White Sox trade OF Carlos Quentin to San Diego for RHSP Simon Castro and LHRP Pedro Hernandez

whitesox.com press release:

The Chicago White Sox have acquired right-handed pitcher Simon Castro and left-hander Pedro Hernandez from the San Diego Padres in exchange for outfielder Carlos Quentin.

Simon Castro’s stats:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
2006	18	Padres	DOSL	FRk	SDP	1	3	.250	4.63	12	12	0	0	0	0	46.2	40	33	24	2	21		58	12	4	9	218	1.307	7.7	0.4	4.0	11.2	2.76
2007	19	Padres	ARIZ	Rk	SDP	2	6	.250	6.22	14	12	0	0	0	0	50.2	61	48	35	4	30	0	55	9	0	12	249	1.796	10.8	0.7	5.3	9.8	1.83
2008	20	Eugene	NORW	A-	SDP	2	3	.400	3.99	15	15	0	0	0	0	65.1	54	35	29	3	29	0	64	14	0	8	289	1.270	7.4	0.4	4.0	8.8	2.21
2009	21	Fort Wayne	MIDW	A	SDP	10	6	.625	3.33	28	27	0	1	1	0	140.1	118	61	52	9	37	0	157	10	3	15	574	1.105	7.6	0.6	2.4	10.1	4.24
2010	22	2 Teams	2 Lgs	AA-AAA	SDP	7	7	.500	3.28	26	25	0	0	0	0	140.0	123	65	51	9	42	1	113	6	3	2	583	1.179	7.9	0.6	2.7	7.3	2.69
2010	22	San Antonio	TL	AA	SDP	7	6	.538	2.92	24	23	0	0	0	0	129.2	107	55	42	8	36	1	107	6	3	2	529	1.103	7.4	0.6	2.5	7.4	2.97
2010	22	Portland	PCL	AAA	SDP	0	1	.000	7.84	2	2	0	0	0	0	10.1	16	10	9	1	6	0	6	0	0	0	54	2.129	13.9	0.9	5.2	5.2	1.00
2011	23	2 Teams	2 Lgs	AA-AAA	SDP	7	8	.467	5.63	22	22	0	0	0	0	115.0	132	78	72	14	34	0	94	6	2	9	505	1.443	10.3	1.1	2.7	7.4	2.76
2011	23	San Antonio	TL	AA	SDP	5	6	.455	4.33	16	16	0	0	0	0	89.1	95	48	43	9	16	0	73	6	1	3	375	1.243	9.6	0.9	1.6	7.4	4.56
2011	23	Tucson	PCL	AAA	SDP	2	2	.500	10.17	6	6	0	0	0	0	25.2	37	30	29	5	18	0	21	0	1	6	130	2.143	13.0	1.8	6.3	7.4	1.17
6 Seasons						29	33	.468	4.24	117	113	0	1	1	0	558.0	528	320	263	41	193	1	541	57	12	55	2418	1.292	8.5	0.7	3.1	8.7	2.80
AA (2 seasons)				AA		12	12	.500	3.49	40	39	0	0	0	0	219.0	202	103	85	17	52	1	180	12	4	5	904	1.160	8.3	0.7	2.1	7.4	3.46
AAA (2 seasons)				AAA		2	3	.400	9.50	8	8	0	0	0	0	36.0	53	40	38	6	24	0	27	0	1	6	184	2.139	13.2	1.5	6.0	6.8	1.13

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 12/31/2011.

