better and I'm hitting the ball well, ahead of home plate"

"You have to be able to control the strike zone, swing at fastballs that are on the plate," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He was chasing stuff, trying to impress instead of playing the game. Now he's somewhat more relaxed when he goes to the plate and you see him have better at-bats. Late in games he's been pretty good. His at-bats just look better and he's more competitive now, going to the plate feeling like he can do something."

Quintana hopes to best Kluber, Indians By August Fagerstrom / MLB.com | July 23rd, 2015

Indians right-hander Corey Kluber (5-10, 3.38 ERA) will face off against White Sox lefty Jose Quintana (4-9, 3.83 ERA) on Friday in the second game of a four-game set in Cleveland.

Kluber is currently riding a run of six consecutive starts in which he pitched into at least the seventh inning, tying the longest such streak of his season. He's looking to win consecutive starts for the just the second time this season.

Quintana had his streak of nine consecutive quality starts snapped his last time out, as he allowed four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings against Kansas City.

Three things to know about this game

• Both pitchers have received very little run support from their respective clubs this season. Quintana enters the game with the lowest average run support among AL pitchers (2.63), with Kluber right behind him (2.65)

• The Indians are 13-20 against left-handed starters this season, though their .728 OPS against southpaws is actually eighth-best in the MLB.

• Top-of-the-order hitters Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera could be key in getting to the reigning Cy Young Award winner early. Abreu is 9-for-25 (.360) lifetime against Kluber with two doubles and two home runs. Cabrera is 7-for-15 (.467) with a double and a triple.

Jeff Samardzija impressive in increasing his trade value with 8-1 victory Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune | July 23, 2015

If the White Sox more often had demonstrated the offensive prowess they showed in an 8-1 victory over the Indians on Thursday, perhaps the biggest story of the night wouldn't have been about the potential countdown to a Jeff Samardzija trade.

But as the Sox's first four-homer outburst of the season pushed the club's record to just 43-50, the topic of highest interest at Progressive Field was whether Samardzija had just made his last start for the South Siders.

If it was his final Sox appearance, he did enough to make them wistful about the situation, allowing one earned run on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts over eight innings. And the right-hander, who improved to 7-5 with a 3.91 ERA, was frankly realistic about his situation afterward.

"All I can do is increase my value as much as possible and make both sides come out on top," Samardzija said. "The better I play, the better the White Sox will get in return if they do trade me, and then it's better for me to go to a better situation. But again that's out of my hands. … All I can do is perform and increase my value to make it great no matter what the situation is."

Samardzija could make one more start before the July 31 deadline, and the Sox could keep him around, make a qualifying offer and settle for the compensating draft pick if he heads to free agency instead of signing a new contract with them.

But as the slow-to-develop trade market picked up elsewhere Thursday with the Astros' acquisition of pitcher Scott Kazmir from the A's, even Sox manager Robin Ventura admitted he had wondered if he would see Samardzija pitch again in a Sox uniform.

"It crosses your mind, but it also crosses your mind that you have a game tonight at 7," Ventura said before the game. "That's where the focus is at, more than getting sentimental about — is this your last time putting on your (Sox) pants?"

It likely helped Samardzija's focus that the Sox put together an effort that was unprecedented this year.

Melky Cabrera became the first Sox player to homer from both sides of the plate in a game since Nick Swisher did so in 2008, hitting a solo shot in the fourth and a two-run blast in the seventh. Alexei Ramirez added a three-run homer to boost the Sox to an early 4-0 lead, and Adam Eaton continued his surprising power surge with his eighth homer of the season.

The Sox halted a four-game losing streak that came against two of the best teams in baseball — the Royals and the Cardinals. It would stand to reason they can do better on this eight-game trip, with four games apiece against the similarly struggling Indians and Red Sox, but the White Sox know it's likely too late.

Samardzija has been traded twice in a little more than a year — from the Cubs to the A's to the Sox — so he understands that part of the business and what could come soon, even if he hasn't been given an indication yet that it's happening.

"I haven't heard anything, so I haven't had any way to have an opinion on the matter," he said. "It has been totally silent on my end, which allows me to do my job, which has been nice."

Thursday's recap: White Sox 8, Indians 1 Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune | July 23, 2015

The White Sox hit four homers on the way to an 8-1 victory over the Indians on Thursday night at Progressive Field. Melky Cabrera homered from both sides of the plate for the third time in his career, and Alexei Ramirez and Adam Eaton also homered to help halt a four-game losing streak.

Pivotal at-bat

Cabrera first broke through against Trevor Bauer on an 0-2 pitch to lead off the four-run fourth inning. He added a two-run shot in the seventh.

Turning point

After Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia singled in the fourth, Alexei Ramirez's homer to left-center field gave the Sox a comfortable 4-0 cushion.

On the mound

Jeff Samardzija allowed one earned run on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts over eight innings.

Key number

2008 — The last time a Sox player homered from both sides of the plate? Nick Swisher against the Indians, on June 30, 2008.

The quote

"Tip my hat to the offense and defense today. I was just out there throwing the ball over the plate and letting them work behind me. … You get a cushion like they gave me early and you can relax." —Samardzija

The quote II

"I've been working hard the whole year on both sides of the plate. It's a routine that I have in BP and the cage, always keep the same amount of at-bats on both sides. That's the thing that will give you consistency." — Cabrera through a team interpreter

Up next

At Indians, 6:10 p.m. Friday, CSN. CQ

Carlos Sanchez believes he has turned corner at the plate Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune | July 23, 2015

To combat his months-long struggles at the plate, White Sox rookie Carlos Sanchez said he made some changes he thinks have helped him regain confidence.

