Evaluating the Market

With the trade deadline approaching on Thursday, what can the White Sox do to improve a roster they've ridden to a three and a half game lead over the Minnesota Twins? A flurry of moves in the past week have brought a different look to the 25 man roster. Scott Linebrink, Jose Contreras, and Joe Crede were all placed on the fifteen day disabled list recently, and Adam Russell was optioned to Charlotte. Their replacements? Clayton Richard, Josh Fields, D.J. Carrasco and Ehren Wasserman. That leaves the current lineup as follows:

SS: Orlando Cabrera
C: A.J. Pierzynski
LF: Carlos Quentin
RF: Jermaine Dye
DH: Jim Thome
1B: Paul Konerko
CF: Nick Swisher
3B: Fields
2B: Alexei Ramirez

C: Toby Hall
OF: Brian Anderson
OF: DeWayne Wise
IF: Juan Uribe

First of all, thank God for Swisher and Uribe. Their versatility has made the current roster a hell of a lot more convenient. Uribe's ability to play three infield positions well and Swisher's ability to back up first base has allowed Ozzie Guillen to be a little creativity in lineup construction. The lineup is obviously not ideal, as the only players thriving in their roles are Ramirez, Quentin, and Dye. That being said, there aren't a lot of positions that can be upgraded. Cabrera's defense has been too valuable at SS, and moving Ramirez, a slightly above average second baseman, to a more difficult position in the middle of a pennant race would be short-sighted and detrimental. Cabrera also could net two compensation picks in return for his inevitable exit from Chicago after the season.

The only offensive name that makes sense is Atlanta outfielder Mark Kotsay. While his name has been mentioned sparingly in trade talks, he'd be a good fit in CF against righties. He'd make much more sense than Wise. It wouldn't take much to acquire him, and nothing that the White Sox would give up would hurt the system too much. Kotsay's slash stats against righties are solid: .303/.355/.447. This would allow for Swisher to move to first, as it appears Konerko's confidence is at an all-time low. With the trade deadline fast approaching, Kenny Williams will be forced to make an immediate decision on Konerko. Betting on a resurgence might be too risky at this point, and splitting his time with Kotsay may allow for more rest and better production.