Kuzul

Whether you’re a Bears fan or just a fan of football, you’re aware by now of the Jay Cutler saga from the NFC Championship Game.

How injured was he? Should he have played through it? Could he have played through it?

Those questions all fall within the bigger picture of Jay Cutler, which is he’s a big-name QB who has his own way of doing things, and that rubs people the wrong way. That’s why it’s no surprise that so many who disliked him before he hurt his knee are eagerly jumping on him now.

The Chicago baseball player that has recently experienced his own version of “Cutler bashing” is Jake Peavy.

The Cy Young Award winner arrived on the South Side after rejecting a trade to the White Sox earlier in the season. While his motives for that seemed pure enough—he wanted to win in San Diego, where he had played his entire career—it still left a bitter taste in many White Sox fans’ mouths.

When Peavy did finally put on a Sox jersey and take the mound, he was nothing short of marvelous. He went 3-0 in three starts while striking out 18 in 20 IP and only giving up 11 hits.

Everyone should be happy, right?

Wrong.

Peavy started the 2010 season out poorly—very, very poorly.

April/March 0-2 7.85 ERA 1.84 WHIP

May 4-2 5.09 ERA 1.10 WHIP

Those numbers from a guy who is making $15 million per year aren’t good enough, and the majority of White Sox nation started turning on the right-hander.

“He can’t get it done in the AL.”

“Have you seen the numbers Clayton Richard is putting up?”

“We gotta trade this guy even if we have to eat some of the salary.”

These critics were only further fueled when Peavy announced that if the White Sox were going into rebuilding mode, he wanted to be traded.

Now I was a huge fan of the White Sox getting Peavy, and I didn’t overreact to his struggling because a pitcher of his quality is only going to struggle for so long before he turns it around. But when I heard him say that about wanting to be traded…I was ready to join the angry mob with torches that already seemed to await his every start.

Peavy turned it around in June and posted a 3-2 record to go with a 1.75 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP.

Our Cy Young had arrived.

All was forgiven. I could listen to sports talk radio in Chicago again without getting frustrated by the constant stream of callers demanding the most talented pitcher on the White Sox be traded for a bag of balls.

Until he got hurt.

That seemed to reopen the illogical bottle of hatred that had finally been closed up.

Now as we approach spring training, there are still wisps of steam coming out of that bottle, as people that I generally regard as smart baseball fans swear to me that Peavy just doesn’t have what it takes to pitch in the AL Central. That if the Sox make the playoffs he won’t be of use in the postseason (he sports an 0-2 record with a 12.10 ERA in two postseason starts). That he’s a bust and the Sox should cut bait and use the money elsewhere.

It’s just like Cutler.

Maybe it’s just a Chicago thing, or maybe this goes on in other sport cities. It seems that in Chicago we treat the most talented of our players with the unreasonable expectations of a spoiled child on his or her birthday. Not everything is going to be perfect. Jay Cutler isn’t going to be Peyton Manning when it comes to handling the media, and Jake Peavy isn’t going to be Greg Maddux when it comes to being the ideal pitcher.

But these two athletes are at the top of their respective games when it comes to talent. Unfortunately for them, my fellow Chicago fans may never recognize that.

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With all of the hoopla surrounding the Boston Red Sox (Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Bobby Jenks), the Washington Nationals (Jayson Werth), the Philadelphia Phillies (Cliff Lee) and the Milwaukee Brewers (Zack Greinke), it seems that the Chicago White Sox have been dismissed as a contender for 2011.

But lost in the free agent frenzy this hot stove season, were the signings of Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko to multi-year contracts.  Together, this duo has hit over 700 home runs during their careers, and with both of them in the fold, the White Sox have one scary lineup. 

LF – Juan Pierre

SS – Alexi Ramirez

1B – Paul Konerko

DH – Adam Dunn

RF – Carlos Quentin

CF – Alex Rios

C – A.J. Pierzynski

2B – Gordon Beckham

3B – Mark Teahen/Brent Morel

This lineup is balanced and full of power.  It’s unlikely that the ChiSox will be in on free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, but Pedro Feliz could be a nice fit at the hot corner.

And as scary as this lineup is, the pitching staff has to be considered one of the best in the league.

Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Edwin Jackson comprise what is already a formidable staff.  Jake Peavy is recovering from a detached latissimus dorsi in his right shoulder, which was sustained last July.  Peavy is due back towards the end of May, at the latest and should provide this already stacked rotation with quite a boost.

While Peavy is out, rookie Chris Sale could be called upon to man the fifth spot in the rotation.  Sale was drafted by the Sox in the first round of last year’s draft.  He played 11 games in the farm system for the South Siders, and made his MLB debut on August 6.  In limited action in Chicago, Sale went 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA and a 3.20 K/BB ratio.

