Hot Stove Rumblings: White Sox and Cubs Dealings

The White Sox and Cubs have both been busy during the annual Winter Meetings as they try to field a winning team for next season.  Though small, the trades that both teams have made could be significant.  See below for your favorite team’s deals:

 

Chicago White Sox

Sign Felipe Paulino
On the first day of winter meetings, the White Sox signed RHP Felipe Paulino.  With a wealth of left-handed pitching (I’ll get into that more in a bit), the Sox needed to balance out their starting rotation.  Paulino does that.  With the Royals most recently in 2012, Paulino was 3-1 in seven starts with a 1.67 ERA.  However, it was the first time he had posted an ERA under 4.11.  He seems to be a bit of a wild card, but as a #4 starter, if he can post an ERA under 4, his $1.75 million deal will be a steal for the Sox.

Trade Hector Santiago for Adam Eaton in three-team deal
Like I wrote, heading into these winter meetings, the White Sox had a wealth of left-handed pitching.  Along with Sale, Quintana, and John Danks, Santiago was the most tradeable of the four.  Chris Sale is one of baseball’s best pitchers, Quintana apparently has an asking price that is way too large, and Danks has a giant contract.  For those reasons, Santiago was expendable.  In exchange, the White Sox received a good prospect in Adam Eaton, who projects to start at center field.  Eaton has great speed and is only 25, which figures into the Sox’s plans to get younger.  Though he has only hit .254 in 88 major league games and missed a majority of last season with a right knee injury, Eaton had 38 SBs and an OBP of .456 in the minor leagues in 2012.  He has garnered comparisons to Aaron Rowand and if that’s true, he’ll become a fan favorite almost immediately.  The White Sox finally have a true leadoff hitter again and they are likely attempting to shop Alejandro DeAza now.  If they are unable to deal him, DeAza will be the 4th outfielder on the south side.

 

Chicago Cubs

Trade Brian Bogusevic for Justin Ruggiano
The Cubs and Marlins exchanged outfielders and I like the deal for the Cubs.  They were able to trade a 30-year-old outfielder that they recently re-signed to a minor league deal for the 31-year-old Ruggiano who hit a career-high 18 HRs last season. Over the past five years, Ruggiano’s games played and HR numbers have risen every year.  He keeps getting better and better, albeit 31-years-old is certainly a question mark as to whether he can keep improving each season.  However, the price the Cubs paid was low and I think the potential rewards in this deal certainly outweigh the risks.

 

Both teams were slightly affected by the Rule 5 Draft.  The Cubs lost pitchers Marcos Mateo and A.J. Morris, 1B Justin Bour, and outfielder Julio Borbon.  They picked up catcher Charles Cutler from the Pirates.  The White Sox, meanwhile, stole catcher Adrian Nieto from the Washington Nationals, but lost no one from their roster.  I doubt that any of these minor moves will have a huge effect on either team. Nevertheless, it’s been an exciting hot stove for both Chicago teams and I’m excited to see their ever-changing starting lineups in 2014.

 

Your daily Chicago sports schedule (one game to watch)

No games

Friday Flicks

With the Bears on bye this weekend, I’m taking a short writing break today by featuring an all Friday flick post. Every Friday features a sports-related flick to push you on to the weekend.

First, piggy-backing off of yesterday’s post, a clip of Jose Abreu hitting a grandslam in the 2013 WBC.  It’s a towering home run and gives White Sox fans something to salivate over.  Second, we’ve got a flashy spot for Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks.  All footage is real and it’s amazing to watch.  Lastly, Derrick Rose makes his regular season debut next Tuesday, and if you never saw his Adidas Return videos from last year, they’re worth taking a look.  Very inspirational.

 

 

That’s it for me.  Have a great weekend everyone and I’ll see you Monday.

 

As always, your weekend Chicago sports schedule (games to watch)

Bulls vs. Nuggets – Friday, 7:00 pm     PRESEASON

 

Wildcats Football @ Iowa – Saturday, 11:00 am     Big Ten Network

Illini Football vs. Michigan State – Saturday, 2:30 pm     ABC

Huskies Football vs. Eastern Michigan – Saturday, 2:30 pm     ESPN3

Irish Football @ Air Force – Saturday, 4:00 pm     CBS Sports Network

Blackhawks vs. Wild – Saturday, 7:00 pm     WGN

 

Fire vs. New York Red Bulls – Sunday, 4:00 pm

White Sox Sign Jose Abreu

We’re in the middle of football season, and basketball and hockey season are just getting underway, so I’m a bit late in getting to this news, but better late than never.

