White Sox outfielder Micker Adolfo has been generating trade interest in recent days, tweets MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. The out-of-options Adolfo has, somewhat remarkably, ranked among the organization’s top 30 prospects at Baseball America for eight straight seasons. Since signing as a 16-year-old out of the Dominican Republic, Adolfo has slowly risen through the South Siders’ system, though injuries and the canceled 2020 minor league season have slowed his ultimate path to the big leagues. Adolfo has twice undergone right elbow surgery, including Tommy John surgery in 2018.
Now 25 years old, Adolfo split the 2021 season between Double-A and Triple-A, where he slashed a combined .245/.311/.520 with 25 home runs, 24 doubles and a triple. There’s little doubting Adolfo’s prodigious raw power. FanGraphs gives him 70 power on the 20-80 scale, while, MLB.com notes that even after the Sox’ signings of Oscar Colas and Yoelqui Cespedes, Adolfo might have the most raw power in the system. That said, Adolfo’s hit tool is lagging quite a bit behind his power. He’s fanned in a jarring 33.1% of his plate appearances, including a combined 34.1% in Double-A and Triple-A last year.
Chicago doesn’t have much room in its outfield mix for the 6’4″, 225-pound Adolfo, so trade speculation is only natural. Like Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, AJ Pollock, Adam Engel and Andrew Vaughn, Adolfo is a right-handed hitter. MLB.com touts his plus-plus (70) arm strength but notes that he doesn’t have the speed or range to handle center, likely relegating him to corner work.
There are plenty of clubs that could roll the dice on a slugging left or right fielder, and given Adolfo’s lack of options, some form of deal involving him indeed seems likely. The Sox would have to designate him for assignment and pass him and attempt to pass him through waivers before they’d be able to assign him to Triple-A Charlotte. Adolfo likely wouldn’t command a huge return for the Sox, but clubs like the Padres and Guardians, for instance, are known to be looking for some corner outfield help. It’d also make sense for rebuilding or retooling teams to take a look at Adolfo and see whether that power might outweigh the strikeouts at the MLB level. The Orioles, Pirates, Rangers and Nationals ought to at least have a bench spot available.
A move involving Adolfo seems all the more likely given that it became clear last night the Sox would need at least one additional spot on the 40-man roster. That spot will go to eight-year minor league veteran Tanner Banks, a 30-year-old left-hander whom the Sox drafted back in 2014 and has been informed he’s made his first big league roster (as first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale).
Assistant general manager Chris Getz told reporters last night that Banks has seen a velocity jump this spring and is now sitting at 94 mph with his heater (Twitter link via James Fegan of The Athletic). With some extra life on his heater, a strong spring showing (two runs in 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks), and a newfound need for some bullpen lefties following Garrett Crochet’s looming Tommy John surgery, Banks finds himself on the cusp of making his big league debut.
The Sox can, of course, just move Crochet to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot, but Banks probably isn’t the only player for whom the Sox will need to open a 40-man spot. Veteran righty Kyle Crick, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, appears ticketed for the big league bullpen and will need to have his contract formally selected to the 40-man roster himself.
Crick, 29, had a big showing with the White Sox’ Triple-A affiliate last year — one run in 10 1/3 innings with a 15-to-3 K/BB ratio — but didn’t make the Majors. He re-upped with the ChiSox on a minor league pact this winter and has continued that impressive showing in Cactus League play, ratting off seven shutout innings with just one hit and two walks allowed against five punchouts.
Formerly the No. 49 overall pick in the 2011 draft (Giants), Crick went to the Pirates alongside Bryan Reynolds in San Francisco’s ill-fated trade for Andrew McCutchen (a Pirates heist that is often overshadowed by Pittsburgh’s own regrettable Chris Archer swap). He had four mostly solid seasons in the Pittsburgh bullpen, working to a 3.62 ERA with a 25% strikeout rate but a bloated 13% walk rate. He’ll get a chance with the Sox to show that the command gains he’s displayed in Charlotte last season and so far in Cactus League play can be sustained at the MLB level. If that’s the case, Crick has the stuff to serve as an important bullpen piece for Tony La Russa — one who can be controlled through the 2023 season as he still has only four-plus years of Major League service time and would be arbitration-eligible next winter.