The Sox second baseman hit .184 before the All-Star break but has hit .320 since after going 1-for-3 in Thursday night's 8-1 victory over the Indians. The trend started toward the beginning of the month, and he went 2-for-4 with a run scored Wednesday. Sanchez said he changed his stance and the positioning of his bat to try to be prepared earlier for pitches.

"I was surprised because you're going to struggle sometimes, but I was feeling good and suddenly I couldn't hit," Sanchez said through a team interpreter. "Before when pitchers threw me a fastball … I couldn't get my bat ahead of the ball. Now I feel better and I'm hitting the ball well, ahead of home plate."

Sox manager Robin Ventura said Sanchez, whom the Sox brought up for his defense though he was hitting .344 at Triple-A Charlotte, likely was trying to impress rather than just play the game. Ventura said he understands how difficult it can be for a first-year player to break free from such a slump.

"Doubt creeps in if you can make it and stay here, and he has fought through that in a way that is very professional," Ventura said.

Roster moves: The Sox placed utility man Emilio Bonifacio on the bereavement list before Thursday's game and called up Leury Garcia from Triple-A Charlotte to fill his roster spot.

Garcia, who played 73 games last year with the Sox, was hitting .301 with 15 doubles, 23 RBIs, 39 runs and 27 stolen bases over 73 games with Charlotte.

"Offense has been the biggest adjustment for him," Ventura said. "I'm interested in seeing what it looks like."

Next step: Sox first-round draft pick Carson Fulmer made his Class A debut Thursday night with Winston-Salem.

Fulmer, a right-handed pitcher who was the No. 8 overall pick, pitched two scoreless innings with a hit, a walk and three strikeouts. He was bumped up after pitching one scoreless inning with the Sox's Arizona Rookie League team in his pro debut.

Robin Ventura says White Sox can't get sentimental about Jeff Samardzija's potential departure Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune | July 23, 2015

White Sox manager Robin Ventura admitted he can’t help but wonder if he will see Jeff Samardzija pitch again in a Sox uniform after the right-hander takes the mound against the Indians on Thursday night at Progressive Field.

Samardzija is at the forefront of Sox trade rumors with nine days to go until the July 31 trade deadline. As the trade market started to pick up elsewhere Thursday, Samardzija, who has gone 6-5 with a 4.08 ERA this season, will be scrutinized as one of the high-caliber starting pitchers who could move before the end of the month.

“It crosses your mind, but it also crosses your mind that you have a game tonight at 7,” Ventura said. “That’s where the focus is at more than getting sentimental about, is this your last time putting on your (Sox) pants or whatever.

“He’s been through a lot in his career already, so he can focus on pitching. He’s done it before, and I expect nothing less from him.”

Samardzija has been traded twice in a little over a year – from the Cubs to the A’s to the Sox – and so Ventura expects him to be able to handle himself against the Indians despite the uncertainty surrounding his future.

“I don’t know if it’s easier, but you’re just used to it,” Ventura said. “You’re aware of how it works and how it operates. Even him going into this year knowing he was going to be a free agent at the end of the year, there was always a possibility of this.”

Over his last three starts, Samardzija has given up five total earned runs over 23 2/3 innings pitched, with a 0.85 WHIP and .175 opponents average.

“He had that tough start but since then he’s been fantastic, going deep in games,” Ventura said. “He’s a horse. You’re surprised if he’s not throwing 120 pitches in a game.”

Ventura and the Sox have been asked about trade deadline possibilities now for weeks, and with the Sox losing six of their last seven games, Sox players are aware that their team could look different very soon.

“I would hate to see somebody go,” Sox left-hander John Danks said Wednesday night. “It’s part of it and we have nobody to blame but ourselves, but we definitely don’t want to see anybody go. We have a pretty tight group here. We know what we’re capable of. It’s just a shame we haven’t played up to expectations to this point.”

White Sox pick Carson Fulmer jumps to Winston-Salem Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune | July 23, 2015

ite Sox first-round draft pick Carson Fulmer has been bumped to Class-A Winston-Salem after just one appearance with the Sox’s Arizona Rookie League team.

Fulmer, a right-handed pitcher who was the No. 8 overall pick in the June draft, pitched one scoreless inning in his pro debut for the AZL White Sox on Saturday.

He is scheduled to pitch for Winston-Salem on Thursday night.

Roster moves: The White Sox placed utility man Emilio Bonifacio on the bereavement list before Thursday’s game against the Indians at Progressive Field. They called up Leury Garcia from Triple-A Charlotte to fill his roster spot.

Garcia is hitting .301 with 15 doubles, 23 RBIs, 39 runs and 27 stolen bases over 73 games with Charlotte this season.

Bulls, White Sox deals put WLS-AM back in the game in a big way Ed Sherman, Chicago Tribune | July 23, 2015

The upcoming radio rights deal with the White Sox and Bulls was nearly 90 years in the making for the WLS-AM 890.

According to longtime Chicago sportswriter Tim Cronin, a broadcast historian, Blackhawks home games aired on WLS during the 1927-28 season. Despite being one of the biggest stations in town, that marks the only time WLS was the exclusive flagship station for one of Chicago's pro teams.

Until now. Last week, it was announced WLS will be the radio home for the White Sox in 2016 and the Bulls beginning with the 2016-17 season. Both deals run through 2021.

