Meanwhile, general manager Ken Williams and his team are involved in rumors that seem to be ever-changing. It’s nothing new for Williams, who is never shy about last-minute trades as the deadline nears.

Last season, it was Jake Peavy after Peavy had already shot the team down months earlier. In 2008, it was Ken Griffey Jr..

Williams has been a bit more predictable in the offseason. Trades move slower then. There are more leaks. But at the deadline, that’s where he flourishes, that’s his wheelhouse.

Rebuked in their efforts to obtain Adam Dunn and Prince Fielder, the White Sox have turned to Houston in an effort to bolster the left-handed side of their lineup.

The Astros are definitely willing to part with Berkman, who is having a rough season in Houston.

The ‘Stros first baseman is hitting just .245, though he has an impressive .372 OBP. He has drawn 60 walks, but his power totals are down from his career averages.

After averaging 33 homers per 162 games in his career, Berkman is on pace to bag 22 this year. But this is in line with his recent play, as he has hit 29 and 25 the last two seasons, following campaigns of 45 and 35 the previous two years.

The White Sox, who look to be on their way to the postseason, may be looking to Berkman for his playoff experience as well as his switch-hitting bat. He has a .321/.428/.566 slash in 29 career postseason games.

Berkman has a no-trade clause and can veto any deal. About $5.4 million remains on Berkman’s $14.5 million salary this season. The Astros hold a $15 million option for next year, but they can buy it out for $2 million.

Astros GM Ed Wade thinks that recently acquired Brett Wallace is their heir apparent at first base to Berkman.

Meanwhile, the Sox would likely look to Berkman to be their DH the rest of this season and possibly replace Paul Konerko at first if the free-agent-to-be leaves as expected.

Unlike Dunn or Fielder, the Sox could potentially obtain Berkman without having to consider moving Gordon Beckham, who is off-limits now to other clubs.

In fact, depending on how much of Berkman’s contract they are willing to assume, the Sox may be able to get the slugging first baseman without even having to surrender Daniel Hudson.

Another potential target for Sox GM Kenny Williams is Colorado’s Brad Hawpe, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Hawpe has a disappointing .259/.337/.439 line. The 31-year-old has about $2.8MM remaining on his contract this year and will earn $10MM in 2011 with a $500K buyout.

Of course, it’s also possible that the trade deadline passes without any movement from the Sox. While this does not seem very Kenny Williams-like, the asking price on many of the available players has simply been astronomical this year.

Berkman to the Sox has legs, and those legs could be off and running as soon as Friday.

Read more Chicago White Sox news on BleacherReport.com

For White Sox fans it’s been one of the most exciting parts of the season. Not only are the White Sox playing their best ball of the year, but Kenny seems to be in on every big name hitter available. Adam Dunn? He wants him. Prince Fielder? How much you looking for Milwaukee? The corpse of Babe Ruth? You can put it on the boooooard, YES!

After wading through all the rumors and making sure to keep an eye on the present as well as the future, I’ve come up with four moves that would not only put the Sox over the top in the AL Central, but it would put them in serious contention for a World Series title this season as well as the next.

Begin Slideshow

EDIT: Scott Podsednik has since been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Chicago White Sox made a big mistake this past offseason. Needing a lead-off hitter, Kenny Williams had to decide whether or not to bring back Scott Podsednik.

Williams decided not to cede to Podsednik’s request for a multi-year deal. Now, the White Sox are paying Juan Pierre almost double Podsednik’s current salary to be a scrub.

Take a look at their numbers up to this point in the season:

Pierre: .256 avg, 0 HR, 21 RBI, .326 OBP, 37 SB, 12 CS
Podsednik: .311 avg, 5 HR, 44 RBI, .354 OBP, 30 SB, 12 CS

The big postive for Pierre, he can steal bases. But Podsednik also can steal bases, while both are caught stealing at a high level.

With Alex Rios and Paul Konerko bringing their consistent bats to the lineup, they need somebody ahead of them that can get on base so they can be driven in.

Besides playing the lead off role, it’s nice to have a player that can provide an occasional pop and clutch hit. Pierre has not always been reliable to drive in runs when he has the opportunity. Pierre is batting .257 with runners in scoring position while Podsednik is batting 70 points higher at .327 with runners in scoring position.

Slugging isn’t as important for a leadoff hitter, but it’s hard to ignore the difference between these two. Pierre is slugging .287 with ten doubles, one triple, and no home runs. Podsednik is slugging .401 with eight doubles, six triples, and five home runs.

Don’t forget Podsednik likes to hit at US Cellular field. In 25 at-bats there this year, he’s hitting .400 with a 1.063 OPS.

I’m not saying this should be the White Sox’s top priority. They’re interested in a left-handed power bat (Adam Dunn or Prince Fielder) and they should focus on that. But if they can’t get one of those two players, they should improve their lineup at the top.

Read more Chicago White Sox news on BleacherReport.com

This year’s biggest surprise is none other than shortstop Alexei Ramirez. If you have watched any Sox games during the past week, you can hear Hawk Harrelson and Steve Stone raving about the plays he has made this year and the overall improvement on defense from one year to the next. This year, he leads the White Sox with an 8.6 UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating), while another surprise defensive player, Juan Pierre, rates in at a 7.7 UZR.

No player can just jump this drastically in defensive skill in the matter of one offseason solely by himself. That is where 43-year-old and 11-time Gold Glove winner Omar Vizquel steps into the picture. Vizquel’s mentoring of the young shortstop has been shown time and time again on the field this season.

While some fans only want to see the long ball and grab a few cold ones, others (like myself) also enjoy seeing a slick defensive play and showing the passion to win day in and day out. Sometimes, errors will come back and haunt you; other times, they will not. But with great defense, that percentage of errors decreases dramatically.

The extra hustle on defense is the most appealing aspect about the team this year. The effort to try and make the Web Gem-type play by one player only feeds the drive in his teammates to do the same. The extra emotion, such as a fist pump, after each great play is good for team chemistry as well.

Hopefully this year, the phrase “defense wins championships” holds true for the Chicago White Sox. They have that part down.

Coming up next time: “Trade Deadline Talk”

Follow me on Twitter @WindyCityFlyer

Read more Chicago White Sox news on BleacherReport.com