Could the Phillies Realistically Trade for Chris Sale?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
There's only ten days until the MLB's August 1 non-waiver trade deadline, and the biggest fish in the lake could be on the move sooner rather than later. Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale is the man in question, and he has been heavily linked to trade rumors, dating back to this past offseason. Multiple teams including the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox have long been linked to the southpaw. Most recently, the Texas Rangers have emerged as a major player for Sale's services.
Sale, 27, burst on to the scene in 2012 with a 17-8 campaign, in which he recorded a 3.05 ERA in 192 innings of work. He finished sixth in voting for the AL Cy Young award that season. Over his next three seasons, Sale showed that he was a force to be reckoned with, recording at least ten wins in each season. He also finished in the top-five of AL Cy Young voting in each of those seasons. Sale is well on his way to doing the same this year, as he's still seeking his first Cy Young victory. For starters, Sale currently sits with a 14-3 record and a 3.18 ERA. Sale's currently at 133 innings of work, which had put him on pace for a career-high. Unfortunately, his story took a strange turn on Saturday.
Prior to the White Sox game against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night, word leaked out that Sale had been scratched from his scheduled start. As time went on, details started to arise on the situation. It began with the thought that Sale was ill or injured, but that notion was shot down by Jon Morosi of FOXSports. From there, the thought became that a deal had been reached to trade Sale. That notion wasn't immediately dismissed, as he's been heavily linked in trade rumors over the past week. After a fair amount of time, the White Sox released a statement saying that the team had sent Sale home because of a pre-game "clubhouse incident, that was non-physical in nature." Finally, the real story surfaced, and it was -- well, it was an interesting one. According to multiple reports, Chris Sale was sent home by the White Sox for an issue with the team's throwback jerseys. Sale was said to not be happy with the level of comfort the jersey provided. Sale, then decided that it would be a brilliant idea to cut up all of the jerseys during batting practice, preventing the team from wearing them. FOXSports MLB insider Ken Rosenthal noted that Sale was "upset that, in his view, PR and jersey sales were more important than winning."
This incident could not have come at a worse time for Sale, as he is the top name on the trade market this summer. Reports have stated that his value sat at a return of "five top-prospects." After the incident though, one has to believe that Sale's value could take a slight hit, maybe dropping the significance of the return from "five top-prospects" to possibly three or four top-prospects. With that being said, I can't help but toss around the idea in my head, that our beloved Philadelphia Phillies could take a run at the dominant southpaw.
Before you lynch me at the stake, I am well-aware of the chances that the Phillies acquire Chris Sale. I'm also perfectly aware of the significant package that would be required, and the amount of long-term damage that it could do to our rebuilding process. But, let me ask you Phillies fans, are you aware of how much a player like Chris Sale could add to this team? For starters, Sale's contract is incredibly team-friendly, especially considering his level of play compared to the salaries of pitchers with similar statistics. A great example of this is Boston Red Sox ace David Price. Price has been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball since his arrival back in 2010. While he's been doing it for a longer period of time than Sale, they've both put together similar numbers. Price's 2016 salary is $30 million, while Sale sits with a salary less-than half of that, at a modest $9.15 million.
Sale is technically under team-control through 2019, which would make him a free agent at the age of 30, which is still a solid age for pitchers. Nonetheless, the fact that Sale would come with a pair of team options for 2018 & 2019 makes him a very attractive option to a Phillies team that would likely be competitive around that time. If we were to make a move now for Sale, the Phillies could already have a bonafide ace at the top of their rotation, when the majority of their top prospects either make the jump, or begin to hit their stride. For that reason, and that reason alone, I would consider giving up a king's ransom for Sale. Now that we've established the motive, let's take a look at some of the prospects that would catch the eye of the White Sox.
Jake Thompson- This one clearly goes without saying, as he's the Phillies second-best prospect, behind only J.P. Crawford, who would serve of little use to the White Sox. Thompson has been lights-out this season for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, going 9-5 with a 2.29 ERA in 117.2 innings. At the moment, Jake looks to next-up on the Phillies call-up list. Since June 5, Thompson has allowed only four runs(!). In his last 62.1 innings, Jake Thompson has an ERA of 0.58. It's easy to see why he'd be atop the White Sox wish-list, isn't it?
