James Shields to White Sox

[reillymcshane]

The ChiSox have added James Shields.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/06/padres-likely-to-trade-james-shields-within-24-hours.html

 

Padres get youngsters Erik Johnson and Fernando Tatis Jr.

 

Pads will pay $27 million of the remaining $56M that Shields is owed - assuming he won't opt out of the remaining two seasons of his deal.

[jerichoholicninja]

Does anyone win this deal?

[pacopete4]

I guess the White Sox if he comes in an pitches well. Looking up the two guys that were traded I just am stumped. Do the Padres just need the salary relief?

[bill hAll Star]

Seems like salary relief for the Padres, though who knows what Tatis Jr. brings.

 

I feel for White Sox fans. That team wasn't good to start the year, and with the fluke of a hot start, they now are buying guys that aren't really worth the price. If it's just $ and ownership doesn't mind, this deal could be worse...but Shields is barely an upgrade at this point.

 

The White Sox remind me of the Angels in that it's basically Trout and Sale as top players in the league and the rest of the roster is just a mismanaged wasteland. Zero organizational depth hoping for a miracle to support their star.

[JohnBriggs12]

It's a good deal for the White Sox. They gave up virtually nothing. Shields' numbers this year are deceiving. Eight of his eleven starts have been quality starts. They're getting a solid experienced number 3 starter for below market value. If things work great, if not, they'll be able to move him quite easily down the road.

 

Sox rotation of Sale, Quintana, Shields, Rodon, and Latos is a very good one. Their lineup isn't terrible if Abreu were close to the player he was 2 years ago and the bullpen is average. They are going through tough month with the tough part of their schedule. It's not like anyone is running away with their division.

[MrTPlush]

The White Sox needed a back of the rotation starter and James Shields can be that. Enough money was taken on by the Padres to make him being paid that kind of money too. So at face value it makes sense. They got the back end starter they needed for cheap. Now looking deeper into it I am very worried how James Shields will fair now outside of Petco Park. His stats the last two years have been pretty bad on the road and his stats overall this year are a bit of a concern. I don't really like the deal because of his road stats the last two years, but the White Sox could have this work out for them.

 

As for the White Sox they have the roster to compete. I don't think they need to add on the offensive side and Carlos Rodon needs to pitch better. If those things happen they have the talent to win games.

 

I think they go all in this year and sell the farm. I expect a major trade from them and would not be surprised if Lucroy(mainly) or Braun was it.

[JohnBriggs12]

The White Sox needed a back of the rotation starter and James Shields can be that. Enough money was taken on by the Padres to make him being paid that kind of money too. So at face value it makes sense. They got the back end starter they needed for cheap. Now looking deeper into it I am very worried how James Shields will fair now outside of Petco Park. His stats the last two years have been pretty bad on the road and his stats overall this year are a bit of a concern. I don't really like the deal because of his road stats the last two years, but the White Sox could have this work out for them.

 

As for the White Sox they have the roster to compete. I don't think they need to add on the offensive side and Carlos Rodon needs to pitch better. If those things happen they have the talent to win games.

 

I think they go all in this year and sell the farm. I expect a major trade from them and would not be surprised if Lucroy(mainly) or Braun was it.

 

Shields is not a back end starter. He's still a solid #3. His ERA prior to his last start was 3.06. Sox may covet Braun and Lucroy, but they don't have nearly enough in their system to get either. They would prefer a lefty bat and would much prefer Carlos Gonzales over Braun, but again it's doubtful they can come up with a strong enough package. My guess is they end up with Jay Bruce. Reds will get back Garcia and a couple minor league arms. They have some decent arms other than Fulmer, enough to get a Bruce probably but not a Braun. They've already dealt with the Reds so their is rapport there.

[Boomer5]

Seems like a solid low risk move by Chicago and a little salary relief for SD.

[bill hAll Star]

The White Sox needed a back of the rotation starter and James Shields can be that. Enough money was taken on by the Padres to make him being paid that kind of money too. So at face value it makes sense. They got the back end starter they needed for cheap. Now looking deeper into it I am very worried how James Shields will fair now outside of Petco Park. His stats the last two years have been pretty bad on the road and his stats overall this year are a bit of a concern. I don't really like the deal because of his road stats the last two years, but the White Sox could have this work out for them.

 

As for the White Sox they have the roster to compete. I don't think they need to add on the offensive side and Carlos Rodon needs to pitch better. If those things happen they have the talent to win games.

 

I think they go all in this year and sell the farm. I expect a major trade from them and would not be surprised if Lucroy(mainly) or Braun was it.

 

Shields is not a back end starter. He's still a solid #3. His ERA prior to his last start was 3.06. Sox may covet Braun and Lucroy, but they don't have nearly enough in their system to get either. They would prefer a lefty bat and would much prefer Carlos Gonzales over Braun, but again it's doubtful they can come up with a strong enough package. My guess is they end up with Jay Bruce. Reds will get back Garcia and a couple minor league arms. They have some decent arms other than Fulmer, enough to get a Bruce probably but not a Braun. They've already dealt with the Reds so their is rapport there.

 

Petco Park, Petco Park, Petco Park.

 

Shields is leading the league in HR allowed in arguably the best pitcher's park in all of baseball.

 

Shields home ERA this year: 3.58

Shields away ERA this year: 5.16

 

To be fair, he's somewhat neutral taking out that beating he took at Safeco...but he hasn't been good. The other pitchers that the White Sox have been trotting out there have barely been worse.

 

Shields' xFIP is not great this year and that high HR rate is going to kill him at US Cellular.

 

As for Carlos Gonzalez being preferred over some of those other guys, Coors Field, Coors Field, Coors Field.

 

I'm going to give you Carlos Gonzalez's career splits, and this includes a portion of a season playing for Oakland which I will consider negligible for now.

 

Home: .323/.380/.605 for a .986 OPS

Away: .259/.313./444 for a .742 OPS

 

If Carlos Gonzalez gets traded, he's not very valuable. Look at Corey Dickerson, Cuddyer, and Tulowitzki for recent examples...and Tulo is at least playing in a pretty good hitter's park/division still. Outside of contract, Braun is about 10x more valuable than CarGo.

[bill hAll Star]

Also, going back to the White Sox, I do not (and did not even when they were 12 games over .500 or whatever they were) believe that they have a good roster. Bullpen is dicey, Latos was the luckiest pitcher in baseball, Rodon struggling, and their offense is pretty terrible.

 

If Abreu gets it going they'll be alright, but they are way too right-handed and have way too many holes (so yes, I agree with the LH bat idea above in that sense). They are trotting out the corpse of Jimmy Rollins at SS, Avisail Garcia or the MLB/AAA garbage bin at DH, Lawrie who can only hit lefties, and Frazier is even a flawed hitter.

 

Most importantly for the White Sox is one more key injury and they're screwed. They have destroyed their farm system and did not draft well.

 

Shields isn't really a velocity guy as it is, but these signs can't be encouraging for the White Sox. Maybe he cobbles together some value for 2016, but he could be an $11 million/year (factoring what the Padres are paying) garbage middle relief man as soon as next year:

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/fgraphs/7059_P_FA_20160531.png

[Boomer5]

It was a low risk trade for the WS, not much to get worked about one way or another. He is a solid 3/4 starter and they didnt give up much.

 

San Diego signed a pitcher they ultimately didn't need and had some buyers remorse. Time to move on and pay the stupid tax in the form of taking on some salary.

[bill hAll Star]

1 start in and maybe they want to send him back? HR machine.