According to FOX’s Ken Rosenthal, White Sox General Manager “worked his tail off” in an effort to get Zack Greinke from the Brewers. He was reportedly searching for a 3rd team to make the deal work, but just couldn’t find a good fit in time.
So, what does this mean going forward? Well, until Tuesday’s trade deadline, that is.
Miami’s Josh Johnson has become the hottest name on the market. Photo courtesy AP
The Phillies don’t want to trade Cliff Lee, the Felix Hernandez rumors have been quiet if they even exist, and the Sox have only “checked in” on Miami’s Josh Johnson according to ESPN’s Jayson Stark.
So with rumors not quite “hot” involving the White Sox and high-end starting pitchers any longer with Greinke is headed to the Angels, what’s next?
Well, here’s what we know…
- No offense will be added to the starting lineup
- The bullpen is still very young and inexperienced overall
- The bench is thin
It seems like I’ve said it one hundred times already, but the bullpen is so important in today’s game; you can never have enough. Don’t be surprised if KW goes out and snags another reliever, particularly someone from the Padres or Cubs. They should be cheap from those two teams, and a name like Shawn Camp or Luke Gregerson would fit very nicely. Jon Morosi has said he wouldn’t be surprised to see a move like that happen.
Staying with the Cubs is a lot of proven bench players. Particularly Reed Johnson or Jeff Baker. They both are very versatile, experienced, and can handle the bat at around a .270-.280 clip.
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But I know the sexiest acquisition would be for another starting pitcher, and I’m sure you all want to hear names that the team could acquire. While I have been saying for months that the Sox should pursue Felix Hernandez, I’ve got a few more realistic names for you…
Edison Volquez has sported extremely low ERA’s in years past, and currently has a 3.30 ERA with San Diego. While it’s much tougher to pitch in U.S. Cellular Field and the AL than in Petco Park in the NL, he would certainly be a good 3 or 4 pitcher.
Joe Blanton of the Phillies is probably nothing more than a solid number 5 guy in your rotation, but he’s been pitching rather well of late, has been in the AL before, and is very versed in the pressure of a playoff race. His 4.70 ERA doesn’t wow you, but maybe if Phil Humber isn’t able to pitch well tonight against Texas, KW may feel an upgrade at the back end of the rotation is necessary. He’d be cheap, too.
Mariners’ lefty Jason Vargas has had prolonged success out west, and may be a viable trade chip for Seattle in the next few days for teams realizing they won’t be able to snag an elite pitcher. He has a 3.76 ERA this year and would certainly fit nicely in the rotation in the 3 or 4 slot, depending on how Gavin Floyd is going.
Vargas has been on the hot stove for a couple years. Credit: Getty Images
Finally, I’ve got a couple Angels for you: Ervin Santana and Jerome Williams. If it’s possible for a team to have a surplus of starting pitching, the LA Angels of Anaheim have just that. With the acquisition of Greinke, they now have their 5 guys: Jered Weaver, CJ Wilson, Greinke, Dan Haren, and Garrett Richards. For that reason, Williams, who has been mediocre this year, or Santana, who has been rather awful this year could both be cheap options. In either case, it’d be more of a shot in the dark, hoping Don Cooper could work with them and figure something out, but who knows, maybe it’s worthy of a last ditch effort if the team can’t acquire anyone else.
I’ll also throw James Shields’ name out there, but just because he’s reportedly on the trade block. There hasn’t been any rumors linking him to the Sox.
Now I’ve got to remind you, all of that was pure speculation. I don’t have any links between the Sox and those teams or players in particular.
While the hot stove is somewhat cold right now for the Sox, that could change any given moment when pairing Kenny Williams’ aggressiveness with a tight AL Central playoff push. Stay tuned for more.
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Posted by GSB! Founder & Managing Editor, Zach Gropper.