Congrats to Banks for making it to the big leagues.
Not a big “congratulations” kinda guy on these boards because I doubt the guy will see it, but Banks is a really good story and someone most of us can genuinely be happy for
Getting anything for Adolfo is better than letting him go for free. I hope he catches on elsewhere. Good for Crick and Banks, though.
According to BTV, Sox getting Campusano, Gore, Paddack, and Hosmer for Adolfo and $500k is a dead-even swap. Boy, would that solve a lot of problems for the Sox.
On the no way in hell side, Adolfo and Sheets for Hosmer, Cronenworth, and $1.9M is also dead-even.
Highly doubt anything remotely like this happens, but I can dream…
Is this sarcasm? The only one of those guys that Adolfo might bring back is Hosmer and that’s only because the Padres have realized their mistake.
No he is serious. BTV does show that to be a fair trade. Which is EXACTLY the reason that website is 100% useless.
I specifically said neither would happen. I’m just pointing out BTV’s values. Check it out yourself if you want. The packages work. Now whether you trust in BTV’s values is another story.
And the Padres would crap themselves if the Sox offered Adolfo for Hosmer. Getting rid of $59M of dead money for basically nothing. Yeah, my ideas, far-fetched though they are, have way more chance of happening than that one.
@hiflew, I am serious that BTV says these work, but I’m not serious about them ever happening. I would have thought using phrases like ‘I can dream’ and ‘no way in hell’ would have made it obvious I wasn’t serious about the trades themselves, but this is the Internet.
The Sox don;t need Hosmer.
Dumpster Diving Ricky!
That trade literally wouldn’t happen in any country, world, universe at that point. Absolutely hilarious you even thought about this, typed it, and posted it…. Weather some website said it’s possible or not. If that happened make Hahn president.
The Sox have invested a lot of development time in Adolfo. It would be surprising if they didn’t find a way to keep him or deal him for pitching. He certainly has some pop and a great arm,. Be tough to lose him for nothing.
Not that Spring Training stats matter, but worth mentioning that Adolfo hit .435./.500/.783 with 2 HRs over 23 at-bats this Spring. That should at least increase trade interest a smidge.
I think scouts will try to see him in person or get video. You can get hot with bad mechanics or vice versa, but good mechanics usually win out in the end. I’m hoping they can get just anyone they can use this year.
Procedural question. Since Yermín Mercedes just had surgery, can his spot on the 40-man be opened up by putting him on the minor league IL, or is it only major league IL designations that do that?
60 day IL (major league) would remove the player from the 40 man roster. The player gets service time and major league pay.
Off topic, but that Ramirez extension with 5/124 would be FA years (on top of existing 2/26 club options for ’22/23) seems like the ballpark Giolito wants for him to forego the open market. His last 2 arb years are likely about 22mil-so quite similar. Apples and oranges with club banking on health/performance of a starting pitcher, but those seem to be the financial waters that would have them at an impasse.
As small as the variance was on the arb, I have to wonder how far apart they are now. I’d be a bit upset if it comes out a deal wasn’t done over $0.5M AAV.
Guessing way apart on vision of $ and years. If you are headstrong Giolito willing to gamble, he probably thinks as a 29yo FA he can at least get Wheeler’s contract guarantee and likely more. Chairman gets flashbacks of the Danks contract that blew up in their face fast for a likewise really good (but not elite) starter. Hard to dispute position of either side.
Giolito wants no part of staying with this dead beat organization. Plus Reinsdorf won’t keep the team salary at this level, once the Sox fans show once again they will not support this group of misfits.
