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a position of strength

Over the past two years, Kenny Williams's trades have been made to insure the team would not be caught short in the starting rotation.  Part of that, I believe, was because he was pessimistic about keeping Mark Buehrle beyond this season.  With today's signing, though, the White Sox now have a giant stockpile of potential 2008 starters under team control, including all five rotation mainstays from this year.  Let's take a look at what this includes, and what it may mean going forward.

Star-divide

  1. Mark Buehrle.  A horse, eats innings like Greg Luzinski ate sausage.  Aside from the second-half collapse last year he has been among the most durable and consistent pitchers of the 21st century.  Given the terms of his contract, he's clearly sticking around for a while.
  2. Jon Garland.  Not as consistent (see his last start), but also a durable innings-eater who has been very effective at the Cell.  Garland's won a lot of games the past three seasons, which can't hurt his trade value...or the Sox' place in the standings if they keep him.
  3. Javy Vazquez.  Gives up a bunch of homers and isn't always efficient enough with his pitchers to go deep in games.  That said, he also strikes out a bunch and when he's on (like today) he is impressive.
  4. Jose Contreras.  Seems to either be hurt or aging since last year's All-Star break, yet he's under a reasonable contract, shows flashes of effectiveness and has a big-game reputation that could enhance his trade value.  I think most of us here would support trading him given the team's other options.
  5. John Danks.  Has had the ups and downs typical of a rookie starter, but looks like he will be an asset going forward.  
Then there are the prospects and relievers who could step in.
  1. Nick Masset.  I don't want to see him in the Sox rotation anytime soon given his ratios, but the organization seems open to trying him there in the future should the situation dictate it.  
  2. Gavin Floyd.  Didn't do much in his start this week, but his production at Charlotte this year is encouraging.  The idea of Floyd harnessing his stuff to become an effective starter is more plausible than it was in March.
  3. Gio Gonzalez.  Homer-prone, but strikes out a bunch with his wicked curve.  Could join Buehrle and Danks as early as next spring to give the Sox three above-average lefty starters for the next few years.
  4. Andy Sisco.  It remains to be seen if Sisco will find a way to be effective with his stuff, but the potential has always been there.
  5. Charlie Haeger.  His numbers haven't been as good this year, but the knuckler is still a good bet to be a useful major-league innings eater next season.
That's just the ten most likely pitchers to wind up starting major league games next year.  Add Lance Broadway, Jack Egbert, Adam Russell, and Heath Phillips, and you have more than a dozen pitchers who could at least reasonably be imagined to start a game next year.  I'd be comfortable with any save Masset and Sisco in next year's rotation, and would guess no fewer than three of this year's rotation will return.

Kenny Williams vowed after the 2004 5th-starter debacle to never be caught without enough starting pitching, and Despite the implosion of the rest of the team, the solid starting gives the Sox two advantages.  The rotation is a source of stability from spots 1-5, which few teams in baseball can say.  Because the team's strength is a weakness for others, Williams can now package one or more pitchers to shore up the offense.  Thank God, because this offense needs help -- an outfielder or two, and one or both of the keystone combo who can actually get on base.  That's a lot of holes, but all could be filled via trade.

Now that Buehrle is secure as the rotation anchor, what deals that could help the Sox seem possible now?  The first one that comes to mind is Contreras for Lastings Milledge, who would help the OBP and might even be good for that top-of-the-order speed Ozzie craves.  Given how many contenders could use a starter right now, what other deals now seem like a good idea?

Poll
Which pitcher(s) will be traded between now and next April?
Jon Garland
6 votes
Javy Vazquez
5 votes
Jose Contreras
30 votes
John Danks
1 votes
Nick Masset
0 votes
Gavin Floyd
0 votes
Gio Gonzalez
0 votes
Charlie Haeger
1 votes
Andy Sisco
1 votes

44 votes | Poll has closed

SouthSideSox is a community driven site. As such, users are able to express their thoughts and opinions in a FanPost, such as this one, which represents the views of this particular fan, but not necessarily the entire community or SouthSideSox editors.

