Mark Gonzales on the Pena trade and the Sox future infield

On the Brandon Allen-Tony Pena trade:

Moving Allen was tough for me to stomach, but I understand the need to strengthen the bullpen. Pena can step into Dotel’s role next year and could become more valuable now if Carrasco moves into the rotation. … The trading of Allen slightly alleviates a logjam at the corners. Konerko probably takes over as the designated hitter. If the Sox don’t re-sign Jerma[in]e Dye, that would pave the way for Dayan Viciedo or Josh Fields to play first.

and Mark’s future infield prediction:

1b – Dayan Viciedo or Josh Fields
2b – Chris Getz or Jayson Nix
ss – Alexei Ramirez
3b – Gordon Beckham

3 innings for Carlos Quentin tonight (UPDATE)

Quentin was 1-2 with an RBI-double in the Kannapolis game tonight. He was replaced in the begginning of the 4th inning. Mark Gonzales reports that he played DH and not bLF due to the rain. BTW, Colon will start for Kannapolis tomorrow.

UPDATE: Savannah Morning News:

Carlos Quentin approached the batter’s box in the first inning. Rather than his usual No. 20, he was wearing 43 on his jersey. Instead of the black and white of the Chicago White Sox, he was sporting the red and black of the Kannapolis Intimidators. And instead of being at a major league park, Quentin was playing designated hitter at Grayson Stadium.

While the jersey and stadium were different, the result looked familiar. The 2008 All-Star doubled the first pitch down the left-field line, driving in a run. …

Kyle Bellamy promoted to Kannapolis

MiLB.com:

Kyle Bellamy assigned to Kannapolis Intimidators from Bristol White Sox.

John Shelby scouting report

FutureSox:

His contact and walk rates are a concern, but he has big enough upside to make up for it.

C.J. Retheford scouting report

FutureSox:

He makes a lot of contact and has decent power, but he doesn’t walk enough or have enough speed to be a #2 hitter in any lineup.

Gordon Beckham not in Dave Cameron’s Top 50 Valuable players

Dave Cameron:

Essentially, the idea is to take all the information that goes into encapsulating a player’s value to an organization – his present skills, his future potential, how long he’s under club control, the expected cost of paying him over that time, and the risks involved with projecting his future performances … Making this list is hard. There’s so many good players in the game right now, and trying to decide who fits and who doesn’t feels like an impossible task at times. So, to close out the introduction, here are the five guys who just missed the cut. You could probably make a good case for any of them being included, but for me, they were just edged out by the guys above them.
…
Gordon Beckham, 3B/SS, Chicago – 0.2 WAR

A year after getting drafted, he hit his way to the majors. If I was completely sure he’d be a quality defensive shortstop long term, he’d have made the list.

Yeahh…

Seth Loman hits 2 homers (UPDATE)

whitesox.com:

Seth Loman went 3-for-4 with two homers, five RBIs and three runs scored Sunday as Winston-Salem routed Lynchburg, 13-3. Loman is hitting .289 with five homers and 24 RBIs in 33 games.

Loman is hitting .289/.362/.518/.880. With 5 BB to 30 K and a .354 BABIP though…

UPDATE: From the Winston-Salem Journal:

Loman, a 6-4, 240-pound designated hitter from Las Vegas, started the season at Winston-Salem, but struggled early and was sent to Kannapolis of the low Class A South Atlantic League on May 18. He hit eight homers for Kannapolis and was sent back June 17. “I’ve worked with our hitting coach Robert Sasser a lot. I’ve worked on some stuff — working on my stride and all that kind of stuff — so it paid off today,” Loman said. Loman said he had a three-homer game against the Greensboro Grasshoppers when he was with Kannapolis. “I feel good. Whenever I keep my stride short it allows me to see things well.”

Jared Mitchell isn’t injured

He’s just re-charging his batteries:

The 6’0, 200 pounder our of New Iberia has been placed on the seven-day disabled list by the team. He is eligible to come off of the disabled list Thursday and should debut for the Intimidators then.  Sources tell NewOrleans.Com/Sports that Mitchell is not injured, that the White Sox simply gave him the time to re-charge his batteries, rest a bit from the non-stop grind of LSU football and baseball, and to get his feet on the ground before debuting. He has been taking batting practice with the team. The Intimidators play at Savannah Thursday night.

Dan Hudson scouting report

FutureSox:

His above average slider is his strikeout pitch, but it can be a plus pitch at times. Hudson also throws an average changeup and uses a 3/4 arm angle.

Dexter Carter scouting report

FutureSox:

Carter uses his height and a high release point to get a good downward angle on his pitches. His fastball typically sits in the 91-93 range and he has a good curveball that has become more consistent.