First things first: I don't believe the White Sox will be as bad as they were last year.  On the other hand, it doesn't mean they'll be good either.  Here's your 2008 breakdown:

Pitching

Starting Pitching

• On paper, it looks promising, but in reality there are a lot of potholes.  Certainly compared to Detroit, Cleveland and perhaps Minnesota, this isn't the strongest unit in the division.
• Mark Buehrle is a solid number two guy but being the ace may be asking too much. On the other hand, the guy is a leader and role model, so 18 wins might be enough to spark everybody else.
  
• Javy Vasquez is always prone to at least on inning where he just loses it.  He is very capable of winning 15-20 games if he can just get through that one inning where he suddenly looks like Superman after the Kryptonite.
  
• Jose Contreras may or may not be done, but is definitely on the downslope of his career. If he has one good year left in his tank, it needs to be this one.
• John Danks will be better than last year, but the big question is his endurance and how he will pitch into August and September, especially if the Sox are still hanging around.  He needs to win at least 12 games for the Sox to contend, but it won't help if nine of them come before the All-Star break.
• Pink Gavin Floyd will get hammered.  Absolutely hammered.   He is prone to the big fly, especially with runners on and tends to over think things and quickly go downhill.  For him to contribute, pitching coach Don Cooper will have to make him mentally tough.  Of all the pitchers, he might be the first one that gets the bus ticket to Charlotte.
  
• Overall, the strategy will be if they can go six, the Sox have a chance.

Middle Relief

• The Sox consider this a strength, but is it really? Is it really improved over last year or is it about the same? Perhaps someone should demand a recount.
• Nick Masset made the team only because he was out of options and possibly because he can pitch several innings.  Most people think he is taking Ehren Wasserman's spot (which is correct.)  Masset will be the guy who comes in when the Sox are up big and when they are getting hammered.  You'll see him a lot in April and hopefully less in May.  You've got to think Kenny Williams is looking for somebody, anybody, to take Masset for a prospect or two.
• Boone Logan is a solid lefty out of the bullpen and one of the Sox shining lights, especially in a lefty- match up.
• Mike MacUseless pitched well his last few appearances in the spring but still needs to go away.  He gets wild, walks people and truly sucks when he comes in with men on base.  He is not a shut down pitcher, he is a waste of a uniform  This is the slot Ehren Wasserman should have, but for some reason, the Sox are convinced they can rehab him.  You don't win championships with a bunch of players who are like lost puppy dogs.
• Matt Thornton is a hard throwing lefty who actually has problems getting lefties out.  In the words of Mr. Spock, "fascinating, Captain." 
  
• Scott Linebrink was brought in to handle the seventh inning for the Sox.  He was very successful in San Diego for a few years.  Last year, he was traded to the Brewers and stunk up Miller Park so bad they had to leave the roof open for months.  Let's hope this is the San Diego version of Linebrink because if it's the Milwaukee version, say hello to 2007.
• Octavio Dotel is coming off Tommy John surgery and will pitch the eighth.  He has a huge upside, but was terrible during the spring.  Let's hope that was mountain air.

Closer

• Bobby Jenks.  'Nuff said.

Infield

• Paul Konerko, the Sox captain, suffered through a terrible year last year and many people think he may be on the downside of his career.  There are others who believe that the Nick Swisher acquisition may be designed to eventually supplant Paulie at first base, making him trade bait.  The truth is, anyone who give the Chairman a baseball from the last out of the World Series has a job for life.  Paulie needs to step it up this year for the Sox to contend.  He knows this.
• Juan Uribe will start at second, at least early in the season.  He has a great arm, but offensively, he has become a big liability, swatting at the ball and not advancing base runners.  He won't be there at the end of the year.
• Orlando Cabrera was acquired to anchor shortstop.  While he is a good handler of the bat in the two hole, he is average defensively, an actual downgrade from Uribe.  His big offensive year last year was all in the first half.  I didn't like this trade when they made it, so we'll see how this works out.
• Jone Crede, if he is healthy, is keeping third base warm for Josh Fields.  A superior defensive player, if he is healthy, he is the best clutch guy on the team.  If he is healthy.  He most likely will be traded by the end of the season.  If he is healthy.
• Pablo Ozuna is a top notch utility guy and Captain Clutch.  He may be slowed a little recovering from a broken leg, but he will contribute all year long making great plays and getting big hits.
• Alexi Ramirez is a.k.a. the Cuban Missile.  He is also a versatilely player who most likely will be the starting second baseman by the end of the year.  Hopefully, he will adjust quickly to the big leagues and hit like he did in spring training.  Right now, Ozzie and Kenny are in serious lust with him.

