Adios, Jonny Boy

So the White Sox have dumped Jon Garland in exchange for Orlando Cabrera and cash.

There’s actually a lot to like about this trade. In theory, starting pitching is an area of depth for the Sox—more about that in a minute. Garland was due a lot of money this year ($12 mil to be exact) and as a free agent to be, he’s going to haul even more when he signs that fat new contract. The Sox were obviously not going to be involved in those dealings, with Kenny Williams already having made clear his “free is not cheap enough” policy on paying for starting pitching. So you get something for him instead of having him depart in free agency with no return whatsoever.

And what they got in return fills a huge need for the Sox: a solid #2 hitter and gold glove shortstop, a huge upgrade over Juan Uribe. Plus, they save about $3 million in salary, and they got the cash from the Angels. Assuming that windfall is donated to a good cause (Torii Hunter currently seems the most likely beneficiary), that improves the team even more. On the whole, I’m certainly inclined to be in support of this trade.

Buuuuuuut (there’s always at least one), why was this deal not done before they re-signed Uribe? I’m sure this is just my ignorance of baseball type things, but what about this deal was so prohibitive that it apparently wasn’t even on the radar screen when he inked his new deal? That $4.5 million salary of his would also be a nice addition to the slowly amassing pile of extra cash they’ve got. So now it’s either trade him, which will probably happen because shortstops are always at a premium, even those who have no plate discipline to speak of, or keep him as utility guy. And let me tell you, $4.5 million is a hefty price tag for a utility player who can’t hit. Either this deal needed to get done before they had to make their decision on Uribe, or they should have let him go and take the risk. It’s not like they could do much worse than him.

Also, while I realize the theory that the Sox have a surplus of starting pitching, I’m not entirely convinced. Buehrle and Vasquez (who finally put it all together last season) are solid. Then you’ve got Contreras, who can be dominant. He can even be dominant for extended stretches. But the balance of the last 18 months—a substantial sample size—suggests those days are long gone. Then you’ve got John Danks and Gavin Floyd, two very promising younguns. But for every promising youngun who makes good in the big leagues, there’s at least four or five who fizzle. So by my calculation, 60% of your starting rotation looks suspect in one fashion or another. Floyd and Danks could very well turn out to be the pitchers they appeared to be in their better stretches last season. But laying your cards down on not one but two unproven players, in a position as vital as starting pitcher? May it never be said that Kenny Williams isn’t brave.