Fox Sports' Rosenthal: White Sox Could Still Win Division
CHICAGO (WSCR) -- Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal says the White Sox still have a chance to win the AL Central Division if their two top hitters improve, but it's time for the Cubs to look forward to future seasons.
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"At least from the White Sox' perspective, you have to keep looking at the standings, and keep telling yourself, 'OK, you're not playing very well," Rosenthal said on the Mully & Hanley Show on The Score-670 AM Tuesday. "You haven't played very well all year long. But, what's the spread now, 3 1/2 games? It's not a very large margin at all. In fact, it's nothing."
He pointed out that the Cleveland Indians have held up surprisingly well with better pitching than expected, but "they're not a super team," and the White Sox do not need to concede to them.
The success of the White Sox depends on the top hitters, Rosenthal said.
"If (Adam) Dunn and (Alex) Rios ever get going, it should be the White Sox' division still," he said.
But, Rosenthal said, "The Cubs, obviously, are a whole different story."
The season is shot for the Cubs, but moving forward, the trade deadline is just a little over three weeks away.
But Rosenthal cautioned whether the Cubs would benefit from trading their lead players – particularly Aramis Ramirez, who has indicated he does not want to leave, but could conceivably change his mind.
"When you talk about him and (Carlos) Zambrano, (Alfonso) Soriano and moving them – getting rid of them – you can get rid of anybody and do anything, but what are you getting back?" he said. "And in each case, even Zambrano, I don't see them getting back much at all."
