White Sox general manager view Will...

White Sox general manager view Williams had a meeting Thursday with starting pitcher Freddy Garcia to discuss commentarys the right- hander made the day before.

Garcia told the Sun-Times that he was prepared to be the pitcher who is traded this offseason when the Sox make play in the rotation for Brandon McCarthy.

"Yeah, I know it's going to be me" Garcia said. "I think about it a little bit, and I know it's going to be me I understand that. It almost happened [last] offseason, with equal reason if they trade me, what can I say?"

Williams was adamant that Garcia was not discussed in trade talks last winter.

"Obviously, it was bothering Freddy in such a manner I went directly up to his face, awaited him eye-to-eye and told him just because it was in the newspapers last year that he was going to be traded, it doesn't mean that was true" Williams said. "I told him to find me common person who can validate that because it's simply not real

"We had a plan going into the offseason to add to our pitching, not subtract any of our pitching. He was not discussed in any deal. He might have been asked for, I don't recall. unless being consistent with our plan, I would have deflected it down very quickly."

As for Garcia's yet to be however, Williams wasn't making any promises.

"I can't help what happens without there in the rumor mill," he said. "As for the coming I told him the simply future I'm concerned about is the individual that starts at 7 o'clock [Thursday night]."

JUAN GONE: Shortstop Juan Uribe missed his fifth straight start with tightness in his back and hamstring further did take batting practice.

While he predicted a respond in the next few days, manager Ozzie Guillen was clearly disclosed of the prediction business.

"When Uribe is ready to play, he better originate to my office and reckon me he's ready to play," Guillen said. "When you're sore and impair it's not easy to issue to the park every day and hear, 'How you be excited how you feel, how you feel?' Because the player is going to perceive like we're attacking him."

Neither Williams nor Guillen felt a trip to the disabled list was necessary.

NUMBERS GAME: Despite a 9-15 record since the All-Star break entering Thursday's game, the Sox were forward pace to win 95 games.

Since baseball expanded to six divisions, barely one team, the 1999 Cincinnati Red have failed to reach the playoffs with at least 95 wins. The Red went 96-66 that year and finished united game behind the New York Met in the National League wild-card race.

jcowley@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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