Over the weekend, the Yankees overtook the Rays for first place in the American League East division.
But it has now become a three team race since the Red Sox are playing better and are now on the Yankees Rays coat-tails.
The Yankees have been playing well in the month of June, but they are entering the dog days of summer and the A.L. East pennant race will only be getting tougher.
There have been many rumors floating around of the Yankees trying to add pitching, preferably Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt before the July 31 trading deadline.
While the Yankees really don't need pitching right now, many have said the Yankees could use another bat in the lineup, especially for the DH spot.
The DH spot has mostly been a resting stop for everyday position players who need a day off in the field and lately, it was Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada's spot while they were recovering from their injuries.
Originally it was supposed to be Nick Johnson's spot, but wrist surgery has taken Johnson out of the lineup, possibly for the season (no surprise there.)
If Posada fully recovers from his injuries, it returns Francisco Cervelli to the bench and opens up the DH spot a little bit, which could lead to Yankees GM Brian Cashman making a deal.
Rumors have been swirling that the White Sox could look to deal first basemen/DH Paul Konerko, as he is in the final year of his contract with Chicago.
They are currently five-and-a-half games out of first in the Central, and they are a team not sure if they will be contenders or sellers in July.
If White Sox GM Kenny Williams decides that his team is sellers in the near future, Cashman and Williams could be talking very soon.
Konerko's bat could be a very interesting tool that the Yankees could look to add before July 31, even if it were for two months.
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune even said that the Yankees could be one of four teams in the mix for Konerko—the Rays, Rangers and Angels were also listed as possible suitors too.
It's pretty clear that the contenders will be looking to add Konerko and the rest of the $12 million owed to him this year. He's already got major playoff experience, helping the 2005 White Sox to the World Series Championship that season.
Konerko is getting up in years at age 34, but his 2010 season has still been a productive one, hitting .296 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI.
It would be hard to see Konerko in another uniform, considering he's been with the team since 1999, but a lot of people expect the White Sox to get younger and possibly go with Dayan Viciedo, one of the White Sox top prospects recently called up.
Viciedo was playing third, but they expect him to be a first basemen in the future.
The Yankees and White Sox are no strangers in recent trades, as they made the deal in late 2008 to bring over Nick Swisher for Wilson Betemit and prospects, a trade that has worked out wonders for the Yankees as Swisher has been very productive and a very popular Yankee.
Will Cashman and Williams come together to work out another deal? Or will one of the other contenders get Konerko's services? Or will Chicago hold onto their slugger?
Personally, I would like to have Konerko's bat and I think he would be easier to try and trade for over trying to get Lance Berkman from the Astros, who has been rumored to be on the Yankees radar as well.
As the summer days go by, expect to hear more of these types of stories, but the Konerko one could be a major one that might pick up soon with the pennant race heating up.
Stay tuned.
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