Chicago White Sox: Leadoff Man Search Starts and Ends with Alejandro De Aza

New Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura has indicated that the candidates for the leadoff spot in 2012 is led by Alejandro De Aza. At this point, Ventura should do more that pencil in the 27-year-old outfielder.

De Aza should be in center field to open the season and should be at the top of the White Sox lineup in Texas April 6th. Any talk to the contrary is just that, talk.

Ventura is still mulling over several areas concerning his opening day lineup. As told to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, Ventura spoke of his options in the first spot in the order:

"

"Gordon [Beckham] could probably do it depending on how he feels about that and how he looks in Spring Training, as far as getting on base," Ventura said of the leadoff slot. "He has more power than normal leadoff guys, but he's one of them."

"

I credit Ventura for one thing. He is doing his best to boost the confidence of his second baseman.

With Juan Pierre, the leadoff man of the previous regime, signing a minor league contract with the Phillies, Ventura doesn't have many options at the top of the batting order. Beckham encountered difficulties in the second spot, where he seemed a more logical fit.

Beckham's on-base percentage would have to come up quite a ways from the .296 posted in 2011. Or the .317 of 2010, for that matter.

Meanwhile, De Aza's reached base at a .400 clip in 57 games with the White Sox. He also hit .329 and stole a dozen bases after joining the team in late July.

Those number may or may not stand up to the scrutiny of a full season. However, it's more likely that De Aza can put up solid numbers over six months of baseball, as opposed to the theory that Beckham could raise his game so prodigiously.

Unlike Pierre, who would be a leadoff man in the classic mold, De Aza may not be the base stealer some would prefer. However, if De Aza played a full season, he was on pace to eclipse the 27 swipes collected by Pierre.

De Aza is probably not going to go out and steal 40 bases. He can, however, offer the hope of a .300 season and 20-30 steals. He'll be better defensively than Pierre and be on base, which is all I need from a leadoff man.

“You can tinker and get ready and get schedules ready for spring training all you want," Ventura said to Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com. "It will be nice to get on the field and see people do baseball things instead of looking at sheets of paper.”

On paper or on the field, De Aza seems the best choice.