We are now well into the period for considering possible White Sox trades, so I naturally went to the ultimate expert in such matters, in fact in all matters: artificial intelligence. Turns out AI may not be all it’s cracked up to be in this category.
Asked to name the Sox best trade chips, AI responded, “The Chicago White Sox’s top trade chip is likely Luis Robert Jr., a center fielder with All-Star potential. While Robert has had injury issues, he still has a high ceiling.” In fairness to AI, it apparently made the decision last season, but you’d think the wave of the future for all mankind — or for eliminating mankind — would make an effort to keep up to date.
More human sources, like Baseball Trade Values, suggest Robert will at best get a low-level prospect in return, one New York source saying that would be a Mets pitcher not on their Top 30 Prospects list, but who could be brought up to the majors quickly. Of course, we’re talking White Sox here, so Chris Getz will probably still ask for the moon and refuse to settle for a Moon Pie, eventually just letting Robert go for nothing at the end of the season.
(To add insult to all Robert’s other doldrums, substitute TV announcer Dan Plesac, who claims to be a lifelong White Sox fan but we can only hope has done his last game, kept calling Luis “Louie,” over and over. Apparently learning players’ names is no longer a job requirement, since he also called Chase Meidroth ME-drock many, many times before someone eventually straightened him out.)
Anyhow, AI went on to suggest other prime trade chips are Davis Martin and Matt Thaiss. It turned out to be right about Thaiss, sort of, since he’s now gone. It could well be correct about Martin, though why its huge computer brain didn’t also suggest other starting pitchers is for it to know and we mere humans to find out when it decides to let us.
Since AI didn’t keep up, it wasn’t in position to know that if the suggestion Robert could be swapped for a low-level but ready for the big time starting pitcher turns out to be accurate, that would make Martin more expendable.
As for other possibilities
You’d think that teams looking for an outfielder would use a wide-angle lens when they shoot video of Robert, so as to include Mike Tauchman in the frame. Tauchman’s batting average is much better than Robert’s (.288 to .177), as is his slugging percentage (.530 to .281). Tauchman is seven years older, 34 to 27, but because he’d only be a rental that doesn’t matter. He’d also be a very cheap rental, a pro-ration of his $1.95 million salary — a tiny fraction of the cost of Robert.
Mike Tauchman is the White Sox outfielder who could be well worth trading for.
Alyssa Howell/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Now, it’s true Tauchman is very unlikely to continue his current torrid hitting. Still, even with a lot of regression to the mean, Tauchman is a way, way better trade chip than Robert, and he’s a pretty good fielder, even in center. He might even bring a valuable prospect. Or two.
Even the eye test via TV goes Tauchman’s way. He’s coming to the plate looking like he knows just where the ball’s coming and plans to flatten it, while Robert comes to the plate looking like he’d just as soon not be forced to do that, and then seems mystified when the pitch comes right where everybody else knows it will.
What about pitchers?
With four young pitchers with many years of team control, that’s not just a trade chip, it’s a shrimp and chips basket. With cocktail sauce. Add in newly-acquired rental Adrian Houser, and there’s a whole meal to savor. That’s where the possibility of a solid future shortstop and/or Robert replacement in center could come from.
There are even some relievers likely to go by the deadline, though everybody who suggests which one(s) has a different idea of who might bring anything. Perhaps the only consistency is that no one tosses Jordan Leasure’s name out as viable.
And back to position players …
My son, who worked for the Dodgers when Miguel Vargas was there and likes him a lot, thinks pitchers will eventually figure Vargas’ new stance out, and this would be a good time to take advantage of his recent performance to maximize trade value.
Since Josh Rojas has done a Robert in devaluing any trade possibility, maybe the infielder whose name should be slipped into the conversation is Lenyn Sosa. Of course, Sosa still refuses to take a walk (though he hits bad pitches well, a la prime Tim Anderson) and he’s the weakest link defensively.
Of course, there’s also Andrew Vaughn, and maybe the Sox could offer half the starting pitching staff if the other team will take him.
As for Andrew Benintendi, the Sox would only have to agree to eat 90% of his remaining salary to be able to swap him for a decent prospect. Can’t you just see Getz making that proposal to Jerry Reinsdorf?
Two months to the trade deadline. And no reason not to beat the rush by trading the guys that are hot now. Right now.
And, so very sad it is to say because he’s been such fun to watch for many years, take whatever 50-50 pot salesperson you can for Robert.