Ranking the Chicago White Sox Off-Season Moves

White Sox Trade for Brett Lawrie

At first it seemed that the White Sox addressed their third baseman issue with the Brett Lawrie trade, however, it ended up addressing their need for a second baseman. While Carlos Sanchez was able to field, he couldn’t hit. Micah Johnson was able to hit, but he couldn’t field. Well, the White Sox were able to trade for someone who can do both at the major league level, while not giving up a ton.

There were rumors, at the time, saying that Tim Anderson, the Sox top prospect, could be a part of this deal. However, Chicago ended up only sending pitchers, Zack Erwin and Jeffery Wendelken to the Oakland Athletics for Lawrie, two players not highly ranked in the White Sox’ farm system.

This will be Lawrie’s third team in three seasons, surprising considering the type of potential he has, and what he has shown at the major league level. At only 26-years old, Lawrie has shown the ability to contribute to a team at the plate and in the field.

In 149 games with the A’s last season, he showed a little pop in his bat by blasting 16 homeruns and driving in 60 runs. He also put up a slash line of .260/.299/.407, while recording 146 hits. It was the first time in his career that his on-base-percentage did not reach .300.

Lawrie is expected to bounce back this season, although his struggles from the plate last season are a little concerning since he has never been known as having a great bat. However, Lawrie has shown the ability to hit early in his career with the Toronto Blue Jays. Also, being in a hitter-friendly park will help, as well as having a lot better bats surrounding him in the lineup.

With that being said, Lawrie has made a name for himself on the diamond for his defense. Last season, Lawrie only played 42 games at second base, since third base is his natural position. He committed six errors in 361 innings, and had a .972 fielding percentage. He struggled with errors in the field last season, but that was not a problem while in Toronto.

Lawrie was someone the Sox were known to be targeting for a while. When the deal was finally made, the White Sox come out as the initial winners of the trade, in a landslide. Lawrie is coming off a disappointing season, but the potential is there to be one of the better all-around infielders in the game. He’ll give the Sox stability at second base, while also being able to play third base if needed. He’s a better option than Carlos Sanchez at second and his power should thrive in U.S. Cellular Field.

Next: Number 1: Todd Frazier Trade