Chicago White Sox: Zack Collins should be trade bait

Now that the Chicago White Sox have inked Yasmani Granda to a four year deal, it is time to put Zack Collins on the trade block.

It did not take long for the Chicago White Sox to make a splash in free agency. On Thursday, they inked Yasmani Grandal to a four year contract worth $73 million, the largest contract handed out in franchise history. With that deal, Grandal is not only the White Sox catcher of the present, but also the future.

That signing also seemingly blocks the path for one of the White Sox top prospects. Zack Collins, the tenth overall pick of the 2016 MLB Draft, had worked his way through the system to get a brief look at the majors last season. Now, he is seemingly expendable.

In theory, Grandal would not block Collins from a major league job. He has spent time at catcher and first in the minors, so he could look to change positions. However, the White Sox have Jose Abreu at first, and are looking to keep him for the long term. Top prospect Andrew Vaughn is lurking, and is the future at the position.

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At this point, Collins is a player without a place on the White Sox. Nonetheless, he is still young at just 24 years old, and was a consensus top 100 prospect prior to 2017. As such, Collins could be an intriguing trade chip for the White Sox.

While he may never retain his top 100 prospect status, Collins is coming off of a solid year with the bat in AAA. He produced a solid .282/.403/.538 batting line in 367 plate appearances for the Charlotte Knights, hitting 19 doubles and 19 homers. Collins also showed his patience at the plate, drawing 62 walks and striking out 98 times.

He was not able to keep that momentum going at the major league level. In his 102 plate appearances over two portions of the season, he produced a meager .186/.307/.329 batting line, with three doubles and three homers. Collins was still able to get on base at a decent clip due to 14 walks, but he also struck out 39 times.

There are some concerns surrounding Collins as a prospect. His swing can be a long at times, and his patience at the plate turns into passivity, as he will let hittable pitches go without offering. While he has a strong arm, the sink on his throws and his slower pop time have led some to wonder if he can stick behind the plate.

And yet, there are plenty of positives. Collins has solid pop from a catcher, and his feel for the zone can be even more of an asset if he becomes more aggressive in the strike zone. There are even some positives behind the plate, as Collins has improved his ability to call a game over the past few years. Even with his flaws, Collins is still one of the better catching prospects in the game.

The problem is, the Chicago White Sox no longer have a place for him. If Zack Collins is to get his chance to stick in the majors, it is likely to be with another organization.