Deal With The Devil

The White Sox - to their credit - have continued to fight their way through the schedule. Last night's needless nail-biter was a microcosm of what has plagued this team for the better part of the past two weeks, and that would be their suddenly quite touchable bullpen. Now with the health of both Thornton and Putz in serious jeopardy, the Sox will now have to rely on the very green yet impressive rookie Chris Sale, the even greener Sergio Santos, and the closest thing to Octavio Dotel in a White Sox uniform - Scott Linebrink, until Putz and Thornton recover. I don't know about you, but I am REALLY uncomfortable with those three at the back end of our bullpen...

Which now begs this question : would picking up Manny Ramirez be worth it? Obviously there has been multiple reports that the White Sox will make a waiver claim once Ramirez is inevitably put on waivers by the Dodgers. There's some debate as to what exactly the White Sox would have to give up, but the general consensus (Incidentally I served under General Consensus in Viet Nam) is that the Sox wouldn't be giving up a player for him. Also, at 38 years old even though his power numbers are way down, Manny can still hit. So it's quite a debate.

To be perfectly honest with you, I am really conflicted about this. I've never liked Manny Ramirez nor his Me-First-Manny-Being-Manny B.S., which has caused him to have the baseball reputation of a leper. He's quit on several teams over his career, and now because he's quit on the Dodgers is the only reason the White Sox are in a position to get him in the first place. Not to mention he's a known steroid user as well.

That being said, the White Sox are in a bind. Their bullpen is on life-support, as is their season. They aren't going to be able to pick up any pitching help, so that means the White Sox are just going to have to out-slug teams the rest of the way. Manny Ramirez would definitely help with that effort.

Bottom Line : The Beard officially hopes Kenny rolls the dice (when he's not bringing some random chick that's definitely NOT his wife to comedy clubs in Schaumburg) and signs him thus completing the White Sox most Faustian acquisition since Albert Belle. Look at it this way, if it doesn't work the White Sox only have this idiot for 5 weeks, the first two of which would involve him going to his old stomping grounds in Cleveland and Boston. If it WERE to work however, and Manny helps the Sox score enough runs to get into the postseason, they look like geniuses.

Either way, it'll be a helluva show to watch.