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scott@scottlongonline.com
OK, I've been reticent as a White Sox fan to recommend any trade, as the magical season continues to be in full swing, but...........
when it was announced that Joe Crede has 2 herniated discs in his back and that you just don't know what you're getting with Contreas and El Duque, Lowell and Burnett might be the difference between the playoffs and world championship. The White Sox have some prospects and have some financial room, so maybe it makes some sense. Let's be honest, when you haven't won a World Series since 1917 and haven't even played in one since 1959, it's something you have to be aggressive about.
The most worrisome element to the deal would be trading a top prospect to do this. Considering that last year, Jeremy Reed was seen by some as a future hall of famer and that these same experts graded the Freddy Garcia deal as a bust for Chicago, maybe prospects need to have some of the shimmer taken off of them. The White Sox have traded a lot of minor leaguers over the past 5 years and not one of them would be starting for the current Sox team. Too many of us treat minor-leaguers we've never seen as all-stars. Could you imagine how a player of AJ Burnett's talent would be perceived, if he was in Triple A? Star prospects are like new cars; as soon as they are off the lot, their worth seems to quickly devalue.
I think we should all keep this in mind when the trade deadline is happening. You see, when your last World Championship was 1917, you might have to roll the dice in looking for the starting pitcher who can make like Doyle Alexander or Rick Sutcliffe, even if it means giving up a future star. I'm just happy the White Sox aren't in the market for a relief pitcher, because there is nothing redeeming to say for Larry Andersen or Heathcliff Slocumb.
It would be interesting if the Sox got Burnett. I don't follow Chicago closely but I have noticed that their pitching coaches have coaxed relatively consistent and solid performances out of at least two notoriously flaky performers (Garcia and Contreras). Burnett's prime flaw has been a tendency to mix in a flaky start every third or fourth time around while being really good the rest of the time.
With Burnett, he's going to be a free agent, so I'm guessing the Sox would hope they could do a sign and trade with him, much like what they did with Garcia. Does anyone know if Burnett is dating Ozzie Guillen's niece, as that seems to help in the deal.
I only wish that something big was in the form of Adam Dunn
I'd be shocked if the Red Sox wouldn't do the Ramirez/Dunn trade. I've always kind of thought that his reputation exceeded his promise -- especially from a tools/performance perspective.
Also, I've written about this before, but Reed wasn't a great fit for US Cellular and the team has a couple of other excellent outfielder prospects, so he was expendable, if you could get a quality pitcher. With the market for pitching being incredibly overvalued, (see free agent seasons during past off-season) getting Garcia in the deal was an excellent move for the Sox.
As I wrote before the season, Kenny Williams deserves some credit for putting together this team and I had no idea that the Sox were going to be this good.
On a straight value basis, it absolutely was a good trade for the WS -- only better if they could have kept Reed instead of Borchard.
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