According to MLB Radio via MetsBlog, the D’Backs will send outfielder Carlos Quentin to the White Sox for first baseman Chris Carter. Here’s the MLB.com link. Kenny Williams and Josh Byrnes have gotten together on many trades in the past.
Carter was recently ranked Chicago’s 4th best prospect by Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein, and their best position player prospect. The 21 year-old first baseman will try his hand at High A in 2008. Goldstein calls him a "true slugger with tremendous strength and power to all fields," while noting that he is poor defensively even at first base. Carter’s a few years off, so Conor Jackson doesn’t have to worry quite yet.
Quentin didn’t have a place on the D’Backs after they signed Eric Byrnes to a contract extension. 2007 was a lost year for Quentin as he dealt with shoulder and hamstring issues. He plans to have labrum surgery to fix the shoulder this winter. The 25 year-old has mashed at Triple A and knows how to take a walk – he is exactly what the White Sox needed. Faith in Kenny Williams has been restored, perhaps.
It’s tough to pick a winner here; I like the deal for both clubs. I love it for the White Sox, who had a strong need for position-playing young talent. The D’Backs did well getting Carter, though they weren’t able to spin Quentin into a starting pitcher. Quentin wouldn’t have gotten a chance to rebuild value with Arizona at the big league level in 2008 anyway. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan is not impressed with the move for Arizona.
