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Former Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche—who retired after he was asked by the team’s front office to dial back the amount of time his son, Drake, spent in the clubhouse—spoke at length about that decision with Tim Keown of ESPN the Magazine.

And LaRoche doesn’t seem to regret his decision one bit:

I’m not saying this is the way everybody should raise their kid. I’m saying I was given the privilege to raise my kid this way by some awesome teams and managers and GMs. Can every parent do it? No. But can we spend more time with our kids? Sure. I feel like I’ve spent as much time with Drake as you can, and if he were to die tomorrow, I guarantee you I’d be looking back and saying I wish I spent more time with him.

A lot went into LaRoche’s decision to retire. There was a trip to Southeast Asia in Nov. 2015 with a nonprofit organisation called the Exodus Road, where LaRoche and his close friend Blaine Boyer infiltrated brothels to determine the age of the female workers and tried to identify their bosses. There was the fact Drake would be in high school next year, where his attendance will be mandatory and he’ll play on the baseball team.

Until this point, Drake had been allowed to do his schoolwork electronically and, along with his sister, would spend several hours a day at a Sylvan Learning Center completing his studies.

“I am choosing my son over you guys,” LaRoche said to his teammates when he finally came to the decision to retire. “I cannot tell you how much I hate that I’m even having to make this decision, and how much it crushes me to feel like I could be leaving you guys hanging.”

To his credit, LaRoche understood some of the potential issues with having a kid in a clubhouse, but he also didn’t think they were that big of a deal.

“You can say, ‘That’s no place for a kid to be,'” LaRoche said of the culture of the clubhouse, which can be raucous, to put it mildly. “The way I see it, he’s going to be around that regardless, unless you home-school and raise them in a bubble. I can’t think of a better place for him to be when he gets a taste of that than with me.”

He added, “There’s a chance we could have other guys see Drake and think, ‘I’ll bring my kid, too.’ Obviously we can’t turn this into a day care. I get it.”

But Drake, who accompanied his father to the ballpark since 2011 when he was just nine, was “the exception to the rule,” according to LaRoche.

A part of the first baseman wondered if his declining production—he hit .207 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 127 games with the White Sox last season—was a part of the reason executive vice president Ken Williams approached him and asked him to bring his son into the clubhouse less often.

But don’t expect LaRoche to lose any sleep over his career coming to an end on his terms.

“If I had blown out a couple of years ago, or got released, I think I would have gotten over it really quick,” he told Keown. “I love it. It’s a passion. But I think every one of us is put here for a bigger purpose.”   

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Free-agent pitcher Miguel Gonzalez reportedly agreed to a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin and the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Daryl Van Schouwen.

Gonzalez started 26 games for the Baltimore Orioles last year, going 9-12 with a 4.91 ERA. The team released the 31-year-old right-hander last Wednesday, saving nearly $3.9 million in the process. The Baltimore Sun‘s Eduardo A. Encina reported Baltimore offered him a “competitive” deal similar to the White Sox’s offer, while the New York Yankees expressed interest in his services as well.

Historically, Gonzalez has outpitched his normalized metrics with a 4.70 FIP and a 4.45 xFIP over his career compared to a 3.82 ERA, per FanGraphs; his luck ran out in 2015. According to FanGraphs, his 0.5 WAR was second-lowest among Orioles pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched.

Although his 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings were a career high, so, too, were his 3.2 walks per nine innings. FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan questioned whether health might be a concern for Gonazlez going forward:

To me, this is about the third approach. For some quick background, Gonzalez has never been a power pitcher. In 2012, as a rookie, his fastball averaged 91. He stayed there, in 2013, in 2014, and in 2015. There wasn’t any sign of degradation, but: toward the end of last season, Gonzalez went on the DL with elbow and shoulder tendinitis. He returned to make one start on September 30, and the fastball averaged 89.

According to Brooks Baseball, Gonzalez’s velocity fell across the board from August to September last year. Most concerning was the fact his fastball and sinker each lost over two miles per hour. Both pitches hovered a little above 92 mph for most of the season. Over the final month of the regular season, his fastball clocked in at 90.23 mph, and his sinker averaged 90.14 mph.

In 19.1 spring training innings, Gonzalez posted a 9.78 ERA and gave up five home runs, which doesn’t inspire much confidence with regard to his 2016 outlook.