Catcher

• A.J. Pierzynski is a leader on the team, but you have to wonder if his outside interests are getting in the way of him doing his job.  He's an average to below average hitter and he couldn't throw out my grandmother and she's been dead since 2004.
• Toby Hall is back as the backup catcher even though he had shoulder surgery in October and throws like his arm is made of wet noodles.  Plus, he can't hit.  The Sox have two good minor league catchers (three if Paul Phillips is still in the system) and should cut ties with Hall.  Alas, they'd have to pay him for not playing and you know how the Sox like their ROI.
  

Outfield

• Nick Swisher can play left, center and right if necessary.  I really like him as a player, even though the Sox had to give up every talented minor league pitcher in their system for him.
• Brian Anderson will be a backup until Jerry Owens returns from his groin issue.  I really believe if Ozzie gives Anderson a chance, he may actually surprise him.  Seriously, I think B.A. has finally turned the corner and deserves a chance.
• Carlos Quentin can  hit.  The biggest question is how good is his surgically repaired shoulder. 
  
• Jermaine Dye may be ready to hit the downslope of his career.  Still , he's probably good for 25-30 home runs and plays a solid right field.

Best case scenario

• They get 18 wins from Buehrle, 18 from Javy, 15 from Jose, and 12 each from Danks and Floyd. 
  
• They get solid middle relief from Linebrink and Dotel and Jenks has a Jenks year. 
  
• They hit 200 homers, solid years from Konerko, Dye, Sisher and Thome
  
• Thome, Crede and Dye stay healthy
• Someone can swipe some bases
• The two out hits goes up and the LOB base numbers go way down.
  
• The defense doesn't kill them.
  
• Dominate the AL Central, especially Kansas City and Minnesota.
  
• In this case, maybe, just maybe, they win enough games to get in as the wild card.  Because even with everything going 100% absolutely right, they still are not as good as at least seven or eight teams in the American League (Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, New York, Toronto, Anaheim, Seattle).  But as we learned in the year of our glory, 2005, you don't have to be the favorite in the playoffs, you just have to get there.
  

Worst Case Scenario

• The two kid pitchers implode
• The bullpen is as bad as it was from May on last year.
• Jose Contreras is not effective
• Jim Thome is on the DL more than once
• Jermaine Dye is on the DL more than twice
• Alexi Ramirez is a flash in the pan
• Jerry Owens can't hit (he can't, this would just confirm it)
• In this case, you are back to where you were last year with a 73 win team beating down the charging Royals.

Prediction

There are way too many ifs for this team to be considered a legitimate playoff threat.  Do they have the talent to? Maybe.  But in order for them to get to the promised land in October, the cosmic tumblers would all have to align in such a way where every bounce, every close game, every two out situation went their way.  And even then, would their pitching keep them in enough games to do that?  I don't think so.

In addition, all of this crap spewed by Kenny and Ozzie about winning at all costs is just that, crap.  Don't believe me?  Then why did Nick Masset make the roster.  Because he was out of options.  Pablo Ozuna has had a lot of success against C.C. Sabathia, yet he will now be on the bench opening day.  Sub standard players Toby Hall and Mike MacUseless still have jobs. 

I picked them for fourth place, fairly close to Minnesota.  Maybe they'll make me look bad.  I'll take it!