I think Giulio is just another greedy “his sale. Dump him for what you can get and move on. The sox don’t need devisive players at this time
Wah wah. Look at me! My only ambition in life is to pop up out of my whack a mole hole and troll the Chicago White Sox. Wah Wah. Reinsdorf stole my binky.
The Rangers should be checking in on Adolfo as it seems he would make a good DH with COF ability.
I will guess Adolfo to the Snakes.
Curious what the Archer trade has to do with Crick/Reynolds/McCutch trade? What does that have to do with the history of Crick? A little sensationalism??
Another commenter pointed this out awhile back. This article writer seems to hate the Pirates and wants them to tank and never get out of the rebuild.
Not sure hate is the right phrase, but with several writers, there is absolute bias, disguised in the writings.
Remember this: overwhelming origins to the stories on here are sourced from agents, either directly or via the feeds these writers follow. What do agents want? Spending. Agents leak info for several reasons: create a market for their client, PR for their firm, put pressure on negitiations they are directly involved in.
So, by default, this site has more bias to one side vs the other. If you know that going in when you read stories, you know when to question hacks like Nightengale.
What else drives this site? Polarizing topics….like the fleecing of the pirates by the Rays. Well documented, well covered, oh, and we have beaten that dead horse already. Twice.
Crick situation is 100% mutually exclusive of any Archer deal. I find it interesting, considering what I just stated, why it needs to be referenced yet again. Is it bias? Is it a hot button topic?
I usually agree with both you guys but in this case I will choose to see the glass half full as it seems to me that the way it was worded gives me the impression that the writer felt Pirates fans pain in seeing all the negative posters on here even 3 1/2 years after that trade.
Some people are just negative and that is what I see with the continually knocking of the trade as if NH could forecast that Archer was going to have the physical problems that he had after the trade.
Apparently this writer continues to mention this trade a lot. Bigger issue was him suggesting Cruz service time manipulation. Cruz isn’t a mlb ss. Played a few innings in the outfield. So the writer suggested he should either play awful defense or the pirates should have their best prospect be a dh so he can get his service time. Both sound like terrible options. I fully believe they would manipulate service time, just not in this situation. He needs work.
10-4.You follow these things closer than I do.And for Cruz,it should be evident to any knowledgeable observer that what you say is true.
Regarding Cruz,I am surprised that the Pirates had not been moved him to right field or at least gave him some experience there before now.He is close to deserving a shot at hitting ML pitching,but he needs a viable fielding position first.
Maybe they thought that an experiment at the start of this year could serve two goals.
@Mendoza They say he wants to be a ss and keeps working hard and making progress. I say he isn’t making enough progress and that bat is close so find him a position he can play. Outfield works or he could be a gold glove 1b. I don’t want a tall man who can run and throw being a dh.
I wanted to be a ML shortstop also.That doesn’t mean that I could.I understand why he wants that but we know that it won’t work.Maybe it was better to give him the chance,but there should not be that type of learning curve in the ML.
He is too good to just be a DH at his age.
I also do not think that one should be taught to play a new position in the ML.Any position has its nuances that take time to develop no matter how good of an athlete a player is. He should be given adequate little pressure time.
If he is wise he will make the change.
claude raymond
Giants fans whine about the Reynolds trade while Pirates fans gloat. However, I’m guessing Pirates fans at the same time PARENTHETICALLY aren’t happy with the Archer trade. The author, Adams, simply uses PARENTHESES to point that out. IMO it has nothing to do with
to finish, has nothing to do with Adams’ feelings about the Pirates. Adams is one Trade Rumors best writers. As a Giants fan should I b**** because he reminds us of the Reynolds/Crick for McCutcheon trade. I like McCutcheon, BTW, and I wonder how Pirates fans reacted at the time. I bet you were ticked. Hindsight is 20/20
I loved the cutch trade from day one. I would have traded him to the nats the year before. Aging and declining. Zero interest in resigning him.
