White Sox’s Dayan Viciedo not bothered by trade rumors

Despite being the frequent target of trade rumors, Chicago White Sox outfielder Dayan Viciedo says he’s not bothered by the whispers. As Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reported on Saturday, Viciedo won’t let things out of his control affect the way he approaches the game.

"“That’s something I don’t control,” he said. “I just worry about coming in and playing the game hard every day. I have no real concern with trade rumors or any of that stuff. I have no control over that.”"

Viciedo, 25, broke out of a major slump on Friday by going 4-for-4 with a solo homer in Chicago’s 7-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. After a hot start to the season, the Cuban slugger has struggled badly the past couple months, with his overall numbers dropping accordingly.

That’s been disappointing news for the White Sox, who don’t have many trade candidates more appealing than Viciedo. With the AL Central title likely out of reach at this point, they could end up being one of the top sellers at the trade deadline.

The White Sox will surely receive inquiries on Viciedo from either teams in spite of those struggles, and he could certainly still be dealt. As a legitimate power threat who doesn’t even hit arbitration until next year, he’ll be one of the more intriguing names on the market.

Manager Robin Ventura offered some words of encouragement for Viciedo, pointing out that it’s simply part of the business:

"“I don’t know if you become accustomed to that stuff as a player because it’s always there. Even as guys get older and understand the business, your name could be thrown out there at any time. It can bug you. It can wear on you. Sometimes it doesn’t bother guys, sometimes it does. It comes up every year, so as long as you’re going to play, you’re going to get used to it.”"

Viciedo has batted .252/.303/.424 with 19 doubles and 10 homers in 333 plate appearances this season.