CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox have offered salary arbitration to free agent left-hander Mark Buehrle.

Buehrle has pitched at least 200 innings in every season since 2001. Buehrle has until Nov. 30 to decline or accept the offer. If he declines and signs with another team, the White Sox would receive a draft pick in compensation.

The team also announced Wednesday that it had declined to offer arbitration to veteran leadoff hitter and left fielder Juan Pierre.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CHICAGO – White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker has resigned after nine seasons, the latest change in a hectic week for the disappointing team.

The former Chicago slugger said he told owner Jerry Reinsdorf a month ago he planned to leave after Wednesday’s regular-season finale, regardless of who the manager is next year.

“It’s just the right thing to do. It’s time to go,” Walker said Wednesday before Chicago played Toronto. “Somebody else’s turn. I always said there would be a day when I wouldn’t be the hitting coach here and that day is here.”

Ozzie Guillen was released from his contract Monday and became manager of the Marlins on Wednesday. The 51-year-old Walker said his decision had nothing to do with Guillen’s departure. He said he’d also earlier informed Guillen of his plans.

“It didn’t have to do with recent events, so no matter who the manager was I was not going to be the hitting coach next year,” Walker said.

The White Sox will finish below .500 this season, the third straight year they’ve missed the playoffs.

Walker’s biggest booster and prized pupil has been Paul Konerko, who batted .300 this season with 31 homers and 105 RBIs.

But other White Sox hitters, for whatever reason, have struggled, including Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham. Dunn was out of the lineup Wednesday with a .159 batting average.

Walker said some of his decision was personal and he wanted to spend time with his family.

There were numerous reports earlier this month that Walker and general manager Ken Williams engaged in a shouting match.

“Nobody in this organization the last three years has not been beat up,” Walker said. “You have to go through tough times to make this happen …. You have to have a thick skin to do this job.”

Walker said he has no plans but will have dinner with Reinsdorf and discuss his future.

Walker spent nine seasons in the major leagues as a player with the White Sox (1982-90) and Baltimore (1990) and was a .260 career hitter with 113 home runs and 444 RBI.

The White Sox have already announced they are bringing back pitching coach Don Cooper – who served as interim manager the last two games – and first base coach Harold Baines with multiyear deals. Bench coach Joey Cora will join Guillen in Miami. The futures of third base coach Jeff Cox and bullpen coach Juan Nieves are undetermined.

The team also announced Wednesday a four-year contract extension with popular TV announcer Ken “Hawk” Harrelson.

GAME RECAP

IMPACT PLAYER

Jake Peavy, White Sox

The Chicago righthander shut out the Twins over 6-plus innings on four hits and two walks

BY THE NUMBERS

6 Number of Australian-born players who have appeared in a game for the Twins

12 times the Twins have been shut out this season.

8-28 record for the Twins over their past 36 games.

ON DECK

Righthander Carl Pavano brings a career record of 104-100 into Wednesday’s game against the White Sox. Lefthander John Danks will start for the White Sox. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

LA VELLE E. NEAL III

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jake Peavy struck out a season-high nine and Alex Rios homered to help the Chicago White Sox to a 3-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

Peavy (7-7) allowed four hits and walked two in 6 1-3 innings against a Twins team that had three players who were called up from Double-A in the last two days.

Alejandro De Aza had two hits, including a triple, and an RBI, and Sergio Santos picked up his 29th save for the White Sox, who have won three in a row and eight of 12.

Liam Hendriks (0-1) allowed three runs and four hits over seven innings in his major league debut. Chris Parmelee had two hits in his first game as a pro, but the Twins lost for the 14th time in 17 games.

Paul Konerko, who hasn’t hit a homer in his last 60 at-bats, got a much-needed day off, but the White Sox still managed to scratch together enough offense for Peavy. Brent Morel added an RBI single as the Sox beat the Twins for the eighth time in the last nine games in the series.

The White Sox are in the middle of a stretch of 28 straight games against the AL Central, but they only have three games left against division-leading Detroit. The Tigers beat the Indians 10-1 on Tuesday night, keeping the White Sox eight games back.

“We’re still in the pennant race,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “I know it’s going to be hard. … One thing about it, we’re not going to quit.”

There was a time when the Twins owned the White Sox, going 29-7 against them in a stretch that included six straight victories to open 2011. But the wheels have come off for a Twins team that expected to contend for a third straight division title.

Calling up Hendriks, Parmelee and center fielder Joe Benson from Double-A New Britain gave the Twins three players in the starting lineup making their major league debuts for the first time in franchise history, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

Benson misplayed a fly ball from De Aza in the fifth inning, diving for it and letting it get past him for a triple. Morel followed with a single to give the White Sox a 3-0 lead.

That was plenty for Peavy, who stranded runners on third base in the second and fourth innings but never really ran into trouble all night long. Joe Mauer went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, hearing plenty of boos when Matt Thornton got him swinging in the eighth.

The Twins were shut out for the 12th time this season, tied a season high with 14 strikeouts and have managed just two runs in their last four games. They trail the Tigers by 22 games in the Central and were officially eliminated from the playoff race on Tuesday night.