I figured I would be done with baseball news for a couple of months after the season ended, but then the White Sox went out and signed Cuban Jose Abreu to the biggest initial contract (6 years, $68 million) ever given to an international player.  The timing of the signing is odd as Abreu is a 1B and nothing else.  With Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn already on the team, one of them will probably soon be looking for work elsewhere.  Dunn is currently under contract but Konerko is a free agent and after his poor season last year, I’d be surprised if the Sox would resign him now.  But let’s get to Abreu.

Looking at his stats playing for the Cuban national team, it is easy to see that Jose Abreu is an absolute stud!  In 2010-2011, Abreu hit .453 with 33 home runs and 93 RBIs in JUST 63 GAMES!!!  The next year, he hit .399 with 30 HRs and 76 RBIs.  This is against lesser pitching, but in last spring’s World Baseball Classic, Abreu hit .360 with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs, proof that he can hit against better competition as well.  He adds an elite bat to a team that finished last in the AL in runs last season.  However, all of the players that the White Sox dealt this past year seemed to signal that the team was in full rebuilding mode.  I was expecting the next season or two to be miserable to watch, much like what Theo Epstein is doing with the Cubs.  I should have known better, though, as Ken Williams is not the type of executive that throws in the towel before the season has even begun.  In the White Sox’ defense, they did shed around $40 million in payroll this season, so they had a bit of money to spend.  I’m just surprised at how quickly they spent it.

I think it is unrealistic to expect the same statistics next season as Abreu was putting up in Cuba.  It’s best to get an idea of how other Cuban players’ stats have translated to US soil.  In the past five years, there have been two high profile Cuban offensive player signings: Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig.  A look at their statistics playing in Cuba shows that there is usually a small regression when they reach the MLB.

 

Yoenis Cespedes Cuban Statistics (2004-2011): .319 AVG, 169 HRs (21 HR/season), 557 RBIs (70 RBI/season); prorated to length of MLB season: .319 AVG, 32 HR, 105 RBI
Cespedes MLB Statistics (2011-2013): .265 AVG, 49 HRs (25 HR/season), 162 RBIs (81 RBI/season)

Yasiel Puig Cuban Statistics (one full season, 2010-2011): .330 AVG, 17 HRs, 39 Ks
Puig MLB Statistics (2012-2013, 104 games, slightly longer than the length of the Cuban season): .319 AVG, 19 HRs, 97 Ks

 

Looking at those statistics, there is much to be hopeful for in the case of Jose Abreu.  An AVG dip is to be expected and possibly a power dip, though Abreu’s HR numbers in the Cuban National Series are more impressive than Cespedes’.  It’s probably also appropriate to expect more Ks out of Abreu, but considering Abreu hit 74 HRs from 2010-2012 in 169 games, 50-60 HRs next season isn’t totally out of the question.  To quote MLB.com’s Phil Rogers: “A formula designed by Baseball Prospectus’ Clay Davenport translates stats from Serie Nacional to the Major Leagues. It pretty much nailed Cespedes’ stats in his rookie season with Oakland. When you put Abreu’s totals into that formula, you get a force of nature who is a cross between the Tigers’ [Miguel] Cabrera and Barry Bonds in his prime.”

That’s enough to get me excited for next season.  Sure, it remains to be seen if it’s enough for the White Sox to compete for an AL Central title, but it’s a start, and with Alexei Ramirez and Dayan Viciedo already on the roster, the south side of Chicago seems like the perfect environment for Abreu.

Right now, the starting lineup for 2014 looks as follows:

1. Alejandro DeAza CF
2. Alexei Ramirez SS
3. Avisail Garcia RF
4. Adam Dunn 1B
5. Jose Abreu DH
6. Dayan Viciedo LF
7. Conor Gillaspie 3B
8. Gordon Beckham 2B
9. Josh Phegley C

That’s a pretty formidable lineup on paper.  Add one of the best starters in the MLB in Chris Sale and it looks like the White Sox might have a sneaky good team next season.

And I’m officially ready for spring.

