Sox Acquire Carlos Quentin for Chris Carter; DFA Heath Phillips

[Heads22]

You know, I'm liking what's happening this offseason so far. Find a taker for Uribe, get me a leadoff CF, find me another SP, and another RP, and I'll be good to go.

[NorthSideSox72]

I officially hate both of you then

Owens > Bonds

 

 

since its hard to hit when you're in jail.

 

 

[CWSGuy406]

Is it worth noting that his BABIP was insanely high during a large portion of his second callup? And despite the fact that he was hitting .340 for September he still couldn't hit a double to save his life and STILL couldn't crack a .400 OBP? Do we really need to throw the same numbers around for the 100th time? I don't think Owens is a very good baseball player, certainly not the starting CF and top PA earner on a championship team. You feel differently, somehow I doubt our opinions will change much before the start of the '08 season.

 

No, you're looking at it all wrong. You're supposed to look at the month in which Owens needed a .407 BAPIP to post a superb, fantastic and utterly out-of-this-world .767 OPS and project that to a good leadoff man. Speed never slumps, silly -- OBP and power do, however.

[Harry Chappas]

Balta, I don't think anyone here other than you and I seem to think Owens can be a successful major league leadoff hitter. I think he's likely to be .340-.350 OBP with 50+ SB at an 80%+ success rate if given the chance. But I'm in the minority.

 

You are correct but not for a team trying to win it all. They do not have the luxury of seeing what he can do and hope it pans out. A team like the Pirates or Marlins could take this chance but I do not think the White Sox can.

[iamshack]

Is it worth noting that his BABIP was insanely high during a large portion of his second callup?

 

Is this not directly related to his speed?

[Balta1701]

Owens, LH, CF

Cabrera, RH, SS

Thome, LH, DH

Konerko, RH, 1b

Dye, RH, RF

Fields, RH, 3b

Pierzynski, LH, C

Quentin, RH, LF

Richar, LH, 2b

 

So, by my count, I see 4 Lefties in our standard lineup, sets us up pretty well that way. With Uribe and Ozuna and Bourgeois on the bench, and room for 1 more guy, that gives us the ability to work some decent platoons involving Owens and Richar if we really want. And if you're looking at a guy like Quentin at the bottom of your order, you're talking about a very very balanced attack, esp. if Richar could put up that .750 OPS he put up in September for a full year. And that lineup should get 200 home runs out of it even with Owens at the top spot.

[maggsmaggs]

'04 Scouting Report

 

Everything about Quentin’s game screams prototypical right fielder, as his tools grade out average or above across the board. He’s a strong yet graceful athlete with good bat speed and a smooth swing. He makes excellent contact with power to all fields, and projects as a .280-.300 hitter with 25-plus home run power. He has a mature approach at the plate and recognizes which pitches he can drive. An excellent defender, Quentin gets good jumps and has above-average range. His accurate arm already bounced back to a tick above average just 18 months removed from surgery. He displays tremendous baseball instincts, and Arizona loves his leadership and his bulldog mentality, which was made clear at Stanford when he played his entire junior season with the injured elbow.

 

[YASNY]

Balta, I don't think anyone here other than you and I seem to think Owens can be a successful major league leadoff hitter. I think he's likely to be .340-.350 OBP with 50+ SB at an 80%+ success rate if given the chance. But I'm in the minority.

 

I'm not one of those guys that writes a rookie off after 5 ABs and I certainly haven't written off Owens. Can he be a successful big leaguer? I don't know. But I'm not saying he can't be, yet.

[striker]

I love this deal. We actually have a good mix of youth and veterans now.

 

I'm fine with Owens proving himself in Spring Training and if he falters then make a move then. No use in rushing into a move now.

 

I'm curious to see what we could get for Crede or if KW suprises everyone by getting rid of Fields and Crede and getting Cabrera.

 

CF Owens

SS O. Cabrera

3B M. Cabrera *

DH Thome

1B Kornerko

RF Dye

CA Pierzynski

LF Quentin

2B Richar

 

*Fields, Sweeney and Egbert to Florida

 

That is a pretty sweet lineup.

[maggsmaggs]

Great trade for the Sox, brings everything we don't have on this team.

[fathom]

I like the trade, but if this is it...oh boy. However, if we go out and get a CF (hopefully not Crisp), I'd love this deal.

