Chicago White Sox: Breaking down the seven-player trade with Yankees

The Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees came together on an extremely interesting seven-player trade on Tuesday night. Who won the trade? Are the prospects the White Sox landed any good? Let’s break it all down.

Less than a week after trading Jose Quintana to the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago White Sox continued their sell off by agreeing to a trade with the New York Yankees. In the deal, the Sox sent third baseman Todd Frazier along with relief pitchers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees in exchange for a trio of prospects (outfielders Blake Rutherford, Tito Polo and pitcher Ian Clarkin) and struggling reliever Tyler Clippard.

The White Sox did well in this trade, landing talented prospects to add to their already loaded minor league system. We will take a look at the prospects soon, but first, let’s take a look at what the Chicago White Sox gave up.

Both Frazier and Robertson were widely expected to be dealt prior to the July 31st trade deadline. Frazier is a free agent after the season and Robertson will hit the open market after 2018. Neither player expected to have a long term impact on this team.

Losing Kahnle does hurt

Kahnle is the only player who the White Sox traded in this deal who could’ve made an impact on the team in the long term. Kahnle has been lights out for the White Sox this season, posting a 2.50 ERA and a 1.47 FIP in 37 relief appearances, according to FanGraphs. He also has an incredible 42.6% strikeout rate paired with an impressive 5% walk rate.

Elite-level prospect

The headliner coming to the South Siders in this deal is outfield prospect Blake Rutherford. The Yankees drafted Rutherford in the first round (18th overall) of the 2016 draft. He has a smooth swing from the left side of the plate, showing good plate discipline, fantastic contact skills and above average power.

Rutherford is not an elite defensive outfielder, but he has good instincts with the glove and a solid arm. He has shown the ability to play all three outfield positions in his short professional career but is likely a corner outfielder in the long-term. Regardless, his bat should play just fine at the major league level.

Rutherford was ranked as the third best prospect in a strong Yankees system by John Sickels of Minor League Ball before the season and is now ranked as the Chicago White Sox sixth best prospect after the trade by MLB.com.

MLB.com also has him as the 30th best prospect in the entire game. It truly is incredible how much prospect talent Rick Hahn and company have been able to put together. Rutherford is undoubtedly a big time prospect with a bright future. He is still a few years away from making an impact in the big leagues, but he is undoubtedly an important part of the White Sox’ future.

Another talented arm

Clarkin is an interesting left-handed pitcher who joins the ranks of the Sox’ impressive crop of minor league arms. He is not going to blow you away with stuff, but Clarkin shows an impressive four-pitch mix and his fastball can reach the mid-90s. He throws strikes with consistency and does a nice job of keeping the ball down.

Clarkin missed the entire 2015 season with elbow issues but he has really bounced back nicely. He is a legitimate pitching prospect who has mid-rotation upside down the line. Clarkin has pitched well at Advanced-A level this season and could be in line for a call up to Double-A soon.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – SEPTEMBER 08: Ian Clarkin of United States talks with Chris Okey during the 18U Baseball World Championship match between the USA and Canada at Mokdong stadium on September 8, 2012 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) /

Interesting sleeper prospect

Polo is the least established prospect of the bunch, but he is an interesting player in his own right. Polo is an extremely fast and athletic player who can make an impact both defensively and on the base paths. He has also found a bit of power recently, which is obviously exciting when it comes to his long-term projection.

Polo has hit the ball well since being called up to Double-A, leaving the Yankees organization hitting an impressive .365/.431/.519 at the level. It was only 59 plate appearances but Polo has an exciting well-rounded skill set and is undoubtedly a prospect to keep an eye on.

Clippard was simply thrown into this trade to help even the salaries. The Yankees had no need for Clippard after trading for two bullpen arms. He has been pretty awful this season anyway. The White Sox will likely keep Clippard around and have him eat some innings in the second half.

All in all, I think the Chicago White Sox did great here. They were always going to trade Robertson and Frazier. Packaging them together allowed them to get some legitimate prospect talent.

Rick Hahn and his staff have done an incredible job or acquiring elite-level prospects for their rebuild. If they can develop them well, this could quickly become a force to be reckoned with for a long time in the American League.

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