Atlanta Braves
Braves get: Jose Quintana
White Sox get: Ozzie Albies, Sean Newcomb, Austin Riley, Lottery Arm
Quintana to the Braves is a relatively new idea. Bilek notes that Atlanta’s local media has been “beating the drum” for Quintana to the Braves. One of those Atlanta media members is MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, who wrote that Atlanta could be a fit for the White Sox pitcher.
But with Quintana to Atlanta being so new, it’s hard to tell if Bilek is reporting an actual rumor here or just spit balling. While it’s unknown how serious this trade proposal is, the White Sox are receiving a massive haul with two top 100 prospects heading to the South Side in this potential deal.
Ozzie Albies is the Braves second best prospect and 12th best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. Albies has appeared in 293 minor league games, hitting .310 with seven homeruns, 109 RBIs and 81 stolen bases.
Albies would likely be the White Sox second baseman of the future. He could hit for over .300 while stealing 20+ bases a year. He would be an offensive weapon atop the lineup, creating multiple runs with his speed. Albies and Anderson would also form one of the better defensive double play duos in the MLB.
Sean Newcomb is the Braves third best prospect and the 47th best prospect in baseball. Newcomb has appeared in 60 minor league games and 290.1 innings, compiling a 17-11 record with a 3.29 ERA and a 338/153 K/BB ratio.
Newcomb has been compared to Jon Lester in the past. He has the potential to be a top-level starter in the major leagues. With the White Sox he would have the potential to be the team’s second or third pitcher in Chicago’s super rotation of the future.
Austin Riley is the Braves 15th best prospect. He has hit .281 with 32 home runs, 120 RBIs and five stolen bases.
Riley is just 19 years old and would need more time in the minor leagues. But he has great power potential and could be the team’s third baseman of the future. Riley actually entered the 2015 MLB Draft as a pitcher, so hitting at the MLB level is new to him. As he gets more and more acclimated to MLB pitching, we can see Riley rise up the prospect rankings.
While Bilek lists “Lottery Arm” in the initial trade proposal, the reporter names Alex Jackson, Travis Demetitte and Luiz Gohara as potential targets for the Sox in this deal.
The Braves acquired Jackson from the Mariners earlier in the offseason. He is currently the team’s 14th best prospect. Jackson has hit .233 with 21 homeruns, 109 RBIs and five stolen bases.
According to Bilek, Jackson is a favorite of White Sox VP Kenny Williams. If he got his way, Jackson could be the fourth piece in this potential deal. Jackson’s minor league stats are weak, but he is a former top prospect who could conceivable turn his career around with a change of scenery.
Demeritte is the Braves ninth best prospect. In 333 career minor league games, Demeritte hit .244 with 62 homeruns, 175 RBIs and 38 stolen bases.
Demeritte has had off-the-field problems in the past, making him a questionable fit in this trade. However he offers much more power than the average second baseman. With more seasoning in the minors he could turn into a potential everyday infielder for the White Sox.
Gohara was recently acquired from the Mariners in the Mallex Smith trade. He is currently the team’s 12th best prospect. Gohara has appeared in 48 minor league games and 204.1 innings, holding a 12-19 record with a 4.40 ERA and a 228/96 K/BB ratio.
Gohara needs more time in the minor leagues to hone his craft, but he has a fairly high ceiling. Assuming he reaches his full potential, Gohara could be a front-line starting pitcher for the White Sox. However, how much time he needs in the minors is yet to be seen.
The Braves make for an interesting landing spot as they don’t seem like much of a playoff team in 2017. However they have the prospect pool to get a deal done. If they offer a deal similar to this, there’s a chance Jose Quintana could get traded to Atlanta prior to the 2017 MLB season.
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