The Sox' GM did not deny that trading Ordonez is a possibility, although he made it clear that the team's right fielder is not actively being shopped and he expects the four-time All-Star to be on the roster in 2004.
''If I had to make a prediction right now, very few of the upper-echelon players will be traded,'' he said. ''That's just my prediction after seeing these things, year after year, take on a life of their own.
''But with us, everybody knows our circumstances here. And I promise you this: If there is an impact player out there, we're trying to acquire him however that can happen.''