The Chicago White Sox have traded away Chris Sale, Adam Eaton, Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, Tommy Kahnle, David Robertson, and Melky Cabrera all within the last year, and the fire sale may not be complete just yet.
White Sox GM Rick Hahn said this week that the team has received trade inquiries on sluggers Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia and is willing to listen.
“We have to listen,” said Hahn, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. “We have to explore. We’re still in the same spot that we were a year ago, in that we’re focused on the long term.
“At some point, not necessarily this offseason, we have to make the decision,” he continued. “Are we best served by extending them through what we project to be the bulk of our window, or are we better off making a move like some of the others we’ve made and trying to reinforce the future with prospects?”
It’s obvious that the White Sox are planning for the future rather than the present by trying to stockpile as many top young prospects as possible. But whether or not they believe that the 30-year-old Abreu and the 26-year-old Garcia can still play a role in that future remains to be seen.
Both players are under team control for the next two seasons, which would make them more than one-year rentals. Abrue has slugged at least 30 homers in three of his four MLB seasons. Garcia broke out last season with the best year of his career, as he batted .330 with an .885 OPS.
