Chicago White Sox sit tight at trade deadline

A week or so ago, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn was taking heat for holding on to players like Jeff Samardzija and Alexei Ramirez.

On Friday, Hahn was taking heat for not adding any proven talent before the 3 p.m. nonwaiver trade deadline.

And after being hammered by the Yankees on Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field, Hahn probably is taking more heat for not dumping salaries.

Such is life in the Sox' world this season, where wild swings of success and failure have been the norm.

After winning seven straight on a road trip that started in Cleveland last week before falling Thursday night at Boston, the White Sox were rumored to be close to landing an impact bat such as Yoenis Cespedes or Justin Upton.

But the Sox declined to part with Class AA Birmingham shortstop Tim Anderson and/or pitcher Frankie Montas, two of their top prospects.

"You know how we operate," Hahn said. "If there's something that we feel makes sense, we are going to aggressively pursue it. I do think we passed on perhaps some opportunities to do something that might have been a little shortsighted and might have compromised us for an extended period.

"Again, our focus has been on putting us in the best position not to jump up and win once but try to be in this mix on an annual basis. We are not inclined to compromise that."

That said, Hahn was disappointed about failing to add on deadline day.

"We were fairly aggressive on multiple fronts and ultimately, at the end of the day, there wasn't that type of deal for us to do," he said. "Frankly, it's a little frustrating. We were optimistic we were going to be able to get something done.

"Ultimately, the cost just didn't justify the return. We certainly feel good about where this team is, not just based strictly on the last eight days and the nice streak we had on this past road trip, but really going back to the St. Louis series at the end of last month."

If the White Sox would have flopped on their trip to Cleveland and Boston, Samardzija and others likely would be wearing different uniforms.

"There wasn't extensive talk about guys, in terms of selling off our guys, not in the last week or so," Hahn said. "When we were having conversations it was pricing out what it would take to move guys in advance of the deadline.

"We felt we had fair yet significant asks. At the time, there wasn't a fit. We had played it out a little bit longer and obviously no one came to the point where it was so clear that it made sense to make a move."

The White Sox are now riding a two-game losing streak, but they are still together and have two months to continue pushing toward the playoffs.

"It's a business and there's certain moves teams have to make, or do make, at this time of year based on where you are," said John Danks, who starts Saturday against New York. "But for us to not lose anybody, I feel good about the way we're playing. It says that the guys upstairs think this recent surge, or way that we're playing, is the way it's going to be the rest of the year.

"I'm glad we have everybody still here. Obviously Samardzija's name has been thrown around. But, yeah, it's time to keep it going and see what happens."

Hahn said the White Sox can always make a waiver trade or two in August should they continue keeping a wild-card spot in view.

On the flip side, the Sox could move players as well.

Eligible for free agency at the end of the season, Samardzija is going to stay with the White Sox over the final two months.

At the end of the season he is going to get a qualifying offer from the Sox, who would get a sandwich draft pick if Samardzija winds up signing elsewhere.

"From the day we acquired him it was our hope that we would be able to find a way to make it work out," Hahn said of signing Samardzija to a long-term contract. "Obviously, if this momentum continues to grow and we're able to do something special here in October, then I think it enhances our ability to re-sign him or it enhances perhaps his desire to stay or for us to find a way to make it work.

"We still have that opportunity now. So keeping him perhaps has increased our chances for that."