Once Peavy is back, Sale could very well become the team’s new closer – a position vacated when Bobby Jenks signed with the Sox of a different color.  And all that would do is fortify what is already a deep bullpen.

Despite going with a “closer-by-committee”, the White Sox have a very solid relief core.  They just inked righty Jesse Crain to a new three-year deal.  He joins lefty Matt Thornton and hard-thrower Tony Pena as part of this strong back-end.

And who knows, there are still closers available on the market.  Kevin Gregg, Octavio Dotel, Brian Fuentes, and of course Rafael Soriano all have extensive ninth inning experience under their belts.

This team is well balanced and well versed.  They are solid defensively.  They have a bunch of thump in their lineup.  And their pitching staff is among the best in the game.  And as unconventional as he is, Ozzie Guillen has proved that he knows how to manage a ball club.  I see no reason why the Chicago White Sox should not win the AL Central crown in 2011.

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It could just be a coincidence, or there could be something to it.  Adam Dunn is just another example of a player who has been linked with the crosstown Cubs who is headed to White Sox.  Let’s take a look into Kenny Williams’ past.

1. Jim Thome

Remember how Jim Thome always wanted to play with the Cubs?  The slugger tried his hardest to get the Cubs to consider signing him in 2003, but the North Siders decided to go another route and traded for Derek Lee.  Kenny Williams then pulled off a trade for Bartonville, IL native in 2005 much to Cubs fans’ chagrin.

2. Ken Griffey Jr.

Junior was supposed to be the Cubs’ left-handed power threat for years.  Every trade deadline from 2004 to 2007, the Cubs were always rumored to be working on acquiring the future hall of famer.  As soon as his trade value went down far enough, Williams snagged Griffey at the 2008 deadline.

3. Juan Pierre

Traded to the Cubs in 2006 for Ricky Nolasco and a pair of other pitchers, things never worked out like they were supposed to for Pierre on the North Side.  Pierre left the Cubs in free agency after just one year and was snatched up by Williams in a trade after three seasons with the Dodgers.

4. Kosuke Fukudome

The White Sox are happy that the former Japanese superstar never signed with the South Siders, but he almost did.  The Cubs were long seen to be the front-runner to sign the free agent in 2007, and the White Sox were not even known to be considering Fukudome. 

But after Fukudome signed a four-year, $47 million deal to play for the Cubs, it came out that Kenny Williams and the White Sox had actually offered him a bigger deal than the North Siders in negotiations.

5. Jake Peavy

He was always supposed to be a Cub.  The Cubs were rumored for years to be interested in the former Cy Young winner, and despite injury concerns in 2010 were still pursuing him at the deadline.  But the White Sox got to him first, and after initially rejecting a trade to the South Side, Peavy finally waived his no-trade clause and agreed to play for Ozzie Guillen.

6. Scott Podsednik

Obviously Podsednik played for the White Sox first, but don’t forget that the Cubs showed serious interest in signing the outfielder after he was released by the Sox in 2007. Podsednik eventually signed with the Rockies, and the Cubs continued to wonder if he could have been what Juan Pierre couldn’t be for them before Kenny Williams re-signed Podsednik in 2009.

7. Adam Dunn

Dunn is another player in a list of many who was supposed to come to the Cubs to finally fill the left handed power hole they’ve had for years.  The Cubs were seen by many to be one of the front runners for Dunn, before the White Sox came out of no where to sign the slugger.

Ozzie Guillen has made it clear, he doesn’t hate the Cubs, he just hates Wrigley Field.  But what about his GM?  Kenny Williams seems to have a personal goal to grab whoever it is that is currently catching the Cubs’ eye. 

It could just be a total coincidence, but its something to think about.  Maybe Kenny just really hates the Cubs. Maybe he hates how he can put a better product on the field year in and year out but the Cubs still outdraw the South Siders every year.  Who knows.  

Think I’m crazy?  The most recent player the Cubs have shown interest in is James Loney. If the Sox fail to resign Paul Konerko, don’t be surprised if Kenny Williams makes a play at him.

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With the dust barely having settled on the 2010 MLB season, arguably the Chicago White Sox biggest X-factor for 2011 could already be declared in the form of pitcher Chris Sale.

Or rather the decision on what to do with Sale.

With Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, Edwin Jackson and Jake Peavy penciled in as starters for the White Sox, one has to wonder what the role of the No. 13 pick in the 2010 draft will be for 2011.

The plan was always to make Sale a starter, but even after a strong showing in his 23.1 MLB innings out of the bullpen, the depth of the White Sox starting staff could make it impossible for Sale to become a starter, pending the penciled staff’s health.

