Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
It’s safe to say Rick Hahn is showing patience in his first year as the GM of the Chicago White Sox. With plenty of teams interested in acquiring current White Sox players, Hahn has only pulled the trigger on one deal so far, sending veteran reliever Matt Thornton to the Boston Red Sox.
However, with the MLB Trade Deadline quickly approaching and the rumored trades being sent his way, it’s starting to feel like Hahn’s patience could begin to thin.
The most recent buzz surrounding the White Sox trade talks includes center fielder Alejandro De Aza.
With the uncertainty of outfielder Nelson Cruz’s future due to his name being linked to Major League Baseball’s Biogenesis investigation, the Texas Rangers appear to be shopping for an outfielder. Reports earlier this afternoon have suggested the Rangers have already contacted the White Sox about De Aza.
The Rangers also seem to be targeting White Sox outfielder Alex Rios, but the asking price for De Aza figures to be much more affordable for a team who just recently dealt two of their top prospects.
For the Rangers, De Aza would be an instant upgrade for their outfield, even if Cruz is able to avoid a suspension. His triple-slash line of .275/.332/.437, along with his 12 home runs and 44 RBI are far better than the statistics of Texas’ current outfield options —David Murphy, Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin.
For the White Sox, dealing De Aza would make sense, given the right deal of course. Although he’s shown he can produce from the plate, De Aza hasn’t been an all tools player like many he thought he would this year. The 29-year-old center fielder has already committed twice as many errors as he did a season ago, and his 11 stolen bases are well behind his pace from 2012 and 2011. Somewhat surprisingly, he also leads the Pale Hose with eight outs on the bases, which ties him for the second most in the MLB.
The Rangers have already shown they are willing to sacrifice future talent for present success. And with the White Sox in need of impact prospects, a deal involving one, if not two Sox outfielders could be in the works.
Matt Malecha is a Chicago White Sox writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMalecha and add him to your network on Google.
