Fixing the Chicago White Sox

I could have stayed in Chicago, but instead I'm living in a city with winning sports teams:

Columbia, Missouri.

What?!

Yes, I'm sitting here at the University of Missouri, watching our football team steadily move up to No. 5 while our basketball team quietly lays the foundation for what could be an NCAA Tournament berth.

If somebody had told me when I left the Chicago area for Mizzou in August that the University of Missouri would have more athletic success by Thanksgiving than the entire city of Chicago—well, I probably would've asked if they also thought I'd be riding a unicorn to class.

But it's happened. 

The Bears are struggling to keep their heads above water, the Bulls are off to a pitiful start, the Cubs were swept out of the playoffs by a team that was swept out of the playoffs by a team that was swept out of the playoffs, and the Blackhawks are all but forgotten despite their 10-8 record.

How can this losing trend be reversed?  I'll discuss the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, and Cubs in due time—but first let me start with my beloved White Sox, who finished 70-92 in 2007. 

How can Ozzie & Co. turn it around?

1. Trade Jon Garland or Jose Contreras, and resolve the Joe Crede/Josh Fields dilemma.

I always hate to break up a good pitching staff, but the White Sox have to do it.

While Contreras struggled mightily for the first four months of the season (see his 12.97 July ERA), he settled back down in August and September, posting ERAs of 4.00 and 3.54, respectively. 

I think he still has something left in the tank, and other teams might too.

That said, Garland is the more likely pitcher to be traded.  If Garland is moved, GM Kenny Williams could get some very good players in return.

Like Garland and Contreras, Joe Crede is in the last year of his contract—and with Scott Boras as his agent, it's highly unlikely that he'll consider coming back to the White Sox after 2008. 

The problem with Crede is that he missed almost all of the 2007 season with a back injury...and when he did play, he was barely able to hit his weight.

The fact that Crede's future is uncertain will greatly diminish his trade value.  But at this point, trading Crede and freeing up a little bit of money—and the third base spot for Fields—would probably be the best option for the White Sox.

Trading Fields would likely mean a big fish (see part II) coming to the South Side, which wouldn't be all that bad—but Fields has great potential and could easily hit 35 home runs next year.

2. Make a big splash, either through a trade or free agency.

This is why the White Sox should trade Garland or Contreras—it would free up money to sign a marquee free agent or land a top-notch player through a trade.

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