Archer trade was a player development problem. The trade was expensive but it wasn’t the fleece people think. Archer was a solid mid rotation starter with years of cheap control. The pirates forced him to pitch their way and turned him into a 5th starter. Meadows was is a average dh, nl didn’t have a dh. You could put him in the OF but doesn’t mean he belongs there. Pirates gave up on Glasnow. He was a reliever with obvious great stuff and poor control. The only huge loss was Baz. And it wasn’t a loss. Neil Huntington never developed a drafted pitcher unless it was the best one in the draft. A highschool rhp who throws hard but needs a lot of development is available in every single draft. If that trade wasn’t made NH would still be here or just now getting fired. Because of that it is one of the best trades in pirates history.
Claude-Bingo.
If hindsight was foresight we would be very very rich,wouldn’t we?
Many posters do not know that.
Many historians do not know that either.
By the way,I loved the way the Expos field announcer would announce the player’s names,including yours.
My favorite,though,was John Boccabella.
This page LOVES bringing up that trade lol.
If anything it just shows that the Pirates front office may not necessarily be the idiots that a lot of posters around here consider them to be, Every team makes bad trades. The Pirates were on the bad end of one and the good end of another.
The Rays have had their share of bad trades also. They could have flipped Wil Myers for Trea Turner and Joe Ross. Instead they made it a three team deal and picked up Steven Souza and others from the Nats instead.
They also traded German Marquez and Jake McGee to Colorado for Corey Dickerson and Kevin Padlo. Then flipped Dickerson for basically nothing after 1 year.
Hiflew-They flipped Dickerson to the Pirates for basically nothing and Dickerson won a gold glove and hit 300 that year.
Cashman could have had Cole for Andujar and Frazier two years before he signed him and given the Yankees the edge over the Astros for those two years.
I thought that the Cutch trade had to be made because he was certainly declining but I was happy for him.He got his $50M contract from the Phillies,He is a first class guy but I knew that the Pirates should not pony up the money and their modus operandi was to trade players with a year or two remaining for ready or near ready ML players.
Many of these posters do not even know that the front office has changed in the interim.To read posters like you one has to put up with the idiots and knuckleheads who know nothing about nothing and just want to camp on specific teams.
All the trades pirates lost. 1 Archer. Should have been just Meadows Glasnow. Maybe a lesser prospect.
Cole they broke even or even won. They weren’t smart enough to stop having him throw 2 seamers and to get him some sticky stuff. I don’t see much difference in Pirates Cole and Padres Musgrove.
Clear wins were they got the player for nothing prospects or a trade deadline rental.
Cervelli
Byrd
Morneau
Happ
Cruz
Hanrahan
Melancon
Rivero
Rodriguez
Morton
Soria
Burnett
Reynolds
Dickerson
Probably more. They only think NH did well was trade and pitcher reclamations.
Harrison for Grabow also.This is an excellent list,and reflects most of the ones that I have cited over the last few years.
NH had some fairly mediocre to bad trades early on,but that was during his learning curve.
Searage was the key to reclaiming the pitchers.Volquez loved him.
Unfortunately,his methods did not translate to developing young pitchers.
I also do think that both he and Hurdle tended to rest on their laurels afterm they got their four year contract extensions after two mediocre years.
Props to both you for good quality understanding of the Pirates. Props.
Upvote for the downvoter.
flip adolfo to baltimore for cesar prieto
Hope Hahn has some magic today and can get something good for Micker. Not out of the question that they could get something. Wonder if there is anybody decent who is out of options on another team, that they could swap him for.
Trade him for Paving Smith.
I think Adolfo makes a ton of sense for the Padres based on their current OF situation, but I would imagine they’re trying to see if they can piece together a more proven acquisition.
Basically he would be a great fall back option for them if they can’t get anything else going and he’ll probably be cheap to acquire.
