White Sox Fans: Be prepared for early trades to start
White Sox fans, it’s time to get ready for changes to happen as the in-season trades are getting started.
The AL-Central Kansas City Royals got the party started trading Kelvin Herrera, and it is practically a sure thing that the White Sox are soon to follow.
The Royals reportedly got a haul for their prize closer. In fact, one of the pitchers that the Washington Nats included in the package for Herrera was described as being like Reynaldo Lopez by Ken Rosenthal.
It is unusual for trades to happen at this early of a date, but the Royals are bad. Really bad. Worse than the White Sox.
The GM speaks
But according to an article by Scot Gregor in the Daily Herald, the White Sox are soon to follow suit. Gregor quoted Rick Hahn as saying:
"“People know where we’re at. Although we’ve done the lion’s share of the talent accumulation portion of this rebuild, we’re still very much on the lookout for opportunities to add to that group.”"
The assets on the block
The biggest asset on the Sox roster is Jose Abreu. It is wise for Sox fans to end their attachment to the powerful first baseman. He is eligible for arbitration in 2019 and he becomes a free agent in 2020. The Sox could keep him, but it would be in their best interest to see what they could get in exchange for him. He has the talent to help a contending team and he deserves to be on a winning team.
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He’s not the best first baseman in the league, but he’s close. In comparison to all of the first basemen in the MLB, he ranks fifth in slugging percentage, 13th in home runs, 6th in RBIs and batting average, 2nd in hits and at-bats, and 1st in doubles. He would certainly be valuable to a team that is in need of a power hitter, like the Colorado Rockies. Joseph Bermudez covered a few possible trade ideas in this post.
The Sox have another asset in closer Joakim Soria. Unfortunately, Sox fans haven’t seen much of him because of the limited number of wins this season. But, Soria is a seasoned closer who could bring in a player or two. The Los Angeles Angels are in desperate need of bullpen help and could use someone like Soria.
Interest in Shields
The most interesting name mentioned in Gregor’s piece was James Shields. According to Gregor, there is at least one team looking at Shields. While he is a pricey veteran arm, the Sox are not paying his entire salary. The San Diego Padres are still covering more than 50% of his $21 million contract. It is interesting to consider that at least one team out there considers him worth scouting since he has long ago lost his “Big Game James” status.
Next: Patience is waning for Lucas Giolito
Now that a big trade has happened with a bottom dweller, the Sox could be next. Stay tuned, fans, things could start getting exciting very soon.