 

Your daily Chicago sports schedule (game to watch)

Blackhawks @ Lightning – 6:30 pm

The White Sox and Cubs- Two Truly Inept Teams

I’ll get back to covering the Bears tomorrow, but before I get into that, I wanted to spend another post discussing just how bad the White Sox and Cubs have been this season.  This post will be very little analysis.  I just plan on laying out the facts and letting you come to your own conclusions.

Let’s start with statistics (MLB rank):

ERA: Sox- 16th     Cubs- 18th
Wins: Cubs- 27th     Sox- 28th
Shutout: Cubs- 25th     Sox- 26th
HBP: Sox- 22nd     Cubs- 25th
Batting Average: Sox- 20th     Cubs- 29th
Runs: Cubs- 24th     Sox- 29th
Home Runs: Cubs- 8th     Sox- 23rd
On Base Percentage: Cubs- 27th     Sox- 28th

As you can see, there are a whole lot of 20s in those statistics that I cherry picked.  Of course, there are some things that the teams have done well, but for the most part, both teams rank near the bottom of the league in most categories.

Moving to wins and losses, the Cubs have lost 83 games.  The White Sox have lost 87 games.  Together, that’s 170 games.  Their combined record is 120-170, or a winning percentage of .413.  The record for most combined losses by the Cubs and White Sox is 191, from 1948, information courtesy of Bruce Levine.  Between the teams, they have 34 games remaining.  That .413 winning percentage over 34 games would result in 20 more losses, which would bring the total loss count to 190, or one short of the record.  This story could swing either way, so if you’re still looking for something to keep you interested over the last few weeks of baseball season, you’re welcome.

 

Your daily Chicago sports schedule (games to watch)

Cubs @ Pirates – 6:05 pm

White Sox vs. Indians – 7:10 pm

Chris Sale- The Year That Could Have Been

It’s amazing how easy it is to forget about baseball, women’s basketball, and soccer as soon as football season gets underway.  Nevertheless, I felt it was high time to reflect on the amazing season that Chris Sale is having.  Last night, he outdueled Max Scherzer, the now 19-3 Detroit Tigers pitcher that is a frontrunner for the American League Cy Young Award.  However, it is just another example of the inconsistent and misleading statistic that pitcher wins and losses is.  Let’s look deeper at the numbers.

Chris Sale: 2.90 ERA, 207 K’s, 1.04 WHIP, .223 BAA

Max Scherzer: 3.01 ERA, 215 K’s, 0.96 WHIP, .199 BAA

The numbers are extremely close!  Sale has a better ERA, slightly fewer K’s, a higher WHIP and a higher batting average against.  But their records are the big difference.  Scherzer, after picking up the loss last night (his 2nd in a row), now has a 19-3 record.  Chris Sale, on the other hand, has an 11-12 record.  Let’s dig a bit deeper by looking at their run support.

Max Scherzer is 4th in the MLB with an average of 5.62 runs scored per appearance.  Chris Sale has the 6th worst run support in the MLB at 3.26 runs per appearance.  This is obviously because of the teams they play for, as Anibal Sanchez, another Tigers starting pitcher, is 3rd in the MLB in run support.  Simply put, the Tigers offense is great, having scored the 2nd most runs in the MLB.  The White Sox- well, they’re the 2nd worst offense in the major leagues based on runs scored.  So, let’s get hypothetical here and switch up Chris Sale and Max Scherzer and pretend they played for the other’s respective teams.  On a game-by-game log, here are how many runs Sale has given up:

Game 1- 7.2 IP, 0 ER
Game 2- 7 IP, 3 ER
Game 3- 4.1 IP, 8 ER
Game 4- 7 IP, 2 ER
Game 5- 7 IP, 2 ER
Game 6- 7 IP, 2 ER
Game 7- 7.1 IP, 1 ER
Game 8- 9 IP, 0 ER
Game 9- 7.2 IP, 0 ER
Game 10- 6 IP, 1 ER
Game 11- 7.1 IP, 4 ER
Game 12- 8 IP, 0 ER
Game 13- 5 IP, 4 ER
Game 14- 8 IP, 3 ER
Game 15- 8 IP, 3 ER
Game 16- 7 IP, 2 ER
Game 17- 6.2 IP, 3 ER
Game 18- 8 IP, 2 ER
Game 19- 9 IP, 1 ER
Game 20- 5 IP, 5 ER
Game 21- 7.1 IP, 1 ER
Game 22- 9 IP, 2 ER
Game 23- 7 IP, 3 ER
Game 24- 7 IP, 8 ER
Game 25- 8 IP, 1 ER
Game 26- 7.1 IP, 2 ER
Game 27- 8 IP, 1 ER

As reference, I’ve underlined Chris Sale’s losses on the season.  I’ve bolded out the ONLY two games where Chris Sale gave up more runs than what Scherzer averages in run support per game.  Under this metric, the argument can be made that with Scherzer’s run support, Chris Sale might only have two losses on the season, and if you want to add wins based on quality starts, Sale would add 7 wins to the 11 that he already has.  That would put Sale’s record at 18-2 (.900), or roughly .04 percentage points better than Scherzer’s 19-3 record (.863).  Now, for argument’s sake, let’s look at Scherzer’s metrics when applied to Sale’s run support.

Game 1- 5 IP, 4 ER
Game 2- 6 IP, 1 ER
Game 3- 8 IP, 1 ER
Game 4- 5 IP, 5 ER
Game 5- 7.1 IP, 3 ER
Game 6- 8 IP, 1 ER
Game 7- 8 IP, 4 ER
Game 8- 7 IP, 5 ER
Game 9- 8 IP, 1 ER
Game 10- 6 IP, 1 ER
Game 11- 8 IP, 3 ER
Game 12- 7 IP, 1 ER
Game 13- 7 IP, 2 ER
Game 14- 6 IP, 1 ER
Game 15- 7 IP, 2 ER
Game 16- 7 IP, 3 ER
Game 17- 6.1 IP, 2 ER
Game 18- 7 IP, 2 ER
Game 19- 6 IP, 4 ER
Game 20- 8 IP, 2 ER
Game 21- 6 IP, 0 ER
Game 22- 7.2 IP, 0 ER
Game 23- 7 IP, 2 ER
Game 24- 6 IP, 2 ER
Game 25- 8 IP, 2 ER
Game 26- 6 IP, 0 ER
Game 27- 5 IP, 5 ER
Game 28- 7 IP, 2 ER
Game 29- 4 IP, 4 ER

I’ve underlined Scherzer’s losses on the season.  If you look closely at the numbers, you’ll see that Scherzer thrice gave up 5 runs and didn’t lose any of those games.  Additionally, Scherzer only lost 1 of his quality starts this season!  Contrary to that, Chris Sale lost 7 quality starts.  Based on that, let’s add six losses to Scherzer’s record and subtract six wins.  All of a sudden, Scherzer stands at a very modest 13-9 record, and that’s not even counting the potential losses that could have come from his three appearances where he gave up at least five runs, occasions that Chris Sale lost every time!

Therefore, when you look in-depth at Sale’s and Scherzer’s statistics, you come away seeing that they’ve had very similar years, but one has been doomed by playing on a last place team and the other has been awarded by playing on a division winner.  But a couple other metrics sway their numbers for me.  Scherzer, while at times dominant, has zero complete games and zero shutouts.  Chris Sale has four complete games and one shutout.  That signals to me that Sale has been more of an ace and a horse for the White Sox than Scherzer has been for the Tigers, not surprising considering he shares a rotation with Anibal Sanchez and Justin Verlander, but for teams with similar relief pitching ERAs (the Sox are at 3.85, 22nd in the MLB; the Tigers are at 4.07, 24th in the MLB), it seems that the Tigers would like their pitchers to throw as late into games as possible, and it’s telling to me that Scherzer doesn’t have a single complete game.  Lastly, Chris Sale’s numbers have been largely blown up based on his two appearances where he gave up 8 earned runs.  It’s unfair to just take those numbers out of his season statistics, but without a couple of blowups, his WHIP and BAA would be line with Scherzer and his ERA would be well ahead.

It’s because of this that I think Chris Sale has been a better and more dominant pitcher than Max Scherzer and therefore, has more of a stake on the AL Cy Young Award.  After all, the Cy Young Award is given to the pitcher with the best statistics, not the pitcher that is most valuable.  But in a league where pitcher wins and losses are overblown, Chris Sale will likely be overlooked given his poor record that is a product of playing for a very bad team.  On July 22nd, Sale and Scherzer met for the first time on the season.  Both pitchers went 8 innings and gave up 2 ER, Sale had 11 K’s and Scherzer only had 5, but Sale picked up the loss because of bad defense and poor relief pitching.  However, in the end, hopefully, Sale can take solace in the fact that last night, when he met Max Scherzer for the second time, having evenly pitched the first outing, he ended the argument once and for all by going 8 innings, giving up 1 run, and striking out 8.  Scherzer, meanwhile, went 4 innings, gave up 4 earned runs, struck out 6, and the end result?

