South Side Sox, a Chicago White Sox community

The Diamondbacks traded right-hander Tony Pena to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor league infielder Brandon Allen. Allen, 23, has split time this season between Doulbe-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte, combining to hit .281 (85-for-302) with 16 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 43 RBI. Over his six-year career, he has hit a combined .259 (545-for-2,101) with 124 doubles, 19 triples, 84 home runs and 344 RBI in 569 games. Pena was 5-3 with a 4.24 ERA (16 ER in 34.0 IP) in 37 games with the D-backs this season. He was 16-13 with a 4.08 ERA (101 ER in 222.2 IP) in 209 career games with Arizona. Pena finishes his D-backs career with a franchise-record 63 holds.

Bobby Abreu and his agents haven't heard from the Yankees since the season ended, but the free-agent outfielder is garnering interest from several teams. The White Sox seem to have the inside track, according to a source familiar with the situation, but Chicago would have to trade Jermaine Dye before signing Abreu. Stale news, but we needed a new thread.

Though the White Sox have a trade in place to ship right-hander Javier Vazquez to the Braves, they aren't done dealing, and there are whispers that they are working on a blockbuster that would send closer Bobby Jenks and right fielder Jermaine Dye to the Mets for a package that would include center-field prospect Fernando Martinez. ..

I didn't listen yet. I'm out the door to go watch The Office. More later. Couldn't get link to work as a FanShot. Click Here (Link opens your preferred media player)

The Royals are discussing a possible trade with the Cleveland Indians in which they would acquire an outfielder in exchange for Mark Teahen, according to sources with both teams. Talks are believed to center on three possibilities for the Royals in the deal: Franklin Gutierrez, Ben Francisco and minor-leaguer Trevor Crowe.

"Personally, I think Griffey's done," one scout said emphatically. "Griffey can be pitched to. And it's going to be fun to watch him play centerfield. I don't think he can. But we're going to find out." But besides what the former Seattle and Cincinnati star can do or can't do offensively, there is question, frankly, about how hard Griffey wants to compete. "The wild card in this," said one scout, "is the combination of diminished ability and the fact that he doesn't play. Both are issues. "Now, if he goes out and busts his butt ... it's different. It may happen for a week or two weeks or three weeks, but at one point in time he's going to get comfortable and go back into being a one-gait player. "The White Sox may sit him down and say, 'We're not going to prejudge anything or what you've done in the past. But here's why we got you and what we expect from you and we're not going to treat you any differently than anybody else."' But the scout said that if Griffey, who batted .245 for the Reds, didn't, for instance, run hard to first base to beat out a potential double-play grounder, "the White Sox will get the same thing the Reds had." The second scout also wondered how Griffey, once among the game's greatest defensive center fielders, would play the position now. "You know he's not going to play left field or right field," the scout said. "And where's (Nick) Swisher going to play? Or if Swisher goes to first base, how about (Paul) Konerko? Somebody's not going to play." The third scout said, "The one who's going to help the least (of the three) is Griffey because he has deteriorating skills. ... Moving to center field from right field is going to put a lot more pressure on him."

the proverbial PTBNL