Hardball Moves

AP Photo/Nam Y Huh

It's the middle of winter but that doesn't mean our MLB teams are standing pat. Over the weekend, the White Sox announced that they had reached one-year deals with both Carlos Quentin ($3.2 million) and closer Bobby Jenks ($7.5 million). Meanwhile, the Cubs seem to have their eye on a pair of ex-Sox: pitcher Jose Contreras and outfielder Jermaine Dye. Injuries to Ted Lilly and Carlos Silva could leave the Cubs in need of a fifth starter for the first month-plus of the season, leading to the interest in Contreras. As for Dye, the Cubs would use him as a backup in both left and right field as well as possibly at first base.