I’ve seen a lot of pushback from Sox fans on the idea of the Sox being buyers at the deadline. A couple things to consider.
1. Any trades for rentals would be for inconsequential prospect packages. They aren’t going to sell the farm for a guy who’s going to be a free agent after this year.
2. Piggybacking off the last point, if they are going to swing for a big trade, it will be for someone who has at least two years of control after this season. If they are going to trade a real prospect (ie Billy Carlson) then it will be for someone who will help the team win for at least a couple more seasons.
3. The window is opening sooner than expected, so it isn’t unreasonable for them to get a little more aggressive this season. The team is performing well with internal reinforcements on the way. The AL Wildcard picture is underwhelming. The goal of a rebuild is to put together a playoff caliber roster, and as the AL currently stands, this might be a playoff roster.
4. I don’t think we have anyone in our farm system who should be deemed untouchable. The closest is Braden Montgomery, since he has a clear path in both the short and long term to a starting role with the Sox. But none of the top prospects in the system are top-10 can’t miss prospects in baseball, all of them come with their own risk factors. For the right player, there’s no reason to deem Bonemer or Carlson off limits. The deal has to make sense, though, and they should only be willing to move those guys for really good players with multiple years of team control.
5. The biggest thing nobody is talking about - getting this young core some playoff experience would be awesome for their long-term development. Getting this team some exposure to what a playoff atmosphere looks and feels like this early was never in the plans, but would be such a good thing for a young ascending roster.
All in all, go be aggressive. As long as it’s in a calculated way.
The White Sox remember Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew who died in the line of duty yesterday. We honor his courage, service and sacrifice, and keep his family, loved ones, and fellow officers, especially the officer who also was critically injured during the incident, in our thoughts.
Justin Ishbia and Jerry Reinsdorf have reached an agreement establishing the framework for Ishbia to take over a controlling stake in the White Sox.
@ChuckGarfien and @OzzieGuillen discuss and react to the news on White Sox Countdown Live: