Kuzul

Picture Mark Kotsay wearing a blue and white Royals uniform. Got that image? It’s easy to imagine, right? That’s because Kotsay is that caliber of player. He’s not the caliber of player that should be “contributing” on a playoff caliber team such as the White Sox.

The Red Sox knew that last season, and that’s why they waived him .

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. Mark Kotsay should not be in the middle of the White Sox lineup .

Allow me to break down the positives that Mark Kotsay brings to a baseball team:

Kotsay is a nice guy to have come off the bench and pinch hit against a tough righty.

He’s also able to play a couple positions, which makes him valuable over the course of a 162 game season.

The end.

Notice I didn’t bring up his ability to produce consistent numbers for 162 games. That’s because he isn’t a player who is capable of doing that anymore.

Oh, and you may be wondering how he hits lefties. Chew on this number: .000

That’s right, we’re in mid-July and Slugger Mark is still hit-less against southpaws .

So what’s my point? Why complain about a guy when there’s not a preferable replacement already there? (I like Viciedo as much as anyone, but he needs more at bats before he should be an everyday player.)

The point is this: there is a guy out there who could be the left handed bat that the White Sox need and chances are it won’t take the farm to get him: Lance Berkman.

Now I’m aware that Berkman is not the same puma of old. However, even in a down year, his power potential and OBP would be welcomed additions to the middle of the Sox lineup.

The Astros are reluctant sellers, but it’s no secret that they want to get some return for Berkman as opposed to declining his 15 MM option next season and having him walk away.

I wrote about the fact that the Sox should not trade away their best young talent for Adam Dunn and I feel the same way with Berkman.

The difference between the two situations is that the Sox can get Berkman for less than they’d have to give up to get Adam Dunn. In addition to that, they would have the option of bringing him back for another season (albeit at an absurd amount).

Kenny Williams is an aggressive, ambitious, and occasionally reckless GM. He’s seeing the same thing we as fans are seeing. He knows that Mark Kotsay is not an adequate DH.

Now all we can do is wait and hope that Kenny pulls the trigger on a deal that gives the South Siders a legitimate chance at making a playoff run.

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For what seemed like an eternity, the AL Central was literally dominated by the Minnesota Twins at the beginning of the season, the Detroit Tigers following close behind at second, with the rest of the division basically unmentionable.

Kansas City entered the 2010 season with a lot of high hopes, but nobody really expected anything big from them.

The Cleveland Indians knew this year would be a struggle, and the team in general, has been a work in progress for the past two years.

But what about that other team, the other Chicago team?

The White Sox entered 2010 with a lot of promise and a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, but for the first two months the men in black basically swung for the fences so much, they redefined the term whiff.

They couldn’t hold games, they couldn’t win games, and they played competitively, but they always came up short.

Well, as baseball always seems to remind us…nothing is forever.

The Twins are on a downward spiral, currently in a mediocre third allowing the Tigers to temporarily enjoy a stay a second place with the White Sox… yup that’s right kids, the White Sox, a mere half-game ahead and currently your AL Central leader.

And of course the Royals and Indians still stink.

Paul Konerko is hitting .299/.382/.560 with a team leading 20 HR and 63 RBI, while Carlos Quentin is right behind him hitting .240/.342/.500 with 17 HR and 56 RBI.

But wait, there’s more!

Alex Rios is hitting .305/.361/.518 with an impressive 23 pilfered bases, and Juan Pierre is king of base pirating with 32.

In fact, aside from Gordon Beckham and Mark Kotsay , the whole damn team is functioning like a well-oiled machine riding the glory of an eight-game win streak.

Now that’s the way you start the second half of the season!

The White Sox have a golden opportunity to not only keep the wave going but to also capitalize on some key matchups after the break including a showdown with the Twins, followed by two series against the Mariners and two against the A’s

Conceivably, the White Sox could preserve place by the beginning of August with a wide open gap between them and the rest of the division, which would be an unbelievable feat.

And I’m a Cubs fan!

If you enjoyed this piece please check out our latest Fantasy Implications of Carlos Beltran’s Return!

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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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