Jerry Owens

Owens has a decent eye at the plate but major-league pitchers were able to exploit his complete lack of power by pounding the strikezone. He still manged to hit .284 with 29 steals after getting his second call-up in July but his role for this season will be greatly influenced by the team's offseason moves. With the team actively looking to add a starting center fielder it appears Owens will be relegated to a reserve role. If they fail to land a center fielder he'll enter spring with the inside track for the job and offer plus-speed when he manages to get on base.

Owens, a former USC football player and high school teammate of Kyle Boller, made his major league debut under unfavorable conditions. His September call-up came just after he came off of the disabled list with a sprained ankle. That's not good for a player who relies heavily on his speed. He doesn't hit enough to be considered the fall-back position if Brian Anderson fails, but Owens would be a decent outfielder to have around. He stole 40 bases in Triple-A and can draw a walk. He hit .310 with a .355 on-base percentage in the Arizona Fall League but will have to match that to earn a roster spot in the spring.

Yet another former college football player in the White Sox system, Owens' reliance on his speed gives him a better chance of making the majors for good than fellow gridiron exiles Joe Borchard and Josh Fields, although he has less star potential than Fields does. He could eventually replace Scott Podsednik at the top of the order, but replacing Timo Perez on the bench seems more plausible at the moment.