Pedro Hernandez’ stats:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
2007	18	Padres	DOSL	FRk	SDP	0	1	.000	2.02	9	0	2	0	0	1	13.1	12	6	3	1	4		13	2	1	0	56	1.200	8.1	0.7	2.7	8.8	3.25
2008	19	Padres	DOSL	FRk	SDP	7	2	.778	1.42	14	8	4	0	0	0	63.1	50	21	10	2	6	0	74	2	0	2	248	0.884	7.1	0.3	0.9	10.5	12.33
2009	20	2 Teams	2 Lgs	Rk-A-	SDP	4	2	.667	5.80	13	9	0	0	0	0	49.2	64	36	32	6	8	0	46	3	4	4	219	1.450	11.6	1.1	1.4	8.3	5.75
2009	20	Padres	ARIZ	Rk	SDP	4	0	1.000	3.78	7	5	0	0	0	0	33.1	33	15	14	2	4	0	31	1	2	1	134	1.110	8.9	0.5	1.1	8.4	7.75
2009	20	Eugene	NORW	A-	SDP	0	2	.000	9.92	6	4	0	0	0	0	16.1	31	21	18	4	4	0	15	2	2	3	85	2.143	17.1	2.2	2.2	8.3	3.75
2010	21	Fort Wayne	MIDW	A	SDP	4	3	.571	4.04	29	13	3	0	0	0	100.1	122	62	45	6	17	0	79	7	1	2	445	1.385	10.9	0.5	1.5	7.1	4.65
2011	22	3 Teams	3 Lgs	A+-AA-AAA	SDP	10	3	.769	3.49	28	18	2	0	0	0	116.0	119	53	45	10	22	2	94	0	0	0	482	1.216	9.2	0.8	1.7	7.3	4.27
2011	22	Lake Elsinore	CALL	A+	SDP	5	0	1.000	2.70	15	6	2	0	0	0	56.2	52	19	17	3	6	2	44	0	0	0	226	1.024	8.3	0.5	1.0	7.0	7.33
2011	22	San Antonio	TL	AA	SDP	3	2	.600	3.48	9	8	0	0	0	0	41.1	39	17	16	4	10	0	43	0	0	0	171	1.185	8.5	0.9	2.2	9.4	4.30
2011	22	Tucson	PCL	AAA	SDP	2	1	.667	6.00	4	4	0	0	0	0	18.0	28	17	12	3	6	0	7	0	0	0	85	1.889	14.0	1.5	3.0	3.5	1.17
5 Seasons						25	11	.694	3.55	93	48	11	0	0	1	342.2	367	178	135	25	57	2	306	14	6	8	1450	1.237	9.6	0.7	1.5	8.0	5.37
AA (1 season)				AA		3	2	.600	3.48	9	8	0	0	0	0	41.1	39	17	16	4	10	0	43	0	0	0	171	1.185	8.5	0.9	2.2	9.4	4.30
AAA (1 season)				AAA		2	1	.667	6.00	4	4	0	0	0	0	18.0	28	17	12	3	6	0	7	0	0	0	85	1.889	14.0	1.5	3.0	3.5	1.17

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 12/31/2011.

Kenny Williams had some interesting comments on both acquisitions. On Castro:

Castro is projected by the White Sox as a starter but could end up as a late-inning reliever with his fastball in the mid 90s, a hard split and a plus slider. Williams pointed to a back issue felt by Castro, which has since been corrected, that affected his delivery, stamina and stuff during last year’s struggles. In looking at video of Castro, Williams also sees mechanics flaws similar to what the White Sox saw and then corrected with Jose Contreras when he first joined the team.

and on Hernandez:

Hernandez, 22, has developed nicely over the last two years. Williams called him a “strike-throwing machine,” and while he presently throws a few too many fly balls for a hitter-friendly ballpark like U.S. Cellular Field, Williams believes that the left-hander has the sink and cutter to develop as another rotation guy.

More Kenny Williams:

“There are some similarities we see in him that remind us of Jose and some of the issues he has had this past year that he didn’t have before,” Williams said of Castro’s disappointing 7-8 season with a 5.63 ERA at both Double-A and Triple-A. “Sometimes guys get out of whack. This guy is 6-foot-5, throws 90-95 [mph], a lower three-quarter angle and gets around balls but can drop a hard split and he can locate, when he’s right.”

Here’s audio of Kenny Williams’ comments (2:20).

