White Sox extend winning streak to 5, but lose Carlos Rodon to injury

Carlos Rodon

Good news: The White Sox won their fifth consecutive game with a 6-4 victory over Milwaukee on Monday night.

The South Siders were trailing 4-2 after six innings, but they tied it when Jose Abreu hit a two-run homer on a 3-0 pitch from Corbin Burnes in the top of the seventh inning. The Sox went ahead 5-4 in the eighth when Leury Garcia scored on a wild pitch by David Phelps. Yoan Moncada homered in the ninth off Corey Knebel to make it 6-4, and Alex Colome got three outs in the ninth for his second save of the season.

Ross Detwiler went 1.1 innings with three strikeouts to earn the victory, and the veteran lefty has now worked 8.1 scoreless innings to start the season.

Sounds good, right?

Too bad Sox starter Carlos Rodon got hurt to dampen the mood. The lefty lasted only two innings because of a shoulder problem. His velocity was noticeably down in the second inning, topping out at only 88-89 mph. We know that when Rodon is right, he can fire it up there in the mid-90s. That hasn't been happening, and now he's on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder soreness.

This will further test the Sox's starting pitching depth. With Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez and Jimmy Lambert all injured and unlikely to return anytime soon -- and with Michael Kopech opted out of the 2020 season -- options are diminishing.

Maybe Detwiler will be taking Rodon's place in the rotation. Or maybe Dane Dunning will be recalled. And, hey, the Sox signed veteran lefty Clayton Richard to a minor league deal the other day.

That's where the team is at right now with the starting pitching, and it isn't pretty.

With Rodon headed to the injured list, the team purchased the contract of right-hander Brady Lail from the Schaumburg training facility. Lail, 26, has pitched one game in the major leagues in his life, last season with the New York Yankees. He gave up three earned runs in 2.2 innings before being designated for assignment.

In other words, don't expect much.

To make room for Lail on the 40-man roster. the Sox designated outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe for assignment. This will not be a popular move with the prospect-loving wing of the Sox fan base.

Basabe is the much ballyhooed "third piece" of the Chris Sale trade (behind Moncada and Kopech), and at one point in time, he looked like he could be a contributor for the Sox -- at least as an extra outfielder.

The reality is Basabe is soon to be 24 years old, he's never played above Double-A ball, and he's a career .248 hitter in the minors with only 44 home runs in nearly 600 games. I have no idea whether he'll be claimed on waivers -- I'm guessing yes -- but if he is, I don't envision losing a lot of sleep over it.

I do think there are other guys I would have parted with first, but if we're being honest, Basabe has never been healthy or particularly good since joining the Sox organization.

Everyone else has a top 10 White Sox prospects list -- why shouldn't I?

Luis Robert

This is the time of year when we see a lot of publications updating their prospects lists, both for individual teams and the league in general.

The White Sox have a top-heavy farm system, and the higher-end guys figure to graduate to the majors sometime in 2020. No. 1 to No. 4 on their prospect list seems obvious to most people. It's those spots from No. 5 to No. 10 that are the subject of debate.

Since everyone else seems to be taking a kick at the can at how these guys should rate, why shouldn't I throw my two cents in? Here are my top 10 Sox prospects going into the 2020 season:

1. Luis Robert, CF. Duh, right? Robert will not be on these lists much longer. He will start the season as the Opening Day center fielder in Chicago. He's the consensus top prospect in the organization, and he ranks anywhere from No. 2 to No. 6 when you see rankings of the top prospects in all of baseball.

I wish Robert would have been called to the majors last season. His tools are insane -- power, speed, defense, throwing arm -- there's nothing to complain about in any of those areas. The main problem for Robert is he remains a bit of a wild swinger, and I expect MLB pitchers to exploit that early in his career. Eventually, he'll make the adjustment, but I wanted that learning curve to start in 2019, during games that were inconsequential in the standings.

Now, Robert will have to learn in the 2020 season, during which the Sox have expectations of being much more competitive. We'll see how he holds up. Certainly, there's nothing left to prove in minor-league levels. Robert hit .328/.376/.624 with 32 home runs and 36 steals across three levels last year. Yep, he's ready for his shot.

