White Sox to pursue Victor Martinez in free agency this winter

The White Sox plan on making soon-to-be free agent Victor Martinez a priority this offseason, according to Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com. Chicago has been scouting Martinez with the intention of making a serious run at him this winter.

The White Sox will have some payroll and lineup flexibility due to the losses of Gordon Beckham (traded to the Angels), Paul Konerko (retiring) and Adam Dunn (free agency), and will likely be looking for some offensive help on the free agent market. Dunn and Konerko have split time at the designated hitter spot all season while rookie sensation Jose Abreu has taken over at first base, meaning that Martinez would be a great fit to replace them for next year.

Martinez, who turns 36 this offseason, will likely command a two- or three-year deal from an American League club looking for offense after a strong season in which he has hit .328/.395/.553 with 26 home runs and 85 RBI in 122 games. The Tigers are expected to work hard to re-sign him and may extend a qualifying offer, so the White Sox will have strong competition in their attempt to sign him.