Nick Nastrini Sees The Bright Side In Trade To White Sox
Double-A Birmingham had a decidedly different look in early August.
Before they were both fired in the midst of season that resulted in 101 losses, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn and executive vice president Ken Williams dealt seven veterans and acquired eight prospects before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Promising young talents such as catcher Edgar Quero and lefthanders Jake Eder and Ky Bush were assigned to Birmingham, as was 23-year-old righthander Nick Nastrini.
“We all bonded pretty quickly,” said Nastrini, who was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte in late August. “It has been good to be around those guys.
“And it’s definitely good to see that there’s a core group of young players in the minor league system who can kind of progress through together and get to the show together (and) help bring a World Series to the White Sox.
“That’s what we all want to do.”
There will plenty of room for Nastrini and others to get established in a shallow Chicago rotation in the years ahead. The White Sox added the 6-foot-3 Nastrini and Triple-A reliever Jordan Leasure when they traded Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers.
“The Dodgers are very good at development,” Nastrini said, “and when you’re so good at development, you have an insane amount of players who are very, very good. There’s a little bit of a roadblock in the system.
“Here, there’s a much more clear path to the big leagues and getting to Chicago as quickly as possible. That’s kind of the way I’ve been viewing it.”
In 25 combined starts with Charlotte, Birmingham and Double-A Tulsa this season, Nastrini recorded a 4.08 ERA with 139 strikeouts in 114.2 innings.
“I was shook for a while,” Nastrini said of the trade, “but I’m happy where I’m at right now. You’ve just kind of got to pick up and get going when you get to a new organization. You’ve got to look at the positives.”
CHI-LITES
— Sidelined by injuries in the first half of the season, shortstop Colson Montgomery (back) and third baseman Bryan Ramos (groin) will get needed extra playing time in the Arizona Fall League.
— Lefthander Noah Schultz was shut down for the season in late August with a shoulder impingement. He’s been throwing sides at instructional league and is expected to be ready for spring training.