2. Michael Kopech, RHP. Kopech is a year and a half removed from elbow surgery. His fastball is back where it should be, sitting between 95 and 100 mph. Will the command be there after such a long layoff from competitive ball? Maybe not, but given Kopech's big fastball and his quality secondary pitches -- including a slider and a change -- I don't have any doubt he's one of the five best starting pitchers the Sox have.

But, the Sox will show "an abundance of caution" with Kopech. He's going to start the year in Triple-A Charlotte, but I don't expect him to be there for long. I'd be stunned if he isn't in Chicago by June 1, assuming good health. Even though the Sox insist that Kopech isn't on an innings limit this season, we know they aren't going to overtax him, so I just assume he throw his innings with the Sox later in the season, as opposed to early in the cold, rainy weather in April.

3. Andrew Vaughn, 1B. The third overall pick in the 2019 draft hit his first spring training home run on Friday, and he appears slated to start the season in Double-A Birmingham. Vaughn put up monstrous numbers over three collegiate seasons at California; his career slash line there was .374/.495/.688.

Unlike some other Sox prospects, Vaughn seems willing to take a walk. He had a .384 OBP in 55 games in the Sox's minor-league system in 2019. He has a simple swing and a disciplined approach that will make pitchers work. Obviously, as someone who is limited to first base as a defender, he'll have to hit to stick in the majors. But there's no reason to believe he won't. Maybe we'll see him at the end of 2020, or in 2021.

4. Nick Madrigal, 2B. He won't hit for power, no, but I'm not sure why I should be concerned about that. In a projected lineup that includes Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, Robert, Edwin Encarnacion, Yoan Moncada and Yasmani Grandal, do the Sox need Madrigal to hit balls off the wall and over it? Not in my world.

I'd make Madrigal the starting second baseman from Opening Day on this season. He can field the position at an elite level, and he almost never strikes out -- you may have heard he only struck out 16 times in 532 plate appearances in 2019. He hit .311/.377/.414 across three levels last season, so I don't think there's a whole heckuva lot for him to prove in the minors. I hope the Sox don't send him back to the minors for service time reasons. We should be past that point in the rebuild.

5. Jonathan Stiever, RHP. I'm always wary of hyping guys over 10 or 12 good starts, but I ended up putting Stiever at No. 5 on this list mostly because his good health (knock on wood) separates him from other Sox prospects. Stiever had a rough start to 2019 at Class-A Kannapolis, where he went 4-6 with a 4.74 ERA in 14 starts.

But something clicked when Stiever got promoted to High-A Winston-Salem, where he went 6-4 with a 2.15 ERA across 12 starts. Stiever's fastball sits in the low 90s, and he's got a good curve. His slider and change are just average, so can he develop a third pitch? And are the gains he made last season sustainable? Stiever figures to start the season in Double-A Birmingham.

6. Dane Dunning, RHP. I had thoughts of putting Dunning at No. 5 on this list, because I'm reasonable certain he'll contribute at the MLB level once he gets healthy. I don't think he has the upside Stiever has, however, and these lists often are about upside. Dunning is recovering from Tommy John surgery and hopes to return to affiliated ball by about June 1.

We could see Dunning in Chicago by the second half of this season. While he's not going to overpower anybody, he has three pitches he can throw for strikes, and well, that's something. A lot of times, guys can stick at the back of the rotation if they can consistently pound the zone with multiple pitches.

7. Luis Alexander Basabe, OF. Basabe's breakout 2018 that saw him hit 15 home runs and earn a spot in the Futures Game has not been forgotten, despite an injury-plagued 2019 season. A broken hamate bone robbed him of his power last season, when he hit only three home runs.

Basabe's slash line last year was .246/.324/.336, and certainly, Birmingham is not a good place for hitters. But, other Sox prospects have produced for the Barons on their way to the majors, and Basabe needs to do the same. The key is lowering his strikeout rate, which was hovering about 30 percent throughout much of last season. Basabe has speed and good defensive tools, so the question is whether the bat comes around.

