The Giants and White Sox have completed a trade, with outfielder Luis Basabe heading to San Francisco in exchange for cash considerations. Right-hander Jordan Humphreys was placed on the restricted list to make room for Basabe on the Giants’ roster. (Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Humphreys is dealing with a family matter.)
The White Sox designated Basabe for assignment earlier this week, ending an injury-plagued three-year run for the outfielder in Chicago’s farm system. Basabe was acquired from the Red Sox as part of the trade package in the Chris Sale blockbuster, though he sandwiched a very impressive (and healthy) 2018 campaign in between injury-shortened 2017 and 2019 seasons.
It was enough for Chicago to make Basabe expendable, though the Venezuelan prospect was once a well-regarded international prospect and is still a couple of weeks shy of turning 24 years old. There’s certainly no harm for the Giants in spending a few dollars to acquire Basabe’s services and see if he can unlock some higher potential in a new environment.
MLB Pipeline has already ranked Basabe as the 18th-best prospect in San Francisco’s farm system, with a scouting report noting that he “has the tools to be a worthwhile fourth outfielder,” even if his hitting is still a question mark. Basabe has batted .248/.345/.392 across 2570 PA in the minors (none above the Double-A level), and he has shown a lot of swing-and-miss in his approach at the plate.
Cash Considerations on the move again… How many teams is this now?
1? What are you talking about?
He signed with the Red Sox as an IFA. Traded to the White Sox as part of the Sale deal. Now traded to the Giants.
First time he’s been traded for cash considerations.
Lol it was a joke. I don’t think he is referring to the the trade history Basabe here. He is referring to all of the trades that has happened this year where “Cash Considerations” was apart of the deal.
It’s a joke about cash considerations not the player
I wonder how much $$?!
I would prefer a warm body with no “strained” body parts!
Ugh!
i cant understand why white sox giving up on Basabe and Fulmer for nothing and eating Herreras contract with all that roster room to hide? where is the plus side to these moves ? Anyone have any answers ?
@jimrad,
I agree on Basabe. Fulmer had tried their patience too much. He has some elite spin rate on a couple of his pitches, but he can’t locate them and can’t be consistent. I wish him the best, but it was time to move on. As for Herrera, he’s been awful in a Sox uniform. Just getting him off the team is addition by subtraction.
But I’d take a lottery ticket or international pool money over just cash. Disappointing they couldn’t get some of the latter, considering they tend to do fairly well in their international scouting.
Reinsdorf would trade any of his kids – for CASH considerations.
I know, but I’m really surprised that Player To Be Named Later hasn’t been on the move recently. Seemed like for a while, he was being moved around all the time.
Player To Be Named Later must’ve changed agents and managed a no trade clause with their latest contract
Now watch this is another Tom Murphy situation where next week he ends up in Seattle after player to be named later waives his no trade clause
Basabe has “shown a lot of swing-and-miss” for sure. 161 Ks in 487 ABs in double A.
Six months ago basabe was being hyped as a bright light in the W Sox system.
This is a move by Farhan that I don’t really understand. The “buy/trade low for potential high ceiling” doesn’t seem to apply here? What am I missing?
Just turning 24 years old and at one time was intriguing enough to have been included in the deal for Sale. If it was only for cash considerations, other teams with a lousy farm and room might have taken a flyer.
@giantsphan12
It’s pretty easy to understand from the Giants side. Why not take a flyer on a prospect with potential if you have interest in him. I’m sure the Giants knew he wasn’t going to fall to them, so it’s a no-brainer doing it simply for cash considerations. And it’s not like the Giants roster is so loaded they can’t fit him in.
Idk if I would consider 2018 “very impressive”. He had a .734 OPS in AA, where he spent half the season.
The Sox must’ve really wanted to wash their hands clean of Basabe.
JR must really need the cash. That or Basabe was really that bad at Schaumburg.
Otherwise getting rid of Basabe makes no sense.
They had to once he got hurt. He had no more options and was going to hit waivers. Sox felt it best to trade him. Makes all the sense in the world because he still had very mild value but enough where you didn’t want to let him walk for free like C Fulmer who had no trade value at all.
@sckoul
I get why they traded him as opposed to putting him through waivers, because they knew he wasn’t making it through waivers. He was #11 on the Sox Top 30 prospects on MLB.com when he got traded, so he was getting snagged by someone. So getting something in return is obviously better than leaving empty-handed.
I would hope his injury history wasn’t the reason. That certainly wouldn’t bode well for Adolfo, among others. As far as I know, he’s been healthy this Spring/Summer, which maybe I’m wrong on that.
This would have never been necessary if Hahn hadn’t inexplicably placed Basabe on the 40-man roster well before he was ready for the majors, to protect him from an unlikely Rule 5 selection. Adolfo is up next for such a move.
@maximumvelocity
I was wondering that also, if Adolfo’s on thin ice. I really hope they stick with him. Obviously if he isn’t progressing over the next year or so, then fine, cut ties with him, otherwise it’s too soon to move on from him (if they do this season).
Again, it’s possible Basabe was (or wasn’t) doing something at Schaumburg to make this decision, we have no way of knowing unless Hahn discusses it (which may never happen). I am curious about Basabe. At least you could see it with Fulmer, Herrera, and any others they’ve given up on.
There is no sense to what the White Sox front office is doing by dumping these players so early. I wish the local sports media would ask some tough questions of the teams front office , since they have access. to Sox management.
@jimrad
I agree. I want to hear from Hahn himself the reasoning behind getting rid of Basabe. As I said above, I can see it with Fulmer and Herrera. I just don’t see it with Basabe (again not knowing how he was doing in Schaumburg). We may never know the reasoning behind it.
Come on, Hahn, at least get international pool money instead of just cash. The Sox seem to scout foreign (particularly Cuban) players pretty well, so it would have made a lot of sense to grow that pool a little bit.
For the 2020-21 bonus pools, teams are not allowed to trade allotments. This is unique for this year.
i wish Hahn would think outside the box and spend extra money on better scouts and scouting types . Good scouts with a reputation for recognizing top notch talent and making better player choices would be worth spending extra money on as opposed to wasting money on FULMER, BURGER, RODON, HAWKINS, just to mention a few. also better scouting on major league side, such as DUNN, SHIELDS, TATIS, LAROCHE,HERRERA,. Not to mention Samardzia give away(montas, bassitt, semien,wendelkehn
i wish Hahn would think outside the box and spend extra money on better scouts and scouting types . Good scouts with a reputation for recognizing top notch talent and making better player choices would be worth spending extra money on as opposed to wasting money on FULMER, BURGER, RODON, HAWKINS, just to mention a few. also better scouting on major league side, such as DUNN, SHIELDS, TATIS, LAROCHE,HERRERA,. Not to mention Samardzia give away(montas, bassitt, semien,wendelkehn) spending good money on scouts and scouting will save millions in the future. growing your owjhn cheaper than overpaying free agents.