New Arizona general manager Kevin Towers, who pieced together the surprising San Diego Padres before being shoved out by a new ownership group, is looking to work his magic again with a Diamondbacks franchise coming off back-to-back 90-loss seasons for the first time.

Towers had extended talks with the agent for Paul Konerko, hoping to convince the free-agent first baseman to sign with the Diamondbacks instead of returning to the Chicago White Sox. Konerko, a former first-round pick of the Dodgers who spent limited time with Cincinnati, has hit 358 home runs and drove in 1,127 runs in 12 full seasons with the White Sox

-Tracy Ringolsby