8. Zack Collins, C. Collins has to get some points because he made it to the majors last season, although his questionable defensive skills behind the plate are likely to send him back to Triple-A to start 2020. Collins received two opportunities in Chicago in 2019, and the first was a disaster. He went 2 for 26 in nine games and got sent back down.

When he came back in September, he had made some adjustments, and it looked better. He slashed .233/.343/.417 with two homers, three doubles, a triple, nine RBIs and nine walks in 71 plate appearances. He also struck out 25 times, which remains a concern, but you figure the Sox will be slow to give up on a left-handed bat and a former first-round draft pick.

9. Blake Rutherford, OF. Hey, let's go wishcasting here. I asked about Rutherford at SoxFest, and director of player development Chris Getz expressed optimism that Rutherford started to turn a corner the second half of last season at Double-A Birmingham. He hit .307/.364/.404 over the last three months of 2019.

That wasn't enough to erase the hideous .185/.226/.291 line he had going into June. We'll keep an eye on Rutherford early in the season to see if he can hold onto his second-half gains. One big problem: He lacks the defensive skill set to play anything other than a corner outfield spot, and he has little power -- only seven home runs last season. He's added 10 to 12 pounds over the offseason, and we'll see if that makes a difference.

10. Matt Thompson, RHP. Just for grins, let's throw a high school pitcher in here, if for no other reason that I'm not high on anybody else. Thompson was the Sox's second-round pick in 2019, and some struggles during his senior season allegedly caused him to take a tumble out of the first round. He's an athletic pitcher with a mid-90s fastball, so we'll see where that goes in the coming years. Realistically, a guy drafted out of high school needs at least four years to make the majors.

Stats for White Sox prospects in Arizona Fall League

Luis Robert impressed, Luis Alexander Basabe did not, and Zack Burdi's time was cut short. That's the quick, snap judgment for White Sox prospects who participated in the Arizona Fall League.

Sox prospects played for the Glendale Desert Dogs, who went 12-18 in 30 games, so for better or for worse, all of this represents a small sample size. But here's how Sox prospects did in the desert: 

Robert, OF: .324/.367/.432 with two home runs, 10 RBIs, two doubles, five stolen bases and 13 strikeouts with five walks in 74 at-bats. Robert has battled hand and thumb injuries all season, so it's good to see him show why he's highly regarded. 

Basabe, OF: .180/.333/.180 with no extra-base hits, two RBIs, four stolen bases and 16 strikeouts with 12 walks in 50 at-bats. Hey, at least he's taking his walks! 

Laz Rivera, 2B: .215/.271/.246 with two doubles, seven RBIs, one stolen base, 14 strikeouts and three walks in 65 at-bats. 

Burdi, RHP: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 5 Ks, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA. Burdi, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, was removed from the roster Nov. 1 for "general fatigue." Burdi's velocity has been sitting at 92-95 mph, instead of his his pre-surgery 97-100 mph, so that's a concern. 

Tanner Banks, LHP: 22.1 IP, 30 H, 14 R, 11 ER, 10 Ks, 5 BBs, 4.43 ERA 

Zach Thompson, RHP: 13.1 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 15 Ks, 6 BBs, 2.70 ERA  

Danny Dopico, RHP: 12.1 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 15 Ks, 12 BBs, 6.57 ERA

How should White Sox fans feel about Chris Sale winning a World Series with the Boston Red Sox?

Chris Sale

The moment Chris Sale has been pitching for his whole life arrived Sunday night: He was summoned to the mound to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning, with the Boston Red Sox leading the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1, in Game 5 of the World Series.

Sale needed to record three outs to secure Boston's fourth championship in 15 years. He did so in emphatic fashion, striking out all three Los Angeles batters he faced -- Justin Turner, Enrique Hernandez and Manny Machado.

Machado, who is a terrific player, was made to look like a fool, falling to one knee as he flailed helplessly at a devastating Sale slider for strike three.

It was a moment of mixed emotions for me as a White Sox fan, as I watched the former South Side ace, Sale, celebrate a world championship with his teammates. It wasn't so long ago that I had hoped Sale would be helping lead my favorite team to a title, but it didn't work out that way.

As we all know, the Sox traded Sale to Boston on Dec. 6, 2016, for four prospects, including current White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada and pitcher Michael Kopech.