John Sickels had this to say today on Simon Castro:

Castro still has a fine arm, featuring a 90-95 MPH fastball. His slider has plus moments, but he’s still working to refine his changeup. His mechanics are complicated and his command fails if they get out of whack, but the arm strength for success is still here, and until ’11 he did a good job throwing strikes most of the time. He still has a chance to be a starting pitcher, although many scouts prefer him in relief. I have him rated as a Grade C+ in my upcoming 2012 Baseball Prospect Book.

and Pedro Hernandez:

Hernandez has an 88-92 MPH fastball along with a good changeup and mediocre curve. There’s nothing spectacular about him, but he throws strikes and could develop into a fifth starter or a relief option. I currently rate him as a Grade C prospect.

and the overall trade:

The White Sox didn’t obtain a premium prospect for Quentin, but Castro still has considerable upside and perhaps the change of scenery will help his development.

Baseball America’s Matt Eddy made these comments today on Simon Castro:

Owner of the best slider in the Padres system prior to the trade, Castro seemed poised for big things in 2011 as he tackled Triple-A for the first time, but the bubble burst early. Castro landed on the disabled list with a lat injury after six starts for Tucson yielded a 10.17 ERA and 21-18 K-BB ratio. He recovered somewhat after a demotion to San Antonio in June, and he closed out the season on a high note, notching a 35-5 K-BB ratio and 2.53 ERA over his final seven starts. At fault for Castro’s regression: out-of-whack mechanics in which he failed to extend on the front side of his delivery and also recoiled his arm. He’s always pitched with a long arm action, so the Padres traced his troubles back to his starting assignment in the 2010 Futures Game, in which he allowed two runs in one inning. He hasn’t pitched with the same consistency since. Castro’s velocity dipped into the high 80s early in the 2011 season before he recovered to pitch at 92-94 mph and touch 96 with tailing action later in the year. His slider showed trademark late bite and 82-84 mph velocity at times, though just as often it resembled a three-quarters slurve. The changeup could be a fringe-average pitch in the mid-80s with more refinement. If Castro rediscovers his two plus pitches and control he still profiles as a mid-rotation arm or set-up reliever.

and Pedro Hernandez:

Hernandez always has thrown a quality changeup and shown strong command, but his prospect status began to take hold when his velocity began to creep up halfway through the 2010 season. Signed at age 18 out of Venezuela, Hernandez initially topped out near 87 mph but that has since become the low point for his fastball range. The Padres say the lefty has touched 95 on occasion, but more often he sits in the low 90s and works both sides of the plate with a riding fastball. Batters don’t pick up the ball well against the short and stocky Hernandez, which helps his solid-average, low-80s changeup play up. Hernandez’s mid- to low-80s slider/cutter doesn’t elicit much praise, but it could be a fringe-average offering for him in time. Hernandez may not have a deep enough repertoire to start in the big leagues, but he could grow into a nifty lefty reliever capable of facing both righties and lefties.

And some older reports. John Sickels was impressed with Castro a year ago:

2) Simon Castro, RHP, Grade B+: I think he’ll need a year of Triple-A to finish refining his breaking ball and control, but I remain impressed with him overall.

but disappointed in August:

2) Simon Castro, RHP, Grade B+: Got killed at Triple-A Tucson early, 10.17 ERA with 21/18 K/BB and 37 hits in 26 innings. Now back at San Antonio, 5.34 ERA with 57/12 K/BB in 59 innings, 74 hits. Very disappointing in all respects.

Diamond Futures gave Castro an A- grade before the 2011 season:

4) Simon Castro, RHP(2010 – Dominance 54; Control 64; HRrate 56; Stamina 72)