While there are questions over his long-term value, the White Sox were smart to take a flier on Gonzalez with the regular season right around the corner. The cost is relatively low, so Chicago won’t have a hard time offloading him if his issues on the mound continue.

Having Gonzalez also provides some security for the rotation with both John Danks and Mat Latos coming off poor 2015 campaigns. MLB.com’s Phil Rogers also posited his arrival could allow Carson Fulmer, the White Sox’s No. 1 draft pick from last year, to gain more experience in the minors until he’s fully ready to make the jump to the majors.

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There’s an old—and erroneous—cliche about the Chinese symbol for “crisis” being the same as the one for “opportunity.”

In the case of Chris Sale, the Chicago White Sox and any prospect-rich contenders seeking an ace via trade, it might end up being true.

First, the crisis: As you’ve no doubt heard, there’s dissent brewing in White Sox land. It started when the team, and specifically executive vice president Ken Williams, informed veteran Adam LaRoche that his 14-year-old son was not allowed to spend extensive time in the clubhouse. It boiled over when LaRoche responded by abruptly retiring.

That, in turn, led to players threatening to boycott a Cactus League contest, per Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. And, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan, there were “F-bombs aplenty” during a meeting between Williams and LaRoche’s ruffled teammates.

Sale, in particular, hasn’t minced words. 

“This is a bigger issue than being told his son can’t be around. It’s a much deeper issue,” Sale said, per Mike Tulumello of the Associated Press. “We got bold-faced lied to by someone we’re supposed to be able to trust.”

That was a direct reference to Williams, and Sale wasn’t finished. 

“He came to the players and said it was the coaches. He went to the coaches and said it was the players. Then he came in here and said it was the owner,” the left-hander continued. “If we are all here to win a championship, this kind of stuff doesn’t happen.”

There’s disgruntled, and then there’s that. We’re still a couple of weeks from Opening Day, and already Sale sounds like a man with one foot out the door.

He hasn’t demanded a trade, and there’s no guarantee Chicago would make it happen if he did. But if this wound keeps festering and the bad vibes escalate, Sale could force Williams and the White Sox’s hand.

If it is, buckle up. Because a Chris Sale trade market would be a vertigo-inducing roller coaster.

Which brings us to the opportunity. Sale turns 27 on March 30. He’s made four consecutive All-Star teams and finished in the top 10 in American League Cy Young balloting every season since 2012. Last season, he paced the Junior Circuit with a career-high 274 strikeouts.

And, most essentially, he’s locked into an exceedingly team-friendly deal that pays him $9 million and change in 2016, $12 million in 2017 and a pair of no-brainer team options for $12.5 and $13.5 million in 2018 and 2019.

Compare that to the $30 million-plus annually the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks just tossed at David Price and Zack Greinke, respectively, and we’re talking relative chump change.

Speaking of the Red Sox, they’re one of a handful of clubs with the pieces to make a play for Sale. 

Matt Dolloff of CBS Boston floated a speculative swap that would include the Red Sox’s top pitching prospect, Anderson Espinoza, along with touted young catcher Blake Swihart, left-hander Henry Owens and right-hander Pat Light.

Boston fans’ eyes are no doubt widening with sticker shock, but that’s the type of haul it’d take to net Sale. 

In fact, with other clubs assuredly circling, that gaudy package might merely be a starting point.

Surely the Los Angeles Dodgers—who lost Greinke to Arizona, have question marks all over their rotation after Clayton Kershaw and boast MLB‘s No. 2 farm system, per ESPN’s Keith Law—would kick the tires.

Likewise, expect the White Sox’s North Side neighbors, the Chicago Cubs, to come sniffing around, along with the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros—and, you know what? It’d probably be easier to list the contenders that wouldn’t attempt to swing a deal.

If this happens—and, to reiterate, we’re squarely in Hypotheticalville—it’d likely be at the trade deadline, when buyers’ needs are more acute and sellers have optimum leverage. 

That also gives Chicago half a season to smooth over the LaRoche controversy and to claw back into the postseason picture after a disappointing 86-loss effort in 2015.

If the White Sox are contending in July and Sale and Williams have buried the hatchet, they can stay the course. If, on the other hand, Chicago is sinking in the standings and Sale remains a vocal malcontent? Move him for a king’s ransom and hit the franchise reboot button.