Suddenly, WLS will have the biggest inventory of games on the Chicago radio dial. The station also airs Notre Dame football and basketball.

Why the big jump into sports for WLS? It was a natural move for Cumulus Media, which bought the station in 2011. Cumulus owns Westwood One Sports, which airs the NFL radio package, and has other stations that broadcast pro games throughout the country.

"When you get the opportunity to get the White Sox and Bulls, it was too tempting to pass up," said John Dickey, Culumus' executive vice president for programming and content. "Those are two great brands. They absolutely will bring audience to the station."

It hardly would be a surprise if WLS flipped to a sports-talk format considering it soon will be airing more than 300 games per year. Dickey, though, said there aren't any plans to change from its current news/talk format.

"It's a fun thing to talk about (going to all sports)," Dickey said. "But we still want to be all things Chicago for our listeners."

That is the preferred format for Jerry Reinsdorf's teams, according to Brooks Boyer, the Sox's vice president and chief marketing officer. Boyer stressed repeatedly if the terms were right, the Sox would have stayed at WSCR-AM 670 and the Bulls at WMVP-AM 1000. However, he believes the arrangement works better if the flagship station for a team isn't an all-sports station, where 24/7 criticism seems to run counter to promoting the team and game broadcasts.

"We have a chance to be on a true flagship station," Boyer said. "Part of what makes (the sports-talk stations) popular is that they look at us with a critical eye. We don't have a problem with that. Those guys are just doing their jobs. It's just something we won't have to deal with (being on WLS)."

While Boyer said it wasn't an absolute necessity, Reinsdorf is pleased to have both of his teams on the same station. It creates a better chance to build synergy, Boyer said.

The key will be getting fans to make the switch to WLS, which hasn't been a traditional sports outlet in Chicago.

"We're confident fans will find our games," Boyer said. "But it will be incumbent upon us to promote it and make sure they know where to go."

Fallout: It is expected the Cubs will move from WBBM to WSCR in the wake of the Sox's departure. Station officials declined comment, but the shift makes sense on several levels.

WBBM would prefer to keep its all-news format on 780 during the week, especially during the afternoon when it now gets preempted by Cubs games. Also, WSCR offers more opportunity for longer pre- and postgame shows.

Meanwhile, WMVP soon will be a sports-talk outlet without a deal with one of Chicago's pro teams. The ESPN-owned station actually let the Bulls out of their deal a year early.

"In the old days, radio used play-by-play rights to drive ratings," said Jim Pastor, senior vice president of ESPN Local. "However, we feel strongly that our programming from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. can stand on its own."

Cowherd out: Colin Cowherd told listeners Wednesday that he will be leaving ESPN. An announcement is coming soon that Cowherd will be joining Fox Sports. Along with his radio show, Cowherd is expected to have a role in Fox's expanded NFL pregame show. Cowherd said he was looking for "a new challenge."

Meanwhile, Cowherd's pending departure will leave a vacancy for WMVP-AM 1000. The station airs the first hour of his national show from 9-10 a.m. Pastor said it is too early to say whether Cowherd's replacement will air in that slot on WMVP.

"We're working with our friends in Bristol," Pastor said. "Whatever they come up with, we'll support it."

Samardzija helps his cause, and White Sox too, as deadline nears Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun Times | July 23, 2015

CLEVELAND – While Jeff Samardzija stayed hot with eight smooth innings of one-run ball in the White Sox’ 8-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians Thursday, there was no getting around that it could have been the right-hander’s last game in a White Sox uniform.

Starting pitchers are in demand at the trade deadline, and as July 31 approaches next weekend, Samardzija — who becomes a free agent after the season — could be dealt to a contender.

“All I can do is increase my value as much as possible and make both sides come out on top,’’ Samardzija said after holding the Indians to four hits while walking nobody and striking out three. “The better I play the better the White Sox will get in return if they do trade me and it’s better for me to go to a better situation. But again that’s out of my hands. All I can do is go out and perform.’’

That he did. On a day when the dominoes began to fall in the pre-deadline market with left-hander Scott Kazmir traded from Oakland to Houston, Samardzija (7-5, 3.91 ERA) lowered his ERA to 1.71 over his four starts in July. He worked at least seven innings for the ninth straight start, extending the longest such streak of his career.

“Yeah, obviously his name is out there and we know the timing of it,” manager Robin Ventura said. “You do. It crosses your mind but it also crosses your mind that you have a game tonight at 7. That’s where the focus is at more than getting sentimental about, is this your last time putting on your pants or whatever.’’

Samardzija wore the pants in this game, staying in complete control from the beginning of his start to his 99th pitch, Ventura said.

“He’s a horse,’’ Ventura said.

The Sox acquired Samardzija from the Oakland A’s in December in a bold, aggressive trade for prospects that isn’t panning out because of the team’s failure to hit. Thursday’s win snapped a four-game losing streak for a disappointing 43-50 team that’s a big long shot in the wild card race.

Speaking in present and past tenses Thursday, Samardzija had nothing but good things to say about the Sox.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here immensely,’’ he said. “The players are great and the coaching staff is outstanding. It’s unfortunate it hasn’t gone the way we wanted to the first three months. But we’re going to keep playing. We have no other plans. We’re going to go out and play every day.’’

The Sox offense was unusually potent against Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer. Melky Cabrera hit a home run from both sides of the plate (his second against lefty Kyle Crockett) for the third time in his career, Adam Eaton hit his eighth homer against Bauer and shortstop Alexei Ramirez hit a three-run jack.

