As the MLB trade deadline nears (Aug. 1), eyes shift to the White Sox, and how a talent-loaded team -- on paper -- plans to position itself.
Will they stand pat and aim for an AL Central title? Or, will they sell some assets, reload and look to the future for a better shot at a successful playoff run?
Most, at this point, consider the White Sox sellers at the deadline. They are 14 games under .500 and 8.0 games out of first place in the division. Since starting the season 7-21, the White Sox are 30-30 from that point, struggling to make up for the games they lost early.
Luckily, they have a wide-ranging list of assets on their roster, valuable to contending teams around the league. ESPN suggests one of those teams chases Eloy Jiménez, a name not widely mentioned in trade rumors around the White Sox.
"The Brewers are among the lowest in OPS at first base and DH (they've started 10 different players there, who have a combined sub-.200 batting average)," David Schoenfield of ESPN wrote. "In theory, these should be the easiest positions to upgrade, but the sport is awash in bad-hitting first basemen and DHs these days. Still, they have to do better at DH, as the revolving-door approach is crushing them.
"Let's get creative. If the White Sox decide to go full-scale dump, how about Jimenez? He's not having his best season and has missed time again with injuries, but he does own a career OPS+ that hovers around 120 and his contract doesn't break the bank for the Brewers ($13 million next season with club options of $16.5 and $18.5 million). How about one of the young Brewers outfielders for Jimenez?"
If you're wondering, Schoenfield suggested the White Sox trade Lance Lynn, which almost feels like a no-brainer at this point, despite allowing no runs through 7.0 innings and striking out 11 on Thursday.
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Surprisingly, despite his overall suboptimal performance this season (6.03 ERA), USA Today's Bob Nightengale told NBC Sports Chicago's Chuck Garfien that opposing managers "love" Lynn. His market is apparently more robust than fans would imagine for the 36-year-old.
Back to the subject of Jiménez, his name hasn't readily popped up in trade deadline rumors for the White Sox.
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He's young (26) with an improving, healthier season. He's slashing a solid .279/.325/.484 from the plate. And assuming he plays the next two games on the Sox' slate, he'll have played more games this season than he did total during his second and third years in the league.
If it's not Jiménez, though, Nightengale also told NBC Sports Chicago he expects at least six players to be traded at the deadline, saying he would be "stunned" if they remained on the roster past Aug. 1.
"I think they move, you know, four or five or six guys," Nightengale said on NBC Sports Chicago's White Sox Talk podcast. "I mean, I think (Lucas) Giolito definitely goes, Lance Lynn goes, Mike Clevinger goes. And then the bullpen, you know, whether it's a Joe Kelly, Aaron Bummer, certainly Kendall Graveman."
