The popular belief out there is that the White Sox farm system is as scarce as they come, as GM Kenny Williams dealt many talented prospects like Dan Hudson and Gio Gonzalez in previous trades. That school of thought is true, to an extent:
Some Sox farmhands do possess the young talent. However, all those guys happen to be outfielders.
With the drafting of Courtney Hawkins, the White Sox now have seven outfielders below age 28 that are making or figure to make an impact in the big leagues: Alejandro De Aza, Dayan Viciedo, Jordan Danks, Jared Mitchell, Trayce Thompson, Keenyn Walker and Hawkins. Granted Thompson, Walker and Hawkins all have ETA’s of 2014 at the earliest, but the point is the White Sox have developed a big logjam at the outfield position.
With De Aza and Viciedo performing at a high level, we can infer that they figure to be a part of this team’s future. Alex Rios’ contract does not expire until after 2014 (with a 2015 club option), so at least for the next few years, he is under contract as well. So, all of the young talent the White Sox have in their system has no room to make it to the bigs unless a position change occurs.
Photo courtesy Jonathan Daniel via Getty Images
So, the Sox do have the young talent. It just all happens to be in the same place. The question now is: what can they do with this?
If Rios continues to hit at this pace, he could be a good candidate for a trade in the offseason to a team looking for outfield help. They can turn him into good prospects either on the mound or in the infield, and that will open up room for Mitchell and Danks to compete for the right field spot next season.
Adam Dunn’s deal expires after 2014 as well, and one would figure that at that point, the White Sox will be looking to go in a different direction. Then, the White Sox could move Viciedo to DH, and Thompson, Walker or Hawkins can take the other outfield spot.
There’s also the option that the Sox could trade some of the surplus of young outfield talent for a piece to help them down the stretch this year or in a prospect-for-prospect swap for a guy at another position. However, since no one is sure which one of the guys (if any) will emerge yet, this may not be the smartest route to take. However, if the right deal presents itself, especially for a third baseman or starting pitcher to help this year’s team, it may be necessary.
Experts have rated the White Sox system as one of the worst in the game. However, the talent is there. You just have to keep looking in the same spot.
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This article is courtesy of my friend and co-worker, Luke Stanczyk. Luke interned at ESPN 1000 with me, works with sports media at Benedictine University, and plays baseball in adult leagues in his free times.
Follow him on Twitter @lstanczyk for great sports updates, and check out his blog, ChiCitySportsBlog every day for great thoughts and analysis.