Ramirez, whose $10 million option doesn’t figure to be picked up by the Sox for next year, also brushed up his trade credentials with the homer and a dazzling play behind second base.

“The parity in this league is so close,’’ Samardzija said. “Nobody can decide what they want to be and which direction they’re going.’’

Samardzija speculated that perhaps the Kazmir trade will get the ball rolling. He’ll stay tuned like everyone else.

“I haven’t heard anything so I haven’t had any way to have an opinion on the matter,’’ he said. “It’s been totally silent on my end which allows me to go out and do my job which has been nice. I understand the business and how it works.’’

Chicago’s greatest athletes by uniform number Day 5: Nos. 19-0 David Just, Chicago Sun Times | July 23, 2015

The numbers athletes wear become a permanent part of team and sports history.

Every number from 0 to 99 is associated with a standout athlete in Chicago sports, and we’ve sorted through all of them to bring you this definitive list of the greatest Chicago athletes by uniform number.

Some numbers have reached iconic status in this city, like Michael Jordan’s 23, Bobby Hull’s 9 and Ernie Banks’ 14. You’ll find all of them among the names on this list – along with some others you may not remember.

The only criterion for inclusion was that the athlete played at least one season in Chicago for the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs or White Sox. We primarily considered the athlete’s time as a playing member of a Chicago team, but his achievements as a player elsewhere or coach was, in some cases, used to break ties.

We’ll count down 20 athletes per day between Monday and Friday, beginning with Nos. 99-80 and concluding Friday with Nos. 19-0.

And now onto Day 5, featuring Nos. 19-0:

19 Toews

Jonathan Toews: At age 27, the Blackhawks’ captain has already won three Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Selke Trophy. He has notched 60 or more points in five of his eight seasons with the Blackhawks.

Honorable mentions: Bob Boozer, Bulls; Billy Pierce, White Sox

18Savard

Denis Savard: Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000 after spending 13 seasons with the Blackhawks. He racked up 1,096 points in a Chicago uniform, including a career-high 131 in 1987-88.

17 Grace

Mark Grace: The Cubs’ first baseman had 2,201 base hits and a .308 average during his 13 seasons from 1988-2000. He was voted to three All-Star teams.

Honorable mentions: Alshon Jeffery, Bears; Richie Petitbon, Bears

16 Lyons

Ted Lyons: A Hall of Fame White Sox pitcher from 1923-42 and again in 1946, Lyons had a 3.67 ERA in 4,161 innings pitched. Lyons never played a game in the minor leagues. In 1939 he went 42 consecutive innings without issuing a walk.

Honorable mention: Aramis Ramirez, Cubs

15 Nesterenko

Eric Nesterenko: An All-Star and Stanley Cup champ as a forward with the Blackhawks from 1956-72, Nesterenko tallied 38 points during the 1960-61 championship season.

Honorable mention: Brandon Marshall, Bears

14 Banks

Ernie Banks: Mr. Cub played his entire 19-year career with the Cubs from 1953-71. He was an 11-time All-Star, won back-to-back MVPs and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977.

Honorable mention: Paul Konerko, White Sox

13 Guillen

Ozzie Guillen: The Rookie of the Year in 1985 and a three-time All-Star with the White Sox, Guillen returned as manager in 2004 and led the club to Chicago’s first World Series victory in 88 years.

Honorable mention: Joakim Noah, Bulls

12Pierzynski

A.J. Pierzynski: The hard-nosed catcher became one of the faces of the franchise during his stay with the White Sox from 2005-12. He helped the team win a World Series in 2005 and was an All-Star in 2006.

Honorable mentions: Shawon Dunston, Cubs; Alfonso Soriano, Cubs

11 Aparicio

Luis Aparicio: The Hall of Fame shortstop spent 10 seasons with the White Sox from 1958-62 and again from 1968-70. He went to six All-Star games with the Sox and led the league in fielding percentage every year from 1959-66.

10 Santo

Ron Santo: The Cubs Hall of Fame third baseman went to nine All-Star games during his 14-year stay on the North Side from 1960-73. He led the league in OBP in both 1964 (.398) and 1966 (.412).

Honorable mentions: Tony Amonte, Blackhawks; Bob Love, Bulls; Patrick Sharp, Blackhawks

9 Hull

Bobby Hull: The Blackhawks forward won two Hart trophies, three Ross trophies and one Byng Trophy during his Hall of Fame career with the Blackhawks from 1957-72.

Honorable mentions: Minnie Minoso, White Sox; Jim McMahon, Bears

8 Dawson

Andre Dawson: He’s in the Hall of Fame as a member of the Expos, but Dawson’s best season came with the Cubs in 1987, when he hit 49 homers and drove in 137 runs. He was the NL MVP that season and went to five All-Star games with the Cubs.

7 Chelios

Chris Chelios: A Blackhawks defenseman from 1990-99, Chelios won Norris trophies in 1993 and 1996. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Honorable mentions: Toni Kukoc, Bulls; Brent Seabrook, Blackhawks

6 Hack

Stan Hack: The four-time All-Star played his entire 16-year career with the Cubs from 1932-47. He led the league in hits in 1940 (191) and 1941 (186) and was a career .301 hitter.

Honorable mention: Jay Cutler, Bears

5 McAfee

George McAfee: Played eight seasons with the Bears from 1940-50 before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966. The running back averaged 4.9 yard per carry in his career.

