TRADING DAY
Eaton the latest to go as team continues to stockpile prospects
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Granted, Rick Hahn is 0- for- 4 in producing winning teams during his tenure as the White Sox’ general manager.
And he might be feeling fortunate to still be holding the reins as he manages a new direction for the front office. But, to his credit, Hahn is the one who negotiated team- friendly contracts for Chris Sale, Adam Eaton and Jose Quintana, deals that are allowing the Sox to at least have the wherewithal to trade them for valuable returns.
In each case, those players signed before they reached free agency for financial security even if they are underpaid now by market standards. Sale has three more years, Quintana four and Eaton five.
Sale was traded Tuesday to the Red Sox, and Eaton was dealt Wednesday to the Nationals, whose GM, Mike Rizzo, harped on Eaton’s contract as a big reason why he dealt three top prospects for him.
“[ Eaton] had perhaps a little more appeal than maybe some free- agent options given their price points or some other players on the market because of their length of control relative to Adam,’’ Hahn said. “But that also means he came with a higher asking price than perhaps some other targets from clubs.’’
Knowing the trades pointed to the organization’s failure to win with those players admittedly tempered Hahn’s excitement. Fan reaction, however, seems to be highly in favor of the rebuilding option the Sox have chosen.
Future Sox
Here is where the seven prospects acquired for Sale and Eaton likely will begin the 2017 season, according to Hahn: at Class AAA Charlotte — infielder Yoan Moncada, right- handers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez; at Class high A WinstonSalem or Class AA Birmingham — right- hander Michael Kopech; at Winston- Salem — outfielder Luis Basabe and right- handers Victor Diaz and Dane Dunning.
First impression
Manager Rick Renteria’s first look at Moncada, the top- ranked prospect in baseball, reminded him of Robinson Cano. On Moncada’s nine consecutive strikeouts during his brief major- league stint in 2016: “[ Pitchers] were finishing him off underneath the hands down and in. He’s a 21- year- old man who has not seen that type of bite coming from pitchers, and it’s probably changing the lane in which he’s looking for that particular type of slider where he’s got to get it out and away.
“He also has shown discipline. He walks.’’
“This is the best baseball in the world, and you’re going to face the best of the best,’’ Moncada said. “You have to be open to get some advice and to apply it. That was the most important thing that I learned in my time in the majors.’’
Aiming high
Kopech, whose 100 mph fastball, tall frame and long blond hair remind some of Noah Syndergaard: “I don’t want that to be my ceiling, no disrespect to him. I want to kind of set my own limits.’’