[Heads22]

'04 Scouting Report

 

 

GRINDER

 

 

Seems like he could be an eventual replacement for Dye.

[witesoxfan]

Owens > Bonds

since its hard to hit when you're in jail.

 

 

Bonds will be hitting. He just won't be hitting baseballs. He will be hitting that...you know, I'm just going to go ahead and stop before we all get a picture of Bonds doing deeds we don't want to see.

 

He's still looks cool in a Sox uni though.

[maggsmaggs]

I like the trade, but if this is it...oh boy. However, if we go out and get a CF (hopefully not Crisp), I'd love this deal.

Still got time, but its a great start, but your right we need one OF.

[Balta1701]

I'm curious to see what we could get for Crede or if KW suprises everyone by getting rid of Fields and Crede and getting Cabrera.

 

*Fields, Sweeney and Egbert to Florida

When did KW become that good at hypnosis?

 

Actually, you know, I might ask the same thing about how he pulled off Quentin for Carter.

 

Let's put it this way...there is no way on God's green earth we'd get Cabrera from Florida without giving up Quentin. But Quentin might be one of the high-enough ceiling type guys that could get Florida's interest, if that was our real goal.

[CWSGuy406]

Here's a quote from a D'Backs fan about Quentin's struggles last season at the plate. Shield your eyes, SSI71:

 

He had a poor approach at the plate and couldn't lay off sliders low and away. Last year he couldn't even hit fastballs right down the middle, either. He's swinging for the fences. The injury played a part, sure, but he didn't ever make adjustments. He's a helluva defender, though.

[Dick Allen]

Is it even worth noting again that Owens's OBP was actually approaching respectable for a leadoff hitter during his second callup, and his patience in the big leagues improved each month he was up?

It would be worth noting if it were true. But his July was a.333 OBP and he followed it up in August with a .302 OBP. If anything, unless Quentin is going to be part of a deal for Cabrera, this almost guarantees Owens isn't starting.

[daa84]

from BA's top 10 D backs prospects in 05 when quentin was #3 behind upton, and conor jackson

Background: Quentin’s pro debut was delayed by Tommy John surgery after he was drafted in 2003, but he has made up for lost time. He has batted .316 with 42 homers in two pro seasons.

 

Strengths:

Quentin is a classic corner outfielder with above-average hitting skills, plate discipline and power. Despite his plate-crowding tactics—he leads the minors with 72 hit by pitches in the last two years—he can cheat on inside pitches and crush them as easily as he takes outside pitches to the opposite field. His instincts make him a plus baserunner and have enabled him to get by in center field when he moved there in July. His arm hasn’t regained its pre-surgery strength but is solid for right field.

 

 

Weaknesses:

Quentin’s effort in center field was universally praised, but he just doesn’t cover enough ground to play there on a regular basis. His pure speed is average at best.

 

 

The Future:

Luis Gonzalez, Shawn Green and Chad Tracy are blocking Quentin on Arizona’s outfield corners, but he has nothing left to prove in Triple-A. He could begin his big league career in center and move to right down the road.

from the corresponding chat...

Q: David from Memphis asks:

Kevin - love these chats. can you comment on the '06 outlook for Carlos Quentin? what can we expect from him and how does he compare to other elite RF prospects like Delmon, Hermida and Francouer? Thanks.

A:

 

Kevin Goldstein: I don't think Quentin has the ceiling of those three, but he's such a good BASEBALL PLAYER that it's hard to see him as anything but a very good corner outfieler. As I wrote last year, his greatest strength is that he has no weaknesses.

 

from BA's top 10 Dbacks spects in 05 when he was #1

 

Background: Quentin had a storied amateur career. As a three-sport star at University of San Diego High -- also Mark Prior's alma mater -- he set school records for homers and RBIs; was his league's defensive player of the year in football; and was a member of a state champion basketball team. He hit a three-run homer in his first career at-bat at Stanford, where he was the Pacific-10 Conference freshman of the year in 2001 and an all-league selection in each of his three seasons. He led the Cardinal to a final four appearance at the College World Series each year. Though they knew impending Tommy John surgery would delay his pro debut until the following season, the Diamondbacks grabbed Quentin with the second of their two first-round picks in 2003 and signed him for $1.1 million. He was initially rusty when he returned to the diamond, hitting just .150 in his first 10 games at high Class A Lancaster. He hit .350 the rest of the year, which included a midseason promotion to Double-A El Paso. Quentin finished fifth in the minors with a .435 on-base percentage and set what is believed to be a minor league record by getting hit by 43 pitches.

