UPDATE: Good stuff from Eduardo Encina. Apparently the Rays don’t like Uribe’s weight or price tag, and their interest is "very limited." By the way, per Keith Law, Uribe can be traded despite being signed as a free agent by the Sox.
With Orlando Cabrera in house, the White Sox now have an extra shortstop in Juan Uribe. They’d like to clear his $4.5MM salary to create more room for Torii Hunter. I imagine it wouldn’t take much in return – it might be more of a salary dump. In hindsight maybe Williams should’ve declined to re-sign Uribe, but who knows where the Cabrera deal was at that time.
The above-linked Chicago Tribune names the Rays as one possible suitor for Uribe. Marc Lancaster acknowledges the need for a shortstop, but notes that the team wants defense and that isn’t Uribe’s forte. What is his forte these days? Uribe once played stellar defense, and a change of scenery could bring back the championship-level glovework.
Any other teams in the hunt for a second-division shortstop? As I have speculated before, the Orioles might be if they trade Miguel Tejada. The Cubs might be looking but Uribe wouldn’t present much of an upgrade. The Astros, Pirates, and Cardinals might be options.
