Chicago White Sox: Three trade packages for Charlie Blackmon
The Chicago White Sox should still be looking to upgrade the right field position. If they made it where Adam Eaton was a bench option because they got someone better, that would significantly improve their depth even more. There are some teams out there that are looking to move money and aren’t charging that much to do so. If the White Sox wanted to take another run at a really good player, they have what they need to do so.
The Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies could come together and make a trade.
The Colorado Rockies are one of those teams where “nobody knows what they are doing”. They just made a blockbuster trade when they sent Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for a less than perfect return. Arenado is one of the best players in the sport and literally could be one of the best defensive third basemen who ever lived. When a team is sending away elite players on the cheap, you want your team checking in.
The fact that the Cardinals are also having the Rockies pay some of Arenado’s salary says a lot about the Colorado organization right now. The White Sox (or any team) would be foolish not to see what else they might be looking to give away. Charlie Blackmon is a player that the White Sox could really use from them.
If the White Sox added Blackmon to play right field, they would have the best offensive outfield in the American League. With Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert standing to his right and around him in the lineup, the sky is the limit. If they wanted to add a player like this, these are what the trade packages might look like:
Anyone who thinks that Blackmon is going to command a top ten prospect might want to go take a look at the Nolan Arenado trade. Blackmon is a fantastic player but he isn’t even in the same stratosphere as Arenado. The fact that Arenado didn’t get Colorado more than one top-ten Cardinals prospect is insane and the one that they did get was St. Louis’s number eight guy. Dalquist is the White Sox number-ten guy and that is fair for Blackmon in this market.
Dalquist is a right-handed pitcher that has a few years before making it to the MLB but the potential is there. He fits exactly into what the Rockies seem to be doing. It is going to be a long time before the Rockies are good again and Dalquist would be a perfect guy to have coming up through the organization while they rebuild. He would be one of Colorado’s top two right-handed pitching prospects if he went there.
James Beard is Chicago’s number 17 prospect. He is an outfielder who is hoping to be a Major Leaguer sometime. He is projected by MLB to make his debut in 2024. As for Yermin Mercedes, who is Chicago’s 21st ranked prospect, he needs a chance to play in the MLB right now. He can catch or play the outfield but he needs to be given an opportunity and the Rockies can do that better than the White Sox.
The Chicago White Sox might be smart to send over two pretty good prospects for Blackmon. this is a guy who had a slash line of .308/.356/..448 with an OPS of .804 in 2020. He only hit six home runs but he had 42 RBIs and 31 runs scored. This is a guy who has been an all-star four times, has been a Silver Slugger Award winner twice, and has one batting title. There is no doubt that a hitter like this would help the White Sox right away. He has a player option in 2022 and 2023 so it would be up to the Sox to show him that they are going to continue being winners.
Blake Rutherford is the White Sox number 12 prospect. He is an outfielder who might be ready to become a full-time Major Leaguer which the Rockies might be willing to have him do. The White Sox are pretty much set in the outfield for 2021. In left and center, they are set for the next decade or more so Rutherford might be better off going somewhere else to play.
Jake Burger was a really high draft pick by the White Sox. He was the eleventh overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. The Sox were hoping that he would become one of their top prospects during the rebuild and some pretty bad injuries have kept that from happening. Now that he is healthy, it seems like some other players have passed him by. Now, he sits as the White Sox number 13 prospect. Jake Burger and Blake Rutherford for Blackmon makes a lot of sense for both teams.
The Chicago White Sox are one of the favorites to win the American League going into 2021. As a result, there is a chance that they could win the World Series if a lot of things go their way. They have a lot of talent all around so adding, even more, could really increase their chances. Adding a guy like Charlie Blackmon to play in the outfield and be in the middle of their lineup would be so awesome.
With players like Jose Abreu, Luis Robert, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, and Eloy Jimenez amongst others protecting him in the lineup, he could be even more dangerous than we thought. This is the type of player that, given the market and team you are dealing with, you go for. Giving up Gavin Sheets (Number 9 White Sox prospect), Jimmy Lambert (Number 14 White Sox prospect), and Seby Zavala (Number 22 White Sox prospect) makes total sense for the White Sox in this situation.
It isn’t always easy to give up on some of these guys but in order to get a player like Blackmon you need to give up some talent, even if it is a deal with the Rockies. They are in a tough spot as an organization so they might take what they can get. All three of these guys and the guys mentioned previously could help the Rockies complete a rebuild similar to the way the Sox pulled it off.
Hot. Ethan Katz will be an amazing pitching coach for Carlos Rodon. light
A trade like this would give them a potential catcher, right-handed pitcher, and first baseman. The White Sox don’t necessarilly have glaring needs for any of those positions but the Rockies could probably have a bit of everything. If any of these trades could land a guy like Charlie Blackmon, the White Sox should consider.