White Sox don't stand pat, deal for Thome

By Jim Callis
November 25, 2005

World Series champions can fall into the trap of trying to keep their club intact rather than attempting to improve. The White Sox showed that they won't, however, when they finalized a trade with the Phillies on Friday that brought them Jim Thome for Aaron Rowand, Double-A lefthander Daniel Haigwood and a player to be named later. Multiple baseball sources have identified the additional player as high Class A lefty Gio Gonzalez. Philadelphia also included $22 million to defray the remaining $46 million over the next three years of Thome's contract, a six-year deal worth $85 million.

Thome's departure clears the way for the Phillies to make National League rookie of the year Ryan Howard an everyday player at first base, while Rowand fills their hole in center field. From the White Sox' perspective, Thome is insurance in case Paul Konerko departs as a free agent and a DH if Konerko returns. Chicago is expected to turn over center field to a minor leaguer, most likely 2003 first-round pick Brian Anderson.

Thome, 35, hit a total of 89 homers in his first two seasons with Philadelphia, but dropped to .207/.360/.352 with seven homers and 30 RBIs in 59 games in 2005 when he was plagued by back and elbow injuries. He had elbow surgery in August, ending his season. When healthy, Thome is one of the best lefthanded power hitters in the game and annually among his league's leader in walks. He will strike out and doesn't do much on the basepaths or defensively, but that's an acceptable tradeoff for his production. He's a career .281/.408/.562 hitter with 430 homers and 1,193 RBIs in 1,738 games.

Rowand, 28, is one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball and was deserving of a Gold Glove in 2005. But his production slipped in his second year as a regular, from .310/.361/.544 with 24 homers in 2004 to .270/.329/.407 with 13 homers in 2005. He does a lot more damage against lefthanders, with a career .863 OPS against southpaws compared to .771 against righties (and just .703 this season). His speed and power are average, though he has good instincts and has stolen 33 bases in 43 tries over the last two years. Rowand will make $3.2 million in 2006 and his contract calls for a player option of $3.25 million and a club option of $5 million in 2007. He has batted .283/.337/.451 with 54 homers, 211 RBIs and 38 steals in 579 career games.

Gonzalez, 20, would become the second-best prospect in the Phillies system, ranking behind only Cole Hamels. A supplemental-first round pick out of a Miami high school in 2004, Gonzalez split his first full season between low Class A Kannapolis and high Class A Winston-Salem. He went 13-6, 2.82 in 24 games (23 starts), with a 163-47 K-BB ratio in 131 innings. Opponents batted just .205 with eight homers against him. Gonzalez' best pitch is an outstanding curveball, and he also has a low-90s fastball and a quality changeup. He throws strikes, and the only real question about him is how well his 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame will hold up. He had some back and shoulder problems in 2005.

Haigwood, 22, was a 16th-round pick in 2002 out of Midland High in Pleasant Plains, Ark., where he won his first 43 decisions before losing his finale. He has been a consistent winner as a pro as well, going 32-11. He went 14-3, 2.82 in 26 starts this year between Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham. In 144 innings, he had a 160-64 K-BB ratio, a .223 opponent average and eight homers allowed. He doesn't overwhelm hitters so much as keep them off balance. His curveball is his best pitch, his changeup has improved and he throws both two-seam and four-seam fastballs. His sinker is better than his four-seamer, which ranges from 88-92 mph.