Looking At A Return For Chris Flexen At The Deadline

The White Sox will be holding a fire sale at the deadline and Chris Flexen will be one of the many players dealt before the July 30th deadline date. Now, the main question is what exactly the White Sox will be able to get in return.

When the White Sox signed Chris Flexen in the offseason, it was assumed that they would try and move him at the deadline, as he was signed on a one year deal. It came down to how well he would pitch coming off a down year, as he has pitched very well in the past.

So far, Flexen has been a pleasant surprise, especially as of late. Overall on the season, he has a 5.13 ERA over 15 starts (79 innings). He has 60 strikeouts and a 1.41 WHIP. While those aren't the most impressive stats, they are inflated after a few bad starts and he has been significantly better as of late.

Over his last seven starts, Flexen has a 4.67 ERA over 34.2 innings. This ERA is more indicative of how he has pitched, as after coming out of his stint in the bullpen, Flexen has given the White Sox a chance to win the game every outing.

A playoff team will find Flexen useful, whether as a starter at the back end of the rotation, or as a long reliever out of the bullpen. But, what would at team have to give up to acquire half a season of Flexen?

I think that the best template came last year when the Cardinals traded Jack Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles. While Flaherty may have had a better track record in his career than Flexen, there are a few similarities between them.

Flaherty, like Flexen has had some solid success in his career, and was coming off a season in which they weren't pitching like themselves. Now, in the year of the trade, like Flaherty, Flexen is pitching solid. At the time of the trade, Flaherty had a 4.43 ERA, which is better than Flexen at this point, but it can still lay the framework for a trade.

In the trade, the Cardinals received the 16th and the 18th ranked prospects from the Orioles, who have a very strong farm system. So, if you were to compare a deal like that for the White Sox, adjusting for the talent difference between Flaherty and Flexen, you can figure the value the White Sox could get.

From a team with a very good farm system, you could potentially get two of their top 25-30 guys, or maybe just one that ranks in the top 15. Depending on the positional value of the player they are targeting, it could be a player that is almost ready to play in the major leagues.

If the White Sox were able to acquire a young relief arm that is in the upper minors, that would be a win for the White Sox. While you shouldn't expect a big name prospect in the Flexen trade, they could get a top 30 guy or two from a solid farm system.