Previewing potential hitter trade options for the White Sox

The Blue Jays could make Lyle Overbay available, but he may not be what the Sox need. (AP/Jeff Lewis)

If the soothsayers are right, the White Sox will be in dire need of a hitter come June or July.

The scenario is hardly far-fetched. Maybe Andruw Jones starts off hot, but runs into a nagging injury or starts showing signs of repeating the second-half slump he had last year. The Sox will hopefully have realized by then that Mark Kotsay can't be even a part-time DH (although I still have no issue with him strictly in a bench role) and decide to try to trade for somebody to fortify the lineup.

Luckily, the Sox should have options as the trade deadline nears. A look at some of those:

Lyle Overbay, Toronto Blue Jays

Overbay wouldn't provide the power the middle of the Sox lineup would need, but he would give the team above-average on-base skills with that doubles power management craves.

It's tough to see the Blue Jays contending in the AL East this year, and the team did try to move Overbay last summer (albeit, under a different regime)

He's owed $7 million in 2010, and obviously, the amount the Sox would pay him would depend on when in the season they trade for him. So money shouldn't be too big of an issue if the Sox do decide to go after Overbay.

An issue with trading for Overbay would be that he wouldn't provide any insurance in case Carlos Quentin gets hurt. While providing insurance for Paul Konerko is valuable, the Sox may believe Quentin's history of injuries makes getting insurance for him more of a priority when trading for a bat.

However, if CHONE is right about Overbay, he won't be what the Sox need. CHONE sees a .335 wOBA for Overbay in 2010, which still would likely qualify as below-average for designated hitters.

Adam LaRoche, Arizona Diamondbacks

I'll admit I was surprised to see that LaRoche has posted an above-average wOBA every year from 2006-2009. He's a solid offensive talent who is good for 20-25 home runs from the left side—something the White Sox certainly don't have on the roster right now.

Arizona signed him to a one-year, $6 million contract over the winter, so if they fall out of contention he could be one of the first players traded.

He'd be in the same situation as Overbay—a first base/DH platoon with Konerko. And the problem still exists that the Sox wouldn't have protection in case Quentin gets hurt. But LaRoche would likely be a better offensive option than Overbay, so if the option comes down to those two (both players have equal salaries for 2010), the Sox should go with LaRoche.

Conor Jackson, Arizona Diamondbacks

If Arizona does fall out of contention in the West, it's less likely they'll look to move the 27-year-old (28 in May) first baseman/left fielder given that he's under control through 2012.

But Jackson would fit the bill of a first baseman/outfielder who could fill in for Quentin or Konerko with above-average offense. Jackson struggled through 2009 with Valley Fever and had just a .251 wOBA in 30 games—but that's not something that will pop up again if Jackson is traded to Chicago.

Jackson isn't much of a power hitter, but he's compensated with an immaculate feel for the strike zone. In 484 career games, Jackson has a 0.90 walk-to-strikeout ratio.

While Jackson will see a few raises via arbitration over the next few years, he isn't an expensive option. The only question would be if the Diamondbacks would be willing to part with him if the team does fall out of contention.

Luke Scott, Baltimore Orioles

While Scott only played 36 games in the field in 2009, his past UZR numbers indicate that he's not a bad enough fielder to warrant being a full-time DH. He can play first base and left field, although if necessary, he could likely switch that over to right field to accommodate Quentin.

The Orioles shouldn't compete with the Yankees, Red Sox, and/or Rays in the AL East this year, and parting with Scott shouldn't be all that difficult for them despite that he's under control through 2013.

Scott bats left-handed and has decent 20-25 home run power with an above-average wOBA. While CHONE projects him to barely be a one-win player, if a little defense was factored in that WAR number would rise.

So Scott seems to fit exactly what the Sox could use in a midseason trade: a lefty bat with some power who doesn't have a very big contract ($4.05 million). But Scott will be 32 in June and still has quite a few arbitration years to increase his contract—and those will all come while he starts hitting the downside of his career.

The potential for Scott to drop off and not earn his salary is pretty high. If Scott was under control for 2010 and 2011, it wouldn't be that big of a risk, but having him through 2013 would be. The Sox could get out from under his contract by non-tendering him at some point, though, but that strategy still could cost the Sox some significant money for one bad season.

Adam Dunn, Washington Nationals

I'm only including Dunn here because he's the obvious option. He's only under contract with the Nationals for one more year, he's a left-handed power bat and could be one of the best designated hitters in the American League if he's moved there.

But the White Sox won't get Dunn. First of all, he's a butcher in the field and shouldn't be expected to do anything but DH. Second, he's due $12 million this year, and even if the Sox cleared the hurdle of having interchangeable DHs, they may not want to spend however much Dunn would be owed for the rest of 2010 even on an elite power hitter.

The Sox won't clear that first hurdle, though, because Ozzie Guillen likely will remain steadfast in his desire to not have a player who can only DH.

This isn't a comprehensive list, just five players who could be available and suit the White Sox' needs. A lot can happen from now until July, and plenty of other players could be made available as teams fall out of contention. Or one of these teams could find themselves in contention come July and won't make any of their players available.

Or, the White Sox could find themselves out of contention in July.

But if the White Sox are in contention, there's a good chance they'll need to make a trade for a hitter. So don't be surprised if this isn't the last time you hear these names mentioned this year.

Update, 3:55 pm for some links and PECOTA projections:

• Baseball Prospectus released its annual PECOTA team projections, and it says the AL Central will be laughably mediocre with the Twins emerging No.1 with 82 wins. It has the White Sox pegged second with 79 victories.
• Cheat notes that the sum of the DH rotation's baserunning equals the Jim Thome's baserunning.
• Mike DePilla of White Sox Mix writes about the Sox passing on Chad Tracy for an odd reason.