Well, even the White Sox couldn’t screw that one up.

 

Your daily Chicago/national sports schedule (one game to watch)

Cubs @ Reds – 6:10 pm

US Men’s Soccer @ Mexico – 7:00 pm     ESPN

White Sox vs. Tigers – 7:10 pm

Cubs and White Sox Waiver Deals

Now that we’ve caught up a bit on pro football, let’s get back to baseball and the miserable seasons in which both Chicago teams find themselves.  At least the last couple of weeks, due to the waiver wire, have been newsworthy.  Let’s get to those deals:

 

White Sox trade Alex Rios to Rangers for cash and IF prospect Leury Garcia

I’m not too angry about this trade.  I realize the Sox didn’t get much back in return, but in my opinion, it’s addition by subtraction.  By dealing Rios, they freed up space to call up Avisail Garcia, who in his short time with the major league squad has hit .297 and slugged. 432.  He’s still looking for his first HR, but that hitting is exactly what the Sox were hoping for when they dealt Jake Peavy, and I doubt he sees the minor leagues again for quite some time, or maybe ever.  In addition, the deal frees up salary space, as the Rangers will pick up most of what is left on Rios’ contract.  The prospect they received probably won’t be much, but there’s always hope when a team trades for a young player.  Leury Garcia is a 22-year-old IF who played in 25 games for the Rangers this season.  He only hit .192 with just one extra-base hit, but fielding-wise, he’s sharp, making only a single error, at 2B.  Time will tell if Garcia pans out.

 

Cubs trade David DeJesus to Nationals for cash and player to be named later

Not surprisingly, David DeJesus was traded.  As another small contract that overperformed, Epstein wanted to get as much value as possible.  The Nationals are reportedly considering dealing him immediately.  DeJesus has a $6.5 million option for next season, or the Nats could buy him out for $1.5 million.  The Cubs have said they’d be interested in bringing him back at a discount, and I’m sure DeJesus would share that interest.  This will be an interesting story to continue monitoring.

 

The waiver deadline is August 31st and on September 1st, rosters increase to 40 players, so we should get a good look at both the White Sox’ and Cubs’ prospects.  And who said September baseball isn’t fun when your team is out of it??

 

Your daily Chicago sports schedule (one game to watch)

Sky @ Mystics – 6:00 pm

Cubs vs. Nationals – 7:05 pm

White Sox @ Royals – 7:10 pm

Hump Day Hits- 08/07/13

It’s that day again!

Hump Day Hits is where I catch you up on what is going on around the sports world, what you may have missed, and what you’ll need to know moving forward.

 

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs continue to plod along attempting to get through this season as quickly as possible.  With a loss to the Phillies last night, their record dropped to 49-63, good for 5th worst in the MLB, and at this point, it becomes about positioning yourself for the best possible draft pick in next year’s 1st year player draft.  The Cubs will be active on the waiver wire, evident in their claiming of OF Thomas Neal from the New York Yankees.  Neal has had minimal success in the major leagues, but has posted good stats in the minors, and as a 25-year-old, he is well worth the risk, but Cubs fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath to see if he makes an immediate impact.  It’s possible they’re able to deal Kevin Gregg through waivers this month, but that remains to be seen.  Nevertheless, I’m sure Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are working around the clock to work out some deals that make sense.

 

Chicago Fire: The Fire are still attempting to make a furious comeback to the playoffs.  This past Saturday, they defeated Philadelphia 2-1 to improve their record to 8-9-4.  The Fire now stand in 7th place.  However, two weeks ago, twelve points separated the Fire from the 3rd place team in their conference, the Montreal Impact.  Today, that number is down to seven points and all of a sudden, the Fire are very much in this thing.  With their next three matches against Montreal (3rd place), New England (6th place), and Kansas City (2nd place), they need to come away from each game with at least a draw, and if that happens, I may come back in a couple of weeks explaining how the Fire are preparing for the MLS Playoffs.

