White Sox holding out for pitching

? On Ken Williams’ side of the table, the chips are stacked high, like the skyline of Chicago. Other players eye him enviously, waiting to see how he will play his hand.

In the middle of the table sits the kind of pot that whispers “all in.”

There’s Manny Ramirez, the modern Jimmie Foxx. Not quite as readily available, but still there, are a couple of the best two-way center fielders in any era, Vernon Wells and Andruw Jones. Off to the side, yet still there to be asked about, are Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Tejada.

There was a time a few years ago when the White Sox general manager would have been frantic to make a big splash, using his surplus of starting pitching to land a big name. But not even the prospect of the 28-year-old Wells, a force for the present and the future, is forcing Williams’ hand this week.

“Pitching was what made us successful two years ago,” Williams said on a slow Tuesday at baseball’s winter meetings. “We are committed to building with pitching, and I don’t want to do anything to compromise that. Anything you hear about (the Sox adding a top hitter) is just a rumor.”

In other words, if the Sox do trade Freddy Garcia, Javier Vazquez or Mark Buehrle, the most significant part coming back is going to be a 25-or-younger pitcher capable of becoming a South Side fixture.

That’s what Williams has said all along. But still, when the Toronto Blue Jays are shopping a talent like Wells, you’d think Williams would have to reassess his stance.

After all, last season Wells hit .303 with 32 home runs and 17 stolen bases while also winning a Gold Glove. Brian Anderson, the Sox’s center fielder, hit .225.

Why not see if you can package Vazquez, Anderson or Ryan Sweeney and some minor-leaguers for Wells, assuming you can then sign him long-term? Some believe Wells will command a salary as high as $20 million in the current market, but with Vazquez gone and right fielder Jermaine Dye and third baseman Joe Crede potentially in their final seasons in Chicago, couldn’t there be room for a monster salary?

Here’s what Williams knows: The Sox won the World Series in 2005, when they ranked second in the league in staff ERA and ninth in runs scored, and missed the playoffs in 2006, when they ranked third in runs and 10th in ERA.

In Williams’ world, pitching is first, and everything else is tied for last. That philosophy rings very soundly to a longtime major-league scout who spent the 2006 season evaluating the minor leagues.

“You’re seeing the price for pitching jump, and people are asking me if this is just a cycle,” the scout said. “I don’t think it is. I think quality pitchers are just going to get more valuable, more expensive. It is shocking how few good pitchers there are in the minor leagues.

“Some organizations have some pitching-the Dodgers, Houston, Texas-but there are some that don’t have a single pitcher. You watch a (minor-league) team for a week, every day you’re thinking, OK, I’ll see somebody today, and you never do.”

Williams knows firsthand how tough it can be to fill out a rotation.

It’s why Williams would probably take a mulligan if he could on the Mike MacDougal trade, which cost the Sox lefty Tyler Lumsden and right-hander Daniel Cortes.