The
Chicago Tribune speculated wildly about it, the
New York Daily News reported about it, and
Juan Uribe's possible criminal activity presses the issue: Could the White Sox land Alex Rodriguez?
From the White Sox's side, I don't know why not. The Sox have under-30 arms, a possible replacement for A-Rod in New York and a place to play him. Money's always an issue, but any team that can take Rodriguez will need a hefty sack of cash from the Yankees anyway, so the Sox aren't necessarily on uneven ground there.
The bigger question to me is, why would Rodriguez want to play on the South Side? It's a huge issue, since he has a no-trade clause, and that answer is less clear.
I see only one clear benefit for Rodriguez to join the Sox, and that's to move back to his natural position of shortstop if he so chooses. But I've watched Rodriguez plenty over the last year and a half, since I have YES and all, and the only way he can play that position is if he goes on the Ivan Rodriguez Crash Diet.
He bulked up before the 2006 season, and it's affected his mobility greatly in the field. He's lost some of his first step, his hands are by no means sure, and he doesn't look confident making throws -- and it shows in the error column, which doubled from 2005 to 2006. If he's that bad at third, there's no way he plays short unless the pitchers can live with most grounders to the left side going for singles. Joe Crede gloves circles around him, no doubt about it.
Otherwise, I see four obstacles stopping A-Rod from OKing any deal to the South Side:
1) Ozzie Guillen. Would Ozzie want to manage a "hypocrite"? Would Rodriguez want to play for another manager who badmouthed him to Sports Illustrated? This is a small issue, but an issue nevertheless. Add in the way Scott Boras stonewalled Jerry Reinsdorf from negotiations when A-Rod was a free agent in 2000-01, and there could be a few lingering grudges.
2) He needs a ring. The Yankees have won nine consecutive AL East pennants and have played in October 12 years in a row, while the White Sox, in their entire 105-year history, have never made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
Rodriguez is on the wrong side of 30, albeit barely, and he's already in the place that gives him the best shot of winning his first World Series. I'm not sure why he'd want to diminish his own chances.
3) It's not New York. If Rodriguez is as image-conscious as everybody says, declaring asylum in Chicago won't help one bit. If he leads the Sox to a division pennant, then hits .500 in the playoffs with 11 game-winning RBI as the Sox win their second World Series in three years, it will be attributed to the softer pressure Rodriguez faces.
His induction into the Hall of Fame is already assured -- it's his legacy he's working on. He's failed in New York, and the only way to erase that is to win in New York. Running away from the problem is only going to make things worse in that department.
4) Midway International Airport. If
recent events are any indication, Rodriguez isn't going to be a fan of flying in and out of
an airport with dangerously short runways itself.