The Sports Note: The rich get richer?

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The sports world seems to be almost entirely centered around the baseball trading deadline this week. A big trade almost went down yesterday according to ESPN's Tim Kurkjian. The White Sox were very close to getting Alfonso Soriano in exchange for a package starting with White Sox pitcher Brandon McCarthy. At this point Soriano seems to be the biggest name, and the most likely to move, on the trading block. He's going to have an impact with whatever team he lands on (if he moves) but with the White Sox his arrival could very likely vault the team back into the World Series.

If the White Sox got Soriano they'd more then likely keep him in the left field, shifting Scott Podsednik over to centerfield. Centerfield for the White Sox this year, with Brian Anderson, has been an offensive blackhole. A lineup that goes Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, Soriano, Jermaine Dye and Crede is, to put it mildly, almost a modern day Murderer's Row. The White Sox already lead the league in home runs, adding Soriano, who's hit 31 so far, will only increase that advantage. Its true that the White Sox weakness this year has been, at times, been its pitching. The Sox made a small move to shore up their middle relief, getting Kansas City "closer" Mike MacDougal for some prospects. Sox GM Kenny Williams has been rumored to still be searching for another starting pitcher but even if he fails to aquire a decent one, his rotation is still better then most and likely will improve on its own.

For the Nationals this deal would be about getting something for Soriano before they lose him through free agency. McCarthy has done well in a relief role with the Sox and is projected to be a top of the rotation starter. The rumor going around is that Nationals GM Jim Bowden has basically been starting all trade conversations about Soriano by demanding any interested organization's top two prospects and working from there. Despite Soriano's stated position that he likes DC and wants to stay, it seems almost certain that Soriano would sign some where else (the Yankees probably) this off-season. The catch-22 of that though is that while the Nats want to trade him so they aren't left empty-handed, teams are weary of trading for a guy who's probably just going to be a three month rental.

If I'm a White Sox fan I've got to love Kenny Williams. The guy never stops working the phones. He won the World Series and then went out and got Jim Thome, a guy who's more then likely to hit at least 40 HR's this year. Now Williams is trying, at least, to get the best bat on the market. Considering the relutance of GM's like the Angel's Bill Stoneman to part with prospects to improve their teams, its refreshing to see a GM make shrewd, big moves where so many others are too scared to act.

Salmons bounces back

Turns out John Salmons did have some options left, despite what we said yesterday. He's signed up with the Kings for the mid-level exception. I guess Salmons is a nice pick up for the Kings, though I'm not sure how much playing time he'll actually get. This does all but asure that Bonzi Wells will be joining someone else. Wells, a known head case, is the best available FA out there and if he plays like he did in the playoffs, while managing to not lose his cool, he's going to be a real asset to some team. Rumors had him going to the Pistons at one point but that seems unlikely now. The Wizards have been mentioned as well but that would take a rather large sign and trade.

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Date

Tue 07/25/06, 8:37 am EST