As I have stated in several articles, Chicago White Sox designated hitter Adam LaRoche has struggled all year long.
My question is would it make sense for the team to play Trayce Thompson in his spot, both in the outfield and at designated hitter?
Considering the fact the White Sox are falling out of the Wild Card race, it would make sense for the team to look at some younger players. Since Thompson is a recent call-up, I would play him over LaRoche every day to see what he has heading into next year.
Here are two ideas:
Start Thompson in all three outfield spots consistently. For starters, I believe the White Sox are locked in to have Adam Eaton as their starting center fielder and leadoff hitter going forward (Thompson’s position).
However, if Thompson can be used in all three spots it would be a great luxury to the team going forward due to the fact that not only could Thompson come off the bench, but cover all three spots if there were to be an injury.
Have Thompson and JB Shuck compete for a backup role in 2016.
My idea for both would be for them to platoon with the starters a couple times a week each, not to mention designated hitter from time to time. With the outfielders they have currently, it is possible that the team has five legitimate outfielders heading into next season.
Another reason I would have both Shuck and Thompson play a lot down the stretch is due to the possibility of an offseason deal. While I realize neither player will bring back a lot, both could be additional pieces in a bigger trade.
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Melky Cabrera is the team’s left fielder for next year (more than likely), not to mention Avisail Garcia has a chance to be a plus right fielder. Now a lot of things can change by Opening Day 2016, but these are just a couple of options.
Thompson adds to a young core on the South Side that is improving. While I don’t think he will be the future star for the White Sox, he could be a solid role player in the major leagues. Thompson has a huge upside, but he has a long way to go before he becomes an All-Star in the majors.
I think he can be an Alex Rios type player, however, reality is that the chance he becomes Rios-level are not high. While Eaton is the future in center field, there is no reason to think that Thompson doesn’t have a future on the South Side as a backup or a platoon option.