Twins come first, then Sox have decisions to make

A week ago, the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park for their seventh straight win on the road.

Just 3½ games behind the first-place Twins after that Labor Day victory over Detroit, the Sox were living in the moment and realistically looking like postseason participants.

Then, the White Sox hit the wall.

They dropped the next three to the Tigers and Minnesota kept rolling along. And even though they managed to win 2 of 3 against the Kansas City Royals after returning home over the weekend, the Sox are facing a 6-game deficit with 19 to play as the Twins arrive at U.S. Cellular Field Tuesday night for a three-game series.

According to Baseball Prospectus, Minnesota has a 97 percent chance of winning the division, so it's going to take a miracle and then some for the White Sox to pull this one out.

"We're just trying to hang with them and, hopefully, we can do something good here starting Tuesday," Konerko said. "But we know it's uphill."

Even a three-game sweep over the Twins would leave the Sox looking up, so it's as good of a time as any to start looking toward 2011.

Several key players are headed to that contractual fork in the road, so the White Sox are going to have a busy off-season.

Here are some key players to keep an eye on, and thoughts on why they should stay or go:

Konerko: StayEligible for free agency after the 2005 season, Konerko batted .283 with 40 home runs and 100 RBI and led the Sox to the World Series championship.While he received a better offer from the Los Angeles Angels during the off-season, Konerko ultimately accepted a five-year, $60 million deal from the White Sox.That contract is up at the end of this season, and there is no way the 34-year-old captain gets another five-year deal.But with a .322 average, 36 HR and 104 RBI, Konerko looks like a lock to finish in the Top 3 in American League MVP voting.The Sox want him back, and Konerko has often talked about his desire to finish his career in a White Sox uniform.A three-year, $30 million deal seems fair for both sides, assuming Konerko wants to play that long.A.J. Pierzynski: StayIf Tyler Flowers was ready to take over behind the plate, maybe you think twice on this one. But Flowers batted just .220 at Class AAA Charlotte this season, although his power numbers (16 HR, 53 RBI in 100 games) were solid.Pierzynski is still more durable than most at age of 33. He also knows how to handle a pitching staff and he's batting .402 with 18 RBI in his last 23 games.Finding quality No. 1 catchers, either through a trade or free agency, is a difficult task.A two-year, $10 million deal looks good for both sides here, but the White Sox could opt to offer Pierzynski arbitration and a subsequent one-year contract.Bobby Jenks: GoHe's been a popular figure on the South Side since the 2005 World Series run, but Jenks continued to break down this season with calf, back and now elbow ailments.Chris Sale is viewed as a future starter for the Sox, but he has the makeup - and the arm - to take Jenks' spot and be a dominant reliever.Carlos Quentin: GoYes, he has 24 home runs and 82 RBI in 120 games, and Quentin is as dangerous as any hitter in the game when he gets hot.But this season the injuries continued to take a toll on the right fielder, as well as the White Sox.If he's not getting hit by pitches, Quentin is running into walls or mangling his body with awkward slides. He's also batting .236 and is one of the worst defensive outfielders in baseball.The White Sox have to be seriously thinking about cutting ties with Quentin and moving Mark Teahen to right field, the position he should be playing.Omar Vizquel: StayHe'll be 44 next season, but Vizquel has shown he can still swing the bat, and the future Hall of Famer could probably play defense at a Gold Glove level until he's 50.A one-year deal for $2 million sounds about right, and Vizquel could help third baseman Brent Morel make a smooth transition to the big leagues.Freddy Garcia: GoGive the 33-year-old starter some big credit for winning 11 games as the Sox' fifth starter this season after coming back from major shoulder surgery in 2007.But Garcia is currently dealing with some potential nerve damage in his lower back, and you have to seriously wonder if he can make another comeback.White Sox scouting report White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins at U.S. Cellular FieldTV: Comcast SportsNet Tuesday and Thursday; Channel 26 WednesdayRadio: WSCR 670-AMPitching matchups: The Sox' John Danks (13-10, 3.54 ERA) vs. Francisco Liriano (13-7, 3.24) Tuesday; Gavin Floyd (10-12, 3.91) vs. Brian Duensing (8-2, 2.02) Wednesday; Mark Buehrle (12-10, 3.99) vs. Carl Pavano (16-11, 3.47) Thursday. All games start at 7:10 p.m.At a glance: If they want to win the division and go to the playoffs, the White Sox have to sweep the Twins and they're still going to need a lot of help after that. Good luck, because the Sox have lost 7 of their last 9 to Minnesota and are 2-4 vs. the Twins at the Cell. Danks is 1-2 with a 5.71 ERA in his last 3 starts. He beat the Twins at home on Aug. 11 while allowing 1 run on 6 hits in 8 innings. Liriano is 2-0 with a 4.07 ERA in 4 starts vs. the White Sox this year. Paul Konerko is 23-for-59 (.390) with 4 HR and 12 RBI against Minnesota this season. Jim Thome has 5 homers and 9 RBI in his last 5 games.Next: Detroit Tigers, Friday-Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field