Rick Hahn three big trades and three wins

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While White Sox fans anxiously await the arrival of Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal, a lot of Sox GM, Rick Hahn’s legacy will depend on the outcome of three big trades.  When the White Sox decided to go full rebuild, they traded away three core players, Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Adam Eaton.  How do those trades look now?  Let’s take a look.

Chris Sale for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe and Victor Diaz.

To paraphrase Forrest Gump, I like this trade, I like it a lot.  Chris Sale is sitting at 0-5 for the Red Sox right now.  He could very well rebound.  Regardless if Sale is the Sale of years gone by or not, the White Sox needed to make the trade.  It was to the point when Sale was in Chicago, he ventured into fashion design and couldn’t be trusted around sharp objects.  The White Sox were going nowhere with him.  The question was, would the White Sox get value for Sale?  Let’s take a look.

After a rough rookie season, Yoan Moncada looks like an offensive force.  He looks like he could be a 25 homer guy who hits .300 draws walks and can steal a base.  Michael Kopech showed great promise last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery.  I’m not sure that in three years from now Kopech might be more productive than Sale at that stage of Sale’s career.

The White Sox also picked up outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and reliever, Victor Diaz.  If either of those guys do anything it will be icing on the cake.

 Adam Eaton for Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and Dane Dunning

When Eaton was in Chicago he played an exceptional tight field and provided a potent bat.. He also extolled the leadership virtues of 14 year old  Drake LaRoche, calling him one of the team leaders.  If Eaton was right, that shows how devoid of leadership the White Sox were. In 2016, his final season with the White Sox, Eaton compiled a WAR of 6.1.  While with the Nationals Eaton has fought injuries.  In 2017 Adam’s WAR for the Nationals was 0.4.  In 2018 it improved to 1.1.  If Adam is healthy, he’s still an excellent player.

As for the Sox return for Eaton, Lopez and Giolito have been wildly inconsistent.  Lopez showed why the Sox traded for him with an overpowering 14 strikeout performance against the Tigers last Sunday.  I still think he can be a top of the rotation starter.  As for Giolito, his ceiling seems lower, maybe like fourth starter lower.  Even at that, if he’s the second banana in the Eaton trade Rick Hahn did pretty well.  As for Dunning, he underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss 2019 season and probably some of the 2020 season.  Even at that, I like the Sox side of this trade.

Jose Quintana for Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease

When the Sox had Quintana he was considered a number two starter.  With the Cubs he’s been more like a number four.  Eloy Jimenez has just made an appearance with the Sox and was last seen going Chuck Norris on the left field wall.  He proved less success with his leg kick than Chuck generally was with his.  Eloy looks like a legitimate middle of the order bat.  His glove is less than average.  Dylan Cease is pitching in AAA and will probably see Chicago later this season.  I like the White Sox side of this trade too.

While I’m frustrated with the Sox lack of ambition in improving the team the fact is, Hahn traded off three major pieces of the team and at this point has a chance to go three for three.  That makes the recent inactivity even more frustrating.