The question now is whether or not Sale should even be a spot starter.

Would moving Sale in and out of the bullpen bring negative effects to the Florida Gulf Coast University standout, where, in his final season, Sale struck out more than 36 percent of the batters he faced in 103 innings? 

It’s a decision that could change an entire player’s career and where the White Sox finish in 2011.

After 10.1 innings pitched in the minors, Sale was called up to the big leagues, making him the first player from the 2010 draft to get to the big leagues.

From there Sale pitched 23.1 innings, giving up five earned runs on 15 hits and 10 walks, while striking out 32 and saving four games thanks to a high 90s fastball and a devastating changeup mixed in with a hard-breaking slider.

The 21-year-old left-hander was supposed to serve as an insurance policy if Peavy were not ready to return from surgery to repair a detached latissimus dorsi muscle in his right shoulder come April 2011. Pitching coach Don Cooper, however, has openly stated he feels moving Sale back and forth between the bullpen and the starting staff would be a mistake.

Cooper feels Sale will be a starter one day, but does not feel he should step in when the 2011 season begins if Peavy is not ready to go.

GM Kenny Williams, however, has stated if Sale happens to be in the starting rotation in April, the White Sox could go with a six-man rotation when Peavy returns, pending the health of the staff. A six-man rotation would make things easier on the young arm of Sale and the fragile arm of Peavy, but it would cost the White Sox a bullpen spot.

Another option would be starting long reliever Tony Pena until Peavy returns, but Pena is arbitration-eligible, so the front office will have to decide if they would like to increase Pena’s salary. Pena made $1.2 million in 2010, sporting a 5.10 ERA in 100.2 innings pitched for the White Sox.

On the other side of all of this is if the White Sox did want to trade Floyd, Jackson or Danks for a missing piece, Sale would be an option to step into the starter’s role.

Everything is based around the health of Peavy. Peavy’s recovery is reportedly going smoothly, but Cooper has stated he does not feel Peavy will be ready and it may not be the smartest move to rush him.

So the question remains as to who will fill Peavy’s spot in the starting rotation, while he is out and if it does happen to be Sale, will he remain in the rotation, essentially splitting the fifth spot with Peavy.

It’s November and the decisions are already piling up.

There is no offseason in sports.

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The All-Star break is suddenly approaching, which for many signifies the upcoming trade deadline on July 31.

With the recent trade of perennial Cy Young candidate Cliff Lee to the Texas Rangers, many teams will open the floodgates after determining if they are going to make the push for October glory, or pack it in for 2010.

One team that will not be giving up is the Chicago White Sox, who with a resurgence that almost no one predicted over the last 40 days, have put themselves near the top of the American League Central.

The White Sox’ glaring weakness for the entirety of the season has been the lack of a left-handed power hitter.

Many suggest that with the season-ending injury to Jake Peavy that they should go after players such as Arizona’s Dan Haren or Astros’ Roy Oswalt. I think neither of the two is necessary.

Oswalt is a fine pitcher, but I think that someone will step up to be the fifth starter for the club. Pitchers like Dan Hudson or Matt Zaleski should and will be given the opportunity to step up and help the team.

Making a trade for a starter will not help in the pennant chase because both Haren and Oswalt would be transitioning from the National League, and that usually does not fare well for starting pitchers.

Need for Lance Berkman

The need for a left-handed bat is paramount in continuing the successes the Sox have had recently.

Adding a switch hitter like Lance Berkman would give protection to Paul Konerko in the lineup, which would make him even more dangerous, as well as give him rest as a DH.

It would also allow the team to not have to rely on Mark Kotsay, whose .229 batting average is not what the team needs when they get into the dog days of September.

Berkman would flourish in the launching pad of U.S. Cellular Field, much like he has in his home ballpark for the Astros with his opposite-field power.

“The Big Puma,” as he is known in Houston, would no doubt raise his .259 batting average in Chicago, as he would have something to play for in hopes of winning his first ring.

Berkman is the best option

Other players who have been mentioned to go to the White Sox include Adrian Gonzalez and Adam Dunn.

Gonzalez is a fabulous player who would be a perfect fit for the White Sox for years to come. The problem with him is that he is not going to be traded.

The Padres are a legit contender to win the NL West this season, and he is the staple to their successes thus far, besides their underrated pitching.

Adam “The Big Donkey” Dunn is hitting better at this point in time than at any previous point in his career. It will take a lot to pry him away from the Nationals, and the White Sox have very little in the form of top prospects to send to Washington.

Other players such as Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, and Mark Reynolds, who have been on the rumor mill, are not going to the South Side; nor should they, since they are not what Ozzie Guillen’s team needs.

