The biggest buzz out of Chicago White Sox camp this spring stems from the debate about who should be the team's closer in 2012—veteran Matt Thornton or rookie Addison Reed.

Thornton, a 6'6" left-hander obviously has had more experience closing games, as he enters his ninth season in the major leagues. With an effortless fastball that sits in the upper 90s, Thornton has been widely considered one of baseball's finest relief pitchers since his breakout season with the White Sox in 2008.

Although he's been used primarily as a high-leverage setup man for the south siders, there have also been periods where he's served as the team's closer.  And for some reason, Thornton has never proven to be as successful in the ninth inning as he is in the eighth, noticeably lacking a mental congruency in his approach.

His stuff is the same, but he clearly lacks the ability to put hitters away.

Since joining the White Sox in 2004, Thornton has recorded 120 holds—one of the best marks in baseball during that span.  He also notched 20 saves, including a career-best eight in 2010. 

However, he has also blown 24 saves in those six seasons—an incredibly unimpressive feat given his high velocity and mound presence. His lack of success can be attributed to his secondary offerings, most notably his flat, sub-par slider, as hitters simply wait for a hittable fastball.

Yet, despite his repeated failures as a closer and the emergence of No. 1 prospect Addison Reed, Thornton appears to be the favorite to once again assume ninth-inning duties in 2012, as the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

As a White Sox fan (spare me your pity), I have watched Thornton struggle as the team's closer—at times, mightily.  At the same time, he's been a lights-out setup man year after year.

But no matter how successful Thornton believes he'll be as closer this time around, the White Sox need to make hard-throwing right-hander Addison Reed their closer in 2012.

Reed, who was drafted in the third round of the 2010 draft out of San Diego State, has an electric arm with a superior arsenal of secondary pitches.  A closer in college, the 6'4", 215-pounder breezed through the minors in 2011.

He began the year at Low-A Kannapolis and finished the season in the White Sox bullpen.  In his 78 innings across four minor-league levels last season, Reed posted a 1.26 ERA and 111/14 K/BB ratio.

His fastball and slider combination from a three-quarter arm slot is what one looks for in a closer—and he possesses above-average command of both pitches. He has a changeup too, though he will likely keep it on the back burner given the effectiveness of his two primary pitches.

In a year where the White Sox will almost assuredly not compete for a division title, why not let Reed establish himself as a front-line closer? Is it an attempt to put as little pressure on him as possible?

My guess is that the team wants Reed to learn the intricacies of the role from Thornton, but he's not exactly a poster child for successful closers.

Sure, there's no way to know how blowing a save will affect Reed. But there's only one way to find out—give him the ball and see what happens. The White Sox cannot live in fear that Reed will fail, a notion that will only instill a lack of confidence in the young right-hander. He's more than just a raw arm, as his command-related numbers indicate.

At 23 years old, Addison Reed has all the requisites of an elite closer.  Now, all he needs is a vow of confidence from the White Sox.