Here’s the latest from the South Side of Chicago…
- Jose Abreu, Chris Sale and Jose Quintana will combine for (at most) $16.445MM in salary in 2015, a huge bargain for three star players that has left the White Sox with plenty of payroll space, CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes writes. Quintana and Sale’s contracts, in particular, looks like very shrewd investments for the Sox at this point. Sale, for his part, has no regrets about signing his extension in March 2013 since it allows the team to acquire more talent. “With them being able to do that and have pieces of the puzzle and still a little money in the bank, they can kind of assemble guys around us to do the same things,” Sale said.
- Marcus Semien, Carlos Sanchez and Micah Johnson will be competing for second base job in the spring, and ESPN’s Doug Padilla doubts all three players will still be with the team by Opening Day. Padilla figures one of the trio could be dealt for a reliever, or could be part of a package in a larger trade.
- In a look at notable Arizona Fall League prospects, ESPN’s Keith Law (Insider subscription required) praised White Sox righty Francellis Montas, who joined the organization as part of the Jake Peavy trade in July 2013. Montas, 21, posted a 1.44 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 3.64 K/BB rate over a combined 81 innings at rookie ball, high-A ball and Double-A in 2014, and Law said Montas’ fastball touched 102 mph in a recent instructional league game.
- Law also had good things to say about the White Sox farm system in general, saying this is the strongest Chicago’s system has been in the six years he’s been working for ESPN. Law hinted that four White Sox minor leaguers are slated for his next top-100 prospect list.
The Sox have quietly rebuilt this team from near nothing to a borderline contender in a short amount of time. They’re going to be a very interesting team the next couple years.
I sure hope so. After all of the borderline terrible baseball on both sides of Chicago, I think both fan bases are deserving of some winners this decade.
It’s coming and it’s coming soon. We all know the monster the Cubs are building and I really think the White Sox are not getting as much credit as they deserve for how quickly things are progressing. The White Sox might hit their peak just as the Tigers are getting older and handicapped by big contracts. The future is bright in Chicago.
The Sox do have to deal with a scary Twins system and obviously the Royals though.
I do like what they’re doing, but the Tigers are probably the least of their worries.
Hahn has done a lot of great work undoing KW’s mistakes, that’s for sure. Considering KW drafted bust after bust and Hahn has already drafted 2 or 3 serious prospects, it looks like he’s already on the right path.
Four in the top 100? Carlos Rodon, Tim Anderson, Micah Johnson, …?
My guess would be Tyler Danish.
Maybe Rangel Ravelo gets some love.
Rodon and Anderson absolutely. Not all scouts are onboard the Micah-train though, but I’m obviously not ruling him out. Apart from Danish and Montas, I’ve read a few scouts really like Spencer Adams so far. Hawkins if obviously not a candidate all though he’s recovered some over 2014.
Francellis Montas ( one of the throw ins, in the Jake Peavy trade that came from Boston), he has been clocked at 102 mph.
Spencer Adams and his 59:4 K:BB as an 18 year old might get the honor. I would also take Montas over Johnson for a prospect list
Montas, Hawkins, Danish or Adams as the fourth?
That would mean leaving out top 2 (Rodon+Anderson) so you are going to have to select two of those
Might be Courtney Hawkins:
link to baseball-reference.com
I think Semien has no place on this team if the Sox want more consistency at the plate and in the field. He was atrocious at both. Look for Sanchez to be at 2nd, and if Alexi goes, Johnson at 2nd and Sanchez to slide over to SS. I guess Semien will be around if either gets hurt but I do not see him as an everyday starter.