Ken Griffey Jr knows his chances of finally playing in a World Series dramatically improved Thursday, when the Cincinnati Reds traded him to the first-place Chicago White Sox.

Prior to Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals, Griffey acknowledged that it is something he thinks about frequently.

"It doesn't really weigh on me," he said, "but you do think about it. You think about (playing in the World Series) every day and I have an opportunity to achieve that goal."

As a player with at least 10 years of major league service and five with the same club, the 38-year-old outfielder had the right to veto any trade.

As long as he stayed in Cincinnati, however, he would not have much a chance to make the post-season any time soon. In Griffey's eight-plus seasons in the Queen City, the Reds rarely contended for a play-off spot.

The closest they came to making the post-season during Griffey's tenure was in 2000, when Cincinnati lost a one-game play-off to the New York Mets to decide the National League wild card.

Since then, the Reds have endured seven straight losing seasons and four fifth-place finishes in the NL Central Division. This year, Cincinnati (51-58) are again out of play-off contention.

Now, Griffey joins a team that has designs on winning a second World Series title in four years. Chicago (60-47) went into play Friday with a one-half game lead over Minnesota in the American League Central Division.

"Our intent is to win the American League Central Division and, ultimately, to win another World Series championship," White Sox general manager Ken Williams said. "Adding a player the calibre of Ken Griffey Jr gives us a better chance to realise those goals."