Podsednik proved himself to be a strong leadoff candidate throughout 2009 and could remain in the 2010 picture in that same role. That is, if the White Sox elect to re-sign him. With two outfield spots reserved for Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios, the White Sox could pursue an athletic center fielder instead of bringing back the 34-year-old Podsednik. That would allow Rios to slide over to right field instead of being forced to play center, with Podsednik in left or right field.

Acquired through an August waiver claim from Toronto, Rios struggled mightily during his six-week stint on the South Side, hitting just .199 with a .301 slugging percentage in limited time. However, the White Sox plan on letting Rios play regularly in right field, with Jermaine Dye likely heading elsewhere. A full slate of time on the South Side should bring Rios' batting average closer to his career clip of .281.

Leadoff man Scott Podsednik is a free agent, while the White Sox and veteran Jermaine Dye have a $12 million mutual option with a $1 million buyout for 2010.

Rios produced perhaps his finest single-game effort in '09. While he's batting only .247, the outfielder does have 17 homers, 71 RBIs and 24 steals, which is clearly a worthy level of production in standard formats. He might not become the superstar some had hoped he'd become, but he still has the ability to post 20-plus homers and steals.

Rios is finally starting to put together a decent resume over his past eight games. He has three multi-hit games during that span and two homers in his last four contests. While he still has work to do until he becomes a reliable everyday option, he's already come a long way from the .140 batting average he posted through his first 27 affairs after getting picked off the waiver wire from the Blue Jays.

To say this was a crucial blast would be an understatement, as Rios had gone 24 games since his last jack and entered Tuesday’s tilt batting a horrendous .130 with one RBI and one run in 16 September contests. The big right fielder has had a rough go of it on the Southside, as he’s hitting .158 with five RBIs in 32 games with the White Sox.

The 28-year-old outfielder is suffering through one of the worst stretches of his once promising career. Although Rios shouldn't be completely written off just yet, it seems unlikely that he'll rebound to deliver helpful numbers over the final weeks of the season.

Rios has done next to nothing since arriving on the South Side, batting .156 with one homer and three RBIs in 18 games with the White Sox. On the year, he sports a .250 average with 15 jacks, 65 RBIs and 20 steals, though that production seems like a distant memory now.

Rios went deep for the first time as a member of White Sox, notching his third dinger in the last 10 games. The dynamic right fielder had gotten off to a slow start on the South Side, going 6-for-26 with one RBI before Wednesday, but a couple of extra-base hits can do wonders for a guy in a new environment.

The addition of Alex Rios has not curtailed Podsednik's playing time as much as originally thought. In fact, it was Jim Thome who found himself on the bench Friday, with Pods getting the unlikely start at DH. If Podsednik continues to suit up on a regular basis, there's no reason why he can't hang on to his mixed-league relevance for the remainder of the season.

Manager Ozzie Guillen said the addition of Rios, who was claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays on Monday, will allow him to rest some other players who could use a day off. Guillen said Jermaine Dye, who usually bats third and plays right field, was the first player in a now four-man outfield rotation to be given the day off. Dye will have Wednesday and Thursday off, as the White Sox have an off-day before beginning a three-game series in Oakland.

Rios was claimed off waivers by the White Sox on Monday from Toronto -- along with his nearly $70 million remaining on a contract that runs through 2014, with a club option for 2015. Rios figures to be an everyday player for the Sox at one of the outfield positions. He's shown the ability to play all three positions, though he primarily played right field for the Jays this season. With Toronto, he was hitting .264 with 14 homers, 62 RBIs and 19 steals.

Torres had a 0-0 record with a 6.75 ERA in two starts this season. He was ineffective in his last outing on Aug. 8 -- the day he was recalled from Charlotte -- when he lasted just 3 1/3 innings in an 8-5 loss to the Indians. Rios is batting .264 this season with 14 home runs and 62 RBIs. He can play all three outfield positions, but was primarily a right fielder for the Blue Jays this season.

This is a huge move by August standards. Once viewed as one of the game's most promising five-tool outfielders, Rios had fallen short of expectations in Toronto, with his all-around numbers fading in each of the last two seasons. Still, even if he never comes close to winning AL MVP honors, his combination of power and speed is nothing to scoff at, especially now that he's heading to U.S. Cellular Field, among baseball's top hitters' parks. On the South Side, Rios will be surrounded by seasoned sluggers, a cadre of protection that should help him to improve his already solid numbers (.264 AVG, 14 HR, 62 RBIs, 19 SB). Look for him to man center field, likely bumping Scott Podsednik to the bench. To replace Rios, the Blue Jays are expected to recall top hitting prospect Travis Snider from Triple-A Las Vegas, where he rang up a .320 average, 12 homers, 36 RBIs and a monstrous .653 slugging percentage. Expect the 21-year-old bopper to make an immediate impact.

Rios has gone yard in consecutive ballgames, both of which have come at home. Twelve of his 14 long balls have occurred at Toronto's Rogers Centre. It's an unusual bit of home prowess for the outfielder considering that he had hit 17 road homers compared to 22 at home from 2007-08.