It’s amazing what a two-game winning streak will do. After being swept by the Cubs this past weekend and losing 22 of their last 27 games, the Sox were rumored to be oh-this-close to trading starter Mark Buehrle to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. But Kenny Williams and Buehrle may have had a change of heart while in Tampa Bay this week while the team faces the Devil Rays. The two sides seem to be more willing to get together to agree on a contract extension which could be finalized as early as the end of this week, according to today’s Chicago Sun-Times. Of course, the Times is also the same newspaper that broke the news that Buehrle may be traded to Boston, so who knows what we should believe?
If the extension does happen, that opens the door for other possible trades, most likely starter Jose Contreras whom the New York Mets are interested in.
Keeping Buehrle would be a smart move. If you are going to rebuild a team, you do so around the key guys on the team. The Sox already have first baseman Paul Konerko locked in for several years and will rebuild their offense around him. Buehrle, who came up through the Sox system, is the leader on the Sox pitching staff. If the Sox deal him, I don’t see anyone else among the Sox pitchers who can step into that leadership role. It may be easier to deal Contreras or Javier Vazquez, even though the Sox may not get as much in return. Also, Buehrle is a popular player among his teammates and fans. If the Sox trade him, Kenny Williams would be making a huge PR mistake and could risk losing a lot of fans.
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