We continue to waiver on Castro, sometimes believing that he could become a powerful #2 Major League starter, and other times not sure that he wouldn’t be best used as a dominating back of the bullpen reliever. Castro has been on our radar longer than most anyone, as we first took notice when he posted a Top 10 Performance Score in the Dominican Summer League (DSL) in 2006. In 2008, he posted another Top 10 Score in the Northwest League (NWL), followed by a #12 Score in the MWL in 2009 and a #8 Score in the Texas League (TXL) this past season. The point is that he has been remarkably consistent over a five year stretch—something that bodes well for his longer term outlook. At 6’5”, 210lbs, Castro is remarkably durable—averaging 26 starts for each of the last two seasons. With a low- to mid-90s fastball—that he throws from a large downward plane—and two at least average secondary offerings—all of which he has above average command, Castro has substantial upside. While the downside is limited, we do still have concerns. Castro has a tendency to over rely on his fastball. His change still needs considerable work Finally, Castro doesn’t possess the pitchability that would give us more confidence in his eventual role. The Padres skipped Castro over Hi-A in 2010, and the 22yo looks ready to take on AAA in 2011. He will battle Casey Kelly for the opportunity, if one should arise, in San Diego this season.

ProjectProspect’s Adam Foster scouted Castro in 2010:

Castro has room to improve his command, but I saw him show a feel for three pitches that could be average or better in the bigs. The big righty pitched with a purpose. He wasn’t just throwing the heck out of the ball every time, instead opting to aim for corners and keeping hitters off-balance with thought-out pitch sequences and locations. I saw Castro follow up one outside slider that eluded the catcher’s glove with another slider that painted the black and put him back ahead in the count. Still, pitches got away from him every once and a while.Though he did only have two wild pitches and six hit batters in 2010, he is going to need to command each of his offerings better to reach his ceiling as a No. 1 starter. Castro’s fastball is good enough to get outs even when he leaves it over the plate. It’s promising that he’s not afraid to challenge hitters with it, but I wonder if sometimes he’s a bit too casual with locating it in the zone. If he learns to bury each of his offerings down in the zone with more regularity, I think he could be a guy who strikes out 175+ batters annually.

I think Kenny made an OK trade. Quentin will be a free-agent after the 2012 season and the Sox wouldn’t re-sign. He was close to getting non-tendered last year. With this trade Kenny saved about $7 million, opened up a RF for Dayan Viciedo, and got an interesting guy in Simon Castro.

UPDATE: BaseballInstict on Simon Castro:

Simon Castro was one of San Diego’s top prospects at about this time last year. Castro pitched well enough in 2010 to appear in the Futures Game while pitching for San Antonio with a 2.92 ERA and 107 K in 130 Innings. This season he was disappointing in his stint at Double-A, 4.33 ERA 73 K, 95 hits in 89 innings and was awful at Triple-A, 10.17 ERA, 21 K, 37 hits in 26 innings. Pedro Hernandez, was 10-3 with a 3.49 ERA in 2011. The 23-year-old lefty [righty] has a low to mid 90s fastball and a very good change-up.

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Smells Like Mascot: The Nutcracker

Carl’s latest:

http://smellslikemascot.blogspot.com/2011/12/nutcracker.html

John Sickels’ Top 20 White Sox prospects for 2012

John Sickels:

1) Nestor Molina, RHP, Grade B+: Acquired from the Blue Jays for Sergio Santos, and immediately became Chicago’s first or second-best prospect. I think he can remain a starter. Molina was a big topic of discussion earlier this month.

2) Addison Reed, RHP, Grade B+: The best closer prospect in baseball thanks to superior command of 93-97 MPH fastball and devastating slider. You can make a case to rank him ahead of Molina, if you think Molina will be a reliever.

3) Tyler Saladino, SS, Grade C+: 2010 seventh round pick out of Oral Roberts developed from draft sleeper into solid prospect. Good power for a middle infielder, and has some idea about the strike zone, scouts like his work ethic. Main issue now is if he can stick at shortstop, and I think he has a decent chance to do so.

4) Trayce Thompson, OF, Grade C+: Highest-ceiling bat in system, tapping into his power now and making good progress on defense. Kills lefties but has serious contact problems against right-handed pitching. Struck out 172 times while repeating Low-A. Has the tools to be a star slugger but also carries a high risk of failure.

5) Hector Santiago, LHP, Grade C+: Came out of nowhere to reach the majors (briefly) in 2011 thanks to development of a new screwball to go with 90-95 MPH fastball. Third pitch still needs work and it is unclear if he starts or relieves in the long run, although recent rumors indicate the Sox will continue to start him. Projects as number three/four starter if third pitch develops, or a power relief arm.

