With Spring Training just days away, the chances of another blockbuster trade happening are all about dried up for the White Sox this offseason. There's no reason to be upset by this, as Rick Hahn has stressed patience to all White Sox fans since the Winter Meetings in December. So far, many fans would say that the rebuild is off to a great start on the South Side.
With that being said, for those White Sox fans hoping to see the rebuild hit warp speed, here's three things you should have on your wish list for 2017.
1) Colorado Rockies In A Pennant Race At The Trade Deadline
As talked about in one of my previous articles, the Colorado Rockies have the potential to make a postseason run. Offensively, they are loaded with the likes of Trevor Story, Nolan Arenado, D.J. LeMahieu, and more. The one thing that might be holding them back from being a true contender is starting pitching. The trade deadline in 2017 is already being rumored to be one of the busiest and most exciting in recent memory. If the Rockies find themselves in a situation where they are a starting pitcher away from being a legit contender, it would be the best thing possible for the White Sox.
Let's say for now that the Rockies will be in a pennant race at the deadline and will need a starting pitcher. Let's also say that Jose Quintana is still a member of the White Sox at that time. The Sox could send Quintana to Colorado for a package centered around prized short stop prospect Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers is still about a year away, but even if he wasn't, he is blocked at virtually every infield position anyways. Depending on how desperate Colorado might get, they could even throw in OF prospect Raimel Tapia, the Rockies' 4th rated prospect. The Sox would receive at least one young stud in this potential deal, in turn speeding up their rebuild, while the Rockies get the frontline starter they need to make a real postseason run. Win-win.
If Rick Hahn is waiting for the perfect opportunity to get a maximum talent return for Quintana, this would be the dream scenario for it to happen.
2) David Robertson & Todd Frazier Have Bounce Back Seasons
I know I know, "Todd Frazier had 40 home runs last year, what do you mean bounce back season?!" From a power standpoint, yes, Todd had a stellar first season with the White Sox. However, he also had his worst on-base percentage since his rookie year, hit for a .225 average, and had only 21 doubles. For comparison, Frazier hit for a .255 average, 35 home runs, and 43 doubles in 2015. If Frazier can get closer to those numbers, then more teams will be willing to pay up for him at the trade deadline. It would shock me if Frazier was on the team at the end of the 2017 season, but to get a maximum return, it would be great to see him on pace for his 2015 numbers when the trade deadline nears.
David Robertson is another White Sox asset who really needs to bounce back. Once one of the most dominating closers in the MLB, Robertson took a step back last season. For his career, Robertson's ERA is an incredible 2.97. Last season alone it was 3.47. The silver lining is that he was playing through injury, so it is not crazy to think Robertson can return to his dominant self while healthy. If he does bounce back, a handful of teams will be in the market for his services. In a league where the importance of bullpen arms is at an all-time high, the White Sox could see a pretty decent haul in return.
In this case, the dream scenario for the White Sox would be that Robertson has a bounce back year and is traded to the Washington Nationals. All off-season long, the Nats have swung and missed at landing a big time closer. With Robertson being the best available option, the Nationals may be forced to pull the trigger. Now, to sweeten the deal, the White Sox could eat a lot of Robertson's remaining money, and honestly, that would be the smart move. After Rick Hahn got away with highway robbery in the Adam Eaton deal, the Nationals might be reluctant to trade with the White Sox again. However, with the South Siders not being in contention for the next couple years, they can afford to eat the majority of Robertson's salary to help the Nats in the potential deal.
If Robertson has a bounce back season and the Sox eat the majority of his salary, they could get OF prospect Victor Robles in return. A speedy outfielder with a cannon of an arm and the ability to hit to all areas of the field, Robles has the potential to be a true talent in the MLB. He is the No. 10 prospect in baseball and it would sting for the Nationals to give him up, but by trading a handful prospects already, they have made it known that they are going for it. With Bryce Harper more than likely leaving soon, the time is now for Washington to go all in. If Robertson can get back to pitching like people know he can, this deal can very well become a reality.
3) The Worst Record in Baseball
The White Sox are going to be horrible, we all know that. It will be fun to see prospects such as Moncada, Giolito, and Lopez get called up and contribute, but they are going to have their fair share of rookie growing pains. And let's face it, the rest of the roster is going to be a disaster. However, I promise that this is a good thing. If the White Sox can snag the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, they will more than likely take Seth Beer, whom they have reportedly been scouting since he was 14 years old. Projecting at right field in the MLB, Beer absolutely rakes and has the potential to be a franchise player for any team. If the White Sox are able to get their hands on this kid, it could end up being one of the final pieces of the rebuild.
Ranking Possibility Of Each Scenario Happening From Least Likely To Most Likely
3) Robertson traded to the Nationals for Victor Robles
Even if Roberston does have a bounce back season, it seems unlikely the Nationals would give up their top prospect for him. With their farm system already taking a pretty substantial hit, losing Robles would leave it all but barren. Now, the Sox could still snag a decent Nationals prospect like RHP Erick Fedde or SS Carter Kieboom, but I would not expect for them to trade Robles.
2) The Worst Record In Baseball
Although the White Sox are going to be atrocious this year, there are a couple teams projected to have a worse record. USA Today Sports has the White Sox finishing at 68-94, good enough for the 3rd worst record in baseball. Meanwhile, the Reds, Twins, and Padres are all projected to have worse records, with the Braves, Brewers, and the A's only projected to be a couple games better that the White Sox. In short, there should be roughly 7 teams fighting to get that No. 1 overall pick, so it is not going to be as easy as some people may have reported.
1) The Rockies Being In A Pennant Race At The Trade Deadline
Out of the three dream scenarios for White Sox fans, this one has the most potential. As I stated earlier, the Rockies are probably a starting pitcher away from being a true contender. They are currently projected to finish .500 at 81-81 behind the Giants and Dodgers. To me, that seems a little low, even without the proper starting pitching. The high-octane offense in Colorado should carry the team for the majority of the season. If they can acquire Jose Quintana, they would at least get a wild card spot, and anything can happen once the playoffs begin.
Best Case Scenario
Alright, so we have our three dream scenarios that can happen for the White Sox this season. Now comes the fun part: making a future lineup. Right now, let's imagine all of these scenarios happen, (disclaimer, INCREDIBLY UNLIKELY) but hey, we can dream. A potential lineup might look something like this:
CF - Victor Robles
SS - Tim Anderson
2B - Yoan Moncada
DH - Jose Abreu
RF - Seth Beer
3B - Brendan Rodgers
1B - Free Agent/Zack Collins
C - Zack Collins/Free Agent
LF - Louis Alexander Basabe
Speed and power littered throughout the lineup,
four potential aces in the pitching staff, and a deep bullpen. Start saying your prayers, Sox fans. It isn't out of the question that this pipe dream could one day become a reality.
