At Outside the Clubhouse, I've started a series of baseball prviews. The concept is simple: Is the current roster situation, really, the best the Cubs/White Sox could do?

There are a thousand different books, magazines, Web sites and TV programs trying to predict what’s going to happen this season. Some use formulas that project how many games a team is going to win; some say a team is looking confident and the writer just thinks they’re going to win. Whether they use objective statistics or old-timey anecdotes, it’s still only a prediction.

As spring training starts, pitchers and catchers' first workout is Sunday for the White Sox, there are issues that aren't predictions any more. For the most part, rosters are set. And I'll be moving my White Sox previews to i94 Sports. So, is this the best the Sox could do?

Every season it happens: In the middle of a week long losing streak or an individual’s 2-for-23 slump, someone asks, “Why didn’t they sign so-and-so? So-and-so was a free agent. And yesterday, he hit two home runs. So-and-so would have definitely signed here, if only the Sox would have been smart enough to go after so-and-so.”

Point is, it gets tiresome to have the same hindsight conversations. And when so-and-so wasn’t, in fact, going to sign with the South Side, it is just pointless.

This series of posts will go over each position; take a look at who will get the at-bats, and check who could have been getting them. Then, later this season – when you have these conversations, wondering why someone isn’t on the Sox – you can come here, and see if the Sox are as dumb as you think they are.

Of course, everyone will probably forget, and just have the argument anyway. But so you know, the information is here.

Top Available Catchers

• Bengie Molina: Signed with San Francisco; 1 year, $4.5 milion
• Miguel Olivo: Signed with Colorado; 1 year, $2.5 million
• Ivan Rodriguez: Signed with Washington; 2 year, $6 million
• Brian Schneider: Signed with Philadelphia; 2 year, $2.75 million
• Yorvit Torrealba: Signed with San Diego; 1 year, $1.25 million

Clearly, there is no doubt about the Sox’s starting catcher. Pierzynski continued his consistent ways with the White Sox in 2009. Since joining the team in '05, Pierzynski has just plopped himself at the league average for slugging and on-base percentage, and hasn't left. With the Sox, he’s never been further than 20 points off the MLB average for SLG, or further than 27 points off the average for OBP. These numbers would be brutal from a first baseman, but this kind of consistent production behind the plate is hard to find.

Defensively, now that Jim Thome is with the Twins, there are concerns that Thome may get a stolen base or two off Pierzynski and the pitching staff; however, having a catcher who never gets hurt and has consistent offensive value is more important.

Pierzynski is also 33 years old and will make $6.25 million this season. Even if the White Sox really wanted to move him, in an attempt to add a better arm, more walks and/or more power to the position, the Sox would only get the value of a 33-year old catcher. One more solid season from Pierzynski, while Flowers develops, is in the team's best interest. Plus, if they did want to add walks and power to the position this offseason, there were no players like this available. I mean, just look at the “best” available catchers.

So, back to the Sox’s real question: What to do with Flowers?

First, this is what Baseball Prospectus 2010 has to say about Flowers: “His power and patience at the plate are rare for a catcher, and he continued to show both in 2009, but the real story of the year was his improved defense …” Safe to say, no one speaks this highly of Ramon Castro.

Castro “is” a backup catcher; it is what he does. And after filing for free agency at the end of the season, the White Sox re-signed him to a 1 year, $1 million deal to do just that. If you want to get picky, there were available backstops better than Castro -- though none worth the $2+ million to be a backup, and none interested in becoming a backup.

While the members of the Sox's catching staff are set, they still need to determine what is the best thing to do with Flowers for the catching situation to be a complete success. WhiteSox.com's Scott Merkin believes Flowers will be left in the minors to continue developing defensively. And based on the team's decision to sign Castro, this appears to be a good assumption.

But until the Sox have a permanent DH, the fact that Flowers "could hit at the Major League level presently" will remain intriguing.

Unfortunately, an answer to the Sox's 2010 decision behind the plate won't be possible until next season, when Flowers is, likely, the starter. Only then, when we see the Sox prospect on a consistent basis, will we be able to conclude if the Sox made the right decision regarding his development.

But fortunately, issues with the backup catcher won't hinder the Sox's chance of a successful 2010 season.

Erick is a contributor to i94 Sports. You can find his daily thoughts at his site Outside the Clubhouse.