Honorable mention: John Paxson, Bulls

4 Appling

Luke Appling: The Hall of Famer spent all 20 seasons of his career with the White Sox from 1930-50. He was a seven-time All-Star and a career .310 hitter.

Honorable mentions: Jim Harbaugh, Bears; Jerry Sloan, Bulls

3 Nagurski

Bronko Nagurski: A four-time first-team All-Pro honoree during a nine-year career with the Bears beginning in 1930. The running back was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963 after helping the Bears win two championships.

Honorable mentions: Harold Baines, White Sox; Kiki Cuyler, Cubs

2 Keith

Duncan Keith: A three-time Stanley Cup champion, two-time Norris Trophy winner and one-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Keith has been among the best defensemen of his era. He’s played his entire career with the Blackhawks beginning in 2005.

Honorable mentions: Nellie Fox, White Sox; Gabby Hartnett, Cubs; Norm Van Lier, Bulls

1 Hall

Glenn Hall: A Blackhawks goalie from 1957-67, Hall won a Stanley Cup and two Vezina trophies during his time in Chicago. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.

Honorable mention: Derrick Rose, Bulls

0 Woolridge

Orlando Woolridge: The 6-9 forward played five seasons with the Bulls from 1981-86, averaging 17.4 points and 4.7 rebounds

White Sox notes: Fulmer, Saladino, Sanchez, Soto, Bonifacio Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun Times | July 23, 2015

CLEVELAND – The White Sox’ first-round draft pick passed his first test at Class A Winston-Salem Thursday night.

Carson Fulmer, a hard-throwing right-hander with a big curve, started and pitched two scoreless innings in his Dash debut. Fulmer struck out three, walked one and gave up one hit, a double to Carolina Mudcats catcher Jose Briceno.

Drafted eighth overall out of Vanderbilt, Fulmer was perhaps the closest pitcher to being big-league ready in the draft. The Sox figure to move him along quickly, as they did with 2014 No. 3 overall pick Carlos Rodon who is in the 2015 starting rotation, but like Rodon, Fulmer won’t get to the majors until he goes through a spring training.

Fulmer made his professional debut with one scoreless inning in the Arizona League Saturday.

Fulmer was named the National Pitcher of the Year after going 14-2 with a 1.83 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 127 2/3 innings as a junior at Vandy.

The next best thing

It was somewhat bittersweet for Tyler Saladino when he made his major league debut at Wrigley Field, knowing his father couldn’t get away from his job to be there to see his son’s dream come true.

Perhaps the best consolation prize for a major league dad would be watching the kid play in the majors for the first time at Fenway Park, which is where Saladino’s dad will be when the White Sox play there next week.

Saladino held his own playing at Wrigley and U.S. Cellular Field, hitting safely in seven of nine games for a .318 average with two homers and contributing very good defense at third base. Progressive Field, where the Sox opened a four-game series Thursday, was his third park, and Saladino’s mother and relatives on her side who hail from Ohio were in attendance.

Fenway is the next stop and that will be special because pops will be there. When Saladino got called up from AAA Charlotte on July 9, the first call was to his father.

“He’s one of my closest friends, so we just sat back and enjoyed it,’’ Saladino said.

Hello, Leury

Utility man Emilio Bonifacio was placed on the bereavement list for three days and Leury Garcia was called up to fill the roster spot. Garcia, who batted .166 in 73 games last season, was hitting .301 at AAA Charlotte. Garcia entered Thursday’s game at second base in the eighth inning and singled in his only at-bat.

More time for Soto

Geovany Soto made his 35th start behind the plate and his 19th with Jeff Samardzija pitching. Soto had homered in consecutive starts and had four in his last 11.

“He’s going to get more time,’’ manager Robin Ventura said.

With the July 31 trade deadline approaching, Soto also figures to have some value in a possible deal with a team looking for depth at catcher. While not an everyday player, the 32-year-old veteran is looked up to in the clubhouse as a team leader.

Sanchez holds it together

It took a season-high five-game hitting streak and 11 hits over his last nine games for Carlos Sanchez to get his average at .200.

“My confidence is coming back,’’ said Sanchez, who got called up to shore up the Sox defense – after he hit .344 at AAA Charlotte.

When he came to Chicago, his second stint after a September callup in 2014, he felt lost.

“I was feeling good and suddenly I couldn’t hit,’’ Sanchez said.

Sanchez has hit better since he adjusted his stance and started swinging sooner.

The defense has been steady, and flashy at times. The 23-year-old shows no fear of contact turning the double play.

“He’s very good at getting rid of the ball, even on bad feeds he can get the ball out pretty well,’’ said Gordon Beckham, one of the best around at turning two when he manned second base on a regular basis.

“He’s a very solid defender all the way around. He does a lot of good things right.’’

This and that

The Sox hit a season high four homers, including two by Melky Cabrera and one by Adam Eaton and Alexei Ramirez.

Cabrera, a switch-hitter, homered from both sides of the plate for the third time in his career and became the first Sox to do that since Nick Swisher in 2008.

*Adam LaRoche went 0-f0r-4 with strikeouts in his last three at-bats, dropping his batting average to .215.

*Sox pitchers own a 2.65 ERA over the last 11 games.

Hawk Harrelson traded Bobby Bonilla 29 years ago today Dan Cahill, Chicago Sun Times | July 23, 2015

In 1986, Hawk Harrelson made two moves that solidified his broadcasting career.

