Chicago White Sox: Potential Trades Approved in “MLB 20 The Show”
The Chicago White Sox could make one of these trades to make themselves better.
We all know what it felt like when we first heard the news that Chris Sale had been traded. That sunken feeling of having to endure some dark days for a while until the Chicago White Sox could win again. We sat around and waited for it to happen. We eagerly checked MiLB stats of the prospects the team traded for in hopes of signs of development.
Those days of waiting are over as the team is capable of winning it all right now. Well, not quite right now, but the White Sox have the spirit and the leadership to get them there. They are still, however, missing a few pieces that would help give the team that final push towards contention.
And to do that, you need to make a trade or two. Just as Boston fans parted ways with Michael Kopech to get their ace, Sox fans will have to say goodbye to some favorite faces to get that last missing piece. Using MLB The Show 20’s ‘Franchise’ mode, I became Rick Hahn and put together three trade packages that not only patch the team’s holes but help out the trade partner with their issues as well.
Now, The Show’s trade probability meter might not be completely realistic, but it is the best available resource to get an accurate idea. The A.I. program takes into account the player’s age and overall rating maxing out at 99. It also looks at a player’s potential rating from A to F along with a player’s contract status.
Of course, there are a few issues with these trades. Keep in mind that it is a video game artificial intelligence labeling these trades fair for both teams. There comes a certain time in a franchise when the depth you have been building becomes valuable trade pieces and now is that time for the White Sox.
Trade One
In this trade, I am just going to assume the White Sox bring back Alex Colomé, but miss out on Liam Hendriks. The bullpen is not the biggest issue but is something that can be patched with a quick trade.
Similar to Hendriks, José Leclerc’s career numbers rise and drop as much as a Sox fan’s blood pressure in the ninth inning. One year he posts a sub 2 ERA, the next he is at or around 4. His best year was 2018 when he posted a 1.56 ERA in 57.2 innings. He struck out 85 and even saved 12 games. His worst year would be the next (2019). In 68.2 innings, he gave up 7 home runs and walked 39 compared to only one home run and 25 walks in ‘18.
It seems that Leclerc just sort of had an off-year in 2019. At an 85 overall, he would already be the third-best pitcher in the White Sox bullpen. With the help of new pitching coach Ethan Katz and the leadership established in that bullpen, he has the potential to put up numbers similar to 2018. His B potential rating says so. Leclerc is coming off a shoulder injury that sidelined him in 2020, but he is 100% and is ready to come back in 2021.
In exchange, the White Sox would be giving up two depth pieces. One we are waiting for in the minors and the other a solid platoon player. As much as we love Jonathan Stiever, he has a better chance to shine in Texas with his former teammate Dane Dunning as the Sox will continue to stack their pitching staff with better talent in trades to follow. At 58 overall, he just is not ready to win with this White Sox team.
In Danny Mendick, the Sox are losing a 27-year-old platoon infielder who can kind of hit the ball well and fields pretty well too. To replace him, the Sox need an infielder with a 70 overall or higher and a C potential or higher. There are some names on the market that stand out and fit the profile like Kiké Hernández, César Hernández, Jonathan Schoop, and Hanser Alberto. Lock one of them up for a year for less than $8 million and call it day.
This trade might be less likely considering the two teams just made a headlining trade a few weeks ago, but the Nomar Mazara trade last season means the two are in close connection. Regardless, this is a video game and the White Sox could add even more talent.
Trade Two
The bullpen is now lights out. It might be a top-five bullpen, if not top three in the league. The rotation is still a critical point that needs addressing, however. Along with the failure of Operation Parrot in Edwin Encarnación, the designated hitter is a major role in the lineup that isn’t filled yet.
Boston helped the White Sox start the rebuild, why can’t they help them finish it too? J.D. Martinez is the answer at DH. There were rumors circulating the last offseason that the Red Sox were looking to shed some payroll but they let go of Mookie Betts instead. Many fans loved the idea of bringing in Martinez to a hitter-friendly park like Guaranteed Rate Field where he is basically guaranteed 40+ home runs a year. He did struggle in 2020 but last season was odd and really should not be taken into consideration as much. Trading for Martinez definitely fixes the lack of production out of DH last season.
