CHICAGO -- When the miserable 2007 campaign came to a close for the White Sox, general manager Ken Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen each had a basic request for the people working under them. And those respective requests were to not completely forget about the miserable 2007 season.

Instead, Williams wanted the coaching staff and other higher-ups in the organization to take a step back during the first few weeks of October, so as to make an honest assessment in regard to the plusses and minuses throughout this team. That analysis will be presented starting on Saturday in Arizona, as the two-day White Sox organizational meetings begin.

Such issues as the 2008 budget, player options on outfielder Darin Erstad and Juan Uribe and other possible targets in the trade or free agent market will be discussed. It's the first major offseason step toward revamping the White Sox as a team, a process which the South Siders unfortunately got an early head start on in 2007.

During a season-ending, 33-minute interview session, Williams explained how the team might not be as busy during this upcoming offseason as one would think for a group that finished 72-90. He added that last year's struggle certainly won't make him take greater control of the operation, as Williams still has a high level of trust in his staff.

"I've always believed that if you hire the right people, you allow them to do their work," Williams said. "I'm fortunate I've got my boss, Jerry Reinsdorf, who's got confidence in me and allows me to do that. I've passed that same philosophy on down to everyone else.

"Obviously, because of our relationship, and we talk about everything as a staff, they often ask for my opinion and I give it to them. But, very rarely, will I step forward and say, 'This is how I want it to be done, in spite of the direction that maybe you want to go.' Ultimately, they're responsible for what happens on the field and how to get the most out of our players."

These meetings actually began on Thursday, with a scout school or a refresher course, of sorts, for the men working for the White Sox. But Saturday marks the start of the official get-together for the rest of the staff.

Hitting coach Greg Walker might push for a little more speed, when he has the chance. Pitching coach Don Cooper certainly will talk about adding a couple of veteran arms to the woeful bullpen.

As for Guillen, along with strengthening the Minor League system, he simply wants his request fulfilled. Regardless of what a coach or front office staff member has to stay, Guillen wants them to be brutally honest.

"Please, don't go lie to Jerry Reinsdorf and make Jerry Reinsdorf hear what he wants to hear. We want to hear the truth," Guillen said. "We want to hear what is going on down in the Minor Leagues, what is going on in our scouting department, what is going on with the Major League team, what is going on with Mark Buehrle. We want to know about anybody.

"Say it right there and don't feel like, 'If I say this, I'm going to get fired.' No. Just say, 'Because I think it will help us grow up as an organization,' and hit where we want to hit."

A new approach: Infielder Josh Fields did not attend Instructional League, after accumulating more than 650 plate appearances between 2007 stints with Triple-A Charlotte and the White Sox. The adjusted plan to aid Fields' development in left field will be to have him work privately with first-base and outfield coach Harold Baines and Daryl Boston, the team's Minor League outfield instructor.

Logistics will be the toughest question to answer in this particular scenario.

"Harold is in Maryland, D-Bo is in Atlanta and Josh is in Oklahoma," said White Sox Minor League director Alan Regier, of Fields' program. "It will probably be something that will occur and nobody will even know about it.

"Josh did not come, but it wasn't a negative. We just pushed some of the work back into a different time frame."

White Sox debut: Buddy Bell will be in Arizona for the organizational meetings this weekend, after officially joining the White Sox this week as their director of Minor League instruction. According to Bell, the White Sox asked permission of Kansas City owner David Glass to talk with the outgoing Royals manager during the final week of the regular season.

Bell told Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore that the White Sox would be the only other club he would want to talk to, after serving in this same capacity for Reinsdorf from 1991-93.

"Jerry and I have kept a close relationship over the years, but it's not just Jerry," said Bell during a phone interview before leaving for Arizona. "It's the others there who I have maintained a relationship.

"At this time in my career, I don't know if ever want to manage again, but I don't have a lot of time for transitioning. I was really comfortable in Kansas City. If I would have to make a move, it would have to be a move I felt totally comfortable with the people around me. But the White Sox situation was ideal, and I couldn't pass it up."

The call for Bell's services dealt specifically with the job he soon will be handling, with Bell talking to Reinsdorf the Monday after the season ended and then meeting with Regier a few days later. Bell will be the direct supervisor for the entire Minor League staff on an every day basis, the job Regier originally held under current senior director of player personnel David Wilder, and a job Regier keep last year despite his added responsibilities.

"There's so much to do with the Minor League side, with the coaches and players, so much more to it than being a manager," said Bell, who plans to be a bit involved on the Major League side during Spring Training. "There are so many more you are responsible for. You are responsible for the coaches, managers and how we teach and how we coach and how we manage and how we play.

"Still, we all do it together. I don't view it as any one guy has the responsibility for this or that."

A true youth movement: At 16 years old, most teenagers are worried about prom dates and college choices, as opposed to beginning their chosen profession.

But the White Sox might just have an exception to that particular rule.

Juan Silveiro, who joined the White Sox in the Instructional Leagues a mere two weeks ago, could be the team's shortstop of the future. It's a little difficult to rate Silveiro at this point, though, considering he just became of age to drive.

"He has soft hands, a strong arm and a nice approach," said Regier, who added that Silveiro played nine innings against the Angels during Instructional League action Thursday.

"There's still a lot of work to be done there, and we have to help him with things like the language barrier," Regier added. "But, baseball is baseball."

Wilder and the rest of the White Sox Latin America crew signed Silveiro out of the Dominican Republic. There's no basic timetable set for Silveiro's progression upwards, but the talented middle infielder could be a Major Leaguer before he turns 21.

"You hope a guy like this will be an impact player," said Regier of Silveiro. "When you get a player of his talent, at this age, you are hoping he comes fast."

Arizona Fall League update: Through three games, Ryan Sweeney is hitting .500 with four walks for the Phoenix Desert Dogs. Jack Egbert has thrown two scoreless innings.