Serving as White Sox general manager, Harrelson dumped manager Tony La Russa mid-season. Then on July 23, 1986, with the White Sox eight games under .500 and the trade deadline nearing, Hawkeroo traded 23-year-old Bobby Bonilla to the Pirates for pitcher Jose DeLeon.

Bonilla went on to be a seven-time All Star, played in six postseasons and won a World Series ring.

DeLeon, coming off a major-league leading 19-loss season, was 15-17 in a year and a half on the South Side before being traded to the Cardinals, where he quickly turned it around, going 13-10 and 16-12.

La Russa, meanwhile, went on to win six pennants and three World Series titles and is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Harrelson went back to the broadcast booth where exactly 23 years to the day after the infamous trade, he made this famous call: http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/7/71/817823/hawk-harrelson-traded-bobby-bonilla-29-years-ago-today

Samardzija, Cabrera lead White Sox past Indians 8-1 Associated Press, ESPN.com | July 23, 2015

CLEVELAND -- If Jeff Samardzija pitched for the final time in a Chicago uniform Thursday night, he went out on a high note.

Samardzija (7-5), who has been the subject of trade rumors with the July 31 deadline approaching, allowed one run in eight innings and the White Sox rolled to an 8-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

"It's not really a big deal," he said of the rumors. "All I can do is go out and increase my value as much as possible and make both sides come out on top. The better I play the better the White Sox will get it return if they do trade me and it's better for me to go to a better situation, but that's out of my hands."

The right-hander allowed four hits, struck out three and didn't walk a batter. His offense provided him with plenty of help. Melky Cabrera homered from both sides of the plate while Alexei Ramirez and Adam Eaton also hit home runs, helping Chicago break a four-game losing streak

The trade talk certainly hasn't affected Samardzija's performance. He has lasted at least seven innings in nine straight starts and has allowed six earned runs in 31 2/3 innings in his last four. Samardzija was traded from the Cubs to Oakland at last season's deadline and the White Sox acquired him from the Athletics in December.

"With the Cubs it was a long process," he said. "There was a lot of speculation for about a year. That was tough. After you've done it a couple of times you realize it is out of your hands and you just go out there and do your job."

"There's a lot to like," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Samardzija. "What stands out is his competitiveness. He's a little bit of a throwback. I was hoping they'd trade him (before the game)."

Cabrera hit a leadoff homer in the fourth off right-hander Trevor Bauer (7-5) to break a scoreless tie. He added a two-run shot off left-hander Kyle Crockett in the seventh. Cabrera has homered from both sides of the plate twice in his career, the first time on July 28, 2014, while playing for Toronto against Boston.

Bauer allowed six runs, including three homers, in six-plus innings.

The White Sox had dropped six of seven, including a 3-2 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday when Yadier Molina's three-run triple off closer David Robertson turned the game around in the eighth inning.

"Nice game to have, especially after a tough one yesterday," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Jeff was fantastic. Right out of the gate he looked like he had command. We swung the bats."

The White Sox jumped on Bauer in the fourth. Cabrera's homer was followed by singles by Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia. Ramirez then homered into the bleachers in left-center.

WE NEEDED THAT

The White Sox were 4-16 against the Indians at Progressive Field since the start of the 2013 season going into Thursday. Chicago is 17-28 against the AL Central, including a 5-14 mark on the road.

TRAINER'S ROOM

White Sox: INF Emilio Bonifacio was placed on the bereavement list. INF Leury Garcia, who spent the entire 2014 season with the White Sox, was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.

Indians: DH Nick Swisher (left knee inflammation) was 0 for 2 with a walk in his first game on a minor league rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Akron. He has been on the 15-day DL since June 14.

UP NEXT

White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana, who leads the majors with 45 no-decisions over the last four seasons, seeks his first victory since July 1, at St. Louis. He is 0-2 in his last three starts.

Indians: RHP Corey Kluber faces the White Sox for the third time this season. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has 18 strikeouts in 15 innings against Chicago, but is 0-1 with a 4.20 ERA.

White Sox put infielder Emilio Bonifacio on bereavement list Associated Press, ESPN.com | July 23, 2015

CLEVELAND -- The Chicago White Sox have put infielder Emilio Bonifacio on the bereavement list and recalled infielder Leury Garcia from Triple-A Charlotte.

Bonifacio is hitting .160 with three RBIs in 44 games. He can remain on the bereavement list from three to seven days.

Garcia batted .301 with one homer, 23 RBIs and 27 stolen bases in 73 games with Charlotte. He hit .166 with 11 steals in 74 games for Chicago last season.

White Sox: Jeff Samardzija shines on mound as hot stove heats up Dan Hayes, CSN | July 23, 2015

CLEVELAND -- The hot stove is suddenly bustling and it could mean Jeff Samardzija’s departure from the White Sox is near.

After two Thursday trades brought to life a stagnant market, Samardzija delivered a gem in an 8-1 win over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in what could have been his final start with the White Sox.

With only eight shopping days left before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, the impending free agent allowed one run in eight innings as he bested the Indians.

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn couldn’t have better scripted Samardzija’s potential last outing for the team which he grew up rooting, particularly because it comes on the heels of a deal in which the Houston Astros sent two solid prospects to the Oakland A’s for Scott Kazmir. But if any deal involving him is cooking, Samardzija isn’t yet aware.

“It has been totally silent on my end,” Samardzija said. “The parity in this league is so close. Nobody can decide what they want to be and which direction they’re going. That’s with the new wild card spots and profit sharing and a lot of things contributing to these teams being bundled up. It’s like a NASCAR race out there.”