 

Chicago Sky: As the Fire climb in the standings, the Sky are starting to fall.  With two straight losses, the Sky are barely holding on to 1st place and are still waiting for their star, Elena Delle Donne, to return to 100 percent after suffering a concussion before the all-star break.  She returned to the court last night and did play 32 minutes, but only put up 12 points and 2 rebounds.  If she can get back to full health immediately, this team should be fine and the two-game losing streak, both coming against the Indiana Fever, will be seen as a bump in the road.  I’m not too concerned as the Sky are definitely talented, but I’ll be monitoring Delle Donne to make sure she comes back strong, because if she can’t get back to her pre-all star game playing level, this team could be in trouble.

 

Chicago White Sox: Like the Cubs, the White Sox are positioning themselves for a good draft pick (currently the 2nd worst team in the MLB) and monitoring the waiver wire to see what they can find.  GM Rick Hahn said before Monday night’s game, “I am spending more time now on waivers than I did before the deadline.  It is a busy period of time right now.  Essentially during this month every player around baseball goes on waivers.  The bulk of the activity is in the early part of the month.”  The White Sox are usually among the most active teams during the waiver season, claiming players like Alex Rios and Manny Ramirez in recent years.  I don’t expect the White Sox to do anything major like that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a minor deal, similar to the Cubs getting Thomas Neal, goes through.

 

Your daily Chicago sports schedule (one game to watch)

Cubs @ Phillies – 6:05 pm

White Sox vs. Yankees – 7:10 pm

Reviewing the Jake Peavy Trade

Wednesday is normally when I run a weekly Hump Day Hits feature, but we’ll postpone that until tomorrow and take a look at the long awaited Jake Peavy trade that finally went through late last night.

It was a three-team deal with the following players being acquired:

Boston Red Sox–
RHP Jake Peavy
RHP Brayan Villarreal

Detroit Tigers–
3B/SS Jose Iglesias

Chicago White Sox–
OF Avisail Garcia
RHP Francelis Montas
RHP J.B. Wendelken
SS Cleuluis Rondon

 

This is a great deal for the White Sox!  I couldn’t be more thrilled.  So far, I haven’t heard any talk about the White Sox helping with Peavy’s contract so I think they were able to dump his entire contract ($23.5 million through 2014, and a club option $15 million for 2015) and pick up a premiere prospect in Avisail Garcia (rated the #2 prospect in the Tigers’ organization).  It remains to be seen what Montas (a class-A 100 MPH flamethrower), Wendelken, and Rondon can bring to the table, but for the Sox of the White variety to acquire a future starter in Garcia AND lose Peavy’s contract, this has to be seen as a great success for GM Rick Hahn.

 

Here is what a couple of American League scouts had to say about Garcia, courtesy of ESPN’s Bruce Levine:

“This young man has a tremendous tool set.  He can really run and his defense is outstanding.  The only thing that you might worry about is him gaining weight.”

“Garcia has five-tool ability.  The only thing I am not sure of is his power potential.  He runs great and throws with the best of them.  Chicago is getting a player who can be a perennial All-Star.  He reminds me of Magglio Ordonez, but a much better runner.”

 

A bit more on Garcia:

His nickname is “mini-Miggy” as he resembles Miguel Cabrera and is also from Venezuela

In his debut last season, he hit .319 in 23 games

In the Tigers’ four-game sweep over the Yankees in last year’s ALCS, Garcia hit .455

This season, he hit .241 with 2 HR in 30 games for the Tigers (in AAA, he has hit .382, with 5 HR, an OBP of .414, and a SLP of .549 in 32 games)

He has played all three OF positions, including 18 games in RF in 2012, and 23 games in CF in 2013

He will start with the White Sox in AAA Charlotte, but look for him to be called up soon, especially if Alex Rios is dealt before Wednesday’s trade deadline

 

I think this was a good trade for the Red Sox as well.  They’ve acquired a great SP and have Will Middlebrooks, Brandon Snyder, or Brook Holt to replace Jose Iglesias, who has struggled as of late.  Peavy will do great in Boston!  He brings a passion and fire to the mound that is rarely seen these days and Red Sox fans will feed off of that.  Peavy tweeted this out after the trade was final:

THANK YOU Chicago! It's been an honor & a privilege to pitch for u! You are 1st class & I will never forget you! So many emotions right now!

