With the trade deadline fast approaching, Kenny Williams knows he has to do something about his last place Chicago White Sox. Always aggressive, Williams desperately wants to make a move to improve his team immediately, only those options aren’t on the table. The Sox want young, major league ready players in return for players like Jermaine Dye and Jose Contreras, which is why neither has been traded yet.

One interesting name that has been popping up recently is Jon Garland, the man who leads the American League in wins the past two seasons. Would the Sox seriously consider trading him to Atlanta for Edgar Renteria? Let’s hope not. While it’s no secret the Good Guys desperately need a shortstop, Uribe might be the worst starter in the American League, surrendering Garland for Renteria is not the answer. I never like trading for or signing guys who are coming off career years (this is why I’ll be a little pissed when the Sox throw $10 mil a year at Aaron Rowand in the offseason), and Renteria is uncharacteristically lighting it up for the Braves this season. Hitting .334, with 10 dingers, 50 rbi, 65 runs scored, and nine steals thus far is very impressive, and I’m sure it’s tempting to the White Sox, but the Sox should be wary of Renteria. He’s 32 years old and has started to lose a little speed; he’s not a guy who will steal anymore then 20 bases a year. The Sox need a leadoff hitter, and at this point in his career, Renteria is more of a 2 hitter. And who’s to say he’ll ever hit .300 again, let alone something as outrageous as what he’s doing now.

Now I do think adding Renteria would be great if they could somehow swing a deal involving some of their pitching prospects, and not Garland. The Sox are loaded with good minor league arms, and with Buehrle, Danks, and Garland in the rotation, that is fairly set. Why not try to trade in Lance Broadway, Charlie Haegar, Gavin Floyd, or the coveted Gio Gonzalez to get major league ready hitters? The Sox need to make a move, but that move shouldn’t involve Garland, who may be just as good as the beloved Mark Buehrle. He has another year on his contract after this season, and is having his third consecutive strong season, at 7-7 with a 4.15 ERA. And his stats would look a lot better if he didn’t get roughed up for 11 runs against the Twins on July 6. Baseball teams don’t trade good starting pitchers who just turned 28 and neither should the White Sox. Garland isn’t the problem, he’s part of the solution for the future. Garland is the perfect type of pitcher for The Cell too, meaning he throws a sinker and keeps the ball on the ground. While he doesn’t have an overpowering fastball, he can throw three or four pitches for strikes and has been remarkably solid the past few seasons.

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