Paul Konerko, an impending free agent, is lighting up scoreboards all over the majors this season. He boasts a .322/.399/.598 batting line over 497 at-bats with 36 home runs and 104 RBI.
Make no mistake, the White Sox want him in their lineup for the 2011 season and beyond. But will they buck up and shell out the kind of contract that it’s going to take to bring him back? General manager Kenny Williams spoke with MLB.com’s Scott Merkin about the matter on Sunday.
“I would love to have him retire as a White Sox,” said Williams. “That’s pretty much all I’m going to say on it, because I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know how we are going to finish. We are driven by the revenue stream that comes in. People might not like it but it is what it is.”
That’s general-manager-speak, which translated means that Williams and Co. are going to do their best to bring Konerko back but understand that many other teams will be looking for a reliable power bat. The 34-year-old Konerko should have plenty of suitors this winter.