There’s a crisis bubbling in White Sox camp, that much we know. Will it lead to a trade-market feeding frenzy and, ultimately, a golden opportunity for someone?

Unfortunately, there’s no Chinese character to answer that.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf released a statement Sunday in what looks to be the end of the ongoing Adam and Drake LaRoche saga.

Reinsdorf said he met with Adam LaRoche and other White Sox personnel and added that employees of the team will be refraining from speaking publicly on the matter again, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune:

LaRoche retired from Major League Baseball earlier in the week, and Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported the 36-year-old was walking away after team president Ken Williams told him he could no longer bring his son, Drake, into the team’s clubhouse.

In a statement to Rosenthal, Williams offered his side, saying he merely wanted Drake LaRoche to spend less time around the team and instead instructed the former Silver Slugger to “dial it back.”

White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale spoke to what he and some of his teammates saw as a lack of proper communication between management and the players, per Fox Sports:

According to LaRoche, Drake’s involvement was a condition of his signing with the White Sox in the first place, which is why Williams’ comments became a problem:

With all of this in mind, we move toward the current situation which arose after [Williams] recently advised me to significantly scale back the time that my son spent in the clubhouse. Later, I was told not to bring him to the ballpark at all. Obviously, I expressed my displeasure toward this decision to alter the agreement we had reached before I signed with the White Sox. Upon doing so, I had to make a decision. Do I choose my teammates and my career? Or do I choose my family? The decision was easy, but in no way was it a reflection of how I feel about my teammates, manager, general manager or [Reinsdorf].

On Saturday, Sale, for his part, had already moved on.

“We are here to play baseball, and collectively as a group we are doing that,” he said, per Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago. “Hopefully when day one comes, we will be as good anyone. From yesterday forward, we are showing up to play baseball. I don’t think there is anything else to talk about. We have a job to do and moving forward, that’s what we are here for.”

Looking ahead to Opening Day, Chicago is hoping to end its playoff drought, which has stretched to seven years.

While many expect the Kansas City Royals to once again be the class of the American League Central, the White Sox should be a serious contender for the top spot. In Sale, they have one of the game’s best pitchers, and Jose Abreu, one of MLB‘s best sluggers, anchors the starting lineup.

Once the regular season begins and the White Sox are playing in meaningful games, Adam and Drake LaRoche will likely become less and less of a distraction for the team.

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Chicago White Sox Executive Vice President Kenny Williams reportedly received complaints from staff members and other players before asking Adam LaRoche to scale back the amount of time his 14-year-old son spent in the clubhouse.  

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the situation, which led the 36-year-old slugger to retire, came after other people in the organization privately raised concerns about LaRoche’s son, Drake, spending so much time around the team. It’s noted he attended around 120 games last season.

Nobody had any personal issues with Drake, who was at times called the team’s 26th man, but his nearly daily appearances with the club apparently became an issue behind the scenes, according to Nightengale.

The entire ordeal has become a major headache for the White Sox. Chris Bahr of Fox Sports passed along comments Williams made to the outlet’s Ken Rosenthal about trying to get LaRoche to follow a more standard approach when it came to bringing his son to work:

I don’t think he should be here 100 percent of the time – and he has been here 100 percent, every day, in the clubhouse. I said that I don’t even think he should be here 50 percent of the time. Figure it out, somewhere in between.

We all think his kid is a great young man. I just felt it should not be every day, that’s all. You tell me, where in this country can you bring your child to work every day?

LaRoche provided his side of the story Friday with a statement posted on social media. He confirmed his departure from the team came as a result of the disagreement with Williams. But he stated the request eventually reached a stage where he was asked that Drake not come to the clubhouse at all:

With all of this in mind, we move toward the current situation which arose after White Sox VP Ken Williams recently advised me to significantly scale back the time that my son spent in the clubhouse. Later, I was told not to bring him to the ballpark at all. Obviously, I expressed my displeasure toward this decision to alter the agreement we had reached before I signed with the White Sox. Upon doing so, I had to make a decision. Do I choose my teammates and my career? Or do I choose my family? The decision was easy, but in no way was it a reflection of how I feel about my teammates, manager, general manager or the club’s owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

Starting pitcher Chris Sale took a strong stance Friday, stating: “Somebody walked out of those doors the other day and it was the wrong guy. We got bald-faced lied to by someone that we trust. This isn’t us rebelling against rules; this is us rebelling against B.S.,” per ESPN.com.