I'm legitimately happy for Sale, a fierce competitor who cares about nothing other than winning. He always was and remains one of my favorite MLB players. However, it's no secret that I don't care for haughty Red Sox fans, and that organization already has won plenty, so I can't say that I'm particularly happy for anyone else associated with Boston's team.

In fact, seeing Sale capture that World Series ring brought back all the feelings of disgust with the current White Sox front office, and its failings to put a competitive team around this great pitcher who now toils for the Red Sox.

Some of the more ardent rebuild supporters in the White Sox fan base firmly believe that history eventually will show that Chicago GM Rick Hahn got the upper hand in that 2016 trade with Boston.

They'll point out that while Moncada struggled in his first full season in the big leagues in 2018, he's only 23 years old, and time still is on his side. They'll point out that while Kopech will miss the entire 2019 season after Tommy John surgery, he has shown tremendous promise during a quick rise through the Chicago farm system. And, they'll point out that the third prospect in the deal, Luis Alexander Basabe, had a promising 2018 season at two different levels.

All those arguments can be made, and there is supporting evidence on each point. But here's something that is no longer in dispute: The Red Sox got exactly what they wanted out of that trade with Chicago.

There was Sale in the game with a championship on the line Sunday night, and he delivered. That's what he was acquired to do.

The dividends from that deal are obvious for the Red Sox. They are 2018 World Series champions. Meanwhile, the White Sox and their fans continue to hope and hope that the deal will pay dividends for them, too. Someday. Maybe.

Will it ever happen? It better.

White Sox add Eloy Jimenez, four others to 40-man roster

Eloy Jimenez

The White Sox on Monday added five prospects to their 40-man roster ahead of the deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 draft.

Among them, of course, is Eloy Jimenez, the prized outfield prospect the Sox acquired in the Jose Quintana deal. The other four additions are first baseman Casey Gillaspie, pitcher Ian Clarkin and outfielders Micker Adolfo and Luis Alexander Basabe.

To make room on the roster, the Sox outrighted right-handed pitchers Chris Beck and Tyler Danish.

I say good riddance to Beck. I'm not a fan; he always reminded me of Mike MacDougal, and he had the 6.40 ERA over 65 innings with the Sox in 2017 to prove it. I won't rehash why I can't stand Beck, because I've made those points before, so I might as well just provide a link.

Danish struggled as a starter in Triple-A Charlotte this year, and he was in a car crash right at the end of the season that injured his non-throwing shoulder. He seems to be slipping down the organizational depth chart more and more with each passing day.

The Sox's roster is now at 39 players. It's a little bit surprising that neither left-handed pitcher Jordan Guerrero nor infield Jake Peter were added to the roster. Both are midtier prospects that are close to major-league ready, and both could be enticing to teams looking to raid some of the Sox's organizational depth in the Rule 5 draft.

Latest statistics for notable White Sox prospects

I didn't have time Monday to break down the White Sox's three losses to the Detroit Tigers over the weekend. And really, what is there to say? They got outscored, 32-10, in the series, and got beaten in embarrassing fashion.

So, let's move on to other things that stink, such Yoan Moncada's 5-for-40 tailspin since coming off the disabled list May 26. The Sox's top prospect is 2 for 22 in June with seven strikeouts.

The combination of the injury and this slump has slowed down the drumbeat for him to be called up to the majors. That's for sure.

Since the last time we did that exercise, I've determined that none of the hitters at Birmingham are worth following. Trey Michalczewski was demoted to Class-A Winston-Salem, and Courtney Hawkins doesn't qualify as a prospect for me anymore.

I've also knocked Alex Call off the Winston-Salem list, since he is hurt and hasn't played since April.

