Aaron Cunningham Traded to Zona for IF Danny Richar

[Chet Lemon]

Sun-Times

Hitting .285 with 20 doubles, four triples, eight home runs and 46 RBI in 66 games with Class AAA Tucson, Richar will play second base for the Knights. It just so happens to be the same position as Tadahito Iguchi, who is in the walk year of his contract and is rumored to want to play somewhere warmer. He might not have to wait until 2008, with the July 31 trade deadline approaching and the Sox' season fading.

 

I never knew this about Iguchi and my respect for him will drop if it is true.

[Kalapse]

I never knew this about Iguchi and my respect for him will drop if it is true.

Why? He's going to get his last multi-year contract this offseason I don't see why he shouldn't be able to go to a city he really wants to play in.

[Gregory Pratt]

For the people worrying about Ozzie + rookies/prospects,

 

There's a big difference between having a player with the right attitude sucking and the wrong attitude sucking and taking care of them accordingly.

 

Also: there's a difference between a rebuilding year and a follow up to the World Series and how you baby development.

 

I'm sure Ozzie knows the difference and will put his murderous hatred for his players aside.

 

What I do know, however, is that Ozzie gives his backups more playing time than anyone in baseball, and there's nothing wrong with keeping them so sharp. But let's not confuse that with bad managing.

[southsideirish71]

I never knew this about Iguchi and my respect for him will drop if it is true.

 

We picked up Gooch for a cheap price due to a previous flop on an infield based Japanese player for the Mets. I remember at soxfest when people were asking about Gooch, it was our team and the BoSox that were considered destinations for him. So just like Dye, he was had for a decent price and didnt break the bank.

 

Gooch is in his walk year, he is not young. So his next contract should set him up a bit and give him some of the benefits such as weather that he wants.

[Gregory Pratt]

Iguchi was making crazy high demands at first and that turned off a ton of teams and then he wound up outbargaining himself and wound up here.

[Chisoxfn]

I'm sure I don't have to remind you baseball sages about this, but, I will anyway.

 

Many times, clubs are very, very hesitant to trade for A-ball talent. The reason: more times than not the team trading the A-baller has discovered some type of development they are very concerned about and hope to deal the problem away before opposing scouts catch wind of what is really going on.

 

If you were to ask scouts from around the league, each and every one would express their hesitation to trade for such young A-ball talent.

 

That said, most clubs are not exactly thrilled with trading for someone much older than the average age of the league he is in anyway.

 

Pick your poison. Like I said, to me, this is nothing to look twice at.

Here...put it this way, the guy is top 6 in the Sox system and the other guy is around 20-25 in the Dback system (Cunningham is based on right now, while Richar's is based on the pre-season and he definately didn't slip).

 

Now you have to factor that the Dbacks system is one of, if not the, deepest and strongest in all of baseball while the Sox system is middle of the pack (maybe slightly below, simply because there are absolutely zero "HIGH CEILING" prospects anywhere near the majors with De Los Santos the only potential high ceiling guy I can think of right now and I'm not factoring in current year draft picks). That means you can move Cunningham as being a borderline top 10-14 guy in the Dback system.

 

Next you factor in that A ball players typically are devalued a bit (addy brought this up) in terms of there overall trade value while a guy in AAA typically can be devalued a bit but in this guys case he still had a bit more value being in AAA as opposed to the guy in A ball so again that evens things out.

 

Kenny is taking a bigger risk, however, you could get close to calling it a wash when you factor in the absolute lack of middle infield talent in the system. But based on what I was reading by comments from Ozzie/Kenny I was reading this is a move for minor league depth and to give them a body to play down in AAA and that doesn't seem to good.

 

IF your concerned about guys down there, just freaking sign some scrub, don't trade for it. I still say at least the Sox are getting a high upside guy and because of it I can't slam the move, can't rave about it either.

[RockRaines]

So we are sacrificing gooch to resign Buehrle

[Balta1701]

So we are sacrificing gooch to resign Buehrle

If we could find a way to move the salary of either Contreras or Vazquez to open a rotation spot and get another piece somewhere in the field in exchange for them, that's actually starting to seem like a pretty good idea.

[RockRaines]

If we could find a way to move the salary of either Contreras or Vazquez to open a rotation spot and get another piece somewhere in the field in exchange for them, that's actually starting to seem like a pretty good idea.

I think they are going to take a look at Floyd with how he has been pitching lately. I bet we move Gooch so we can get value for him, or we hold on to him for picks and just take the money saved by using a prospect and plug it into Buehrles deal.

