Thomas’ Pay Now an Issue

Frank Thomas, slated to make $9.9 million this season, skipped his third consecutive workout with the Chicago White Sox on Friday.

He telephoned Manager Jerry Manuel on Thursday night to express his feelings and say he wouldn’t be in because his salary is too low. It’s unclear if or when Thomas will rejoin the team.

“It’s just a situation where he feels he’s right. I don’t know. It’s a tough thing for us right now,” Manuel said Friday. “I didn’t feel the timing was right. My thing was to make sure Frank was receiving proper advice.”

The mandatory reporting date is Tuesday. Chicago’s position players have been working out since Wednesday, when Thomas arrived, unpacked his bag and took a physical.

He then left before new General Manager Kenny Williams talked to the team. Manuel said at the time Thomas had been given permission to skip the first two days of drills.

“What I’m being paid now is way off the pay scale,” Thomas said earlier in the week. “I’m not even probably in the top 50. I do have a problem with that right now. . . . Hopefully, we’ll come to terms. I’ve never been greedy. I’ve never tried to be the top-paid player in this game when I could’ve been. The bottom line is what’s fair is fair.”

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David Wells worked out with his new White Sox teammates for the first time, throwing lightly and telling stories to some of the younger players.

Wells, acquired last month in the controversial trade that sent Mike Sirotka to Toronto, reported Thursday, six days after Chicago’s other pitchers.

“I know what I need to do to get ready. I will get a couple of days of long tosses, and then some side work and then some BP,” Wells said. “It is fun. I have one of those rubber arms, knock on wood.”

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Rick Ankiel had another good workout, according to the St. Louis Cardinals. Not that many people saw it. Ankiel pitched at 7:15 a.m., continuing a practice the club started after the 21-year-old was wild in his second throwing session of the spring. . . . San Diego Padre third baseman Phil Nevin, who was almost traded in the off-season, has asked the team about a possible contract extension. . . . Ryan Anderson, Seattle’s 6-foot-10 rookie left-hander, has torn cartilage in his pitching shoulder and is expected to sit out the season. Dr. James Andrews will operate on Anderson. Recovery generally is a minimum of six months. “Ryan could miss all of 2001, but I would expect that he would be ready for spring training next season,” said Dr. Larry Pedegana, who examined him Friday. . . . Baltimore Oriole pitcher Luis Rivera could be facing season-ending surgery for a slight tear in his right shoulder discovered during an MRI exam. Rivera, 22, who was competing for a spot in the rotation, cut short his workout Thursday after complaining of weakness in the shoulder. Rivera hasn’t been able to throw with a fluid motion since arriving at camp, but has not reported any pain.