Could Quentin be Traded?

At the 2011 trading deadline it seemed as though Carlos Quentin was headed to either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Atlanta Braves. That deal never went through and Quentin finished the season on the White Sox. A lot of Sox fans – myself included – have been attached to Quentin because of his 2008 season. It’s clear that those numbers will never be repeated so could Quentin be dealt this offseason?

Dayan Viciedo‘s emergence as a legitimate prospect will force Kenny Williams to find a spot for him. With Adam Dunn at DH, Paul Konerko at first base, and left field most likely reserved for a speed-oriented player, right field is the only choice for The Tank. While we’ve only seen a small sample of Viciedo’s skills in the outfield and at the plate it looks like he’s going to be good for a while. Kenny called him “the most dangerous player on the roster” back in Spring Training before Dayan went down with his thumb injury.

So where could Quentin fit? With Raul Ibanez exploring free agency the Phillies are currently missing a left fielder. Mark Buehrle is gone and Gavin Floyd and John Danks (as I wrote about yesterday) are being shopped around so the Sox could potentially get some pitching prospects in return. The Atlanta Braves could still be an option as well.

Two interesting trade partners could be either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the San Diego Padres. A Dodger outfield of Quentin, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier could be dangerous and the Padres are weak at both corner outfield spots with Will Venable in right and Kyle Blanks in left. The one problem with the Dodgers is that Tony Gwynn has arrived on the scene and looks as though he’s there to stay. Both teams could provide starting pitching either in the form of prospects or players from the Major League level.

If things get really bad we could always send Quentin to Oakland and get Gio Gonzalez back again (again [again]).

Quentin’s time on the White Sox was fun for a while but he gave us one amazing season and we’ve been riding it for three years. Viciedo is the future of our outfield and there are a few players in the minors who are waiting for their shot as well. A trade would benefit both the Sox and Quentin.

UPDATE: Check out this article for more news on a Quentin-Padres deal

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