Talking White Sox trades and Konerko's future

If you would have asked me several months ago — and many of you did — whether this White Sox team would execute a bevy of trades before the season came to an end, I would have told you — and I did — that I'd be surprised if they made more than a deal or two.

Well, I've been known to be wrong on occasion (it happened once in May), and it turns out this is one of those times.

This past week the White Sox pulled off their fourth deal in less than a month. Alex Rios was sent to Texas in exchange for a defensive middle infielder in Leury Garcia, who comes from a system rich in international prospects.

Now with Rios gone — along with Jake Peavy, Matt Thornton and Jesse Crain — this really does now feel like more of a rebuild than anything we've seen this organization do in years, though it's still not nearly a complete overhaul.

Certainly, it will be a few years before we can know whether what the Sox received in those deals has improved them, even if only slightly, as an organization.

Avisail Garcia is the headliner in the lineup of new prospects, and he's the one we'll see plenty of as we begin the final weeks of the season.

For what the Sox had to offer, and for what the market revealed, it seems they did well in their overall return.

Speaking of return, will Paul Konerko be back in 2014?

I really shouldn't pretend to know what he's thinking, but what I do know is that much of this will depend on what he's thinking, and that begins with whether Konerko even intends to play beyond this season.

Like you, I don't know for sure. But if I had to guess now I would think this is it for him.

Again, that's just a guess based on information I don't have, like what his performance will be over the next seven weeks.

If Konerko sees better results and his nagging pains don't prove to be much of a problem, I could see him playing again. If those things don't happen, he likely has little reason to push it.

He has had a wonderful career. He's one of the best White Sox hitters of all time. He has a ring. He's made an ultra-comfortable living. There's little reason to try again if it doesn't feel right for him.

Konerko has nothing left to prove.

But if in fact he does retire after this year, I'd love to see him get a final farewell mini-tour over the last several weeks.

The truth is, though, he may not make that announcement this month. Or even next. It may not be something he truly decides until after the World Series.

Should that be the case, my suggestion to all of us is that, down the stretch, we treat him as if we know this is it. It may not be, but if it is, it's appropriate that he knows how much he's appreciated as a player.

What I know about White Sox fans is that they won't have to be told this. They already know, and they'll prove it.

Chris Rongey is the host of the White Sox pregame and postgame shows on WSCR 670-AM The Score. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRongey and at chrisrongey.com. Subscriber Total Access members can email him questions each week via our online link.