0 recs  |  Comment 14 comments

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ignoring the cost to trade for them
Kemp, hands down.

He outperformed Milledge last year and has been bery impressive so far this year

by jeeves on Jul 8, 2007 8:22 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

bery, bery impressive in fact
so impressive that I can't type very

by jeeves on Jul 8, 2007 8:23 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

kemp
but i'd take adam jones, too.
Yeaaah. I'm gonna need you to go ahead and provide me with an official press release on that. OK? Great.

by larry on Jul 8, 2007 9:57 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Another guy I'm looking at...
Carlos Quentin.  Just sent down by the D'Backs, he's struggled this season but still has some great minor league numbers.  Byrnes doesn't strike me as the type of guy who would trade away his prospects.  I'd offer Dye and McColloch/Broadway -- Dye should still fetch two draft picks at the end of the season so maybe Byrnes would look at that along with the potential bounceback second half from JD.

by CWSKeith on Jul 8, 2007 10:02 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

yeah
i'd take him, too. think you're right about byrnes - not sure he would part with quentin just yet. but the Dbacks have decent depth in their outfield, IIRC, so that could be a place to trawl a little.
Yeaaah. I'm gonna need you to go ahead and provide me with an official press release on that. OK? Great.

by larry on Jul 8, 2007 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

I think we're stuck with Dye at this point.
He's got, what, 3 weeks to turn into something work something more than two top 90 picks.  I'm pretty sure I want the picks at this point.  I don't think anyone else is going to be above league average.  Compiling top picks will probably go a long way towards ensuring we get a top notch contributor via the draft.

by colintj on Jul 9, 2007 4:25 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Milledge
IIRC, kemp can't hit off speed pitches.
Go Badgers!

by shaftr on Jul 8, 2007 10:18 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Good post
This is a good post.  Now how 'bout trading for some decent position players...

by madvillian on Jul 8, 2007 7:09 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Can't trade anyone right now
Contreras and Dye are the most likely candidates, and they're playing like crap right now.  

Keep your fingers crossed that both can get insanely hot between now and 7/31, I can't see any major trades happening before the deadline now that MB's signed.

by ChicagoPete on Jul 8, 2007 9:36 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

i think the opposite
some desperate GM will come knocking for a starter. they'll be in heat for matt morris; but once he gets traded (or is otherwise taken off the market), KW will be right back to the top of the speed dial.
Yeaaah. I'm gonna need you to go ahead and provide me with an official press release on that. OK? Great.

by larry on Jul 8, 2007 9:46 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

and speaking of dye
is everyone buying this "flu-like symptoms" explanation? seems like a convenient time for a player who had a nagging injury and played a doubleheader to get five days off without causing a stir. and with the usual press guys worried about MB and otherwise depleted due to a holiday weekend and all-star break, the hounds weren't sniffing as hard. just saying, maybe there was a guy on the grassy knoll.
Yeaaah. I'm gonna need you to go ahead and provide me with an official press release on that. OK? Great.

by larry on Jul 8, 2007 9:55 PM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

I for one
am cautiously optimisitic about Sisco as a starter. The overall point of this post is very true. Starting pitching and its value is what its going to take to fill the holes and quick.

On another note at this point I would not be opposed to letting go some of that talent now for a Devil Ray outfielder.

"Find out what you are doing wrong and STOP doing that."

by Tdogg on Jul 8, 2007 9:44 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

I'm sorry to have to disagree with your analysis.
I don't have confidence in any of these new guys being successful in 2008 for the Sox rotation.

I would say Gio would probably have the best chance but I would bet against him producing good results next year.

I just don't see what there is to get excited about. If these guys were to come through as hoped they wouldn't be more than 4th or 5th starters anyway.

Gio or Egbert might become better but not next year.

by White Sox Randy on Jul 9, 2007 7:33 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

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