— Jake Peavy (@JakePeavy_22) July 31, 2013

 

Looking at the Tigers’ acquisitions in this trade shows another reason that this is a great trade for the White Sox.  Yes, the Tigers acquired a young SS in Jose Iglesias, who happens to be hitting .330 this season, but looking deeper at the numbers shows that his average is somewhat superficial.  He is a player known for his infield singles (24 on the season), showing that he is much more of a soft-hitter than his average implies (a la Omar Vizquel).  He is a great fielder, one of the best in the MLB, and no one disputes that, but in July, he is hitting .205 with only one extra-base hit.  There is not enough defensive production to overcome those offensive struggles.  So why did the Detroit Tigers trade for him?  How is Iglesias worth giving up their #2 prospect?  This is where it all comes full circle.  The Tigers’ current SS, Jhonny Peralta, is preparing for a 50-game suspension to come any day for his part in the Biogenesis scandal.  Because Peralta will be suspended, the Tigers had to make a move for a starting SS- hence, the trade for Iglesias.  This is another reason the White Sox won this trade.  The acquisition of Iglesias makes the Tigers stronger short-term, when the White Sox have no chance of competing, but in the longer-term, they’ve dealt a really strong prospect in Avisail Garcia to a divisional rival, making the White Sox stronger and their own team weaker.  If the Tigers go on to win the World Series this season, no one will care that they dealt away Garcia.  But if Garcia becomes a great player for the White Sox, certainly a strong possibility at this point, and helps the team to overcome the Tigers in terms of roster-strength, fans can point to this deal as the tipping point.

Well done, White Sox.  Now, on to Alex Rios…

 

Your daily Chicago sports schedule (game to watch)

White Sox @ Indians – 6:05 pm

Cubs v. Brewers – 7:05 pm

White Sox Trade Deadline- The First Domino Falls

Stop the presses!! The White Sox have made another deal, this time trading away none other than…

 

Jesse Crain…

 

Okay… I was expecting Peavy or Rios, but still, Crain was an all-star set-up man.  We probably got a huge haul for him!  Wait, what’s that?? We only got a lower-level prospect or money for his contract depending on his performance?  Umm… okay.  Well, I mean he’s not Jake Peavy or Alex Rios, so when THEY get traded, wait, what??  Reports are now that the White Sox might hold on to them instead of dealing them away?  Okay, I’m done.  I’m absolutely done with this team!

Two years ago, I hit a point in July/August/September where I had grown tired of Ozzie Guillen and after being one of his biggest fans for several years, I was ready for him to be fired.

After thirteen years of Kenny Williams in upper management, I have similar feelings brewing.  But in his defense, I’m not entirely sure how much decision-making he is doing.  Now that Rick Hahn is general manager, I’d like to throw some blame towards him as well, but I can’t help but think that Williams is the reason that the White Sox price is so high for Peavy, Rios, and Ramirez.

Two weeks ago, I wrote that the Sox and Cubs would be setting their future course in the last two weeks of July.  Since that time, the Cubs have done very well.  They received some really nice prospects in return for Scott Feldman and Matt Garza, and even if they weren’t able to acquire prospects, they were able to dump salary (see Soriano to New York).  The White Sox, on the other hand, have played this horribly.  As I feared, instead of jumping on the market, they waited and waited and waited, and now the desire for Peavy and Rios has cooled so much that the Sox would prefer to keep both players and head into next season without changing direction.  That is mind-boggling, considering that one of the many truths in baseball is the following:

Grinder Rule #281: If you are twenty-three games under. 500 at 40-63 and competing with the likes of the Miami Marlins and the Houston Astros for the worst team in the MLB, YOU DO NOT STAY THE COURSE.

If the White Sox do not deal Peavy in the next two days ($23.5 million remains on his contract) with a little over 24 hours remaining until the 4:00pm EST deadline on Wednesday, this trade deadline will have been an utter failure and fans should expect to deal with a .388 win percentage for several years to come.

 

Your daily Chicago sports schedule (game to watch)

Cubs vs. Brewers DH – 1:20 pm

White Sox @ Indians – 6:05 pm     Peavy is scheduled to pitch– watch to see if he gets pushed back or makes his start as scheduled

Cubs v. Brewers DH – 7:05 pm

Cubs and White Sox Trade Rumors

The great thing about the MLB Trade Deadline is you never know where players will go until deals are finalized.  Hopefully, this collection of tweets from writers and fans will demonstrate:

 

Cubs Rumors

Kevin Gregg-

Cubs rumors: Could Kevin Gregg go next?: Following the much-anticipated trade of the market's top starter… http://t.co/5hRoYjONdA #MLB

— MLB Injury News (@MLBInjuryNews) July 23, 2013

Kevin Gregg- The implosion is just beginning. Cubs waited too long to trade him. Value decreases by the day. Sell hot!!

