Sox Acquire Carlos Quentin for Chris Carter; DFA Heath Phillips

[bigruss]

With all due respect, I think the value of Carter and Quentin as prospects are much closer than ceiling between you and Frank Thomas.

 

I'd say that age is the number one factor when discussing ceiling. Players typically reach their prime around the age of 27 or 28. Hence Carter theoretically has 7 or 8 more years of improvement compared to two or three years for Quentin. Certainly tools are also a factor but age is critical. There's a reason you hear people talk about ceilings more with 19 year old pitchers dazzling in the minors than with 30 year old vets.

Most likely because of the difference in TOOLS. If the 30 year old vet is still in the minors, it means he sucks and cant cut it.

[kwolf68]

 

I am and have been very critical of Kenny Williams, but I like this move.

 

The bad and good of the move in my view

 

The bad:

1-Another solid young prospect leaves the White Sox system. An already depleted system takes another hit

 

The good:

1-Only one bad thing (above)

 

2-We didn't deal any pitching. If you'd have told me we'd acquire Quentin I'd say, 'oh boy...there goes Chris Carter and Jack Egbert'. To get out of this deal merely trading a 1st base prospect in A ball is pretty good work

 

3-Carter was in A ball last year. His ETA is still 3 years minimum and that's if he ever makes it. A ball players are total shots in the dark

 

4-Quentin IS ALSO quite young and is a very good outfielder and potentially a well above average to great hitter.

 

 

The other thought I have is this...

 

I expect Dye and Quentin will hold down the corner OF spots, leaving Josh Fields without a position (assuming he and Crede remain in Chicago). This tells me that more deals are coming. Neither Fields, Dye, nor Quentin are CF candidates so I'd expect to see Crede or Fields dealt this winter. I'd expect one to be dealt for a CF candidate and a prospect to refill Carter's spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wanne]

I love this move as well. A healthy Quentin will be a great addition and will hopefully solidy a corner spot for years.

[ptatc]

Phillips had near-zero trade value. Kind of like Andy Gonzalez, who we all hope comes off next (and should have come off for Hernandez).

 

I still think Phillips will make a decent lefty middle reliever. Nothing special but capable.

 

[Balta1701]

I still think Phillips will make a decent lefty middle reliever. Nothing special but capable.

We have 2 of those already in the big leagues under our control for several years and another potential one in the minors (Sisco) still trying to work through his issues. It'd have been nice if someone would have given us something for him, but if a team didn't have a spot for him on their 25 man roster next year, there'd be no reason to trade for him because they'd just lose him at the end of ST.

[rockren]

I'm happy to see all of the positive feedback on this deal.

 

I couldn't believe the amount of bad mouthing KW got on the OC deal. I'm surprised those same people aren't upset we didn't pull down Upton for Carter.

[Jeremy]

Because he is more ML ready than Carter and they need ML players not 20 year old prospects.

 

This deal sounds to good to be true.

 

The Rays come to mind. Remember they do not use Crawford to lead off and could use some pop in their line-up, some bullpen help and young pitching....

 

We're talking about an extremely young 71 win team, I can't see winning now as that huge of a priority.

 

It means that when Carlos Quentin peaks (let's say age 28) and when Chris Carter peaks (let's say age 27), Quentin will be better at his peak than Carter was at his peak. For the White Sox, they get the higher ceiling guy and may get his peak very soon, whereas they may have to wait 5-7 years for Carter to peak. Given positions of strength (OF for DBacks) and the fact that the DBacks have a glut of prospects that are in the Majors now, they may want to reload their next stream of prospects instead of wasting Quentin.

 

I agree that the DBacks wanted to get someone younger because they didn't have the opportunity to integrate another young player into the lineup but I don't think that meant they were trading from that weak of a position. Teams are willing to trade prospects for more MLB ready talent all the time. It's unfathomable to me that they couldn't find someone who was willing to trade a prospect at least as good as Quentin in order to receive someone who could come in and contribute right away.

 

Most likely because of the difference in TOOLS. If the 30 year old vet is still in the minors, it means he sucks and cant cut it.

 

The reason someone like Joe Borchard doesn't have a high ceiling is age not tools.

[rockren]

Alright, so now LF is filled for cheap. Now go spend money on CF. If that happens, good deal for our Sox.

 

I guess I'll post more later.

 

Hopefully we'll be celebrating a Druw Jones deal later as well.

 

(Complete speculation off of my own wishful thinking....we haven't been linked to Druw Down at all as of yet).

[SoxFan1]

Hopefully we'll be celebrating a Druw Jones deal later as well.

 

(Complete speculation off of my own wishful thinking....we haven't been linked to Druw Down at all as of yet).

The Dodgers have offered him a 2 year, $32 million deal.

[daa84]

the more i think about this deal the more i keep liking it, and i liked it from the get go....

