The White Sox have non-tendered catcher Tyler Flowers and right-hander Jacob Turner, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Cutting ties with Flowers is at least somewhat of a surprise, as many considered Flowers likely to at least find himself in a timeshare with newly signed Alex Avila. He’d been projected to earn $3.5MM by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, while Turner had been projected at $1MM.
Flowers, who turns 30 in January, is just a career .223/.289/.376 hitter across parts of seven seasons, but he’s produced offensively at a clip that is roughly average for catchers over the past two seasons (.240/.296/.378, 90 OPS+). He also delivered positive pitch-framing metrics in 2015 and has caught about 28 percent of attempted base-stealers over the past two seasons.
The departure of Flowers leaves Rob Brantly and Kevan Smith as the two other backstop options on the White Sox’ 40-man roster. I’d imagine that the departure of Flowers opens the White Sox up to possible trades for catching help or free-agent additions such as Michael McKenry and Dioner Navarro, as well as Wilin Rosario, who recently elected free agency.
Rick Hahn has been waiting to replace him since he took over as GM. It was just a matter of finding someone to replace him. It is known that he has tried to trade for Jason Castro a couple of times. Avila is a platoon bat. So something is afoot here.
Jason Castro was a hotter commodity a couple of years ago when Rick Hahn first tried to trade for him.
If I was the White Sox GM, I’d be thinking of a bigger fish to catch and would be on the phone with the Milwaukee Brewers inquiring about Jonathan Lucroy. The Brewers are clearly in a rebuilding mode in the tough N.L. Central and would be looking for a boat load of prospects in exchange for their All-Star receiver.
White Sox organizational depth depth resides in starting pitching while the Brewers lack top arms among their most highly rated prospects, which currently consists of shortstops and outfielders. A match-up between the two organizations might be promising. The only White Sox pitching prospect I would consider off-limits would be Carson Fulmer. The Brewers can have their pick of the remainder.
I love this idea. But will a package of 2-3 prospects really get the job done? Danish and Montas? or Erik Johnson and Montas?
Best to keep in mind that Jonathan Lucroy only has 2 years of team control remaining and also came off of an injury plagued 2015 season. That being said, the Brewers are under no pressure in having to sell low on their All-Star catcher this offseason, especially financially. Those 2 years remaining are incredibly cheap at $4M next season and a $5.25M team option for 2017.
The White Sox would probably need to include up to 3 top prospects in a deal for Lucroy but they don’t all have to be pitchers. They would probably want to hang on to Erik Johnson, since he is the only right-handed starter currently on their 40-man roster who is likely to crack the opening day rotation in Chicago, which otherwise features 4 southpaws as I write. The Brewers would probably be amenable to a deal that includes pitchers Frankie Montas and Spencer Adams, along with another position player. The White Sox would prefer sending Tyler Danish to Milwaukee instead of Adams.
It should also be noted that Jason Castro bats left-handed, same as recently signed free agent Alex Avila. That alone ought to put to rest any thought of GM Rick Hahn’s continued interest in the Houston catcher. The White Sox figure to be on the lookout for a right-handed hitting backstop, either as a platoon option with Avila or as the regular starter, with the former Tiger assuming the backup role.
Great move. If they can somehow dump LaRoche and find an up and coming player for 3B, that will go a long way towards showing an angry fanbase that they’re at least trying.
Good luck moving Laroche.
Sox should go get lawrie from the As to play third, then sign howie Kendrick to play second l, find a short stop and shore up the outfield defense and they will have something.
With the white sox rotation, they will never be far away from competing.
They will be long away from competing as long as Ventura is in the dugout. Numbers do not lie, despiate a lot of turnover you see the same mistakes on the field year in and year out.
does anyone even consider rosario a catcher any more? the rockies didn’t. i’d mention salty before rosario. salty’s a bit rough back there himself but he at least still played catcher last year and hit well in arizona
Na na na na na na na na hey hey hey goodbye!!!!!
I am shocked. Is there a really a better option immediately available? I know it’s not Avila until he proves somewhat healthy. I officially have no idea what the White Sox are doing.
I don’t understand this move at all. You can’t afford 3.5M on a decent enough starting catcher? Flowers is much better than Avila, and should pull in more than 3.5 on the open market
Don’t either. Unless they have someone else lined up. But all things considered Dioner Navarro isn’t much better, if at all. And probably not cheaper either.
Yes, in a weak free agent market for catchers this offseason, especially after Matt Weiters accepted his qualifying offer, Tyler Flowers might arguably be the #1 catcher available this winter.
I won’t be too upset about not seeing him in a Sox uniform anymore.
Phillies need to take out a flyer on Turner.
Amen
Non tendering Flowers.. about 2 years too late.
Blake Swihart and Brian Johnson for Sale, let’s work it out
Flowers stats for 2015: Avg with runners on with 2 out: .203 ; Runner on 3rd with less than 2 outs: .214. Im guessing the two years before that did not produce better numbers. Bout time he is gone. If not for KWs ego not allowing him to admit a mistake, Flowers would likely have been gone a few years ago.