As the season gets closer it’s time to make some predictions for the 2009 White Sox.

1. The Sox will be in the hunt but won’t make the playoffs - I try not to be pessimistic, but I just think our lineup is not deep enough. This division is mighty winnable and no team has much depth, but the Sox have no lead-off hitter and the back end of the rotation is recently injured guys over 35.

2. John Danks will emerge as the staff ace - I said late last season that Danks was going to the ace of this team one day. He had a horrible 2nd half, but what we saw down the stretch makes me think this guy is the real deal. He will emerge as the ace of this staff this year.

3. Carlos Quentin and Josh Fields will excel – Carlos Quentin will prove that last year was no fluke and that he is finally becoming the player he was once touted as. Meanwhile Josh Fields will build on his solid spring and hit 25+ home runs. I think he is the #5 hitter of the future on this team.

4. One of the Big 3 veterans will be atrocious – When I speak of the Big 3 Vets I mean Konerko, Thome and Dye. Thome had probably the worst season of his career last year. He continues to battle back problems and probably slots in the 5th or 6th slot right now. He is the last year of his contract and may hang it up at the end of the year, so who knows? Konerko was close to atrocious last year, somehow making his 2007 turd look good. It might be hard for him to be that bad again, but who knows. Meanwhile Jermaine Dye had a down 2007 but bounced back last year. People keep waiting for the bottom to fall out on him. One of these guys won’t be in the starting lineup come August.

5. Ramirez in center, Beckham at short by midseason - The Dewayne Wise Experiment is not going to last long. He had a .293 OBP last year and is the wrong side of 30. Gordon Beckham is going to tear up the minors and after Alexei Ramirez struggles at shortstop, they will pull a preemptive Alfonso Soriano and move Ramirez to CF and bring up Beckham.

I know everyone likes to call me the pessimist, and some of this is negative, but it happens.