I'M HAPPY TO SEE JORDAN DANKS GO

Yesterday the White Sox made the signing of Emilio Bonifacio official, and also announced in the process that Jordan Danks had been designated for assignment. The news brought a smile to my face.

The smile wasn't as big as it will be the moment I find out that Dayan Viciedo is no longer on the roster, but it was a smile none the less. Not because I'm really excited about the addition of Emilio Bonifacio. As I already wrote, I like the move, and I think it made more sense to do it than trade for Ben Zobrist, but it's still just Emilio Bonifacio.

And I didn't smile because I have anything against Jordan Danks. I don't. I actually liked Jordan Danks, but the real truth is that Jordan Danks just isn't very good. He's proven repeatedly that he's never going to be much of a hitter on the Major League level, but that he has some valuable to your roster as a reserve outfield because he can play all three positions well, and he can also serve as a pinch-runner when needed.

No, the smile was about what the move meant.

LET'S SEND DAYAN VICIEDO TO BALTIMORE NOW

I love dogs. I own a dog. Dogs are great.

I also have a friend who is married to a woman who works at an animal shelter, and every time I look at my Facebook feed there's an update from her about some dog that needs a home. This woman, bless her heart, is constantly trying to find these mangy looking mutts a place to live. It's a noble cause, but it's also incredibly annoying because it's not just dogs that need homes that she's posting. It's basically any damn dog she comes across ends up flooding my Facebook.

She makes me hate dogs I've never even met. Maybe I subconsciously hate her and I don't know it, and this hatred is manifesting through the dogs. I don't know. All I know is that I want to adopt these dogs and then release them into the local forest preserve.

Run free, Fido! Get back to your roots.

So why am I telling you this?

LACTOSE INTOLERANT: LEFT FIELD OPTIONS BESIDES THE MELK MAN

We know the White Sox need to upgrade left field. The White Sox know they need to upgrade left field. Rick Hahn himself basically went on the radio earlier this week and said it. While he spoke in his typical measured tones, if you read between the lines of what he was saying you could hear his brain screaming "Dayan Viciedo is so bad please don't make me go through another season with him as my left fielder."

That's why there have been all those rumors about the White Sox and Mariners talking Viciedo, with most of the talking coming from the White Sox end of things. Maybe the Sox are hoping that if they say Seattle's interested in Viciedo enough that it will eventually come true. Like an exasperated Jedi mind trick.

I don't know that it will work no matter how many times that Sarah McLachlan commercial plays.

SARAH MCLACHLAN WANTS YOU TO TRADE FOR DAYAN VICIEDO

Don't let Dayan go to the kill shelter.

IS SEATTLE A MATCH FOR DAYAN VICIEDO?

As sure as the sun will rise in the east and set in the west the Seattle Mariners will be interested in trading for Dayan Viciedo. Like Captain Ahab in his never-ending search for that damned white whale, the Mariners have long been connected to Viciedo. They've wanted him for years.

Time and time again you hear of rumors connecting the Mariners to Viciedo, but it never actually materializes. The White Sox were never ready to give up on Viciedo before, at least not at a price Seattle was willing to agree to. But things have changed with the Sox this winter. On Tuesday the Sox let it be known that Viciedo was available. They've seen enough.

And it seems the White Sox are much better anglers than Captain Ahab could ever hope to be, for their bait had barely made a ripple in the water before the Mariners had shown up.

WHO WANTS DAYAN VICIEDO?

The #WhiteSox, who are searching the marketplace for another OF and bullpen help, are telling teams that LF Dayan Viciedo is available.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 10, 2014

It's nice to know that the White Sox aren't done.

It's even nicer to know they don't want to keep Dayan Viciedo if they don't have to.

I have nothing against Viciedo, but it just hasn't worked out. It's best for all involved to move on at this point. I'd take anything with a pulse in return.

WHAT'S WITH THE LOVE FOR YOENIS CESPEDES?

With the Red Sox signing both Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez there have been plenty of people willing to tell you that Yoenis Cespedes is now available for trade. Many believe that the Red Sox will have Hanley in left field before long, which makes Cespedes expendable.

And that makes sense.

What makes less sense to me is the amount of White Sox fans I know that think they should trade for Cespedes. I've even seen national writers like Jon Heyman tweet that Cespedes could be used by Boston to trade for a pitcher like Mat Latos which only leads to one simple question from me.

Why?

IS MIGUEL MONTERO NECESSARY?

Tyler Flowers had his best season with the White Sox in 2014. That's a good thing, but like most things, it's all relative.

Flowers had set the bar rather low for himself, and it's somewhat sad that a season in which he finished with an OBP of .297 and an OPS+ of 95 could be considered a career year, but that's the situation Flowers finds himself in. It also leaves the White Sox in a position in which they have to wonder whether or not an upgrade is something they should pursue, or if the money should be spent elsewhere.

The fact they've apparently checked with the Diamondbacks on Miguel Montero might give us an indication about how they feel. Montero is still owed $40 million over the next three seasons, which is a sizeable investment for this White Sox team to make. But the question is whether or not it'd be worth it.