Let the Trade Rumors Begin

Baseball hasn't had a new champion for 24 hours yet, but I'm ready for the hot stove season.

The great thing about the White Sox right now is that in the course of just a few short years we've gone from not even being considered to being involved in seemingly every trade rumor out there. Credit that to the keen moves of GM Ken Williams.

The Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes:

But Williams has no problem with the rumors circulating around his team.

''I've grown used to us being a part of every deal and every rumor,'' Williams said. ''Some are truer than others. It means I have to answer more phone calls than what the norm is because everyone wants to know.

''I guess it's gotten to the point that there's so much thrown against the wall with our involvement that I don't get concerned with what's out there. I don't think people know what the hell we're doing, so that itself gives us a sort of a smokescreen.

''People now kind of figure that if there are impact players out there, we are somehow involved.''

It is good to be respected.