“The best closer prospect in baseball” comment helps explain Sergio Santos’ trade.

White Sox announce John Danks contract extension

whitesox.com press release:

The Chicago White Sox and left-handed pitcher John Danks have agreed to terms on a five-year, $65-million contract.  Under terms of the agreement, Danks will receive $8 million in 2012, which was to be his final season of arbitration eligibility, and $14.25 million in each of the 2013-16 seasons.

A native of Austin, Texas, Danks is 54-56 with a 4.03 ERA (411 ER/917.2 IP) and 714 strikeouts in 150 starts over five major-league seasons, all with the White Sox.  Since the start of the 2008 season, he ranks third among American League left-handers with 605 strikeouts, fourth with 48 victories and 76 quality starts and eighth with a 3.77 ERA.

Danks’ contract includes some no-trade clause protections:

MLB.com also has learned that Danks holds full no-trade veto power in the first year of his deal and has limited no-trade considerations over the next four. That limited no-trade translates into six teams to which Danks can’t be traded without his approval.

Danks posted the best K/BB ratio of his major-league career last year:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB	Awards
2007	22	CHW	AL	6	13	.316	5.50	26	26	0	0	0	0	139.0	160	92	85	28	54	4	109	4	0	3	622	86	1.540	10.4	1.8	3.5	7.1	2.02
2008	23	CHW	AL	12	9	.571	3.32	33	33	0	0	0	0	195.0	182	74	72	15	57	1	159	4	0	7	804	138	1.226	8.4	0.7	2.6	7.3	2.79
2009	24	CHW	AL	13	11	.542	3.77	32	32	0	1	0	0	200.1	184	89	84	28	73	1	149	5	0	1	839	124	1.283	8.3	1.3	3.3	6.7	2.04
2010	25	CHW	AL	15	11	.577	3.72	32	32	0	1	1	0	213.0	189	93	88	18	70	2	162	4	1	2	878	115	1.216	8.0	0.8	3.0	6.8	2.31
2011	26	CHW	AL	8	12	.400	4.33	27	27	0	2	1	0	170.1	182	89	82	19	46	5	135	7	0	6	728	97	1.339	9.6	1.0	2.4	7.1	2.93
5 Seasons				54	56	.491	4.03	150	150	0	4	2	0	917.2	897	437	411	108	300	13	714	24	1	19	3871	111	1.304	8.8	1.1	2.9	7.0	2.38
162 Game Avg.				12	13	.491	4.03	34	34	0	1	0	0	208	203	99	93	24	68	3	162	5	0	4	877	111	1.304	8.8	1.1	2.9	7.0	2.38

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 12/29/2011.

And here’s audio of Kenny Williams and John Danks’ comments (2:12). And John Danks’ comments on CSN (4:17) and on print by Van Schouwen.

Scott Merkin reviews the White Sox 2011 season

Scott Merkin:

As for that brief era of good feeling between Williams and Guillen, another slow start didn’t help the cause. A dispute over whether Minor League sensation Dayan Viciedo, who was Williams’ choice, or leadoff man Juan Pierre should be playing every day in the outfield in early June seemed to re-start tensions. Basically, both sides needed a change at this point.

Maybe Pierre will end up in Miami too…

Other White Sox links:

• James looks at the prospect of losing Gavin Floyd, and at Kenny Williams’ style of rebuilding.
• J.J. looks at what not trading Carlos Quentin would mean.
• 2012 Sox draft picks: #13, #48 (via #56), #77, #108, #141. And how the new CBA effects the draft.

Is Gavin Floyd on the trading block?

Danny Knobler @ CBS Sports:

Even after signing John Danks to a contract extension this week, the White Sox remain open to trading fellow starting pitcher Gavin Floyd, according to sources.

