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MLB Team X-Factors for 2017, Part II: AL Central

By Jim Turvey

Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Andrew Miller hands the ball to manager Terry Francona in the 7th inning in game seven of the 2016 World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Andrew Miller hands the ball to manager Terry Francona in the 7th inning in game seven of the 2016 World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

Chicago White Sox – Yoan Moncada

The White Sox are an interesting team in 2017. There is a possible timeline in which the White Sox crash and burn early in the season, and they head into the trade deadline looking to sell. In this scenario, established veterans like Jose Quintana, David Robertson and Todd Frazier might be the most important (or most x-factor-y) players on the team. The potential return (in future assets) that the White Sox could get for those three would likely be the most important part of 2017, if the season is indeed a lost cause.

There is another very distinct timeline – one that I am far more of a believer in than some other pundits – in which the White Sox start the season at a far better clip than expected and are in contention at the trade deadline. In that case, the team will (likely) avoid selling off a few key pieces and may instead be looking to call up a few key youngsters instead. In the White Sox system there is no youngster more key than Yoan Moncada. The 6’2” Cuban is a consensus top-two prospect in all of baseball, and most folks would agree he is the top prospect likely to begin the season in the minors (only Andrew Benintendi is ever really listed above Moncada). Moncada slashed .277/.379/.531 in 45 games at Triple-A in 2016, and he has shown five-tool ability at each step along the way in his minor-league career.

Some folks have posited that the White Sox’s move to cut Brett Lawrie was a sign of intent when it comes to calling up Moncada sooner than later, but it would still be a shock to see Moncada in the majors to start the season. However, having Moncada come up as a mid-season addition only helps in his “x-factor” ceiling for the purposes of this article. If the Sox can linger in the playoff picture long enough to call up Moncada in mid-to-late July, he could well be the piece to put them over the edge. Even if his call-up ends up being a September call-up when the Sox’s season is officially laid to rest, Sox fans will be watching that month-long debut as hard as anything else in 2017.

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