While Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran heads out west to San Diego for All-Star activities, general manager Brian Cashman will be manning the phones back in New York, with no time to spare.
At a flat and mediocre record of 44-44, trailing by five and a half games for a wild card spot, the next three weeks will determine whether or not Cashman and Yankees ownership will elect to buy, sell, or stand pat at the non-waiver trade deadline.
If the notion is to sell, the 39-year-old veteran in Beltran will be in high demand, and of the teams that are interested, perhaps a sleeper could be the Chicago White Sox, according to George King of the New York Post:
The White Sox will be in the market for a DH if Justin Morneau doesn’t produce when he joins the club sometime after the All-Star break.
If that’s the case, Carlos Beltran could be a fit for a team that fancies itself as a contender for the AL Central title but is in dire need of production from the DH spot.
Much like the Yankees, the White Sox (45-43) have also underachieved, ranked 12th in the American League in runs (368) and 13th in slugging (.401) and OPS (.717). With only eight home runs and 40 RBI collected from Chicago’s designated hitter spot, veteran Justin Morneau will be called upon to enhance the production. But Morneau comes with no guarantees, as the 35-year-old is coming back from offseason elbow surgery, with a rehab assignment starting on Monday night.
If the White Sox fail with the implementation of Morneau, the search for a slugging designated hitter will go on, with Beltran as a person of interest.
Despite Beltran owning a partial no-trade clause that allows him to block any deal from 16 teams, the Yankees don’t need permission from Beltran to discuss business with Chicago this July.
