Konerko re-signs with White Sox for five years, $60M

Hmmm, how would a healthy Jim Thome and Paul Konerko look together in the middle of the Chicago White Sox lineup?

If Thome's healthy, the answer will reveal itself beginning in April: The world champion White Sox retained their first baseman by agreeing to terms with Konerko on a five-year, $60 million deal Tuesday.

In electing to remain with the White Sox, Konerko turned down two more lucrative offers, a reported five-year, $65 million offer from Baltimore and a five-year offer from the Los Angeles Angels that his agent, Craig Landis, described financially as "a tick above the White Sox."

"In the end, it came down to Paul wanting to be a Chicago White Sox," Landis told CBS SportsLine.com. "He really likes his teammates, he really likes the city and he really likes the fans.

"He wants to give it another run at the World Series. He believes they can compete for it again, that they have that kind of team."

The deal came together quickly overnight Tuesday and Wednesday morning after Konerko spent most of the day Tuesday in Anaheim being recruited by the Angels.

Konerko also was facing pressure from the White Sox to make a decision before the start of the winter meetings, which begin on Monday in Dallas, or Chicago would begin to make alternate plans and pursue options other than Konerko.

"He seriously considered the Angels; he was very comfortable there," Landis said. "Paul said that if it was any other scenario, other than a World Series team in Chicago, he would have been very comfortable with the Angels.

"He's known (Angels manager) Mike Scioscia a long time. He's very comfortable with Scioscia, (owner) Arte Moreno and (general manager) Bill Stoneman.

"The Angels did everything in their power. But the White Sox had something the Angels couldn't duplicate."

Konerko, who batted .283 with 40 home runs and 100 RBI last season, was perhaps the top slugger on the free agent market this winter and had indicated that if he did not return to the Sox, that his preference was to sign with a club that trained near his home in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Angels, who were beaten by the White Sox in the American League Championship Series last month, are looking to add offense.

The White Sox think they did that last week by acquiring Thome from Philadelphia for center fielder Aaron Rowand. Though Thome, 35, was injured for much of last summer, the White Sox think he will recover sufficiently to post big numbers again.

His left-handed bat provides just the ingredient GM Kenny Williams was looking for as far back as last summer, when he investigated the possibility of trading for another lefty, Ken Griffey Jr.

By retaining Konerko, the Sox will keep him him at first base and use Thome, an Illinois-native, as their designated hitter.

"It's a special place, Chicago, and he felt it would be hard to duplicate elsewhere," Landis said. "He feels some responsibility to the fans. He's probably more important to the White Sox than to other places."