 

which would you rather have? a 25 year old who will probably put up mid to upper .300 obps at a cost of league minimum for three years + chris carter

 

or

 

a 32 year old who would put up low to mid .300 obps while making 90 mil over 5 years and costing draft picks

 

not saying carlos quentin is a better plyaer than torii hunter, but given the current market conditions the value of having young players who can get on base at the league minimum and hopefully add pop (quentin, fields, and maybe someday hopefully richar) is extremely high (see boston with pedrioa ellsbury and youk)

[ptatc]

We have 2 of those already in the big leagues under our control for several years and another potential one in the minors (Sisco) still trying to work through his issues. It'd have been nice if someone would have given us something for him, but if a team didn't have a spot for him on their 25 man roster next year, there'd be no reason to trade for him because they'd just lose him at the end of ST.

 

I agree. I'm not opposed to the DFA but I don't think he is worthless as many seem to think.

 

[rockren]

The Dodgers have offered him a 2 year, $32 million deal.

 

Oh we can beat that! COME ON, KW!! Be the man one more time!

[heirdog]

The longer this trade goes without a KW comment makes me think more and more that Quentin will be flipped in another deal.

 

I hope that's not the case unless the next deal really blows our socks off...Crawford, Cabrera, Bedard?

 

Anyone heard any comments from the Sox brass on the deal?

[Balta1701]

I agree. I'm not opposed to the DFA but I don't think he is worthless as many seem to think.

I think he might be useful to someone as a reliever, but that doesn't mean he had any trade value. Not when out of options. Whatever team picks him up is going to want to do so with the ability to keep him in AAA on a minor league contract just on the off chance that they'll wind up having a bullpen spot for him, and any team that would have traded for him would wind up unable to get him on that minor league contract because of the whole options deal.

[rockren]

The longer this trade goes without a KW comment makes me think more and more that Quentin will be flipped in another deal.

 

I hope that's not the case unless the next deal really blows our socks off...Crawford, Cabrera, Bedard?

 

Anyone heard any comments from the Sox brass on the deal?

 

I'm sure they won't comment until they've spoken with Carter. This probably got leaked a hell of a lot sooner than they wanted it.

 

I'm sure Carter won't be too upset about this. He'll be groomed to be the future 1B of a team that may have the brightest future in the game.

[rockren]

I don't think that is the case at all. Quentin's stock is significantly low right now, and the Sox need a LF.

 

It wouldn't shock me in the least to see him traded once healthy, but I think Carlos will stick around.

 

Writing has gotta be on the wall for Sweeney and Anderson doesn't it? It's probably been on the wall for a while.

[jackie hayes]

Very nice deal. Very, very nice.

 

Not bad for the Dbacks, either. He was obviously the odd man out in the of, and they get a good bat with a lot of potential. I'm somewhat surprised they didn't get a pitcher somewhere, but they still get a valuable piece.

[southsideirish71]

I don't think that is the case at all. Quentin's stock is significantly low right now, and the Sox need a LF.

 

It wouldn't shock me in the least to see him traded once healthy, but I think Carlos will stick around.

 

 

Love this move. Nice to see some movement. It makes us better, younger for cheap. You cant beat that combination.

[Balta1701]

Writing has gotta be on the wall for Sweeney and Anderson doesn't it? It's probably been on the wall for a while.

Amazingly, there's still potentially room for 1 of them. Jim Thome has an option year for 09...if he struggles with injuries this year or shows his age, it's possible that the Sox won't want to pay the $14 million for him, at which point, JD becomes the obvious next candidate for DH (and I'll grant that the Phillies may pick up a small amount of Thome's money). That would create an opening in the OF for either of them. Or a struggling Owens could do the same thing, if we don't pick up another OF this offseason.

[jackie hayes]

Writing has gotta be on the wall for Sweeney and Anderson doesn't it? It's probably been on the wall for a while.

It's been there so long for Anderson that I think they got it engraved.

[rockren]

Amazingly, there's still potentially room for 1 of them. Jim Thome has an option year for 09...if he struggles with injuries this year or shows his age, it's possible that the Sox won't want to pay the $14 million for him, at which point, JD becomes the obvious next candidate for DH (and I'll grant that the Phillies may pick up a small amount of Thome's money). That would create an opening in the OF for either of them. Or a struggling Owens could do the same thing, if we don't pick up another OF this offseason.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing either of them getting another shot.

 

I do think Anderson's days on the south side are now numbered, though.

[watchtower41]

Oh we can beat that! COME ON, KW!! Be the man one more time!

 

 

YES please. DO IT.

Edited December 3, 2007 by watchtower41

[rockren]

It's been there so long for Anderson that I think they got it engraved.

 

Agreed.

 

Although I think it's a shame because I think he'll be a solid Major Leaguer. It was too much, too fast with him regarding the circumstances in '06.

 

He was hurt all last year in AAA, I think in a setting like Florida.....he could really excel.

[AWhiteSoxinNJ]

Over at the WSI board, a poster of there who broke the Quentin deal with a source in the DBacks front office say another deal is being talked about in the early stages...

 

Konerko

 

for

 

M. Owings SP

C. Jackson 1B

T. Pena RP

[daa84]

for those who were clamoring for luke scott to be acquired, we just got a younger, better player who we have control over for longer

 

 

get a CF now KW ....fukudome cabrera and quentin + fields and richar in the lineup for hte whole year would go quite a long way at upgrading our offense IMO...especially if fields and quentin play like they should