Giants Scouting Jermaine Dye

Having just returned to .500 with last night's win against Cleveland, it's not yet clear whether the White Sox will be buyers or sellers when teams begin positioning themselves for the post season. For much of the season, it looked like the year was lost and that the organization would trade off highly paid veterans while letting their younger players develop. But as we approach the midway point, the Sox have begun to play better and look like the could compete in the AL Central - they're now just four games back of first place Detroit.

So what do we make of the news that the San Francisco Giants had their top scout watching Jermaine Dye in Clevelend last night? The Giants currently lead the NL wild card race, and are looking to add a bat to their line-up. The Sox right fielder, who just won AL Player of the Week honors, leads the team with 18 home runs and 46 RBI's. It's not the first time that stories have circulated about Dye moving to another team. While he's again the team's most productive hitter, he is 35 years old and might be a free agent at the end of the season. His current deal includes a mutual option for 2010 at $12 million, that becomes a player option if he's traded.

But just because the Giants are interested does not mean that GM Kenny Williams is listening to any offers just yet. There's still a month before the non-waiver trading deadline, which gives the Sox a few more weeks to prove they're contenders. When asked about the rumors, Dye refused to address them, repeatedly telling the media, "I'm not talking about trades." If the team can keep playing like they have the past couple of weeks, then perhaps Williams won't have to talk about trades, either -- at least the kind that send popular players away in return for prospects.