[southsideirish]

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jun 17, 2007 -> 02:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If we could find a way to move the salary of either Contreras or Vazquez to open a rotation spot and get another piece somewhere in the field in exchange for them, that's actually starting to seem like a pretty good idea.

 

I would love that idea. Damn that would be awesome.

[klaus kinski]

Maybe if we drafted an occasional position player, we wouldnt have to give up one of the promising ones we do have.

[BearSox]

I never knew this about Iguchi and my respect for him will drop if it is true.

actually, for someone like me who would be sad to see Iguchi go (mainly because of 05), this makes it easier.

 

 

I really want 2B Matt Antonelli from the San Diego organization. He has been raking in AA, and could be ready as soon as this september.

[Guest]

QUOTE(southsideirish @ Jun 16, 2007 -> 03:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The dude sounds like he has a ton of upside. A 4 or 5 tool player in the middle infield? Sounds good to me. Why would the Diamondbacks want another OF prospect? It seems like they have a lot. Then again it seems like they have a lot of middle infielders that they converted to OFers, so I don't know.

 

maybe they noticed the white sox can't figure out their crap OF prospects (joe borchard, brian anderson, jerry owens, ect.) from their good ones (cunnigham, young, ect.) so they wanted to rip the white sox off just like they did last time.

 

we can hype this SS up all day but i've heard all the hype in the world with borchard, mccarthy, ect. that's why they call chicago the windy city because chicagoans talk up their young prospects like they're the next coming when in reality they flop time and again.

[SoxFan1]

maybe they noticed the white sox can't figure out their crap OF prospects (joe borchard, brian anderson, jerry owens, ect.) from their good ones (cunnigham, young, ect.) so they wanted to rip the white sox off just like they did last time.

 

we can hype this SS up all day but i've heard all the hype in the world with borchard, mccarthy, ect. that's why they call chicago the windy city because chicagoans talk up their young prospects like they're the next coming when in reality they flop time and again.

Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordonez turned out alright. Please, quit the nonsense. This is the nature of the game and the nature of prospects. Every team has more players flop than those that turn out to be good.

 

Cunningham hasn't played a major league game yet and your marking him down as one of the good ones. Young hasn't played a full season yet and he's another. Give me a break. I'm sure the DBacks are thrilled with Carlos Quentin's .210 average or maybe the Devil Rays love Elijah Dukes' .192 BA?

Edited June 17, 2007 by SoxFan1

[Guest]

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 17, 2007 -> 04:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordonez turned out alright. Please, quit the nonsense. This is the nature of the game and the nature of prospects. Every team has more players flop than those that turn out to be good.

 

yeah but when other teams' hype their prospects (Indians, A's, Twins, ect.) it's because those prospects actually deserve hype. the same can't be said for the insane amount of hype Brandon McCarthy got for one example. lee, o wee o...can you go back any further into time? both those players are over 30 now and long gone. it seems we have ZERO up and coming young players who can actually produce. i know part of the reason for our young players sucking this season is because the old players on the team don't give a crap because they are grossly overpaid and that rubs off but it's been YEARS since the white sox actually had some quality talent come through their system and we're paying the piper for it now.

[SoxFan1]

yeah but when other teams' hype their prospects (Indians, A's, Twins, ect.) it's because those prospects actually deserve hype. the same can't be said for the insane amount of hype Brandon McCarthy got for one example. lee, o wee o...can you go back any further into time? both those players are over 30 now and long gone. it seems we have ZERO up and coming young players who can actually produce. i know part of the reason for our young players sucking this season is because the old players on the team don't give a crap because they are grossly overpaid and that rubs off but it's been YEARS since the white sox actually had some quality talent come through their system and we're paying the piper for it now.

Carlos Quentin: .210 BA

Elijah Dukes: .192 BA

Jeremy Hermida: .221 BA

Andy Marte: .180 BA (sent back down)

Alex Gordon: .210 BA

[The Beast]

I thought Willie Harris was supposed to be the next Ray Durham when we got him.

We should have just kept Ray-Ray because he was exciting to watch and IMO, is still better than Iguchi. But maybe the times have changed.

 

Speaking of which, can you see KW trading Iguchi to Anaheim or Seattle since he wants to play somewhere warmer? (Possibly closer to home?)

Edited June 17, 2007 by Beastly

[BearSox]

Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordonez turned out alright. Please, quit the nonsense. This is the nature of the game and the nature of prospects. Every team has more players flop than those that turn out to be good.

Well, to be fair, neither Lee or Ordonez were brought in here in the KW reign as GM.

[GreenSox]

What is the love affair with Arizona infielders? First Cintron and now Richar I just do not see it!