NOTES: The Twins said Justin Morneau will go through early batting practice on Wednesday to test his concussion symptoms. Even though he is not on the DL, he will have to get approval from Major League Baseball before being cleared to return to the field. When he does, Morneau will only DH and not play 1B. … The last team to debut at least three players in the starting lineup on the same day was the San Diego Padres, when they had four in 1986. … The last time three Twins made their big league debuts in the same game was April 7, 1999, against Toronto, when Joe Mays, Dan Perkins and Mike Lincoln all came out of the bullpen. … Guillen said he considered giving Konerko one of the games of Monday’s doubleheader off, but wanted to get him a full day’s rest. Konerko will be back in the lineup on Wednesday night. … White Sox OF Juan Pierre went 0 for 4 and remains two hits shy of 2,000 for his career. … RHP Carl Pavano (7-11, 4.60) takes the mound in the series finale on Wednesday night against White Sox LHP John Danks (6-10, 4.01). Danks is just 2-7 on the road this season, the fourth-lowest winning percentage in the majors. But he’s 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA over his last 12 starts after starting the season 0-8 with a 5.25 ERA. Pavano is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts against the Sox this year. He’s given up an AL-high 221 hits this season and has allowed nine or more in eight of his last nine starts.

CHICAGO — White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko is hoping to return to the lineup Thursday after being sidelined by a bruised left calf.

Konerko hit in the batting cage and ran on an underwater treadmill before Chicago hosted the New York Yankees on Wednesday night. He says his calf is still tender and probably will be for another week or so, but he thinks it might improve enough to allow him to play in the next two days.

Konerko is batting .305 with 25 homers and 76 RBIs for the White Sox, who are in third place in the AL Central.

The All-Star slugger was hit on his calf by a pitch from Andrew Miller during the fourth inning of Chicago’s 5-3 loss to Boston on Sunday. He eventually went to first base but left after the inning.

Adam Dunn started at first again on Wednesday night.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CHICAGO (AP)—The Chicago White Sox traded starting pitcher Edwin Jackson(notes)
and utility player Mark Teahen(notes) to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday in exchange
for reliever Jason Frasor(notes) and pitching prospect Zach Stewart(notes).

With the trade deadline looming Sunday, White Sox manager Kenny Williams
said this week that he was undecided whether to cut payroll or add veterans for
the stretch run. He said Wednesday’s trade helps on both counts.

“We needed to make a little bit of a dent in our payroll, which is stressed
a little bit,” Williams said. “But we did not want to be making a move that
would be counterproductive to the opportunity for us to win still.”

Chicago acquired the 27-year-old Jackson from the Arizona Diamondbacks on
July 30 last season. The right-hander is 7-7 this season with a 3.92 ERA in 19
starts for the White Sox, who were carrying six starters on their roster.

“At the end of the day, I’ve come to understand the game of baseball,”
said Jackson, who is eligible for free agency after this season. “This is not
my first time being traded. Any time I’ve been traded, there’s never been any
hard feelings.”

Jackson has been dealt five times since being drafted by the Los Angeles
Dodgers as a 17-year-old in 2001. Toronto will be his sixth organization.

“I was born on the move, being a military brat,” Jackson said. “My whole
life is pick up and make new friends.”

Teahen was signed as a free agent before last season to be Chicago’s
starting third baseman. The 29-year-old was derailed by injuries and ended up as
bench player for White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. He hit .203 in 51 games this
season with three homers and 11 RBI.

“Mixed emotions for sure,” Teahen said. “Obviously, I’m disappointed in
the way it all worked out here. I wanted it to go a lot different.”

Frasor is a native of the Chicago area. The 33-year-old right-hander was 1-1
with a 2.98 ERA for Toronto in a setup role.

“He’s one of the top quality relievers in baseball,” Williams said. “He
will fit in.”

Stewart was a third-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2008. The
24-year-old started three games for the Blue Jays this season, going 0-1 with a
4.86 ERA. He was 5-5 with a 4.20 ERA for Double-A New Hampshire. Stewart will be
assigned to Triple-A Charlotte.

“Zach Stewart has been on our radar for a long time, particularly last year
when he was doing some special things in Double-A,” Williams said. “He will
ultimately be in the mix in some way, shape or form. Most likely this year.”

To fill the open spot on the 25-man big-league roster, the White Sox
recalled center fielder Alejandro De Aza(notes) from Charlotte and put him in the
lineup for Wednesday’s afternoon game against the Detroit Tigers.

“The other part of doing what we did today, that allowed us to get De Aza
in the lineup in center field,” Williams said. “That affords us to give Ozzie
something more than honestly what (Alex) Rios is giving us. Rios is going to
have to take a back seat now.”

The Rios has hit just .208 this season in 97 games despite a hefty long-term
contract that will pay him $12 million this season and has two more years plus a
club option remaining.

“Here’s what I told Ozzie: Do not worry about the size of the contract,”
Williams said. “Just worry about putting the players (on the field) on a given
day that can help you win.

“I’m sending a message to everyone.”