Rozner: All that matters is White Sox get better

When you go through a season the way the White Sox just did, you're going to get called a lot of different names.

And none will be flattering.

But they're probably owed a few apologies after what went on last week, not that they ought to hold their breath waiting.

Look, there's no mistaking where Jerry Reinsdorf is in all this. His hate for the Cubs is well documented and he's not going to green light anything that helps the Cubs win another World Series.

Still, GM Rick Hahn isn't going to hang up on any team calling to discuss a deal, and Hahn was forced to declare such after being accused otherwise.

"To clarify any confusion regarding our stance on possible trading partners, we want to once again make it clear that our primary goal is to make our club better," Hahn said in a statement. "We will consider any trade, with any team, that improves the Chicago White Sox.

"As I have said many times over the years, we are always open to discussing trades with all 29 other clubs. We even have completed trades within our division, despite facing these teams 19 times a year.

"And while trades between the Cubs and White Sox will always draw heightened scrutiny and attention, it makes no sense for us to ever eliminate any potential trading partners."

So there you have it. The Sox will listen to anyone, though Cubs exec Jed Hoyer acknowledged a Chicago trade is unlikely.

"I don't expect a lot of deals done between the White Sox and Cubs," Hoyer said. "Both sides will look at a deal a little bit differently than they do from any other team.

"That's just due to having two major league teams in one city. I don't think it's one side's stance or the other. I just don't think you're going to see a lot of deals done between the two sides."

It's not like it happens frequently.

The last deal between the Cubs and Sox was 10 years ago, the big Neal Cotts for David Aardsma trade.

The Yanks and Mets last traded 12 years ago, when Felix Heredia went to the Mets for Mike Stanton.

Oakland and San Francisco haven't done it for 26 years. That was Darren Lewis for Ernie Riles.

The Dodgers and Angels have made several minor deals over the years, but nothing major since 1972, 44 years ago.

Want to include Texas and Houston? They have never made a trade of significance.

St. Louis and Kansas City? They were involved in a three-team deal in 1995.

The Marlins and Rays? In 18 years, they've concluded two minor transactions.

Baltimore and Washington? Since the Nats moved to Washington 12 years ago, the two sides have not made a single trade.

So call the White Sox all the names you want, but the reality is huge deals rarely occur between teams in the same city or teams geographically close.

This doesn't even take into account whether the Cubs would want Chris Sale, who appeared unhinged several times in 2016, at various intervals throwing under the bus such folks as his team owner, president, manager and the entire business operation.

There was the Drake LaRoche insanity and the shredding of jerseys, behavior that doesn't quite fit into the way the Cubs collect character players and solid teammates.

Jose Quintana, on the other hand, makes a lot of sense for the Cubs and if there's a fit, there's a deal to be made. But as is the case with any teams trading within a city, the Sox would want to win this one big and ask for the moon in the process.

That has to be the Sox's thinking about any deal they make involving great starting pitching under team control with cheap contracts. They have to win huge and if the Cubs offered a package that allowed them to do that, they would trade within Chicago.

On the other hand, when was the last time Theo Epstein got crushed in a trade? Yeah, if you're looking for a reason to avoid the Cubs in a deal, that would be it.

As for the rest of the nonsense, it's merely that.

The White Sox need to get younger and better while rebuilding, and they have the players to trade who can help them start the process.

Noise aside, that's all that really matters.

brozner@dailyherald.com

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