All statistics are through games of June 5:

Charlotte Knights (26-30, 3rd place in International League South)

Moncada, 2B: .285/.366/.436, 6 HRs, 18 RBIs, 57 Ks, 24 BBs, 12 SBs, 179 ABs
Jacob May, OF:.290/.362/.427, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs, 32 Ks, 12 BBs, 4 SBs, 124 ABs
Nick Delmonico, 3B: .282/.362/.491, 9 HRs, 32 RBIs, 40 Ks, 25 BBs, 2 SBs, 216 ABs
Reynaldo Lopez, RHP: 5-2, 3.81 ERA, 59 IP, 52 H, 30 R, 25 ER, 60 Ks, 27 BBs, 1.34 WHIP
Carson Fulmer, RHP: 5-3, 4.63 ERA, 58.1 IP, 55 H, 36 R, 30 ER, 44 Ks, 27 BBs, 1.41 WHIP
Lucas Giolito, RHP: 2-5, 4.95 ERA, 56.1 IP 55 H , 33 ER, 31 ER, 57 Ks, 27 BBs, 1.46 WHIP
Zack Burdi, RHP:  0-4, 4.64 ERA, 21.1 IP, 21 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 32 Ks, 10 BBs, 1.45 WHIP, 5 saves

Birmingham Barons (19-36, 4th place in Southern League North)

Michael Kopech, RHP: 4-3, 2.93 ERA, 58.1 IP, 33 H, 22 R, 19 ER, 80 Ks, 36 BBs, 1.18 WHIP
Spencer Adams, RHP: 3-6, 3.93 ERA, 66.1 IP, 77 H, 32 R, 29 ER, 50 Ks, 7 BBs, 1.27 WHIP
Jordan Stephens, RHP: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 Ks, 1 BB, 0.33 WHIP

Winston-Salem Dash (19-38, 4th place in Carolina League South)

Michalczewski, 3B: .311.343/607, 4 HRs, 12 RBIs, 16 Ks, 4 BBs, 1 SB, 61 ABs
Zack Collins, C: ..230/.392/.455, 8 HRs, 26 RBIs, 56 Ks, 43 BBs, 0 SBs, 165 ABS
Luis Alexander Basabe, CF:.224/.322/317, 2 HRs, 14 RBIs, 54 Ks, 23 BBs, 10 SBs, 182 ABs
Dane Dunning, RHP: 2-0, 4.79 ERA, 20.2 IP, 20 H, 12 R, 11 ERs, 22 Ks, 11 BBs, 1.50 WHIP

Kannapolis Intimidators (30-25, 4th place in South Atlantic League North)

Jameson Fisher, OF: .290/.376/.455, 2 HRs, 29 RBIs, 49 Ks, 22 BBs, 2 SBs, 176 ABs
Micker Adolfo, OF:.277/.332/.434, 3 HRs, 23 RBIs, 54 Ks, 6 BBs, 0 SBs, 173 ABs
Mitch Roman, 2B: .267/.323/.320, 1 HR, 23 RBIs, 43 Ks, 14 BBs, 2 SBs, 206 ABs
Alec Hansen, RHP: 5-3, 2.82 ERA, 60.2 IP, 50 H, 26 R, 19 ERs, 74 Ks, 21 BBs, 1.17 WHIP

Latest statistics for notable White Sox prospects

Since we last took at look at the numbers for notable White Sox prospects, there was one promotion of significance made.

Right-hander Dane Dunning, who was acquired from the Washington Nationals in the Adam Eaton deal, was promoted from Low-A Kannapolis to High-A Winston-Salem. He went 2-0 with a 0.35 ERA in four starts at Kannapolis, so now we'll see if he can carry that success over to Winston-Salem.

These numbers are through games of May 8.

Charlotte Knights (14-15, 3rd place in International League South)

Yoan Moncada, 2B: .345/.419/.549, 6 HRs, 11 RBIs, 8 SBs, 34 Ks, 15 BBs, 113 ABs
Nick Delmonico, 3B: .295/.378/.446, 2 HRs, 14 RBIs, 1 SB, 16 Ks, 14 BBs, 112 ABs
Jacob May, OF: .227/.261/.273, 0 HRs, 0 RBIs, 1 SB, 4 Ks, 1 BB, 22 ABs
Adam Engel, OF: .213/.304/.427, 4 HRs, 10 RBIs, 1 SB, 26 Ks, 11 BBs, 89 ABs
Carson Fulmer, RHP: 4-1, 2.88 ERA, 34.1 IP, 28 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 25 Ks, 11 BBs, 1.136 WHIP
Reynaldo Lopez, RHP: 3-1, 3.94 ERA, 32 IP, 25 H, 16 R, 14 ER, 35 Ks, 19 BBs, 1.375 WHIP
Lucas Giolito, RHP: 0-5, 7.31 ERA, 28.1 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 23 ER, 31 Ks, 18 BBs, 1.765 WHIP
Zack Burdi, RHP: 0-1, 2.31 ERA, 11.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 19 Ks, 4 BBs, 1.029 WHIP

