Listening to Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams talk, the risk far outweighs the reward in the 2010 trade market.  Down and out teams have grasped the concept of asset management and collecting a large hand full of magic beans for a solution to the other guy's problem.  The White Sox added Jake Peavy last year for four young pitchers, one of them being Clayton Richard who is doing a bang up job for San Diego this year.

So when Kenny says the price is too high, believe him.  It is a non-productive for him to trade either an established player (like Gordon Beckham or Carlos Quentin) and several prospects (The Cuban Sandwich, Daniel Hudson, Jordan Danks) for a rent a player.

I get the Peavy trade.  He was under control for several years and even though he was expensive, over time (if he can pitch again) his contract will pale in comparison to other top of the line pitchers who have received new deals.  That's good risk vs. reward management on Kenny's part (and, it's the White Sox way!).  But bankrupting your farm system for two months of Adam Dunn or a year and two months of Prince Fielder is impractical, UNLESS you've determined that Dunn or Fielder are in your future plans and you immediately sign him to an extension.  Given how most players want to roll the dice and test the open market, odds are that is not going happen. And given Fielder is represented by Scott Boras who somehow has confused Fielder's value with Ryan Howard's, that definitely won't happen.

On the pitching front, Roy Oswalt is a similar case.  Risk vs. reward isn't there.  What Kenny needs to look for, if he's looking for one, is a fourth or fifth guy like a Brett Meyers or a Ricky Nolasco.  Or, some guy no one ever thought would be traded with a long term reasonable contract.

I agree with Kenny's other comment that this is a pretty tight group and adding another big dog to the hunt may not the best idea.  Subtracting a piece like Beckham would not be either.  This team is good enough to win the division right now and when you get to the playoffs, anything can happen.  The Sox have played both Texas and Anaheim well, they played Tampa Bay even and they played the Yankees before the bats heated up.  It is highly conceivable that if this team makes the playoffs, given the experience and the starting pitching, they have as legitimate a shot as anyone of winning. 

Sure, you'd like one more starter or one more player off the bench, but so does everyone else.  Daniel Hudson proved last night he can bounce back at the big league level and the return of Mark Teahen will give the Sox another left-handed bat to play with.  So, maybe that solves whatever issues the Sox think they have and prevents Kenny from selling off more of the team's future.

Don't forget, in August, when the waiver wire games begin, Kenny might be able to hook another player like he did with Alex Rios.  That might be the best way to handle it.  Especially if it's Carl Crawford (just dreaming again, sorry.)

Lightning Round

• I got around to watching "The Club" yesterday and as has been said by many, if you are a Sox fan, you learned absolutely nothing.  It's almost like watching reruns. My favorite moment in the first episode is where the Chairman made a point of calling it "his money." Yeah, we've been hearing that since 1981.  MLB's special on Don Zimmer was far more interesting.
• Isn't baseball a great game?  A little over twenty-four hours after your team gets kicked in the groin by a division rival, they come back, hit two home runs, win the game and pick up a full game on their rivals. Kudos to Alex Rios for overcoming the bad throiw Sunday and hitting a big fifth inning homer.  As he said after the game Sunday, "tomorrow is another day."