— James Mermigis (@jamesmermigis) July 25, 2013

Kevin Gregg might not be going anywhere, but Alfonso Soriano probably is. http://t.co/idgYxCrtnH #Cubs #TradeDeadline

— Jeff Agrest #🟦 (@JeffAgrest) July 25, 2013

 

Alfonso Soriano-

Alfonso Soriano gives Theo Epstein list of teams for which he would waive no-trade clause. It includes @Yankees: http://t.co/epkxx9WFKF

— MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2013

Soriano's good with #Yankees trade as Theo sees "natural time to move on to clear opportunities for younger players." http://t.co/IMdLX6Lfd2

— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) July 25, 2013

 

Nate Schierholtz-

Pirates Scouts Have Been Watching Nate Schierholtz For Over A Month http://t.co/yL4gI4uzSR

— X Angry Fan (@theangryfan) July 25, 2013

Maybe the Giants should trade for Nate Schierholtz.

— Damin Esper (@DaminEsper) July 25, 2013

 

 

White Sox Rumors

Jesse Crain-

Red Sox Trade Rumors: Jake Peavy, Jesse Crain Heading To Fenway? – International Business Times: http://t.co/Ub5Ua0Jx4T #redsox #sox

— Red Sox Stream (@soxstream) July 24, 2013

https://twitter.com/ATLforDotMe/status/360224573284810753

https://twitter.com/JCapp1538/status/355343224052781056

 

Alejandro De Aza-

White Sox trade rumors: Alejandro De Aza plays his way into the rumor mill, briefly http://t.co/4B7PTVBcFG

— South Side Sox (@SouthSideSox) July 25, 2013

The Rangers need to trade for Alejandro De Aza. They can thank me later.

— 𝕸𝖈𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖌 (@mcfrog) July 24, 2013

 

Jake Peavy-

#Redsox, #STLCards emerging as among potential players for #Chisox star Jake Peavy. http://t.co/L6YyBoAS4v

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 23, 2013

Oakland Athletics: “Dark Horse” Should Deal For Chicago White Sox’ Jake Peavy http://t.co/WD28iK33z8 #RantMLB #MLB

— Rant Sports 24/7 (@RantSports247) July 25, 2013

Report: A's interested in trading for Peavy (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area) http://t.co/uhZDmptEWs

— Athletics Blogs (@AthleticsBlogs) July 25, 2013

The White Sox and Red Sox have discussed a trade that would send Will Middlebrooks to Chicago for Jake Peavy. http://t.co/rtRsv5N0q6

— MLB Daily Dish (@mlbdailydish) July 25, 2013

 

Alexei Ramirez-

I thought the Cardinals were after Peavy, not Alexei Ramírezhttp://t.co/3ccCtfpYDR#WhiteSox #Cardinals

— The Decadent Moose (@DecadentMoose) July 24, 2013

ChiSox Reject Cardinals' Offer For Alexei Ramirez http://t.co/dCSg4tu3rX #mlb

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) July 24, 2013

Why would the White Sox not trade Alexei for Carlos Martinez? #WhiteSox #Cardinals

— Joseph Peters (@ShoelessJoe12) July 25, 2013

 

Alex Rios-

#pirates eying alex rios & possibly alexei ramirez. #chisox http://t.co/293fcDJk2U

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 19, 2013

Yankees Trade Rumors: Why Alex Rios Should Be New York's Top Deadline Target http://t.co/WpjDFCQ4sR

— nonso (@Nvnso_) July 25, 2013

#Royals looking at Alex Rios http://t.co/8q7HleSmON

— Royals Review (@royalsreview) July 25, 2013

White Sox, Rangers Discussing Alex Rios http://t.co/cPB3Im7eq5 #mlb

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) July 24, 2013

 

Hopefully, that demonstrates that the only thing you can predict at the MLB trade deadline is for something unpredictable to happen.  If I were to guess, I’d say Soriano gets dealt to the Yankees today.  Everyone else?  Heck if I know…

 

Your daily Chicago sports schedule (games to watch)

White Sox v. Tigers – 1:10 pm

Cubs @ Diamondbacks – 8:40 pm