If the White Sox had any consistent offense this season, word is that they would be competing with Detroit for the AL Central crown. But the offense has been bad. And the defense has followed suit. The front office still likes their young pitching corps, but need to bulk up fast on position players.
Jake Peavy told the team he wanted out. He wants to play for a contender. He wants a championship. That moxy, that macho attitude is what most teams want in their players. Whether Peavy can stay healthy for a pennant run is another question. But Peavy was going to be traded no matter what direction the White Sox are going to take this off season.
This three team trade was made purely based upon looming fear. Boston worried that its starting rotation may not come back from current ills. Detroit was worried about losing their starting shortstop to a PED suspension.
The Red Sox receive Peavy and Tiger minor league pitcher Brayan Villarreal. Peavy, 32, has a 4.28 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 1.9 BB/9 and a 35.2 percent
ground-ball rate in 80 innings for the White Sox this season, though
he's spent some time on the disabled list with a broken rib. He is signed through next season. Villarreal allowed 10 runs in just 4 1/3 innings for the Tigers this
season prior to the trade. In 2012, he posted a 2.63 ERA for Detroit. He
averaged 97.1 mph on his fastball. In
34 1/3 innings at Triple-A Toledo this year, the 26-year-old Villarreal
owns a 3.15 ERA with 10.7 K/9 but a troubling 6.8 BB/9 rate.
The Tigers receive infield insurance with the Red Sox shortstop Jose Iglesias. Iglesias has out performed his minor league offensive numbers when promoted to the major league roster. He played third base, but most believe he is the most talented shortstop in the organization. Iglesias, 23, is hitting .330/.377/.410 in 231 plate appearances for
the Red Sox this season. Baseball America ranked him ninth among
Red Sox prospects prior to the season based largely on his glove,
calling him perhaps "the best defensive shortstop prospect in the game."
The White Sox prize in the deal is Detroit outfield prospect Avisail Garcia, who scouts compare to a more athletic Magglio Ordonez, a 6' 215 lb outfielder who had a productive career. Baseball America ranked the 22-year-old Garcia as the No. 74 prospect
in baseball prior to the season, and he's delivered on that hype at
Triple-A Toledo, hitting .382/.414/.549 with five home runs in 152 plate
appearances. Garcia has the tools to be an everyday right fielder with
average defense and All-Star upside, BA wrote in its preseason scouting
report.
Garcia appears to be a "major league ready" prospect. In AAA this season, he hit .374, 5 HR, 23 RBI, .410 OBP. In 30 games with the Tigers, he hit .241, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .273 OBP. He appears to be the replacement player if the White Sox can trade Alex Rios.
The White Sox also received three low minor players, two pitchers who may develop into relievers, and a shortstop with a good glove and no bat.
No one can blame the White Sox from trading away salary of high priced veterans for replacement field players. The White Sox farm system has no depth at fielding positions. Garcia becomes the White Sox number one prospect because he is the closest thing to a contributor this season.
With the league ready to announce 9 more player suspensions by the end of the week, there may be more insurance trades today by teams worried about the ramifications of player suspensions on the pennant chases.