Samardzija ran a nice pace from the get-go Thursday and never hinted he may be distracted by any trade talk.

He needed only 10 pitches to retire Cleveland’s lineup in order in the first inning and never required a pit stop. With only 99 pitches through eight innings, Samardzija probably had enough in the tank for a complete game but White Sox manager Robin Ventura eased off the throttle in the ninth with his team ahead by seven runs.

Samardzija was fantastic in between, looking every bit like a frontline starter as he retired the first eight batters and 15 of 17 through five innings.

“When he has command like that, you can feel when he’s out there and he’s not overexerting himself,” Ventura said. “He just felt in control the whole game.”

Gauging Samardzija’s trade value doesn’t seem as easy as Thursday’s effort.

Samardzija has a 3.91 ERA after a season full of high expectations got off to a bumpy start. His Fielding Independent Pitching stands at 3.53, which indicates how much Samardzija has been hurt by one of baseball’s worst defenses.

Though he has improved significantly with a 2.55 ERA in his last eight outings, Samardzija has been inconsistent. One National League scout suggested Samardzija is “overhyped” because the White Sox feel like he’s a No. 1 or 2 starter and he’s more like a No. 2 or a No. 3.

But a Thursday report from ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick suggested the White Sox expect to receive “a significant haul” for Samardzija before the deadline even though the pitcher is under contract through the end of this season.

White Sox pitcher Chris Sale thinks Samardzija’s value extends beyond the field. Sale pointed to a May 22 win over Minnesota in which Samardzija overcame a two-run first inning to post eight sharp frames despite having a limited arsenal.

“When you try going out there with your ‘C’ stuff, and getting through eight innings of a major league lineup that swings pretty well, those are kind of the little things people might not appreciate,” Sale said. “But those are the things you pick up on and those are the things that make him who he is.”

In exchange for Kazmir, who shares the same contract status as Samardzija, Oakland received Houston’s No. 19 and No. 22 prospects. One baseball executive thinks the White Sox could expect to receive a little more than the A’s did.

But if other teams look at a trade market that seems to be saturated with pitchers and don’t give them what they want, the White Sox could hang on to Samardzija and make him a qualifying offer, which would net them a compensatory first-round pick in the 2016 draft. One scout suggested the White Sox would receive no more than a “B” level prospect for Samardzija to which an American League scout said: “If that was the case, they’d be better off keeping (him) for the draft pick.”

With 2016 expected to yield a better class than 2015, a draft analyst thought White Sox could potentially receive a prospect with potential to be a major league regular with the compensatory pick. Of equal importance could be the extra signing bonus money the White Sox would receive for that pick and the flexibility it offers.

The White Sox might choose to not deal Samardzija anyway in an attempt to re-sign him in free agency.

Back when the club traded Marcus Semien, Josh Phegley and two others for Samardzija in December, Hahn and Kenny Williams indicated they’d like to keep Samardzija around for the long term. Even though Samardzija’s camp has said all along it intends to seek a fair-market deal in free agency, the White Sox have suggested they might make a play for the Northwest Indiana-native.

The White Sox were one of few suitors who reportedly reached the six-year, $100-million threshold to get into the bidding for Masahiro Tanaka in January 2014 and Hahn hoped he could again convince ownership to put together a similar deal in the future.

“It was a substantial economic offer and if a similar situation presets itself in terms of the ability to find a long-term solution for one of our needs, we’ll be able to dip into those resources again I believe, as was the case with (Jose) Abreu,” Hahn said in January 2014. “Perhaps via trade down the road or into and beyond next season, a similar situation will arise and I expect us to be similarly aggressive.”

Cabrera, White Sox offense supports Samardzija with four homers Dan Hayes, CSN | July 23, 2015

CLEVELAND -- The offense woke up Thursday night in honor of what could be Jeff Samardzija’s final start with the White Sox.

Melky Cabrera homered twice and the White Sox crushed a season-high four home runs in an 8-1 rout of the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Samardzija allowed a run and four hits over eight sharp innings just hours after the trade

market suddenly heated up. Adam Eaton and Alexei Ramirez also homered for the White Sox, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

“We had a very good game today on offense,” Cabrera said through an interpreter. “We also have to thank Samardzija because he threw a very good game and the defense was good. This is the kind of offense we thought we were going to have during the whole season.”

Believed to be the team’s biggest available trade chip, Samardzija retired the first eight batters and faced two over the minimum through five innings. By the time he yielded his only run, Samardzija was ahead 5-0 courtesy of a rare offensive explosion.

“It’s a nice game to have, especially after a tough one yesterday, you come back,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “Shark was fantastic. Right out of the gate, he just looked like he had command. Tough lineup to go through, all the lefties, and for him to do that was big for us. But we swung the bat. Alexei, a big homer that pushed us ahead. Melky swung it great tonight.”

Cabrera led off a four-run rally in the fourth inning with a solo homer to right off Trevor Bauer. Ramirez followed singles by Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia with a laser of a three-run homer to left to make it 4-0. Eaton got into the act in the fifth with a solo homer, his eighth to make it 5-0.

Two innings later, Cabrera became the first White Sox player to hit homers from both sides of the plate in the same game since Nick Swisher in 2008 when he had a two-run blast to left off Kyle Crockett. It’s the third time in his career that Cabrera has homered from both sides of the plate in the same game.

