The Chicago White Sox are one of many teams caught in the middle at this point in the season. They are close in their division and the wildcard, but just far enough out that it’s not entirely plausible for them to make the playoffs without player changes. Some teams in the same situation choose to sell while others choose to buy. The White Sox may not be ready to go in full “buy” mode, but they have a clear need in the roster.
Sources: #WhiteSox, unsure of Austin Jackson’s prognosis, are checking into possible trades for CFer. Jackson had knee surgery on June 10.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 14, 2016
The White Sox are looking into trading for a center fielder, so who are their options? With such a small group of teams committed to selling and trading away good talent, the market is incredibly thin. There aren’t a whole lot of center field options, but if the White Sox can expand to consider corner outfielders it could become easier for them. With Adam Eaton on the team, he can always move back to center field if the corner outfielder they trade for has enough range and speed.
With that said, this list contains a couple center field options as well as a couple corner outfield options. It appears as though the White Sox would prefer to keep Adam Eaton in right field, which means they are looking heavily into players that play center field well defensively. They were willing to look past Austin Jackson‘s failures at the plate because of his defense, so one would assume that they will do the same for any player they might trade for.
While none of the players on this list would really send the White Sox into contention, they would all be good replacements for Austin Jackson. Depending on how much the White Sox are willing to give up, they may or may not be able to get a couple of the better players. If they are willing to settle for an Austin Jackson-like player, a quick trade should be possible for them.
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