Birmingham Barons (11-20, 4th place in Southern League North)

Trey Michalczewski, 3B: .200/.314/.280, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 3 SBs, 35 Ks, 15 BBs, 100 ABs
Courtney Hawkins, OF: .127/.146/.291, 4 HRs, 8 RBIs, 0 SBs, 47 Ks, 2 BBs, 79 ABs
Michael Kopech, RHP: 1-2, 3.00 ERA, 24 IP, 13 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 36Ks, 16 BBs, 1.208 WHIP
Spencer Adams, RHP: 1-5, 3.65 ERA, 37 IP, 43 H, 18 R, 15 ERs, 31 Ks, 4 BBs, 1.270 WHIP

Winston-Salem Dash (11-20, 5th place in Carolina League South)

Zack Collins, C: .233/.393/.384 2 HRs, 10 RBIs, 0 SBs, 27 Ks, 23 BBs, 86 ABs
Luis Alexander Basabe, CF: .242/337/363, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 5 SBs, 25 Ks, 13 BBs, 91 ABs
Alex Call, OF: .244/.311/.366, 0 HRs, 5 RBIs, 2 SBs, 11 Ks, 3 BBs, 41 ABs
Dunning, RHP: 1-0, 3.52 ERA, 7.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 11 Ks, 4 BBs, 1.565 WHIP

Kannapolis Intimidators (15-15, 4th in South Atlantic League North)

Mitch Roman, 2B: .343/.408/.389, 0 HRs, 10 RBIs, 2 SBs, 21 Ks, 10 BBs, 108 ABs
Jameson Fisher, OF: .248/.345/.347, 1 HR, 16 RBIs, 2 SBs, 30 Ks, 14 BBs, 101 ABs
Micker Adolfo, OF: .310/.375/.437, 1 HR, 11 RBIs, 0 SB, 24 Ks, 3 BBs, 87 ABs
Alec Hansen, RHP:1-3, 3.56 ERA, 30.1 IP, 27 H, 18 R, 12 ER, 31 Ks, 12 BBs, 1.286 WHIP

Latest statistics for notable White Sox prospects

As we come to the end of April, let's take a look at how some notable White Sox prospects have started the season. All statistics are through games of April 27.

Charlotte Knights (9-10, 3rd place in International League South)

Yoan Moncada, 2B: .297/.373./.500, 4 HRs, 5 RBIs, 5 SBs, 27 Ks, 9 BBs, 74 ABs
Nick Delmonico, 3B: .320/.386/.453, 1 HR, 9 RBIs, 0 SBs, 12 Ks, 7 BBs, 75 ABs
Adam Engel, OF: .143/.234/.214, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 1 SB, 19 Ks, 7 BBs, 56 ABs
Carson Fulmer, RHP: 2-1, 3.52 ERA, 23 IP, 23 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 19 Ks, 5 BBs, 1.22 WHIP
Reynaldo Lopez, RHP: 1-1, 4.87 ERA, 20.1 IP, 20 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 22 Ks, 13 BBs, 1.62 WHIP
Lucas Giolito, RHP: 0-3, 6.63 ERA, 19 IP, 18 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 23 Ks, 11 BBs, 1.53 WHIP
Zack Burdi, RHP: 0-1 with 2 SVs, 3.52 ERA, 7.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 13 Ks, 3 BB, 1.30 WHIP

Birmingham Barons (8-13, 4th place in Southern League North)

