On the first day of the MLB winter meetings, taking place in Orlando, Florida, there's been very little action from the Cubs and White Sox.
There are reports that the White Sox are continuing discussions with free agent first baseman Paul Konerko, who has become the face of the franchise in recent years. The Sox may not be able to afford to keep him after signing Adam Dunn, but if they can fit Konerko's salary requirements in after Dunn and A.J. Pierzynski backloaded their deals, the Sox would have a formidable lineup to go along with their excellent starting pitching.
Meanwhile, the Cubs still seek a starting first baseman. There were earlier reports that they had explored a possible trade with the Dodgers for James Loney, but other reports knocked that down, claiming the Dodgers felt it would cost them too much to replace Loney via free agency and they were inclined to keep him. The Cubs (and Nationals) were also connected with rumors surrounding free agent and former Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Webb, who hasn't pitched in the major leagues in nearly two years with shoulder problems.
The Cubs made news today by announcing they were promoting minor league pitching coordinator Mark Riggins to major league pitching coach, replacing Larry Rothschild, who moved on to the Yankees. Riggins spent many years in the Cardinals organization in the same capacity and had one year as major league pitching coach in 1995.
Stay with this SB Nation Chicago StoryStream™; we'll update it with both White Sox and Cubs moves this week during the winter meetings.