Esposito: Could Rasmus Wear Black and White?
By Mike Esposito
The calendar is pushing November, but as usual, Kenny Williams and the White Sox are making news, despite the fact that their season has been over for a month now.
White Sox fans know that Williams never stops tinkering with his team, and isn't afraid to pull the trigger on big deals, like the Jake Peavy trade, or the Alex Rios waiver pickup. While the moves don't always work out, Kenny never stops trying.
Our colleague at the Score and the Sun-Times, Joe Cowley, reported this morning that Williams is kicking the tires on a deal for disgruntled Cardinals outfielder Colby Rasmus, a young and very talented player who has clashed with the Big Two in St Louis, skipper Tony LaRussa and slugger Albert Pujols. The trade bait going back to the Redbirds is said to include Carlos Quentin, who has been up and down over his three years on the South Side.
This possible deal is like many others that Williams has made over the years - high risk and high reward. There is no question that Rasmus is very talented - at 24, he hit .276 with 23 HR, 66 RBI and 85 runs scored this season. He's also been a bit of a headache for the Cardinals due to his feuding with LaRussa. As for Quentin, the Sox saw what he is capable of in 2008, when he looked like the AL MVP before injury derailed his season with a month left to play. He hasn't been the same player since, although his power numbers were good in 2010. The problems with Quentin are usually between his ears - mental rather than physical.
Perhaps a change of scenery would be good for both guys. Envisioning Rasmus in the White Sox outfield, and his power hitting lefty bat in the lineup, is certain to get the fan base excited. Can Williams make this deal a reality? If so, it would be a nice start to whats sure to be a busy offseason, thanks to the free agent status of Paul Konerko and AJ Pierzynski. Should be an interesting winter in White Sox land.
