Levine: Will White Sox Be Buyers At The Trade Deadline?
By Bruce Levine--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Winners of nine of their last 12 games as they opened up the second half of the season Friday afternoon, the Chicago White Sox have gone from horrendous to the middle of the road for contending in the American League. Eight teams are within six games of the second wild-card spot currently held by the Astros, who only trail the the Twins by a game for the top wild-card spot. Chicago is one of the teams among the pack, 5.5 games behind Houston when play started Friday.
Weighing what awaits, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said he was encouraged by the team's play but still unsure what direction the organization will take with the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaching.
"Over the the last couple of weeks because of our play, things have become more interesting," Hahn said. "In terms of what the potential options are, we have made no secret that given our expectations, desire and aggressiveness, we would prefer to be in a position to add."
The reality for Hahn and his bosses could be less than a week away. The White Sox will play their next six games against the AL Central-leading Royals and NL Central-leading Cardinals. Any White Sox fantasy about winning 65 percent of their last 76 games -- netting them 50 more wins to reach 91 or so on the season -- would be in serious doubt with a bad start to the second half.
"We do have to remain somewhat objective," Hahn emphasized. "We must look at what is good for the organization over the longer term. We must avoid continuing to invest in something that may not make the most sense for the long-term health of the franchise. Certainly it would be our preference that the clear path to follow would be one of addition."
The most obvious need is a hard-hitting second or third baseman. Offensive production at those two positions has been abysmal. Players such as Milwaukee's Aramis Ramirez and Miami's Martin Prado will likely be available and could viable additions if Hahn and his group want to throw good money at so-called bad money already spent.
The run production for Ramirez and Prado is way down from their previous glory years, but they're both capable professional hitters and seasoned playoff performers who would make sense in pursuing if the cost is low/reasonable.
"We have not ruled out anything," Hahn said. "We have had conversations as recently as this week about potential additions. Let's see how things play out. In the end, we will have to do what makes the most sense, according to how we are playing, the number of teams to jump over and the likelihood of that happening."
The wait-and-see attitude from the White Sox is also based on the fact that the minor leagues have few answers for the major league team in the area of position players.
"If we did things through the strictly emotional fan standpoint, we want to be aggressive," Hahn said. "We want to give this team a chance to win now. This is the only championship they are giving out this year. Part of the responsibility of this position is be objective and look at the long-term objectives of the club. We have not ruled out anything yet."
Playoff contenders or pretenders? The White Sox will soon know what the front office believes they are.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
