White Sox manager Robin Ventura said Thursday that Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain are the "best options" for the closer job. Absent is the name of Addison Reed, whose "hype," Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times says, has "cooled a bit." Thornton has been unscored upon in his three outings this spring and should probably be viewed as the favorite to close at this point, especially since Crain is nursing a minor oblique injury. We still like Reed the best over the long haul, but Thornton should probably be at the top of your list for fantasy purposes.

White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper expressed surprise on the Mully and Hanley Show Friday when told that manager Robin Ventura views Matt Thornton as the favorite to be the team's closer. "Who said that? You're giving me news,'' Cooper said. "It's news to me.'' The pitching coach added: "Like I said, Matt is certainly capable. You have Addison Reed is a kid who has to work into it. You can't name him. You got Jesse Crain -- he is a guy who is more than capable. We'll figure it out.'' In reality, Thornton is probably the favorite, but there will be a battle for the job in spring training. We like Reed best over the long term, but the Sox might ease the youngster into the role.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura confirmed Wednesday that he's viewing Matt Thornton as his closer. "It's open, but right now I would say Matt is probably the guy to do that," Ventura told WSCR-AM 670 in Chicago. Thornton, a 35-year-old left-hander, has a 2.84 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 260 innings since the start of the 2008 season. He should do just fine in the ninth inning.

According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, a trade that would potentially send left-hander Matt Thornton to the Braves is "picking up steam." The White Sox unloaded closer Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays on Tuesday and may now be looking at other moves as part of an offseason fire-sale. Thornton, 35, posted a 3.32 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 59 2/3 innings this past year for Chicago. He's owed $12 million over the next two seasons.

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the White Sox are trying to trade left-hander Matt Thornton. Thornton posted an underwhelming 3.32 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 59 2/3 innings this year for the White Sox and is owed $12 million over the next two seasons. The 35-year-old might still fetch a decent prospect because of his past dominance, but it's unlikely that the Pale Hose will be blown away by offers.

White Sox GM Kenny Williams said the odds that he'll make another trade before the deadline are "very, very slim." The Sox are receiving plenty of hits on Carlos Quentin and Matt Thornton, but since they're still in the playoff hunt, they would have to be wowed by an offer, which hasn't happened. ''Absolutely there's always a chance [of a deal],'' Williams said, ''but I would say that chance is very, very slim. I don't see anything on the horizon, and everything that potentially can be done comes at a sacrifice of the guys I expect we would need to try to win this division, so it's very unlikely.''

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Rangers are interested in Matt Thornton. It's not clear whether he's a backup plan in case they don't get Heath Bell or if they possibly want both relievers. The problem, though, is that the White Sox in return have asked for Derek Holland, who the Rangers surely would not give up in such a trade. Thornton has also drawn interest from the Yankees.

A major league source told Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com that the Yankees have interest in left-hander Matt Thornton. It's not surprising, as the Yankees could use another left-hander in their bullpen with Boone Logan as their best current option and Pedro Feliciano and Damaso Marte unlikely to contribute in any significant way this season. Thornton, 34, is owed $11 million from 2012-2013 after signing an extension over the winter. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Sunday that the Cardinals also have interest in the veteran left-hander, potentially as part of a package involving center fielder Colby Rasmus.

Matt Thornton pitched two perfect innings to save Saturday's win over the Cubs. Thornton struck out two en route to his first save since May 22. Sergio Santos was unavailable after pitching in three consecutive games -- and has successfully converted each of his last seven save opportunities -- so don't look into it too much.