Chicago White Sox: How Valuable Are Their Trade Pieces?
The Chicago White Sox want to make a couple of more blockbuster trades, but which player has the most value?
Despite pulling off two blockbuster trades this summer, the Chicago White Sox are seemingly not done making moving players. Trading away Jose Quintana before Opening Day might not happen like the White Sox hoped for, but it’s evident they’re still trying to trade away veterans for younger pieces and prospects.
While their team is mostly filled with underwhelming players who will eventually be replaced with younger and better players, the White Sox still have some solid pieces. They have undoubtedly committed to a rebuild, so they need to continue to add prospects in favor of veterans.
They might not be able to find a suitor that meets their high demands until closer to the trade deadline, but it’s never bad to know how much value their trading pieces have. It’s especially true since Chicago has been active.
The four players Chicago has been rumored to center a trade around are Quintana, David Robertson, Todd Frazier, and Jose Abreu. Also, a player no one has talked about is Melky Cabrera, who is in the last year of his contract and could be moved at some point this season.
The White Sox have pieces they want to move, now it’s just a matter of another team meeting their high demands. Here’s a look at which one has the most value on the trade market heading into the season.
Jose Quintana
There’s good reason to believe that the player the White Sox have refused to trade for all these years could be on a different team soon. It doesn’t seem likely that the White Sox will trade him before Opening Day, but there’s no doubt they’re looking hard and will jump at an offer similar to what they received for Chris Sale/Adam Eaton.
If there is a time to trade Quintana, now would be the time. His stock has never been higher, and likely never will be.
Quintana made his first All-Star appearance last season after throwing 208 innings, striking out 181 batters, and owning a 3.20 ERA and 1.163 WHIP. He followed it up with a stellar performance in the World Baseball Classic with Colombia, in which he no-hit Team USA for 5.2 innings. It’s hard not to believe in the 28-year-old left-hander after he dismantled an All-Star lineup.
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He is also under team control through 2020, with his salary never exceeding $12 million. It’s very possible that Quintana could still improve, but his contract is still a bargain for a pitcher who has thrown 200-plus innings in four straight seasons and has had a sub-3.40 ERA in the past three seasons.
The biggest “concern” about Quintana is whether he can be a team’s ace. He will get a chance to prove whether he can this season with the White Sox, which could help drive up his price. Right now, he’d make a solid No. 2 on any team and an extraordinary No. 3.
Trade Value: Extremely High
David Robertson
The pitcher who became one of the best setup men in MLB is still capable of being a shutdown closer, but David Robertson’s two-year stint with Chicago doesn’t instill a lot of confidence. After saving 39-of-44 games (88.6 percent) with the New York Yankees in 2014, Robertson has saved just 71-of-85 games (83.5 percent) with the White Sox.
His performance in the World Baseball Classic does instill some confidence, though. Granted he didn’t close, but Robertson still appeared in four games. He struck out two, while only giving up four hits and a solo home run in 3.2 innings for Team USA.
The bigger problem Chicago faces is Robertson’s contract. Robertson will make $12 million in 2017 and $13 million in 2018. Chicago is paying him like one of the top closers in the league, yet he hasn’t performed like it over the past two seasons. In fact, his average contract salary is the fourth highest among closers, according to Spotrac.
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Also, rebuilding teams like Chicago won’t want to trade young, promising players for a closer, and contending teams usually already have one. While Robertson could move back to being a setup man, it would be a hefty price to pay financially, let alone the pieces a team would have to trade the White Sox.
If Robertson has a strong start to 2017, he could be a potential trade target for teams at the deadline. Although, next season seems more realistic when teams are only on the hook for one year of his contract.
Trade Value: Average
Todd Frazier
Chicago no longer trying to make the playoffs paired with a sub-par 2016 season from Frazier has the White Sox shopping their third baseman a year after trading for him. His value is not as high as last year, but a contender could use a two-time All-Star and 40-home run hitter.
In 2016, Frazier didn’t adjust well to switching leagues. He did hit 40 home runs, which ranked eighth in the majors, but he only hit .225/.302/.464. It was the lowest batting average of his career, and lowest on-base percentage since his rookie season when he only played 41 games.
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It also doesn’t help that Frazier isn’t known for being a great defensive third baseman. In 2015, he had a .952 fielding percentage with the Reds, and improved to just .972 with Chicago in 2016. Frazier has committed at least 11 errors in each of the past three seasons, despite being an All-Star in two of those seasons.
Dealing with an oblique injury, Frazier’s spring hasn’t helped his trade value, either. He is hitting just .161/.188/.226 with no home runs. In fact, Frazier has more strikeouts (6) than hits (5) this spring and has only walked once.
It’s very possible that Chicago will hold onto Frazier for the final year of his contract, which is worth $12 million. If the White Sox do find a trade partner for him, it will likely come at the deadline when a contender is trying to add more power to their lineup and won’t have to pay his full contract.
The White Sox need to hope his average is more respectable to start the season to prove he can hit against American League pitchers. At the very least, another 40-home run season would keep teams at least a little interested.
Trade Value: Low
Jose Abreu
Jose Abreu has seemed to regress every year since his 2014 Rookie of the Year campaign when he led MLB in slugging percentage at .581. But he’s still been very good.
Despite failing to hit 30 home runs for the first time in his three-year career, and driving in a career-low 100 runs, Abreu recorded a career-high 183 hits and hit .293/.353/.468 in 2016. He doesn’t have the same hype as in 2014, but he’s still one of the better all-around hitters in the American League when considering his ability to hit for power and average.
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The 2014 All-Star, and borderline All-Star the past two seasons, will make $10.8 million this season with arbitration in 2018. It’s not a terrible salary to take on for a team in need of a first baseman. That said, his price tag will likely be around what they received for Adam Eaton.
Plus, Abreu is already 30-years-old. He’s only entering his fourth major league season, but it’s unknown how far away he is from his numbers drastically declining. Abreu averaging 179 hits, 30.3 home runs, 102.7 RBIs and a slash line of .299/.360/.515 through his first three seasons should instill confidence in potential suitors, though.
There will be teams, especially as the season progresses, that are interested in Abreu. He will constantly be in trade rumors. Whether a team is able to match the White Sox massive price tag is the question. He’s there to be had, but not for cheap.
Trade Value: Above-average
Melky Cabrera
Not many people are talking about Melky Cabrera, but that should pick up as the season progresses. Cabrera is having an underwhelming spring, hitting .245/.286/.302, but he’s a veteran on an expiring contract who hits for average.
After an up-and-down first season in Chicago, Cabrera returned to form in 2016. He led the team in batting average, and ranked third in on-base and slugging percentage. Plus, he hit double-digit home runs, 14, for the third straight season and just sixth time in his career. At 32-years-old, Cabrera isn’t a bad option.
Teams will wait as long as possible to trade for him, though. The White Sox signing him to a three-year, $42 million contract was questionable at the time, but paying him $15 million this season confirms it. Teams simply don’t want to bring Cabrera on for that kind of money.
Just like for Frazier and Robertson, teams will be more intrigued when the salary is lower. That said, the White Sox shouldn’t expect a huge haul for Cabrera. The return will be minuscule compared to the Sale and Eaton trades.
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Cabrera could help his trade and free agent value drastically by hitting close to .300 again this season. Teams might not be jumping at the opportunity to trade for him now, but I’d expect to hear his name more as the season goes on.
Trade Value: Trending Up