 

Strengths: Everything about Quentin’s game screams prototypical right fielder, as his tools grade out average or above across the board. He’s a strong yet graceful athlete with good bat speed and a smooth swing. He makes excellent contact with power to all fields, and projects as a .280-.300 hitter with 25-plus home run power. He has a mature approach at the plate and recognizes which pitches he can drive. An excellent defender, Quentin gets good jumps and has above-average range. His accurate arm already bounced back to a tick above average just 18 months removed from surgery. He displays tremendous baseball instincts, and Arizona loves his leadership and his bulldog mentality, which was made clear at Stanford when he played his entire junior season with the injured elbow.

 

Weaknesses: Quentin’s biggest strength is his lack of any glaring weakness. He sets up on top of the plate and his swing brings much of his torso over the plate, which is why he gets plunked so often. Some scouts think this will make him susceptible to getting busted inside with good fastballs, but he has yet to have that problem. He could become more patient at the plate, but his aggressive approach has done wonders so far. He hit lefthanders well in his pro debut, but rarely for power, and can be susceptible to outside breaking balls. Both of his minor league stops were hitter-friendly environments, so his 2004 numbers may be inflated.

 

The Future: The Diamondbacks believe Quentin could succeed in the majors right now, but they'll probably play it safe and start him at Triple-A Tucson in 2005. If Luis Gonzalez can’t return from his own Tommy John surgery by Opening Day, Arizona fans might get an early preview of Quentin’s skills. He's almost assured of making his major league debut in 2005 and assuming a starting job in 2006.

[RudyLawRules]

Appears the Dbacks were considering Quentin a possible chip in the Santana sweepstakes.

 

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/103265

 

The D-Backs’ primary trade chips are right fielders Carlos Quentin and Carlos Gonzalez, who also played some center field at Double-A Mobile last season and is considered their best minor league prospect.

 

It’s not that the D-Backs have grown weary of Quentin, nor are they uncertain of Gonzalez’s future. More than one front-office type believes both will be quality major league players.

 

It is just that right field appears closed following the promotion of 20-year old Justin Upton, and the D-Backs have shown an aptitude for trading from surplus to address a perceived area of need.

[Balta1701]

Here's a quote from a D'Backs fan about Quentin's struggles last season at the plate. Shield your eyes, SSI71:

When he went down to the Minors though, he still put up a 1.004 OPS. He tore things up after being sent down.

[Jeremy]

Is there any way to get people to stop incessantly mentioning Cabrera? By all accounts he's barely on the table, i.e. the asking price is considered prohibitive, and the White Sox are never one of the teams discussed as a potential suitor.

[heirdog]

I like this deal but anyone else think it could be a prelude to a bigger deal...meaning Quentin, Fields and Danks for Cabrera or Bedard?

[Balta1701]

I like this deal but anyone else think it could be a prelude to a bigger deal...meaning Quentin, Fields and Danks for Cabrera or Bedard?

1. Honestly, it's probably more of a deal than what would interest the Marlins without Quentin, because Quentin is the type of high ceiling OF they'd love to get their hands on.

 

2. I would honestly hate making that deal. We'd be giving up guys who have a shot at hitting 65+ home runs between them next year and adding in Danks at the same time, recreating a hole in LF, hoping Crede was healthy, and then having no 3rd baseman after 1 year.

 

With this deal, we're suddenly looking at having league minimum guys at LF, CF maybe, 2nd base, 3rd base, 2 starting pitchers, and a couple guys in the bullpen. Suddenly we're looking a lot younger than we were previously.

[fathom]

I like this deal but anyone else think it could be a prelude to a bigger deal...meaning Quentin, Fields and Danks for Cabrera or Bedard?

 

No...he'll be our LF, and hopefully Owens will be the designated pr. In a perfect world, this would move Dye to LF, and Quentin would be in RF. KW...go get us a CF!

[Heads22]

Official.

 

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/press...sp&c_id=cws

 

Somehow Andy Gonzalez > Heath Phillips?