White Sox acquire OF Pierre from L.A.

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This story has been corrected. Read below

The Chicago White Sox acquired outfielder Juan Pierre and cash from the Los Angeles Dodgers for two minor leaguers.

Pierre said he's ecstatic to get an opportunity to possibly play every day after being in Manny Ramirez's shadow with the Dodgers.

"I like to say I've been in the witness protection program the last two years," Pierre said on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "It was an unfortunate situation in L.A., where the kids were good and Manny was Manny, and I was the odd man out.

"But I never lost my drive for the game or my talent. My legs have been stored up the last couple of years."

Of the $18.5 million left on Pierre's contract, the White Sox will pay $3 million in 2010 and $5 million in 2011, sources said.

Pierre won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 2003, and he will be reunited with Ozzie Guillen, who was a third base coach with Florida.

"To be connected back with Ozzie, and what he brings, it's good," Pierre said. "I've always admired [the Sox] from afar, and it's good to hopefully help them continue their success."

Pierre will be Chicago's leadoff hitter and it likely means Scott Podsednik will not return to the South Side.

Pierre

"Juan always put the Dodgers first, even when it wasn't in his personal best interest," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "In this day, that is a rare attribute. When he and I spoke at the end of the season, we agreed that if an opportunity presented itself in which his chance to play would be enhanced, we would pursue it and that's what we've done. He deserved the chance to play more."

The Dodgers will select two pitching prospects from a list furnished by the White Sox, a source told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. The names on the list are all pitchers who could reach the big leagues by 2010, the source said.

Pierre played for the Chicago Cubs in 2006, and he remembers one element of Chicago he's not looking forward to experiencing again.

"I'm going to pack me up some long johns," Pierre said. "Having gone through it will get me sort of ready for it, but I've never been that cold in my life than Chicago in April.

"But I'll manage. I've been in hibernation the last two years."

The deal was first reported by Yahoo! Sports.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for ESPNChicago.com. Information from ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark and The Associated Press was used in this report.

In a Dec. 15 ESPN.com story, the team receiving cash in the trade between the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers involving Juan Pierre was misstated. The White Sox received cash in the deal.

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Bruce Levine | email

Chicago baseball beat reporter

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Bruce Levine has covered sports in Chicago for over 28 years and hosts "Talkin' Baseball," heard Saturday mornings on ESPN 1000.