Nick Williams- Chicago badly needs the outfield help. Outside of Adam Eaton, there's not much to love. Melky Cabrera's having a decent year, but he too could be on the move. Getting back to Williams, he's played quite well this year for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, despite a rocky-start. On the year, he's hitting .288 with nine home runs and 47 RBIs. Williams is one of those rare talents that possesses the ability to hit .300 in a season, while having 20+ home runs, 80+ RBIs, and 10+ stolen bases. I'd be surprised if Chicago didn't jump on him, right from the beginning of negotiations.
Andrew Knapp- Many would argue that Jorge Alfaro would be of more interest to the Sox, and to a point, I agree. However, the uncertainty of Alfaro's future at catcher led me to go with Knapp. The White Sox need a long-term solution at catcher, something they've lacked since the presence of A.J. Piersynzki. With the belief that Alfaro winds-up at first baseman, the Sox opt for Knapp. In 2015, Knapp hit .308 with 13 home runs and 84 RBIs, between High-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. This season, Knapp's having a decent season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, hitting .267 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs. Behind the dish, Knapp is a decent defender, but has shown and continues to show improvement.
Ben Lively- Lively will likely come as a curious name for some, but I believe that he's got good potential. Since coming to Philadelphia, Lively has a 19-11 record with a 3.85 ERA between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley. His has a solid four-pitch repertoire, but it's his "deceptive delivery" as SBNation's Minor League Ball calls it, that fools hitters and contributes to his success. He won't be a top-end guy, but certainly has the potential to be a solid mid-rotation arm.
Dylan Cozens- This one is a tough one to swallow for me, as I'm huge fans of both "Smash Brothers"-- Cozens and first base prospect Rhys Hoskins. However, the depth of our outfield prospect pool, and our need for a first baseman of the future, allows for the Phillies to take this blow. This kid has high upside, especially in the power department -- upside that he's putting to good use this season. This season at Double-A Reading, Cozens is hitting .283. He's also slugged 25 home runs with 82 RBIs. His power potential has been referred to as untapped, although it appears that he's struck gold this season. He'd add to a weak White Sox outfield, and would likely be in for regular playing time between time in the outfield and appearances as the designated hitter. In three-to-five years, Cozens could actually develop into the second-best player mentioned, behind only Thompson.
Final Verdict- The Philadelphia Phillies trade Jake Thomspon, Nick Williams, Andrew Knapp, Dylan Cozens, and Ben Lively to the Chicago White Sox for Chris Sale and Jordan Stephens
Ultimately, this is a deal that I feel is very beneficial for both teams.
For the Phillies, they are getting their hands on a young, team-controlled ace, that would likely be around when the team becomes serious contenders. For a team that will be full of talented youngsters, Sale's presence would prove especially beneficiary. To get Sale, the team would be dealing from positions of strength. With names such as Aaron Altheer, Mickey Moniak, Roman Quinn, Cornelius Randolph, and Carlos Tocci waiting in the minor leagues, and Odubel Herrera and Tyler Goeddel making good impressions at the major league level, it's hard to believe that the absences of Williams and Cozens would be devastating. Yes, they would be losing Knapp in the deal. Although, this would allow them to continue working on Jorge Alfaro as the future behind the plate. The loss of Lively would be offset by the arrival of Stephens, so that's a wash. The biggest loss may be Jake Thompson, who has the potential to be an ace for the next decade-plus, when he hits the major league level.
In Chicago's case, this deal helps them avoid the perception of a long-term rebuild. In one shot, they add two of the top 55 prospects in baseball (Thompson, Williams), as well as a trio of solid-to-above-average prospects. The Sox address multiple needs in this deal, setting themselves up nicely for the future. I think that Chicago fans would be happy with this deal.
At the end of the day though, it's extremely difficult to predict the probability of a player like Chris Sale being traded, let alone at the trade deadline. With a number of teams involved, it's a crapshoot to predict who may pull the trigger on a deal, if anyone does. In the Phillies case, this is a strong offer that wouldn't decimate their farm system, but also wouldn't rip-off the White Sox. Granted, the chances of acquiring Sale are slim-to-none. However, as I was told growing up, you never know unless you try.
Give it a shot, Klentak. The worst answer you could get, is a rejection...
