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Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski filed for free agency on Monday, reports ESPN Chicago, citing a source familiar with the situation. The White Sox have exclusive negotiating rights with their own free agents through Friday. Pierzynski is coming off a career-season in which he had 27 home runs and 77 RBIs.
The White Sox have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, as noted in the piece. Francisco Liriano and Orlando Hudson are both expected to file for free agency, while Chicago also has options on Jake Peavy, Kevin Youkilis, Brett Myers and Gavin Floyd.
Pierzynski is 36 years old, and his value on the open market is truly up in the air. Surely, there will be teams interested, and the White Sox are one of those teams, it's just unclear how much money he'll be getting at this point in his career. The White Sox had a strong year in 2012, much better than many felt they'd have, so bringing as many of these players back as possible might be a good idea.