The market for Samardzija -- who struck out three and walked none -- likely grew smaller by one team on Thursday when the Houston Astros acquired Scott Kazmir from the Oakland A’s for two prospects. Still, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweeted that the White Sox believe they would receive a “significant haul” for Samardzija before the July 31 trade deadline. The Pittsburgh Pirates also acquired third baseman Aramis Ramirez from the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.

Samardzija said all is quiet on the trade front and that parity has teams indecisive about what to do because they’re bunched up like a NASCAR race. If Samardzija is feeling any pressure from a potential trade, he didn’t look like it. But he also credited his outing to his teammates relieving pressure.

“Tip my hat to the offense and defense today, I was just out there throwing the ball over the plate and letting them work behind me,” Samardzija said. “Alexei had a great play, a couple of great plays in the outfield and you get a cushion like they gave me early and you can relax.”

Altered stance has helped Carlos Sanchez find comfort at bat Dan Hayes, CSN | July 23, 2015

CLEVELAND -- Comfortable with an adjustment in his stance, Carlos Sanchez ripped a first-pitch fastball from Lance Lynn for a single in the third inning of Wednesday’s loss.

While it didn’t produce a run, that the White Sox second baseman not only handled a 93-mph fastball but also pulled it is hard to fathom given where he was a month ago. But seemingly over early struggles that left him with a.141 batting average on June 20, Sanchez has renewed confidence at the plate and is showing why the White Sox have remained patient. Over his past 12 contests, Sanchez has a .326/.341/.372 slash line with four multi-hit games, which has raised his average to .200.

“I’ve been able to do that because all of the changes,” Sanchez said through an interpreter. “Especially when I’m ready early because before, when pitchers threw me a fastball, they wanted to because I couldn’t get my bat ahead of the ball. Now I feel better and I’m hitting the ball well, ahead of home plate.”

Sanchez, 23, has been a constant target for the fan base on social media, what with his average hovering around .160 for much of the time he was in the majors since his mid-May promotion.

But the White Sox stressed Sanchez is here for his glove and they believed he would adjust and become more like the player who has a .288 career average in the minors if given time. White Sox manager Robin Ventura likes how Sanchez carried himself during a period the rookie described as surprising.

“If you struggle anywhere else you get time to regroup and work it out,” Ventura said. “Up here it doesn’t always pan out that way. This is at the highest level and doubt creeps in -- if you can make it and stay here -- and he’s fought through that in a way that is very professional the way he has gone about it.”

The key for Sanchez has been a change to his hitting position that has allowed him to be more prepared to hit fastballs. Prior to the past dozen games, Sanchez was hitting .225 this season against four-seam fastballs, according to brooksbaseball.net. Since then, Sanchez is hitting at a .313 clip against four-seamers. Ventura also said Sanchez has been more selective and making sure he’s swinging at fastballs.

Both developments have Sanchez in a much better place.

“I was feeling good and suddenly I couldn’t hit,” Sanchez said. “Sometimes when you’re going through that you have to try to change something.

“I’m feeling very comfortable. I think my confidence is coming back since I’ve started to hit a little bit better. I feel very good right now. I think I’m playing good and help the team.”

White Sox place Emilio Bonifacio on bereavement list, call up Leury Garcia Dan Hayes, CSN | July 23, 2015 The White Sox announced on Thursday that the team placed infielder Emilio Bonifacio on the bereavement list before the team's game against the Cleveland Indians on CSN.

In a corresponding move, the Sox called up infielder Leury Garcia from Triple-A Charlotte. Garcia, 24, is hitting .301 with a home run, 23 RBI and 27 stolen bases in Charlotte.

Garcia played in 74 games for the White Sox last year, hitting .166 with a home run, six RBI and 11 stolen bases. He was acquired as "the player to be named later" in the trade that sent Alex Rios to the Rangers in 2013.

Bonifacio is hitting .160 with three RBI in 44 games for the South Siders after signing with them this offseason.

The switch hitter can be on the bereavement list for no more than seven games and no less than three games.

Chicago White Sox promote former Olympic speed skater in minor-league system FoxSports.com | July 23, 2015

The former Olympic speed skater-turned-baseball-player has continued to impress those in the White Sox organization.

Eddy Alvarez, an Olympic short track speed skating silver medalist, was promoted to High-A Winston-Salem on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old shortstop hit .285 with a.408 on-base percentage, two home runs, 23 doubles and 39 RBI in 89 games for Single-A Kannapolis this season. Alvarez, who stole 42 bases, led the South Atlantic League in walks (69) and runs scored (64), earned himself a spot in the league's All-Star game earlier this year.

Alvarez, who won silver with the U.S. 5000m relay team at the Sochi Winter Games, signed a minor-league deal with the white Sox in June, 2014.

Eddy Alvarez, Olympic short track silver medalist, promoted in Chicago White Sox system Nick Zaccardi, NBCSports.com | July 23, 2015

Eddy Alvarez was promoted within the Chicago White Sox organization Wednesday, moving to High A as the Sochi Olympic short track speed skating silver medalist continues to shine 13 months after signing a minor-league deal with the baseball club.

Alvarez, 25, hit .285 with a.408 on-base percentage, two home runs, 23 doubles and 39 RBIs in 89 games for Single-A Kannapolis (N.C.) of the South Atlantic League this season before the call-up to High-A Winston-Salem.

The Miami native nicknamed “the Jet” stole 42 bases and made the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. He led the league in walks (69) and runs scored (64) before his promotion.

Alvarez, a shortstop, earned silver with the U.S. 5000m relay team at the Sochi Winter Games.