The “White Sox people” are shaking their head…

“White Sox people” say reports of a rebuilding were greatly exaggerated

Danny Knobler @ CBS Sports:

In fact, some White Sox people cringed when Williams began talking openly about “rebuilding.”

“We are not rebuilding,” one of them said forcefully.

More from the “White Sox people”:

Third, the word in both the international scouting community and among White Sox people is that the Sox could be very involved in the bidding for 26-year-old Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who should become a free agent next month.

Kenny Williams wants the “White Sox people” to stop talking about the White Sox.

Other White Sox links:

• Tom Tango calls the John Danks extension “as perfectly fair deal as you should expect from both sides”.
• James, also, looks on the John Danks extension.
• J.J. has an interview with Doug Seyller aka k0na (the guy who broke the John Danks extension news).
• Season Greetings from the White Sox.

White Sox agree to 5-year extension with John Danks

Kenny found 65 cents! Here are the tweets [messages] from the guy that broke the story:

#WhiteSox danks signs a big contract with the sox. repeat. big.

— Doug Seyller (@k0na) December 21, 2011

#Whitesox 5yr 65mil

— Doug Seyller (@k0na) December 21, 2011

Confirmation:

danks and white sox agree on $65M, 5-yr deal. looks like some fan had it first. lol

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 22, 2011

Sources close to situation confirm John Danks agrees to multi-year extension with White Sox.

— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) December 22, 2011

Seems the Sox doctor is on vacation:

danks deal wont be announced until after xmas, as he has a physical to take. #chisox

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 22, 2011

Sox watch Yoenis Cespedes workout

Danny Knobler @ CBS Sports:

The 26-year-old Cuban outfield (and YouTube) sensation isn’t technically available yet. His agent told ESPNDeportes.com that Cespedes should be able to establish residency in the Dominican Republic this week. There’s another step after that before he can become a free agent, but the expectation in baseball is that he’ll officially go on the market sometime in January.

And the expectation in baseball is that the bidding for him could get crazy.

Also, word in the international scouting community is that the White Sox watched Cespedes in a private workout recently. The White Sox have had recent success with Cuban players, having signed Alexei Ramirez and Dayan Viciedo.

Crazy bidding? The Sox are probably just “kicking the tires.”

Other White Sox links:

• James looks on Dayan Viciedo and the latest White Sox soap opera.
• J.J. looks on Dylan Axelrod and US Cellular Field’s HR friendliness.
• colin doesn’t like the Sox’ chances to compete next year.
• Gordon Beckham won’t neglect to eat breakfast during the 2012 season.

Carlos Quentin and/or John Danks trade talks to pick up?

Richard Griffin @ The Toronto Star:

Anthopoulos began serious trade talks at the winter meetings and is now ready to resume calling GMs in earnest now that he knows the Darvish negotiations are off the table for the Jays.

There are talks with White Sox GM Kenny Williams for outfielder Carlos Quentin and John Danks. There’s a call to be made to Billy Beane with imaginative back-and-forth involving lefthander Gio Gonzalez. How about the Astros and Wandy Rodriguez or the Braves and Jair Jurrjens?

Maybe another team can be enticed to join in on one of these trade talks, brought in to create some heavy three-way action, because Anthopoulos is always prepared, armed with knowledge of all 30 teams, not just his own. He does his serious legwork and likes to know what other teams are looking for even if he doesn’t have the parts to satisfy them. That’s where the creativity and imagination come in.

Is another trade with Toronto coming?

Yoenis Cespedes Encore

Kevin Goldstein:

Last month, the Yoenis Cespedes video took the world by storm, so imagine my excitement when Edgar Mercedes, the producer of the video and president of the Born To Play Academy in the Dominican Republic, e-mailed me this week to let me know that the sequel was finished and would be available soon. To be fair, Mercedes and his group have had a wonderful sense of humor about the video and the fallout, and he relayed some basic information to me in a phone call. The new video is 28 minutes, is more baseball-related, includes video from Cespedes’ heavily-attended showcase, as well as some private workouts and “a surprise at the end.” …

Omar Vizquel won’t come back to the Sox in 2012

No I won't RT @Kmart0307: @VizquelOmar13 Omar! Are you coming back to the #WhiteSox next season?! I think you should!