As for Eduardo Rodríguez, he is a solid lefty who is showing signs of progression. He posted a respectable 3.85 ERA in 121 innings his rookie year in 2015 but took a step backward with a 4.71 in 107 innings. Every year since his ERA has gone down. His best year so far was in 2019 when he pitched about 80 more innings than he averaged at the time at 203 innings with a 3.81 ERA and a WAR of 3.7.
Rodríguez sat out 2020, unfortunately, due to a coronavirus-related heart condition. Once everyday life returns back to normal and the MLB plays 162 games again, the White Sox will have a momentum-building young southpaw who fits nicely in the back end of the rotation or even in a long-relief role in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, 40+ home runs and a young, solid pitcher on an upwards progression comes with a price. And that price, according to MLB The Show, is Michael Kopech, Jimmy Lambert, and Alec Hansen. Yes, I tried to get Chris Sale back but the A.I. would not accept any offered trade due to the game mode’s max of three players each team is allowed to trade and nothing else. With some cash, a draft pick, or another prospect or two, I’m switching southpaws in this deal.
This trade helps fix what the Red Sox need the most, which is pitching. They are trading away their second-best pitcher but Kopech probably fits into that role upon arrival, to be honest. This is a tough blow to the White Sox’s farm and probably puts them into the same situation the Red Sox are in now in terms of pitching depth specifically.
Along with the fan’s attachment and investment in Kopech, this trade is not a realistic one. With that said, n a win-now mode, you have to do what you have to do to win. Alone this trade seems like a giant question mark, but only works if the next one is made too.
Trade Three
Another staggering blow to the farm system but this might be the final move that puts the White Sox over the edge. If Sale was involved in the previous trade instead of Rodriguez, this trade is less necessary, but the Padres acquired Yu Darvish the same day they landed Blake Snell, so why not? But of course, due to the limitations of the trade feature, the White Sox will need to deal with St. Louis.
A lot of White Sox fans are high on Andrew Vaughn, seeing him be the DH by the end of the 2021 season. He is good, no question, and he has the potential to be a 30-40 home run a year guy in about three years. This team I’ve built through these potential trades already has a DH and José Abreu is not going anywhere any time soon. That leaves Vaughn in the wind without any playing time to upgrade that overall from 66.
Dylan Cease showed a glimpse of emerging in 2020, but he did not take that step forward many expected him to like Lucas Giolito did. He had some nasty stuff at times and when his curve was on, it was on. He struggled towards the end of 2020 and in the postseason. Cease is cut some slack for only being 25 in his sophomore season but Jack Flaherty is the same age and is further along in development.
Vaughn and Cease have the potential, but the window is open now so adding one of the primer pitchers in the league is going to give the team the best chance to bring a World Series back to the south side. One could argue for story-telling purposes, bringing back Sale would complete the rebuild, and it would be a nice bow. However, Flaherty reuniting with his high school coach and topping the rotation with one of his former teammates is another metaphorical bow on top.
This trade addresses the Cardinals’ desperate need for a productive first baseman not named Paul Goldschmidt because he is all they got. In St. Louis, Cease can get the innings he needs to properly emerge as the star he has the potential to be. This trade gives the White Sox a second ace and a rotation that holds up with San Diego’s. Flaherty is an ace and there is no doubt about it. He finished fifth in rookie of the year voting and followed that up by finishing fourth in Cy Young voting the next year.
His 2020 was a bit scary as he had a 4.91 ERA in 40 innings but that is not the Flaherty we all know. It’s safe to chalk that up to the oddity of 2020 and cut him some slack. Ignoring that, as I did with Gordon Beckham’s stats for a long time, and you get a Cy Young candidate that is only 25 and he is only going to get better.
Hot. Luis Robert's Instagram post is very interesting. light
Realistically, maybe a couple if not all three of these trades should not happen. A team should not give up on a player not only the fans but the organization has invested heavily into. It will bring the team closer to the window but could shrink it’s time open. Patience is a virtue and it has been proven to be effective.