A 40-man roster spot is not the issue with Micker Adolfo. The White Sox have two other spots available aside from Garrett Crochet with Yermin Mercedes and Lance Lynn also likely heading to the 60-day IL.
Adolfo’s issue is his lack of options available and securing a spot on the 28-man active roster which already has 5 other right-handed hitting OF’s. Additionally, the White Sox have 3 other players who can man an outfield position or three in switch-hitting swiss army knife Leury Garcia, right-handed hitting infielder Josh Harrison and lefty power hitting 1B/DH Gavin Sheets.
Complicating matters is SS Tim Anderson who will miss the first two games of the season serving his suspension from last season’s accidental bump of an umpire during an on-field melee. The White Sox will only have a 27-man roster available for those two games with Garcia starting at SS. Harrison will be the opening day 2B leaving only INF Danny Mendick available to back up either. Mendick also has some limited experience playing in the outfield.
Aside from Adolfo, the White Sox also have one other player in catcher Seby Zavala who is out of options and a potential member of their opening day active roster. If the team decides to roll with three catchers as part of their expanded opening month roster, Zavala would be the third after Yasmani Grandal and newly acquired backup Reese McGuire. Similar to Adolfo, the White Sox face DFA’ing or trading Zavala before opening day. Ironically, Mendick would also become the White Sox emergency #3 catcher if the team decides to roll with just two catchers to begin the season.
Can Mendick be sent to AAA? Adolfo would add more value to the team.
Danny Mendick still has options available. These are the current White Sox who are out of options for 2022:
Micker Adolfo, OF
Reynaldo Lopez, RHP
Reese McGuire, C
Jose Ruiz, RHP
Seby Zavala, C
The problem with optioning Mendick to AAA is that he’s the only backup middle infielder on the roster for the first two games of the season. Tim Anderson will be serving his 2-game suspension leaving super utility man Leury Garcia as the starting SS. Versatile infielder Josh Harrison will be the White Sox primary starting 2B this season. Despite his suspension, Anderson will still be taking up a spot on the White Sox opening 28-man active roster. The team will be short a man until Sunday’s third game.
Mendick will also be the White Sox emergency #3 catcher if the team DFA’s Zavala before opening day.
But Mendick can’t hit, and if he was any good at catching, he would have been our 2nd catcher since we let McCain go. I believe he’s wasting a roster space.
How about if they send Mendick to AAA and give Adolfo a look. They can always trade him later.
Who’s playing 2B or SS the first two games of the season if Leury Garcia or Josh Harrison get hurt? Who covers those positions if Garcia needs to be lifted for a pinch-hitter during a crucial moment of a tight game?
As for Mendick’s value as a catcher, it is for the #3 emergency role should the White Sox opt to roll with 2 backstops to begin the season. Mendick can also cover an outfield spot in a pinch. His primary value is being a solid defensive option at SS and 2B.
I get into arguments all the time with people who want to just shift players around to make the best offensive lineup, and don’t care where anyone plays. Fact is this Sox team has about 4 too many DH’s on it as it is, and they didn’t feel the need address these deficiencies in the off season.
Also, keeping Micker up would give the Sox an extra month to try and make a trade, as the rosters decrease at the end of April. Once that’s done, I see them utilizing Romy Gonzalez in the traditional utility role over Mendick, especially if Danny struggles at the plate again this year.
Vaughn played 2B last season in a pinch, so with a full year of MLB under his belt, SS for a day or two would be a walk in the park. Players playing multiple positions is the hallmark of a Hahn team. Why hire specialists when generalists can do “as good as” and they cost a whole lot less.
Name one generalist at each position that is in. the top ten in MLB and is inexpensive. You can’t because they. Become specialists because of their motivation for more money. That is why free agency and CBA agreements are counterproductive. The later promotes mediocrity.
