Don’t Expect Much White Sox Trade Action

When the Chicago White Sox introduced their “All-in” slogan for the 2011 season, they weren’t kidding.

The record payroll, upwards of $125 million, left general manager Kenny Williams will very little wiggle room.

If things were going a little different – you know, a record above .500, maybe a nice lead atop the division – Williams would consider moving some prospects to add a desired piece as the July 31 non-waiver deadline approaches. But the Sox are strapped for cash and I wouldn’t expect them to do much in the next week.

Edwin Jackson‘s name has flown around the rumor mill, as it did last year around this time when the White Sox acquired him from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jackson went 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA down the stretch, keeping the Sox in the race that they ultimately fell out of with a miserable September.

With six able starting pitchers, it’s plausible to consider moving Jackson to a team in search of a right-hander. The St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox – all could be interested, but do the Sox really have six able starting pitchers, or is it five and a half? Jake Peavy still hasn’t fully recovered from surgery to repair a detached latissimus dorsi muscle under his right shoulder – now a year and a week old.

The Sox have very few options in the minor leagues if they decide to move  a starter and one of the remaining five gets injured. Doug Davis, now at Triple-A to “bolster the back of the rotation,” is the last person anyone should want to see in a White Sox uniform to pitch an important game down the stretch.

As for Carlos Quentin, he could be on the block this week, but it’s more likely that the team will wait until the offseason to trade him. He’s second to Paul Konerko in most of the major statistical categories. A team starved for runs shouldn’t trade one of its most productive bats if it wants to contend, even if it means opening a spot for Dayan Viciedo to come up and rake.

Any improvements the Sox make will have to come from within. That means Viciedo and Alejandro de Aza if Ozzie Guillen gets frustrated enough with Adam Dunn and Alex Rios, or if someone is injured.

The chips are all-in and the White Sox have nothing left to put into the pot.