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With the Winter Meetings just around the corner, we're entering prime rosterbating time. There are a few things all White Sox fans seem to be in agreement about: third base is a hole that needs fixing and Gavin Floyd is the most likely starter to be sent to another city. But for whatever reason, there is a group of people that seem to insist Floyd needs to be turned into a catcher. And the name that keeps coming up is that of J.P. Arencibia.
To which I can only reply "Why?".
Seriously though. If you're in the re-sign A.J. Pierzynski camp, that is fine and I understand your reasoning. I don't agree with it, but I understand it and think that it's sensible. If you're like me and think it's finally time to give Tyler Flowers a legitimate shot at becoming the starting catcher, good for you. You have a fine head on your shoulders and should maybe think about writing. But the idea of trading for Arencibia is simply dumb.
He would be the very definition of redundant on this roster. Let me describe a catcher for you: he's right-handed, has a career .222 batting average, strikes out 28.2% of the time he comes up to bat, and has good power but only a career .305 wOBA. Was I describing Tyler Flowers or J.P. Arencibia? If you guessed Flowers, you're wrong.
They are incredibly similar hitters, though Flowers strikes out a bit more but draws more walks as well. He's also better defensively. And will be cheaper and under team control for one more year than Arencibia. And doesn't require wasting a valuable trade chit to obtain him.
It's okay to dream big about who Rick Hahn could get in a deal for Gavin Floyd, but dream a little bigger or at least a little less closely to what we already have.