I look at this differently. With the addition of Pollack (Engel) becomes redundant. If Adolfo is a + defender at the corners and Pollack can back up center, then trade Engel. Engel has more value to someone else as a 4th OF and you’d save a $1M+ in salary. If a quality bullpen or 5th starter is available then add a Burger to the deal. Engel would look good in Oakland and that big OF..kick the tires on Montas again maybe a Engel, Burger and A Jared Kelly deal would be enough.
I cannot fathom that the A’s would take that for Montas. Engel hasn’t been healthy enough to have much value in a trade. Burger/Kelly isn’t getting two years of Montas. Manaea, maybe… Padres got him for way cheaper than what I was expecting.
I’m sure Oakland wants something very good for Montas, especially if he starts out well. He will likely be prime trade candidate at deadline with bidding war among teams desperate for pitching. They would be smart to hang on to him until then unless they get an excellent deal.
I may be wrong but it seems to me that the A’s and Reds want to just get rid of certain(higher priced) players and seem to be receiving less than what they are worth.
Okay. I just hate to see Adolfo go without really seeing him in the majors.
I still remember that after the Sox won the pennant in 1959, they traded Norm Cash and Johnny Callison.
That’s an impressive memory, one I also share as a senior White Sox fan. I remember a few other solid young players the White Sox parted with in the early 1960’s including C Earl Battey and SP Denny McLain.
Let’s hope that Rick Hahn has another trade up his sleeve ahead of opening day, preferably one that includes a significant addition to their starting rotation. A deal is not out of the realm of possibility for the A’s Frankie Montas OR one involving the Reds, Padres or Marlins with their ‘available’ depth. A quality arm would likely involve some prospects along with a young player or two from the White Sox current active roster. Such a blockbuster could solve the roster issues facing the front office as we post.
Earl Battey was one of the 4 catchers on the team in ’59. My mother was a big fan of Sherm Lollar. Most teams back then carried 3 catchers.
Denny McLain, for those of you who are too young to remember, had a 30 Win season, after the Sox treaded him.
I just have a feeling about Adolfo. It’s taken whims long to get here than I believe he’ll play his butt off to stay. With his alleged skills, we might have a winner.
By the way, Aaron, remember the old hand-stitched baseballs they used? I have one signed by the whole team in 1959, including Minnie, who was with Cleveland that year.
I do remember those baseballs.
I’d like to see a way for the White Sox to retain Adolfo, at least for the month of April with the expanded roster. It just doesn’t look possible without a corresponding trade, one that very well could involve Micker.
I should proofread before I post. My typing is atrocious.
I think Adolfo should get a look especially since guys like Vaughn and Sheets still have minor league options (I believe), and that Vaughn is hurt. Bring him up and give him a chance. The Sox spent all this effort in getting him to a point, and it would be a waste to just trade him off when he looks like he has hit this spring…
If Crick has his head straight and is healthy he will be a welcome addition to the Sox as I think that he does have ability.His first year in Pittsburgh was very very good.
Crick walks a ton of guys. He is unlikely to be very good unless he fixes that.
He reminds me of Glenallen Hill… deserves a chance to play somewhere.
After a long, lackluster minor league career, Micker had a breakout Spring. Now is the time to get something for him. There’s no room for him, and we’d be better off snagging a 35 year old starter who has one more good season in the tank.
The Sox do that now without having to trade Micker… I guess they could always have another excuse to get a has been.. maybe they could get a guy like James Shields for him….
Montas is the opening day starter for A’s so I doubt Adolfo is going there this week. So he’s going somewhere else but for who? Pitching is at a premium now. There has to be one more deal very soon!
The Sox look to have a whole bunch of scrub relievers on the roster… Burr, Ruiz, Crick, Souza. I hope they let Adolfo break camp with the team and send one of those 4 down, personally. It would be a shame to have to let Adolfo go and get nothing in return, which seems more and more likely. I was hoping we would hear something by now.
GM Rick Hahn got something for Zack Collins, which means he’s a genius, I think Hahn is the MVP of this team, dealing with Jerry Reinsdorf and still making good trades