With the speedy Scott Podseknik somewhat hobbled, the Chicago Sun-Times’ Doug Padilla suggests we’ve not heard the last of the Ken Griffey Jr. trade rumors.

Various reports this weekend have said that Griffey Jr. (above) has cleared waivers, which means he is eligible to be traded to any team. While a trade of that magnitude seems unlikely, the Sox were willing to pull it off just more than two weeks ago at the non-waiver trade deadline.

The biggest problem with the trade is that if acquired, Griffey would not have an every-day position. He would be in a platoon situation similar to what the Sox had when Frank Thomas and Carl Everett were sharing the designated-hitter spot with Everett getting some time in the outfield.

Griffey would be able to play all three outfield spots, but the Sox are not down on any of their outfielders. In fact, with the way Aaron Rowand has played since the Griffey trade rumor first became public knowledge, the Sox never have been happier with their Opening Day center fielder. Rowand’s play of late might have made the Sox less interested in a Griffey trade.

A deadline deal with the Cincinnati Reds was reportedly nixed by the team’s controlling partner Carl Lindner and never reached Griffey for approval. Griffey has a right to veto any trade. The Sox were only giving up three prospects in the deal and the Reds were going to eat some of Griffey’s contract, which pays him $12.5 million a season until 2009.

Different players might be needed to make the deal work or the Sox might need to take on more of Griffey’s contract. And Griffey still would have to approve a Sox deal.

Podsednik’s latest injury is a concern, but the Sox are thinking that it is nothing that a little rest can’t cure. Podsednik, who has been caught nine times in his last 13 steal attempts, has a strained adductor muscle in his left leg.

(EVENING ADDENDUM : “Somewhat hobbled” was a poor choice of words. Podsednik is now on the 15 day DL.

Elsewhere in the same paper, Padilla’s colleague Jay Mariotti (above, left) would like to see White Sox management take disciplinary action against manager Ozzie Guillen for his unsavory remarks, first reported on by Newsday’s Wally Matthews last week.

Jerry Reinsdorf must ignore his club’s wildly compelling season, summon Ozzie Guillen and suspend his immature, out-of-control, sensitivity-bankrupt manager — a social fool, really — for at least a week. Otherwise, Reinsdorf will be as big a hypocrite as Guillen. Otherwise, the franchise’s so-called “commitment to the community” will smack of disingenuous hokum.

Otherwise, the Sox might as well schedule Homophobia Night at U.S. Cellular Field.

For all his talents as a skipper, Guillen is a loose-lipped disaster as a representative of his team, city and sport. When I endorsed him 21 months ago, I knew he was something of a politically incorrect wise-guy who spoke his mind and didn’t care who balked. Never did I think he’d turn into a crude, unrefined doofus, a bad comedian who can’t separate sophomoric clubhouse raunch from his role as face and spokesman of a national success story. All I know is, he’d better learn the meaning of couth soon … before he talks himself out of a job and becomes the next Al Campanis/Jimmy (The Greek) Snyder/Marge Schott/ Larry Krueger, no matter how well the Sox are playing.