White Sox: 4 All-Stars that could be traded to Chicago
The 2021 All-Star week served as the perfect window shopping event for White Sox fans. The Chicago White Sox are going to be buyers at the trade deadline and there were plenty of All-Stars who are on the market.
The Chicago White Sox would be smart to consider bringing an available All-Star over.
Eduardo Escobar, Trevor Story, Adam Frazier, Kris Bryant, and Craig Kimbrel are a few big names that are expected to be dealt with before the deadline. This is an unusual position for White Sox fans. In years past the White Sox have been the ones doing the selling before the trade deadline. The last time the White Sox were buyers this time of year, they acquired James Shields. We all know how that turned out.
But this season the White Sox are 54-35 heading into the second half of the season. They are eight games up in the division race and own the best winning percentage in the American League. With Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert set to return the White Sox could be just a few pieces away from putting the finishing touches on a World Series contender.
As it currently stands the White Sox have the chance to take home a ring. Do they roll the dice with Leuery Garcia at second base, Brian Goodwin in right field, and a shakey bullpen? Could you imagine a lineup with Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, and Trevor Story in the middle of it? Or a bullpen with Craig Kimbrel as the setup man?
The question is, how much is Rick Hahn willing to give up? Odds are they unlikely to trade any big-name prospects. Some All-Stars such as Adam Frazier and Kris Bryant might require a hefty price tag to acquire. All these questions will be answered within the next couple of weeks. With that in mind here are four players from All-Stars weekend that could be traded to the White Sox before the trade deadline:
Eduardo Escobar
Eduardo Escobar has been linked to the Chicago White Sox for a few weeks now.
Eduardo Escobar understands that he is going to be traded. The question is to which team? It seems that Escobar is completely aware of the White Sox rumors and that he is probably gone within the coming weeks.
Out of all the All-Star players on the market, Escobar makes the most sense. The White Sox needs a second baseman. While Escobar is primarily a third baseman he is capable of playing second. They also need a left-handed bat and Escobar also fits that description. Finally, they need more power. The White Sox rank just 24th in the MLB in home runs. He checks off that box as well.
Escobar hit 35 bombs in 2019 and already has 20 this season. The trade rumors haven’t bothered him in the slightest. Over his last seven games, he is hitting .318 with a .636 slugging percentage and six RBIs. Having him round out the bottom of the lineup with guys like Jose Abreu and Eloy Jimenez ahead of him could do wonders for this offense. During the All-Star game, he ripped a single to center field.
The White Sox have been engaged with trade talks with the Diamondbacks for a while now. Negotiations stalled when the Diamondbacks asking price was too high. In June the prices are higher because of the extra month of service.
Now that the calendar has flipped to July, the prices for rental players should be more reasonable. Escobar only has one year left on his deal and they are desperate to get something for him before he hits free agency. Out of all the possible additions the White Sox could make, this one makes the most sense for each side.
Adam Frazier
Adam Frazier would make perfect sense for the Chicago White Sox this season.
The White Sox saw enough of Adam Frazier in their two-game mini-series against the Pirates. Frazier killed the Sox going 1-for-3 in the first game with an RBI, walk, and two runs scored. In the second game, he was 2-for-5 with a home run.
Frazier is a perfect replacement for Nick Madrigal. Like Madrigal, he hits for contact and puts the ball in play. This season Frazier is hitting .330 with four home runs, 29 RBIs, and a .860 OPS. These numbers were good enough to earn him a trip to his first All-Star Game. He started at second base for the National League. Adam Frazier had one hit in two at-bats in the Midsummer Classic.
Like Escobar, Frazier would plug a hole at second base. Unlike Escobar, Frazier has years left on his contract making his price tag a little higher. The Pirates are cellar-dwellers so they may be inclined to trade him and speed up their rebuild. The problem is that they want a big return for Frazier that would require the White Sox to give up someone such as Garrett Crochet. A talented young arm like Crochet probably isn’t worth it especially considering that Nick Madrigal will be returning next season.
If the White Sox wants to go all-in on the World Series in 2021, then Frazier is a perfect player to add. But if the goal is for sustained excellence like Rick Hahn has mentioned on numerous occasions, then overpaying for a player that just made his first All-Star team probably isn’t a recipe for success.
Trevor Story
The Chicago White Sox being linked to Trevor Story is as exciting as it gets.
Word around the league is that the Rockies have a trade lined up for Trevor Story but wanted to wait until after the All-Star game so he could represent the hometown team in Denver. Story participated in the Home Run Derby at Coors Field. He produced one of the highlights of the night for the hometown fans when he clobbered a 518-foot blast. He eventually fell to Trey Mancini in the second round of the tournament.
While he did not play in the All-Star game the next day he is a two-time All-Star. The power he displayed during the Home Run Derby is a major reason why. In six seasons he has amassed 145 home runs and 417 RBIs. He also has a career .274 batting average.
All six seasons of his Major League career have been spent in Colorado but 2021 is likely his last. Story has told close friends that he will not be returning next season and with this being the last year of his deal, the Rockies would be wise to trade him.
Story would provide a huge boost to the White Sox lineup. Guaranteed Rate Field is a hitter park much like Coors Field so the transition would not be difficult for him. He would also have plenty of lineup protection. Despite these positives, he is not a great fit for the White Sox. For starters, he plays shortstop and there is no way that he replaces Tim Anderson. That means he would have to move to second base, a position that he may or may not be comfortable with.
He would also be a rental player that cost the White Sox. The Rockies are looking for a decent return for a player of his caliber. Unless the White Sox plan on a sign and trade then it is not worth giving up valuable assets.
Craig Kimbrel
Craig Kimbrel would be a great fit in the Chicago White Sox bullpen as a setup man.
After an eleven-game losing streak, the Chicago Cubs went from buyers to sellers at the trade deadline. That is music to White Sox fan’s ears. The Cubs already began their yard sale by shipping Joc Peterson to the Atlanta Braves.
Craig Kimbrel is going to be one of the next to go for the Cubs. Premium bullpen arms usually fetch a high price this time of year. Craig Kimbrel has been an elite reliever throughout his career. In 12 seasons he has a 2.08 ERA and is closing in on 1,000 strikeouts. This season Kimbrel posted a 0.57 ERA with 20 saves and 54 strikeouts. He earned his fourth trip to the All-Star game in 2021. He saw three batters before giving way to Zack Wheeler. He retired Jared Walsh, allowed a double to Adolis Garcia, and got Nelson Cruz to ground out to first.
The White Sox also had a reliever in the All-Star game. There’s faired a little better earning the save for the American League. Liam Hendriks has been excellent for the White Sox this season. He leads the AL in saves and was named reliever of the month in May.
If the White Sox traded for Kimbrel he would not be a the closer. Instead, he would serve as an elite setup man, giving the White Sox the best backend of the bullpen in baseball. The White Sox bullpen has been disappointing to this point, with many players failing to live up to their lofty expectations.
Kimbrel would help solidify the bullpen and guarantee a lead after eight innings. The roadblock for the White Sox is having to pay the metaphorical “cross-town tax”. The Cubs had to pay it in 2017 when they threw in Dylan Cease in the Jose Quintana trade.
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The Cubs came to regret that trade and you know they will be asking for a big haul from the White Sox. It would be unwise for the White Sox to give up top prospects for an eighth-inning man. The chances of them getting a good deal for Kimbrel is slim, but if the price is right they should pull the trigger.