Ultimately, what happened behind closed doors that led White Sox management to take the issue up with LaRoche still isn’t entirely clear. If there were a large number of players and staff who didn’t approve of the arrangement, it likely felt pressure to push for the change.

One thing’s for sure: It’s now become a full-blown crisis. Not only did Chicago lose a potent power threat from its lineup, but it’s clear from Sale’s comments that not everybody is on the same page, which could polarize the club.

Rectifying those problems before Opening Day next month is a must.

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Former Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche confirmed Friday a disagreement with the team’s executive vice president, Kenny Williams, concerning the amount of time his 14-year-old son spent in the clubhouse led to his retirement decision.

LaRoche released a statement on his official Twitter account to provide his side of the story. He said he’s always been up-front with teams about the presence of his son Drake and that was the case before he signed with Chicago last year. Something changed heading into this season:

With all of this in mind, we move toward the current situation which arose after [Williams] recently advised me to significantly scale back the time that my son spent in the clubhouse. Later, I was told not to bring him to the ballpark at all. Obviously, I expressed my displeasure toward this decision to alter the agreement we had reached before I signed with the White Sox. Upon doing so, I had to make a decision. Do I choose my teammates and my career? Or do I choose my family? The decision was easy, but in no way was it a reflection of how I feel about my teammates, manager, general manager or the club’s owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

He added: “The White Sox organization is full of people with strong values and solid character. My decision to walk away was simply the result of a fundamental disagreement between myself and Ken Williams.”

Chris Bahr of Fox Sports previously passed along comments Williams made to the outlet’s Ken Rosenthal about the situation. He made no mention of completely barring Drake from the clubhouse but rather stated he wanted the slugger to scale back the visits:

I don’t think he should be here 100 percent of the time – and he has been here 100 percent, every day, in the clubhouse. I said that I don’t even think he should be here 50 percent of the time. Figure it out, somewhere in between.

We all think his kid is a great young man. I just felt it should not be every day, that’s all. You tell me, where in this country can you bring your child to work every day?

Williams’ decision hasn’t been popular among the other White Sox players. Earlier Friday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted starting pitcher Chris Sale stated they have requested a meeting with chairman Jerry Reinsdorf to discuss the matter.

“We got bold-faced lied to by someone we were supposed to trust,” Sale said. “This isn’t us rebelling against the rules. This is us rebelling against B.S., plain and simple.”

The team’s ace continued: “Somebody walked out of those doors the other day and it was the wrong guy. Plain and simple.”

Clearly the entire situation is spiraling out of control for the White Sox with just a couple of weeks until Opening Day. Not only have they lost a potentially productive member of the starting lineup, but the other players are obviously upset, as well.

Finding a solution everybody can be happy with before the season gets underway is now the top priority. What the front office might have felt was a simple request is now threatening to damage the outlook for Chicago’s entire season as the players demand answers.

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Chicago White Sox veteran Adam LaRoche abruptly retired Tuesday due to the team limiting his 14-year-old son Drake’s access to the clubhouse.

Four-time All-Star pitcher Chris Sale is one notable teammate who’s adamantly come to LaRoche‘s defense. He spoke about the tricky situation on Friday.

“This isn’t us rebelling against rules. This is us rebelling against BS,” Sale said, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Sale also described what happened between LaRoche and White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams:

Bob Nightengale of USA Today snapped an image of the LaRoche jerseys hanging on Sale’s locker:

Sale implied Williams should have been the one to leave the organization rather than LaRoche.

“Even the story that everyone is reading isn’t the issue. We have a much bigger problem on our hands,” Sale said, per John Barchard of 97.5 The Fanatic. Sale added, per WGN Radio’s Kevin Powell, “Somebody walked out of those doors the other day, and it was the wrong guy. Plain and simple.”

According to ESPN.com, sources told ESPN’s Karl Ravech that Chicago players were contemplating a boycott for Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports confirmed that to be the case and indicated players who met with Williams were incensed by the clubhouse policy for LaRoche‘s son.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, who initially reported on LaRoche‘s retirement, provided insight with specific regard to Sale and Williams’ exchange on Thursday:

The White Sox ultimately showed up to play versus Milwaukee, but there definitely appears to be lingering tension within the organization.

