The White Sox have found an upgrade in left field by agreeing with free agent Melky Cabrera

The White Sox have found an upgrade in left field by agreeing with free agent Melky Cabrera

CHICAGO -- The White Sox have found an upgrade in left field by agreeing with free agent Melky Cabrera, a baseball source confirmed to ESPN.com.

News of the agreement was first reported by Chicago sports talk station WSCR 670-AM.

Cabrera, who was believed to have significant interest from the Seattle Mariners, would take over in left field and continue an impressive string of offseason acquisitions from general manager Rick Hahn.

The 30-year old Cabrera batted .301 with 81 runs scored in 139 games for the Toronto Blue Jays this past season, hitting 16 home runs with 73 RBIs.

The White Sox have not confirmed the signing, which comes days after a trade for pitcher Jeff Samardzija was made official and three days after the signing of reliever David Robertson was announced.

But White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton mentioned Cabrera in a welcome message on Twitter on Saturday night, and Cabrera retweeted the message.

 Multiple media reports suggested the contract, which is pending a physical, would be in the three-year, $42 to $45 million range.

Hahn had indicated after the Robertson signing that money was now tight, but a Cabrera signing would contradict that stance. The White Sox came into the offseason with money to spend after big contracts like those for Jake Peavy, Alex Rios, Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn all have come of the books in the past two years.

Heading into the winter meetings on Monday, the White Sox's biggest needs were with relief help, a right-handed starter and a left fielder. Robertson, Samardzija and Cabrera would provide an answer to all three areas in that order. The White Sox have also acquired left-handed reliever Zach Duke and first baseman/designated hitter Adam LaRoche since the 2014 season ended.

The White Sox appeared to be in the middle of a rebuild that started when Peavy was traded at the 2013 non-waiver trade deadline. But with the additions of Robertson and Cabrera, that timetable now appears accelerated.

Cabrera, a switch-hitter, has a career .286 average, with a .339 on-base percentage over 10 seasons. He was an All-Star in 2012 with the San Francisco Giants but ended that year with a 50-game suspension after a positive test for elevated testosterone levels.

Cabrera is coming off a two-year, $16 million contract with the Blue Jays. He batted .293 with a .340 on-base percentage in 227 games for Toronto.

The White Sox tendered a contract to outfielder Dayan Viciedo earlier this month, but a Cabrera acquisition would make Viciedo nothing more than a backup. Cabrera provides an upgrade over Viciedo defensively.

Celebrate National Candy Corn Day with candy corn cordials

Celebrate National Candy Corn Day with candy corn cordials

I love candy corn. I've been known to munch on it in the middle of July. So you can bet I'll be marking National Candy Corn Day on Friday, Oct. 30.

This sugary treat was invented in the 1880s and this year more than 35 million pounds of candy corn will be produced. That's nearly 9 billion pieces (no, I didn't count, I'm trusting the folks at the National Confectioners Association), If laid end to end, the candies could circle the moon four times.

If you want to celebrate, this month's issue of Food Network Magazine has a decidedly adult way to do so: With candy corn cordials.

First, find a jar with an airtight lid; combine 1/2 cup candy corn with 11/2 cups vodka; cover and set aside. After 3 hours strain out and the discard the solids.

To make the drinks, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add 4 ounces infused vodka, 2 ounces orange liqueur, juice from half a lemon and 1 large egg white.

Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds, then strain into 2 chilled martini glasses. Garnish with fresh candy corn.

No tricks, just treats: So maybe candy corn's not your thing. Maybe you sneak Almond Joys from your kids' Halloween buckets.

According to the candy association, four in 10 consumers admit they plan to sneak treats from the candy bowl. And nearly one third of adults will pocket at least a handful of goodies for themselves on Halloween night.

Chocolate continues to be the traditional favorite for tossing into the loot bags, followed by hard candy and lollipops, chewy or gummy candy, chewing or bubble gum and caramel treats.

No tricks, just treats, part 2: Kids can spend part of Halloween learning how to make their own chocolate treats with pastry chef John Zydowicz of Upper Crust Bakery in Lisle and Downers Grove.

Kids 5 and older (those younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult) will learn about various types of chocolate, how to temper chocolate and how to create chocolate bowls, chocolate truffles and other cocoa treats.

This Cooking with the Best Chefs class runs 10 a.m. to noon at Ivy Restaurant, 120 Hale St., Wheaton or from 2 to 4 p.m. at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, 798 W. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights. Class costs $35 for children and adults; join Cooking with the Best Chefs and get a $10 per person discount. Register at BestChefs.com or (630) 359-4600.

Leftover redux: Besides making flavored vodka with candy corn, there are other ways to use up your candy surplus.

Wisebread.com suggests stirring candies into baked treats: wrap biscuit dough around Tootsie Rolls, crush peanut butter cups into cookies, chop fun-sized chocolates into brownies, stir chopped candy corn into candied yams, stick Peppermint Patties in the bottom of your coffee cup.

For more creative ideas, like using Red Hots in barbecue sauce and making a candy garland for your Christmas tree, head to Wisebread.com.

- Deborah Pankey

• Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at food@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4524. Listen to her discuss food and restaurant trends on Restaurant Radio Chicago, 5 to 6 p.m. Saturdays on WIND 560 AM.