Will Avi stay or will he go?
Sox will have to decide if they want to cash in on Garcia’s hot start
The White Sox wrapped up their draft with a mix of power, speed and pitching depth Wednesday. Now, let the trade winds blow. The next six weeks could shape the next six years or more on the South Side. The completion of the draft means front offices across the majors can shift their focus to scouting big- league talent ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.
It’s no secret the rebuilding Sox are willing to deal with contenders if the price is right. David Robertson, Todd Frazier, Derek Holland and Tommy Kahnle could yield more prospects for the Sox to stockpile.
Meanwhile, general manager Rick Hahn will listen to offers for lefthander Jose Quintana, but his asking price is steep.
Manager Rick Renteria knows his roster could look different in the coming weeks. He spoke in the dugout before the Sox lost 10- 6 to the Orioles in a game that was delayed 90 minutes because of rain.
The Sox ( 28- 36) squandered an early 5- 1 lead. Matt Davidson belted his 13th home run, and pinch hitter Alen Hanson hit his first career homer, but Miguel Gonzalez allowed eight earned runs in five innings.
“All of us know that we’re on the same page in terms of the direction that the organization is going in,” Renteria said. “The biggest thing for all of us to do is just to be honest with our assessments and make sure that we do have a clear vision as to how we’re moving forward. I think we certainly do.”
If asked, Renteria is comfortable sharing his assessments with the Sox’ front office.
“I don’t mind being consulted,” he said. “Obviously, we’re all here on the field and watching our guys perform and see what they do. . . .
“They have been very open since I signed on, so I’m not concerned about being consulted or spoken to in terms of what’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen. We’re all thinking in the same direction.”
That direction could be tested when it comes to the future of right fielder Avisail Garcia, who went 3- for- 5. Is Garcia part of the future core? Or should the Sox consider cashing in on his hot start?
Garcia is in the American League’s top five in batting average (. 339) and RBI ( 48). His .556 slugging percentage and .378 on- base percentage lead the Sox.
The numbers are a far cry from Garcia’s first five seasons, which were plagued by injuries and inconsistency. This year, he’s a top candidate for the All- Star Game.
“I would say that as you’ve seen him perform right now, you would think, yeah, this is a kid that’s poten- tially one of the guys that’s a piece of the puzzle,” Renteria said. “He’s [ 26] years old. He’s still young enough.
“The beauty of it, and I guess it’s just baseball, he’s been kind of chipping away at who he is. This is seemingly a breakout year, so you’re hoping that this continues through the season. And then you have to make a determination as to whether you think this is who he is, based on one season, or are there some other pieces of his development in terms of the past. Is he somewhere in between? Those are obviously good questions to ask, and those are things that we’re going to have to think about to make a determination.
“But, certainly, based on what he’s doing right now, he sure does look like a piece of the future.”
For his part, Garcia is happy with his role on the Sox.
“Everybody is together,” Garcia said. “We’re fighting every day and being positive. We keep working.”
Before too long, some of them could be working elsewhere.