Buzz: White Sox are Scouting Parnell and Kunz
“Tuesday night, several White Sox officials watched Mets pitching prospects Bobby Parnell and Eddie Kunz pitch in the Arizona Fall League,’ reports Mark Gonzales in the Chicago Tribune.
According to Gonzales, citing two NL scouts, the Sox are scouting players for deals that include OF Jermaine Dye.
Earlier this week, in a post to his blog for Newsday, Ken Davidoff wrote that the Sox are looking to trade Dye.
…as i wrote earlier in the week, the Sox will likely want a pitcher back in a deal for dye, who they are eager to move, in an effort to get younger and free up some cash…
Dye hit .292 with 34 HR, 96 RBI and a .344 OBP in 154 games for the White Sox this season.
He has hit at least 20 home runs during each of the last four seasons, while playing mostly right field.
Dye will earn $11.5 million in 2009, after which he has a mutual option in 2010 for $12 million, or a $1 million buyout that could make him a free agent.
In a report on Tuesday for SI.com, Jon Heyman wrote, “The Mets are trying to 
swing a deal for White Sox RHP Bobby Jenks before doling out free-agent riches to Brian Fuentes or Francisco Rodriguez.”
Jenks, 27, completed 30 of 34 saves in 2008, with a 2.63 ERA in 61 innings pitched, during which opponents hit .230 against him while striking out 38 times.
Gonzales quotes an NL scout as saying, ‘Jenks remains a bargain despite his expected salary hike to at least $5 million because of his consistency and the dearth of dependable closers.’
Meanwhile, in a report from early November in the Chicago Tribune, Dave van Dyck wrote, ‘The Mets had interest in White Sox RHP Javier Vazquez,’ according to a well-placed source at the GM meetings.
…in other words, something must be brewing with the Sox…