Let's hope this guy is a legitimate 2b prospect and not yet another hacker who hits in the image of ozzie guillen.

[Gregory Pratt]

I think they are going to take a look at Floyd with how he has been pitching lately. I bet we move Gooch so we can get value for him, or we hold on to him for picks and just take the money saved by using a prospect and plug it into Buehrles deal.

 

Oh, gross.

 

--

 

This all goes back to Billingsley for Dye. I'd do that straight up. Makes it a lot easier to deal another starter and keep Buehrle and sign an OFer, too, preferably a good one (Ichiro, who pays for himself). We deal another starter for a hot prospect (Milledge?) and there you go. Re-stocked.

 

A lot of guys have to go, though. Not just because it frees up money but because this team needs to be rebuilt.

[Balta1701]

Oh, gross.

Floyd has been doing very well in AAA ball for the last month or so since coming back from some blister problems.

[Gregory Pratt]

Floyd has been doing very well in AAA ball for the last month or so since coming back from some blister problems.

 

I don't care. I wouldn't care if he threw ten shutouts in a row, which he won't. I don't expect him to do anything at the Major League level and his AAA stats don't impress me much like I'm not impressed by, oh, Anderson or Aardsma or Fields or Getz or Rogo in AAA. It's not a good league and besides, it's AAA, not the ML. I'm sure Floyd would get ripped unless he were facing the White Sox.

 

Don't take it to mean that I completely and absolutely discount stats in AAA. Of course not. If they bring up Floyd, I'm all for it. I'd rather he bomb out this year than next, when something might matter. I'm all for bringing up our other players, too. Whoever they want to bring up, bring them up this year, fine, but I'll wait and see what happens, and in a lot of our system's cases -- especially in Floyd's -- I don't expect it to be good.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Gregory Pratt

[Chisoxfn]

maybe they noticed the white sox can't figure out their crap OF prospects (joe borchard, brian anderson, jerry owens, ect.) from their good ones (cunnigham, young, ect.) so they wanted to rip the white sox off just like they did last time.

 

we can hype this SS up all day but i've heard all the hype in the world with borchard, mccarthy, ect. that's why they call chicago the windy city because chicagoans talk up their young prospects like they're the next coming when in reality they flop time and again.

I Think that used to be the case but now I really think they under-value some to most of there prospects. That said, it is a fact that this team has little to nothing when it comes to high upside high impact prospects. Kenny made changes this year and you could flat out tell that they are getting a little more agressive to find higher impact guys (taking power arms with the hope of developing and honing the secondary stuff).

 

We should have just kept Ray-Ray because he was exciting to watch and IMO, is still better than Iguchi. But maybe the times have changed.

 

Speaking of which, can you see KW trading Iguchi to Anaheim or Seattle since he wants to play somewhere warmer? (Possibly closer to home?)

Anaheim has a zillion various middle infielders so that would be a no (Aybar, Kendrick, Wood, Figgins, Cabrera, etc).

[BHAMBARONS]

That's what I'm worried about with him, which was why I thought the trade was a little suprising.

 

Anything else you can tell us about him BHAM (since you're really the only one who's seen him play), in terms of will he ever be starting second baseman in the majors?

 

 

Well from what I saw of him 30 games he is a guy who has potential. He was a MUCH better hitter at Tucson Electric than on the road I believe the split is 60 points. Sometimes his attitude is called into question with some times appearing that he doesn't have his head in the game with stupid defensive mistakes, taking ridiculous looking swings, and getting picked off.

 

He is his best when he is hitting the ball on the ground or hitting line drives (7 of his 8 HR's were liners). It is when he takes those huge uppercut swings, trying to hit those homers that get him in trouble. He needs to keep it simple if he does, he could be a huge impact player in the majors.

[Chisoxfn]

Oh, gross.

 

--

 

This all goes back to Billingsley for Dye. I'd do that straight up. Makes it a lot easier to deal another starter and keep Buehrle and sign an OFer, too, preferably a good one (Ichiro, who pays for himself). We deal another starter for a hot prospect (Milledge?) and there you go. Re-stocked.

 

A lot of guys have to go, though. Not just because it frees up money but because this team needs to be rebuilt.

The Sox absolutely have to get a very good young outfield prospect or two depending on the trades that are made (I also think another middle infield prospect or two is a must as well). In Dye's case I'd take one good outfield or middle infield prospect plus a top notch starting pitching prospect (Billingsley clearly fits the bill and because of how good he was I may be willing to give some lee-way in terms of the other prospect, however, Dye should command a good package, especially if he could heat up....plus you know the Pads will be interested as well).