— Omar Vizquel (@VizquelOmar13) December 16, 2011

Omar isn’t coming…

Fangraphs’ Top 15 2012 White Sox prospects

Marc Hulet:

2. Nestor Molina, RHP

BORN: Jan. 9, 1989
EXPERIENCE: 5 seasons
ACQUIRED: 2006 non-drafted free agent (Toronto)
2010-11 TOP 10 RANKING: Off

SCOUTING REPORT: I came very close to ranking Molina No. 1 overall in the White Sox system. As a Jay, he would have ranked in the six to eight range – which tells you a little bit about the depth of the two systems. Some online publications have referred to Molina as a “control pitcher” which has a negative connotation and implies that his stuff is below average. While the Venezuelan has plus control, his stuff is at least average – if not better. He has an 87-93 mph fastball and a potentially plus splitter that is his out-pitch. He also has a decent slider.

YEAR IN REVIEW: When his breaking ball improved to the point where the Jays organization felt it could be at least MLB average, Molina was moved into the starting rotation for good in 2011. He had a breakout season and reached double-A. The 22-year-old hurler spent the majority of the season in high-A where he posted a 2.45 FIP (2.58 ERA) in 108.1 innings. He showed his outstanding control by posting a walk rate of 1.16 BB/9. Molina also sent a large number of batters back to the dugout shaking their heads (9.55 K/9).

YEAR AHEAD: Molina received five late-season starts in double-A and showed that he was far from over-matched: 0.47 FIP, 0.82 BB/9, 13.50 K/9. He probably needs about half a season at double-A before moving up to triple-A and could be ready for the Majors by the end of the season. Chicago tends to be overly aggressive with some of its pitchers so I wouldn’t be shocked to see Molina in triple-A to begin 2012.

CAREER OUTLOOK: Molina has the makings of a No. 3 starter at the MLB level. The big question for him is his durability. Originally an outfielder, he was moved to the bump permanently in 2008 and has pitched more than 100 innings just once (2011). There is also some concern over his delivery and that, unless it gets smoothed out, he’ll be a high-leverage reliever at the MLB level.

For the other prospects hit the link.

Extremely Early CAIRO 2012 Projected Standings

SG @ RLYB:

DISCLAIMER: This is very limited in telling us much about how 2012 will play out for a large number of reasons.

1) There are still a lot of roster changes coming.  This may give us some sense of how the offseason has impacted teams to this point and it also shows us how things might look if nothing changed from now until April.  Which won’t happen.

2) It’s too early to construct meaningful rosters for a lot of teams, so these projections will favor the teams that have essentially completed their 2012 rosters.

3) In addition to that, projection systems are inherently limited.  They are designed to estimate a player’s true talent based on what they’ve done so far and also by factoring in things like age and how similar players have performed in the past.  They will generally be in the ballpark for the general population of MLB players, but they can miss significantly on individual players which can obviously affect certain teams more heavily than others.

TEAM	W	L	RS	RA	Div	WC	PL
Tigers	89	73	780	703	54.3%	4.7%	59.0%
Indians	87	75	751	696	40.8%	5.9%	46.6%
White Sox	77	85	723	795	3.3%	1.5%	4.8%
Royals	73	89	684	760	1.6%	0.2%	1.8%
Twins	66	96	698	829	0.0%	–	–

Last year’s ‘Extremely Early CAIRO Projected Standings’ projected 84 wins and 78 losses for the Sox. The Sox finished with 79 wins and 83 losses.

Kevin Goldstein likes Chris Sale

Yes. Best college arm in '10 draft. RT @Hard_8: @Kevin_Goldstein do you envision success for the starting pitcher version of Chris Sale?

— Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) December 11, 2011

BTW,

Disaster. RT @peachesnnuts: @Kevin_Goldstein Thoughts on a worldwide, right of first refusal draft?

— Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) December 16, 2011