The Chicago White Sox have traded left-handed reliever Matt Thornton and cash to the Boston Red Sox for minor league outfielder Brandon Jacobs.
The White Sox announced the move via their official Twitter feed.
Jacobs—the 318th pick of the 2009 draft—is a power-hitting outfielder who has trouble taking pitches outside of the strike zone. He has already struck out 90 times in 297 at-bats while playing for both Single- and Double-A. His defense is not to be questioned, and he is more than capable on the basepaths.
To be sure, Jacobs has all of the tools, but if that sounds familiar, it should.
The White Sox already have four of them—Trayce Thompson, Jared Mitchell, Courtney Hawkins and Keenyn Walker—occupying space down in the minor leagues.
Due to the general struggles of the aforementioned quartet, trading for another player of similar ilk is a bit curious. A left-handed outfielder who projects as a leadoff hitter would seem to have made more sense.
Rick Hahn, for one, liked what he saw, though.
More than likely, Jacobs will report to the Double-A Birmingham Barons when he arrives.
Now to the impact the move has on the White Sox bullpen.
David Purcey—0-0, 4.50 ERA, 2 K, 3 BB, 2.0 IP—will stay on the 25-man roster for the remainder of the season, assuming he does not implode, of course.
Hahn should go in a different direction with the second left-hander and bring up Santos Rodriguez, not Donnie Veal like the White Sox announced they are doing.
Rodriguez was exceptional at Double-A before earning a promotion to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights last week. And while he has been battered since being promoted—0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 K, 7 BB, 8.0 IP—the White Sox need to see what they have as they plan for the 2014 season.
Bringing up a pitcher, like Veal, who has already been with the Sox this year is a mistake.
This is the first in what is sure to be a long line of trades Hahn will make in the coming weeks.
It would appear the first-year general manager recognizes the weaknesses in the minor leagues. Outfield is a definite area of need for the White Sox, and while Jacobs will prove himself one way or the other, it looks like Hahn just got more of the same.
With the way things have been going on the South Side, however, are we too expect anything else?
This post will be updated as more information surfaces.
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