I have been pondering lately whether the Sox should blow up the team in the next 5 weeks and plan for the future or try to make a run this year.

Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome are both free agents at the end of the season and well it’s possible that one or both are back, I don’t see it. Dye has been a monster the last few years and probably has one more relatively big contract in him. Thome likely will take a pay cut wherever he goes (he has to stay in the AL) but hasn’t been great this year. Jose Contreras and Octavio Dotel are also free agents next year. Bobby Jenks is again due arbitration and should get a hefty raise. With the exception of Contreras and Thome, the other guys should be tradeable for something. And the way Jose is pitching lately, who knows.

The Sox minor league system is by no means deep and their young players don’t look great so far this season, but they have a lot of bodies lying around. Between Getz, Ramirez, Beckham, Fields, Brandon Allen and Dayan Viciendo, the Sox should have no trouble filling the 4 infield spots (assuming Thome is gone and Konerko moves to DH). Most of those guys can play multiple positions and this isn’t even factoring in Lillibridge or Nix as longshots. In the outfield you SHOULD get Quentin back, you have first rounder Jared Mitchell eventually and Jordan Danks. Plus Podsednik could come back for cheap and Brian Anderson can still field and his .341 OBP isn’t all that bad (only Thome and Pods are better).

Pitching-wise, Buehrle, Floyd and Danks appear to be locked in. Clayton Richard has shown signs of life, we haven’t seen Aaron Poreda start yet and DJ Carassco could factor in at some point. Bullpens are so unpredictable that there isn’t much to lose. Linebrink is locked in and untradeable. I think you could give Thorton a chance at closing if you trade Jenks. And Egbert or Jon Link could play a role down the road.

With all the payroll freed up, the Sox could make a splash in the offseason. If they go crazy they could get Jason Bay. Coco Crisp and Carl Crawford could be out there. Matt Holliday is almost guaranteed to be a free agent.

The biggest problem with this plan is that there is a pretty big hole in the middle of the lineup. If Fields had emerged as the 30 HR threat I thought he would, I would feel better. I don’t see the Sox getting Bay or Holliday. Crisp is more their speed and could be an option as the leadoff hitter.

The downside to all of this is that the Sox are only about 5 games out right now and trading all those pieces basically forfeits the season. Plus you are hoping that a lot of young players pan out. But if you could get any viable pieces in trading any of those guys, you could stay competetive. Kenny Williams is not the kind of guy to blow up the team though, so it’s all moot. I expect him to do something in the next 5 weeks though.