Lance Berkman may not be a “spring chicken” at 34 years old, but he is a player that could give the White Sox, joined by Konerko; a solid match in “punch” with Detroit, who have Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera; and Minnesota with Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer.

In questioning if Lance would leave his home state of Texas and waive his no-trade clause he stated in May, “If we’re 20-70 and they say, ‘Hey, we’ve got a trade for a bunch of hot prospects and you’re going to go compete for a world championship,’ I would definitely consider it.”

Well Lance, your team is 35-52. White Sox GM Kenny Williams should definitely put Berkman in the position to “consider it” as soon as he can.

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It was what everyone suspected as soon as Jake Peavy walked off the mound with his right arm barely moving in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels. Jake Peavy is gone for the season.

Friday, it became official as Peavy said he will have surgery on his detached right shoulder muscle (latissimus dorsi) on Wednesday. He hopes to be throwing by spring training early next year.

Doctors told Peavy the procedure must be done, but his career is not in jeopardy.

Cliff Lee was the dream scenario, but with the White Sox having limited prospects (Daniel Hudson, Jordan Danks, and perhaps Gordon Beckham) they’d be willing to give up to rent Lee for half a season and Lee reportedly just being traded to the Rangers, the Sox will have to look in house for support.

Daniel Hudson will be the first, and essentially the only viable option without making a trade. Hudson will most likely start Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Royals.

The 23-year-old Hudson was 11-4 with a 3.47 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, striking out 108 and walking 31 in 93.1 innings pitched in Triple-A Charlotte.

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White Sox starter Jake Peavy was pulled from the game during the second inning with an apparent arm injury.

After throwing a pitch, Peavy wandered off the mound and appeared to be shaking his right arm. He was replaced by Tony Pena.

I’m not going to speculate on what the injury actually is (other than that it appeared to be in the lower arm area) or the severity of it, but this could be a major blow for the White Sox. Peavy has been their hottest starter of late, posting a 1.75 ERA in the month of June.

If Jake has to go on the DL, he will most likely be replaced by Daniel Hudson, who has an 3.47 ERA and an 11-4 record in Charlotte.

UPDATE

The Sox are reporting that Peavy has a strained right latissimus dorsi muscle, which is actually in the upper back area. This information comes from the WCIU broadcast of the game.

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It’s never a good sign when a manager says his ace pitcher “has some things going on” in his shoulder, but that’s exactly what Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said about Jake Peavy the other day.

Due to Peavy’s achy shoulder, the White Sox skipped his Thursday night start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he’ll attempt to start on Saturday.

It’s kind of odd timing for Peavy’s injury because he’s coming off two of his better starts of the season. In his last two starts, Peavy has given up just four runs, two walks, and has eight K’s in 14 IP. Now if I was told that Peavy had a bum shoulder after his start against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he gave up 10 hits and five runs in 5.1 IP, then I’d believe it.

Overall, Peavy has had a pretty disappointing first full year in the American League, but I don’t think anyone is surprised about that. Going from the hitting challenged NL West and pitcher-friendly Petco Park to the American League and US Cellular Field, I think everyone knew his stats would take a hit.

So far in 2010, Peavy has given up the most hits/9 (9.1) and HR/9 (1.3) of his career and has his lowest K/9 (7.6) since 2003. Not to mention that Peavy also sports a 5.62 ERA and 1.33 WHIP.

Hopefully for White Sox fans the extra days rest will do Peavy some good.

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As a fan, I try not to be too harsh on players when they speak their mind. After all, don’t we as fans want to hear the truth?

But in the case of Jake Peavy and his feelings about sticking with the White Sox through a rebuilding phase, I’d rather he kept them to himself.

On Thursday, Peavy was asked about the position the Sox are currently in and the possibility that some of the veterans could be moved in the next month-and-a-half.

He responded by saying “I’m excited to be in a situation where you talk about it’s not going to be a rebuilding process. If that were the case, I would certainly try to be moved, but that’s the least of my worries.”

Like I said, I usually like to hear the truth from players. But in this case, I don’t want to hear Peavy say he’d want to be traded from the South Side because they wouldn’t be in a position to win.

Hey Jake, you’re one of the reasons the Sox aren’t in a position to win this year .

Moreover, Peavy’s a former Cy Young award winner that has struggled so badly lately he hardly resembles a major league-caliber pitcher. It seems odd to me that he’d be the one to speak out against a possible rebuilding year for the Sox.

I still fully believe that Peavy will be a major contributor for the Sox down the road. I don’t think it’s clear to anyone what exactly is wrong with him right now, but between he and Don Cooper I feel comfortable that it’ll be fixed sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, here’s hoping Peavy will build on his last two outings and help the Sox put themselves in a position where they won’t need to go into rebuilding mode.

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