Contreras value plummeting after pounding

As recently as last month Jose Contreras was a viable trade candidate. Now, his decline is such that all the White Sox can do is attempt to resurrect a semblance of his former effectiveness in the final two months of the season.Contreras suffered one of his worst outings Wednesday night in a rough season that has mirrored the team's woes. Contreras was tagged for a season-high 12 hits in the 13-9 loss to Detroit while giving up nine runs and blowing two multiple-run leads before eventually being pulled after 4 2/3 innings.Contreras' debacle, which came in front of several major-league scouts, probably ended any chance the Sox had of trading him and the $24 million remaining on his contract through 2009 before Tuesday's 3 p.m. non-waiver trading deadline.
Since beating Florida on June 8, Contreras has a 9.41 ERA over six starts and an 8.27 ERA over his last 11 starts. This was his shortest outing since June 12, when he lasted 3 1/3 innings in giving up seven runs on seven hits in a loss at Philadelphia.In seven starts against American League Central opponents, Contreras has a 7.98 ERA with his only victory against Minnesota on a five-hit shutout on May 10. That performance was reminiscent of his 17-game winning streak that ended in the first half of 2006.Contreras is scheduled to make his next start at Yankee Stadium about three hours after the trading deadline.Contreras' struggles overshadowed an impressive start by the Sox's offense, which knocked out veteran left-hander Kenny Rogers after four innings.Jermaine Dye set the tone by launching a three-run home run in the first that traveled an estimated 429 feet.Rookie third baseman Josh Fields hit his third homer in four games, a two-run shot in the third that extended the Sox's lead to 5-2. Juan Uribe and rookie Andy Gonzalez cranked homers in the fourth that helped the Sox regain the lead at 7-5.But the Tigers knocked out Contreras while batting around during a five-run fifth. Rookie Ryan Raburn hit a solo home run in the third and a three-run shot in the fourth.Despite Contreras' rocky outing, the Sox came within a run of getting him off the hook. Tadahito Iguchi's two-run double over the head of Raburn in right field closed the deficit to 10-9 in the sixth with the middle of the order coming up against former Sox pitcher Jason Grilli.But Jim Thome struck out, Iguchi was caught in a rundown after Paul Konerko grounded back to the mound and Dye flied to right.