Williams spoke to Rosenthal about the controversy, per FoxSports.com’s Chris Bahr:

I asked Adam, said, ‘Listen, our focus, our interest, our desire this year is to make sure we give ourselves every opportunity to focus on a daily basis on getting better. All I’m asking you to do with regard to bringing your kid to the ballpark is dial it back.’

I don’t think he should be here 100 percent of the time – and he has been here 100 percent, every day, in the clubhouse. I said that I don’t even think he should be here 50 percent of the time. Figure it out, somewhere in between.

We all think his kid is a great young man. I just felt it should not be every day, that’s all. You tell me, where in this country can you bring your child to work every day?

Chicago center fielder Adam Eaton also spoke in Bahr‘s report, saying, “Adam and Drake are probably the most respected people in baseball I ever played with. Drake would clean cleats, he would help out in drills, pick up baseballs when we needed, he didn’t say boo to anybody and was never a trouble in the clubhouse.”

Per Shaikin, Eaton said on Friday that White Sox players hope to meet with owner Jerry Reinsdorf in the next couple of days.

LaRoche would have made $13 million this season but chose to walk away, confirming his decision on Twitter with “#FamilyFirst” as the hashtag to end his announcement. The 36-year-old was on a two-year contract and still had some baseball left, but he is at an age where retirement is within reason.

If relations are repaired, perhaps LaRoche will reconsider his sudden decision. According to White Sox players Nightengale cited, though, they’re convinced he won’t be coming back.  

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Chicago White Sox players considered boycotting Wednesday’s spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers in support of Adam LaRoche, according to Karl Ravech of ESPN, after LaRoche retired following the organization’s request that he bring his 14-year-old son Drake into the clubhouse less.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports confirmed the report and noted that “F-bombs aplenty flew” during the team’s meeting with their general manager. 

According to the report, White Sox manager Robin Ventura was able to convince the players to play in the contest. However, Ravech added, “Sources said there is a division between those in the front office and Ventura and his players regarding clubhouse access.”

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that ace pitcher Chris Sale was particularly vocal during the meeting and added that he “told Williams unequivocally to get out of the clubhouse and stay out.”

On Tuesday, White Sox vice president Ken Williams spoke with Rosenthal about the situation regarding Drake LaRoche’s access to the clubhouse:

LaRoche signed his retirement papers, as reported by Scott Merkin of MLB.com, but the White Sox have not yet sent them to the league office, which gives him the opportunity to reconsider his decision.

LaRoche, 36, hit .207 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 127 games in 2015 as a first baseman and designated hitter. It was a down season for the 11-year veteran, who hit at least 20 home runs and 75 RBI in seven of his first 10 seasons.

LaRoche was due to make $13 million this season, according to Spotrac, after signing a two-year, $25 million deal in 2015. He was apparently willing to forego that money after the White Sox requested he bring his son around the clubhouse less often.

His teammates clearly supported his decision, based on their reported response. The White Sox now must worry about a rift between the players and the front office, an unwanted distraction heading into Opening Day for a team with postseason aspirations.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.  

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Free-agent center fielder Austin Jackson signed a one-year contract on Sunday with the Chicago White Sox, confirmed MLB Roster Moves on Twitter.  

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported the deal is for $5 million. 

Jackson, 29, spent the first half of 2015 with the Seattle Mariners before being traded to the Chicago Cubs. He hit .267/.311/.385 with nine home runs and 48 RBI in 136 games.

He won’t bring power to the White Sox, but he will make up for that with a good glove in the outfield and above-average speed. He hit at least 10 triples in each of his first three seasons, leading the league twice. He’s also been successful on 106 of his 146 career stolen-base attempts.

The White Sox were 24th in MLB in both stolen bases and fielding percentage last season, while last year’s starting center fielder, Adam Eaton, was among the worst in baseball with a minus-1.1 defensive WAR, per ESPN.com.

Dan Szymborski of ESPN thinks Chicago made a good move by bringing in the center fielder:

Jackson broke into the league in 2010 with the Detroit Tigers and finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting behind Neftali Feliz. He was traded to the Mariners in 2014 before eventually joining the Cubs.

His average has dropped the past three years, as he has averaged .265 since 2013 after hitting .280 his first three seasons. Per Mike Axisa of CBSSports.com, Jackson has become a liability against right-handed pitchers, but it’s not time to give up on him:

At this point there’s no real reason to play Jackson against right-handed pitchers. They’ve chewed him up for years. Jackson has managed to hit .290/.345/.408 (113 OPS+) against lefties the last two seasons though, so he remains a viable platoon bat. Plus he still plays outstanding defense.