Trey Michalczewski, 3B: .222/.309/.333, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 3 SB, 21 Ks, 9 BBs, 72 ABs
Courtney Hawkins, OF: .143/.167/.333, 4 HRs, 8 RBIs, 0 SBs, 35 Ks, 2 BBs, 63 ABs
Michael Kopech, RHP: 1-1, 2.50 ERA, 18 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 28 Ks, 14 BBs, 1.28 WHIP
Spencer Adams, RHP: 0-4, 3.65 ERA, 24.2 IP, 26 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 20Ks, 3 BBs, 1.18 WHIP

Winston-Salem Dash (7-14, 5th place in Carolina League South)

Zack Collins, C: .172/.372/.293, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 0 SBs, 22 Ks, 19 BBs, 58 ABs
Luis Alexander Basabe, CF: .245/.333/.377, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 4 SBs, 14Ks, 7 BBs, 53 ABs
Alex Call, OF: .244/.311/.366, 0 HRs, 5 RBIs, 2 SBs, 11 Ks, 3 BBs, 41 ABs

Kannapolis Intimidators (10-10, 4th in South Atlantic League North)

Jameson Fisher, OF: .261/.329/.362, 1 HR, 10 RBIs, 2 SBs, 18 Ks, 6 BBs, 69 ABs
Micker Adolfo, OF: .234/.308/.277, 0 HRs, 1 RBI, 0 SBs, 16 Ks, 1 BB, 47 ABs
Dane Dunning, RHP: 2-0, 0.35 ERA, 26 IP, 13 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 33 Ks, 2 BBs, 0.58 WHIP
Alec Hansen, RHP: 1-1, 4.42 ERA, 18.1 IP, 21 H, 14 R, 9 ER, 21 Ks, 10 BBs, 1.69 WHIP

White Sox score 14 runs in ninth inning to beat Dodgers

Leury Garcia

Let's be honest: Most spring training games are not worth much analysis. However, it gets your attention when a team scores 14 runs in one inning.

While most of the world was sleeping late Sunday night, the White Sox entered the ninth inning trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-1. They ended up winning the game, 15-5, after one of the most bizarre half-innings I've ever heard on the radio. (The game was not televised.)

The Sox batted around twice -- sending 18 men to the plate -- and scored 14 runs on only seven hits. A few highlights:

• Luis Alexander Basabe, an outfielder who was acquired in the Chris Sale deal, had a two-run single to put the Sox ahead, 5-3.
• Yoan Moncada, the team's top prospect, had a two-run double. Previously in the game, he had struck out in four consecutive plate appearances.
• Longtime minor-leaguer Jason Bourgeois had five RBIs in the inning. He had a two-run single in his first AB of the rally, and he capped the Sox's scoring with a three-run homer. 
• The Dodgers committed four errors, walked three men and hit two batters. So, the Sox were gifted nine baserunners, in addition to the seven hits they had.

The Dodgers probably could not have done any worse in that inning if they had just gone out there and lit themselves on fire. Sure, it was a collection of Double-A and Triple-A players on the field, but no professional team should be giving up that many runs in one inning.

That rally capped an interesting Sunday for the Sox, who also lost, 10-8, to the Texas Rangers in the other half of a split-squad day. In that game, the Sox scored all eight of their runs in the sixth inning.

So, to recap, the Sox had 18 offensive innings Sunday. They scored 23 runs, but they did it in the most bizarre fashion possible -- a 14-run inning, an 8-run inning, an inning with a single run scored, plus 15 innings with no runs at all.

I have to admit, I'm getting a little worried that Leury Garcia is going to make the team. He's got a slash line of .419/.500/.919 in 30 spring plate appearances. He had four hits against Texas on Sunday. But he also made two egregious mistakes on the basepaths, and at shortstop, he butchered a rundown play that allowed the Rangers to score a gift run.

I'm getting a little tired of hearing about Garcia's "versatility" being an asset. Sure, he plays multiple positions, but he plays them all poorly, so who cares? And, yes, he has speed, but he makes dumb outs on the bases, so who cares?

We know that Garcia feasts on Triple-A pitching -- he hit .313 at Charlotte in 2016 -- and that's what he's doing in this spring camp. Here's to hoping the Sox are not fooled. This is a player who makes mental mistake after mental mistake and does not belong on the roster. 

