Chicago White Sox: Nick Madrigal is going to be a special player

For some, the news that the Chicago White Sox had traded away Nick Madrigal to the Chicago Cubs was shocking and sad. Why would the White Sox trade away their best second baseman for a closer? The question crossed this writer’s mind more than once. How could they do this to their team?

We all know that Madrigal was playing well when all of the sudden he was taken out by a hamstring injury. Because of the injury, the White Sox had a gap at second base for quite a while. The talent there, although decent, was not spectacular. They needed someone that could come in and not only play well defensively but also hit the ball effectively thus bringing more offense to the lineup.

Madrigal was the White Sox first-round pick in the 2018 Amateur Draft out of Oregon State. He spent his first few seasons in the Minor Leagues before getting called up to play with the White Sox in 2020. He played in just 29 games due to the COVID-19 restrictions and a left shoulder injury.

He came back this season ready to contribute and had been playing well up until the time he suffered his season-ending injury. His slash line of .305/.349/.425 shows that he was playing very well prior to the injury. There is no doubt that he was only going to get better and be a solid second baseman.

Nick Madrigal was a nice player for the Chicago White Sox and we wish him well.

Madrigal’s potential was seemingly endless. It still is. Had Madrigal not gotten injured, we wouldn’t have had to worry about needing a second baseman and it’s unlikely he would have been traded. We would still be enjoying the solid fielding and great at-bats that he was putting up. Hopefully, this trade doesn’t come back to bite the Sox later on down the road.

Madrigal’s replacement, Cedar Hernandez, has looked great in his time with the Sox so far. His fielding is solid and his at-bats are looking good. Hernandez has five hits in 13 at-bats through his first series with the team. He should be able to play well and help this team win their way to a World Series championship. However, he is not the only piece of the puzzle.

Admittedly, it’s tough to see Madrigal go especially knowing what kind of potential he has. He’s also going to the rival Cubs and if he does become a lights-out player, which he can be, it’s going to hurt even more. We don’t’ want to wish any bad luck on Madrigal but in the back of our minds, we just hope that the White Sox didn’t make a mistake.

I will be pulling for Madrigal no matter what happens with him in the future. He’s a star in the making and someone who will be playing well once he gets back to being healthy. Look for Madrigal to be a star on the Chicago Cubs once he finally gets healthy. He can do it and deserves it.