Jackson is still only 28 years [old], so he’s in what should be the prime years of his career. If nothing else, his defense and ability to hit lefties make him a quality fourth outfielder. He’s still young enough that he could get his career back on track and return to being an everyday player as well.

Jackson became expendable in Chicago after the Cubs signed free-agent outfielder Jason Heyward, who was with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015.

Maybe a fresh start with the White Sox will help Jackson get back on track. He proved early in his career he can be consistent for a full season, and if that’s the case in 2016, this could turn out to be one baseball’s better offseason deals.

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In a league where overpaying for talented players is commonplace, the Chicago White Sox broke that trend when they acquired All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier from the Cincinnati Reds back on Dec. 16.

The three-team deal included the Los Angeles Dodgers, who landed outfielder Trayce Thompson, pitcher Frankie Montas and infielder Micah Johnson in the trade. The Reds received prized infielder Jose Peraza, fellow infielder prospect Brandon Dixon and outfielder Scott Schebler, while the White Sox came away with Frazier.

It became clear in the aftermath of the trade that the public viewed Chicago as big winners in the deal and the Reds as chumps:

Part of the negative reaction surrounding the trade stemmed from irked Cincinnati fans. The 30-year-old Frazier was a fan favorite in Cincinnati, a notion best exemplified when Reds fans gave him a nice ovation after he won the 2015 Home Run Derby in front of the home crowd:

Adding Frazier to the middle of Chicago’s lineup will strike a newfound fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers, something that surely excites fans and players alike.

In an interview with USA Today‘s Nancy Armour, White Sox first baseman and fellow All-Star Jose Abreu expressed his own excitement about the acquisition of Frazier with a very concise statement:

“He’s a good player who can hit,” Abreu said. “I love it.”

Giving up three good (but not great) prospects for an All-Star third baseman is simply nothing short of a steal. The most heralded prospect given up in the trade didn’t even come via Chicago. Rather, it was Peraza, the No. 71 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, given up by the Dodgers. 

Frazier’s contract situation is great for the White Sox in the short term, although there could be some issues long term. Having signed a two-year, $12 million deal before the 2015 season, Frazier will be up for arbitration after the season.

Should the White Sox wish to sign him to a long-term extension, however (and there’s no reason to think they wouldn’t), they certainly have the money to do so. At worst, the team could deal him at the 2016 trade deadline next July for some prospects if things don’t work out this season.

White Sox fans are surely hoping that the Frazier trade ends up becoming this year’s version of the infamous (unless you’re a Toronto Blue Jays fan) Josh Donaldson trade and for good reason.

The parallels between the two situations are eerily similar. Both players were approaching their age-30 season on underachieving teams at the time of their trade, and both were All-Stars the previous season.

Take a look at their stats in the season before their respective trades:

We all know how the Donaldson trade worked out, as the Oakland Athletics dealt their star player to Toronto for third baseman Brett Lawrie and a trio of prospects. Donaldson went on to become the American League MVP, Lawrie is ironically now the White Sox second baseman after the Frazier trade and the A’s finished with the worst record in the AL.

It would be a stretch to say that Frazier will now become the MVP, especially since Donaldson had the benefit of landing in a loaded Blue Jays lineup. Frazier and Abreu are practically the only power threats in the entire White Sox lineup—aside from an occasional blast from Lawrie or the aging Adam LaRoche, of course.

But regardless of the lineup disparities between Toronto and Chicago, the White Sox will almost certainly improve on their 76-86 record last season. Manager Robin Ventura certainly feels that way, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune:

We’re also in the division that has the World Series champion. We know it’s a tough division. Everybody in that division is getting better, and this is our way to improve and make ourselves a viable candidate. So we’re much improved from last year — just look at the people that we’ve got. But you’re going to have to play to be able to make an impact and make it happen, because it doesn’t happen on paper.

As Ventura noted, the White Sox have the misfortune of playing in the same division as the Kansas City Royals, who are coming off a 95-win regular season. Still, the club has a respectable chance to be playing baseball deep into October.

Todd Frazier, easily the steal of the offseason, helps gives the White Sox that chance.

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