If Ken Griffey Jr. gives the thumbs-up, he could be potentially thrust into a pennant race before the week is out.
According to FOXSports.com, the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to trade Griffey to the Chicago White Sox pending the outfielder's approval. As a player with 10 years of service in the majors and five with the same club, Griffey has the right to block any deal.
Griffey will decide Thursday morning whether he will consent to the deal, FOXSports.com, reported, citing a source with knowledge of the situation. The report said it was not known what the Reds would obtain in exchange for Griffey.
While the Reds (51-58) languish in their division, the White Sox (60-46) lead the AL Central by 1½ games over the Minnesota Twins and 5½ over the Detroit Tigers.
It all requires Griffey's approval, but why would he want to waste away in the NL Central cellar when he could reach the playoffs for the first time in ages?
Someone in the White Sox organization must have sensed the wheels starting to come off a bit with the Twins surging like they've been. But I didn't expect them to pull a trigger on a deal like this. A middle of the lineup that includes Thome, Konerko, and Griffey is just SICK and the White Sox just might become the new favorites in the AL.
That Cubs/White Sox series just keeps looking more and more like a real possibility, doesn't it?
You have to assume that getting on to a contender would light a fire under Griffey, and that his past performance might be affected by the team he's on, no?
A middle of the lineup that includes Thome, Konerko, and Griffey is just SICK and the White Sox just might become the new favorites in the AL.
Konerko has been awful this year, and he's been even worse since the All Star break. More than likely, Griffey will take his spot in the line-up if they decide to put Swisher at first full time.
That said, I don't know how much this even helps Chicago. Griffey's a great bat, yeah, but the White Sox' pitching has been iffy all year, and the Twins have one of the easiest second halves in baseball.
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A middle of the lineup that includes Thome, Konerko, and Griffey is just SICK and the White Sox just might become the new favorites in the AL.
Konerko has been awful this year, and he's been even worse since the All Star break. More than likely, Griffey will take his spot in the line-up if they decide to put Swisher at first full time.
That said, I don't know how much this even helps Chicago. Griffey's a great bat, yeah, but the White Sox' pitching has been iffy all year, and the Twins have one of the easiest second halves in baseball.
The Twins also have 30 of their next 45 games on the road, where they have the worst ERA in the AL. They are not a very good team outside of the dome.
The Sox can only be helped by moving Konerko to the bench, even if Griffey isn't a significant upgrade.
Originally posted by Guru ZimYou have to assume that getting on to a contender would light a fire under Griffey, and that his past performance might be affected by the team he's on, no?
Yep, He will get that season-ending injury much faster now!
Originally posted by Guru ZimYou have to assume that getting on to a contender would light a fire under Griffey, and that his past performance might be affected by the team he's on, no?
Yep, He will get that season-ending injury much faster now!
Thread ahead: Manny to the Dodgers, Bay to Boston Next thread: Brewers get swept by Cubs at Miller Park...ye gods. Previous thread: Yanks Get Another Guy Named Rodriguez..
Personally, I think the only time the leagues should meet is the All-Star game and the World Series. However, the fans feel differently and are voting with their pocketbooks that they like it.