Sox getting plaudits for moves
Team stars at winter meetings once again, but this time it’s for prospects Hahn acquired
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The White Sox always seem to win the winter meetings. They haven’t won much else since 2005, but whether they’ve added splashy pieces to contend or traded even bigger ones to begin a full rebuild, they always seem to leave the meetings in the back- slap line.
This time, after trading lefthander Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton, the acclaim came from prospect- analyst types, scouts, rival executives, media and fans alike. Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech and Reynaldo Lopez are names many ticket- buyers probably hadn’t heard of before this week, but their infusion into a thin farm system likely vaulted it from bottom- third to top- third status, if not higher.
Those four names dropped right- hander Carson Fulmer from first to fifth in MLB. com’s updated rankings of Sox prospects, and Luis Basabe and Dane Dunning, who also were acquired in the Sale and Eaton deals, are the new No. 9 and No. 10.
There are more trades to come and more prospects to welcome in, as well as another guaranteed losing season. But at least this one will come with the hope that enough of the young talent in the system will meld into a roster that’ll go more than 10 good players deep by 2019.
That chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is on board with letting general manager Rick Hahn go full throttle on a rebuild says a lot about the frustration he has felt during a dead- end period that has featured one playoff appearance since 2005.
‘‘ He’s been fully supportive of this from the start,’’ Hahn said. ‘‘ He’s as competitive as anybody in this building. He wants to bring another championship to Chicago as badly as all of us, if not more so. At the same time, he knows it’s going to take time and that it may be painful along the way.’’
Hahn isn’t exactly basking in the glow of having reeled in the toprated position prospect ( Moncada) and pitching prospect ( Giolito) in baseball.
‘‘ It’s a weird feeling,’’ he said Thursday, still trying to wrap his head around dealing Sale and Eaton.
But the dealing was far from done, with Hahn saying, ‘‘ We’re still thoroughly engaged, deeply engaged, on a number of different fronts,’’ with names such as closer David Robertson drawing interest after Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon came off the free- agent board.
‘‘ Perhaps now that the process has started in earnest, teams know, ‘ Now is the time to get serious and bear down on what’s on the table,’ ’’ Hahn said.
Exasperated fans seem reju- venated. They know the rebuilding will take time and seem to be more than OK with it. They’ve had enough of roster- patching.
‘‘ While it was difficult to see Chris and Adam leave, fans quickly became excited about the depth and quality of talent Rick was able to obtain in exchange,’’ Sox vice president for communications Scott Reifert said. ‘‘ Fans seem to understand our plan and direction, and most we heard from embraced it with enthusiasm.’’
NOTE: The Sox made a pick in the Rule 5 draft, taking 2010 first- round draft choice Dylan Covey from the Oakland Athletics. Covey, 25, must stay on the 25- man roster all season or be offered back to the A’s.
Covey was limited to six starts at Class AA last season because of an oblique injury. He went 2- 1 with a 1.84 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 29 innings.