There has been a long old-school discussion about what is a better acquisition target: a pitcher or a hitter.
On one side, the reasoning is that a hitter plays in more games per season than a starter with 30-34 starts. The starting position player is more valuable because he plays more games in the field and at the plate.
On the other side, the reasoning is that quality starting pitchers are harder to find than an outfielder. Pitching wins championships in some GM's books. Quality pitching can shut down even good batters, who fail at the plate almost 70 percent of the time.
From a roster building exercise, which is more valuable to a team that needs a change from a bad season?
Off hand, the consensus was that the White Sox did well by trading Hector Santiago and trading for Adam Eaton. Eaton is projected to be the team's starting centerfielder and lead off man. Santiago was the team's 4th starter.
Santiago, 26, had a good 2013 season. He had a 2.8 WAR. In his 3 major league seasons, he has compiled a career 4.6 WAR and a record of 8-10, 3.41 ERA and 1.358 WHIP in 78 games played.
Eaton, 25, has two years of major league service. He has played in 88 games, compiling a career 0.8 WAR, .254 BA, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 7 SB and .706 OBP.
If one looks to the primary objective of a pitcher and fielder, a pitcher's job is to get outs and the fielder to get hits (mostly). Eaton has gotten 85 hits in his 380 ABs. Santiago, in his 224.2 innings pitched, he has gotten 367 outs. That is a .545 "out" rate. It would seem that based on the objective stats, Santiago is the more valuable player than Eaton, even though Santiago plays in less games per season.
But the White Sox traded Santiago to obtain Eaton's "intangibles" to help spark the team. His high OBP from the lead off spot, and his all-out hustle in the field to be an example to the other young players on the squad.
When it comes down to this comparison, Santiago was the better player in the trade mix. But the White Sox, who had a very bad season, had to shake things up so I can see why GM Rick Hahn made the move to trade a young pitcher for a young outfielder.