Baseball America's revised list of top 10 White Sox prospects

The White Sox's recent trades of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton netted them seven new players -- all of whom are minor-league prospects. So, it stands to reason the organization's list of top 10 prospects looks far different now than it did at this time last month.

Here's the latest look from Baseball America:

1. Yoan Moncada, 2B/3B
2. Lucas Giolito, RHP
3. Reynaldo Lopez, RHP
4. Zack Collins, C
5. Michael Kopech, RHP
6. Zack Burdi, RHP
7. Luis Alexander Basabe, OF
8. Carson Fulmer, RHP
9. Spencer Adams, RHP
10. Dane Dunning, RHP

Moncada, Kopech and Basabe all were acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Sale trade. Giolito, Lopez and Dunning all were acquired from the Washington Nationals in the Eaton trade. Collins and Burdi were 2016 Sox draft picks.

That means eight of these 10 players have joined the Sox organization within the past six months. I'm sure this will do a lot for the Sox in terms of where their farm system ranks, although each of the next two seasons likely will feature 90-plus losses on the South Side of Chicago.

It will be interesting to come back to this list in 2019 and see how many of these players panned out.

White Sox make underwhelming trade of Chris Sale to the Red Sox

Chris Sale

Four consecutive losing seasons -- and five losing seasons out of seven -- would lead to front office changes in most organizations around baseball.

But not the ever-loyal White Sox.

General manager Rick Hahn and executive vice president Ken Williams are still here, and despite total failure in recent years, they are being allowed to embark on a long-term rebuilding project.

They started that process Tuesday by trading ace pitcher Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox for infielder Yoan Moncada, pitcher Michael Kopech, pitcher Victor Diaz and outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe.

In other words, the Sox did exactly what I hoped they wouldn't do -- trade the best pitcher in the American League, the crown jewel of the organization, the face of the franchise, for a package of ifs and maybes.

Make no mistake about it, the Red Sox made a great trade. Consider these facts:

• Sale is a five-time All-Star. 
• He's placed in the top six in the AL Cy Young voting for five consecutive years, and he probably would have won the award twice by now if he had been pitching for a good team. 
• Sale's 3.04 ERA over the past five seasons is the lowest of any American Leaguer with at least 500 innings pitched during that same period.
• Sale was 6-0 with a 1.55 ERA and 0.82 WHIP against Boston's AL East rivals -- New York, Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa Bay -- in 2016.
• With the acquisition of Sale, Boston's odds of winning the 2017 World Series went from 10-1 to 5-1 in the blink of an eye. 
• Sale is under team control for three more years, at the bargain rate of $38 million for the life of his contract.

So, that's what Boston got today.

What did the White Sox get? Your opinion is as good as mine.

Moncada is the No. 1 ranked prospect in all of baseball, so there's that. He's a switch-hitter, but it's unclear whether he'll be a second baseman, a third baseman or a center fielder moving forward. He hit .294/.407/.511 with 15 home runs, 62 RBIs and 45 stolen bases over a combined 491 plate appearances in High-A Salem and Double-A Portland in 2016.

He went 4 for 19 in eight games in a cup of tea with Boston at the end of the season, and those are the only ABs he's had above Double A so far.

Kopech, 20, has a 100 mph fastball and a temper to match. He sidelined himself for three months last year after breaking his hand in a fight with a teammate. He pitched only 56.1 innings in 2016, going 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in two stops in A-ball. He had 86 strikeouts, but also 33 walks. He is not close to the major leagues.

The same is true for Diaz, 22, who has never pitched above A-ball. He went 2-5 with a 3.88 ERA and 10 saves in 37 games at that level in 2016.

Basabe, 20, also has never played above A-ball. He played at two Class A levels in 2016, playing 110 games and hitting .264/.328/.452 with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs.

Bottom line: Moncada is the only one of these four guys we're going to see in the major leagues in the next two years. Kopech is a good prospect, but with his control problems, he's got some work to do.

The other two guys, well, they are long shots.

If you feel like this is an underwhelming return for the best pitcher in the league, you're not alone. I was hoping for a MLB-ready position player, plus two other legit prospects.

This trade is not that.