In a last-ditch effort to salvage any hope of competing in the near future, White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams has blown up what was left of a minor league system that didn’t have a ton of depth to begin with. Williams has recently given up Gio Gonzalez, Fautino De Los Santos, Ryan Sweeney, Chris Carter, and Aaron Cunningham for Nick Swisher, Carlos Quentin, and Danny Richar. With moves like these, one can only hope that the White Sox are prepared to invest a good deal of stock into the next amateur draft. Until then, the organization is going to have a very weak farm system.
1. Aaron Poreda, LHP (10/1/86)
Chicago nabbed Poreda from the University of San Francisco with the 25th pick of the 2007 Draft. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound lefthander had little difficulty in his pro debut, fanning 27.9% of the 172 rookie batters he faced while walking just 5.8%. He also generated a 69% ground-ball rate. Poreda throws an upper-90s fastball with good sink but it’s his only plus pitch. Though he could easily breeze through the lower minors by relying on his fastball exclusively, he’ll have to develop his secondary offerings – a slider and a changeup – before he finds success in Double and Triple-A. Poreda will likely open the season in High-A, possibly getting a taste of Double-A before the year is over.
2. Jack Egbert, RHP (5/12/83)
While he has yet to pitch above Double-A and is going to turn 25 this May, there is plenty to be optimistic about with Egbert (pictured to the right). A former 13th rounder (2004), Egbert has proven himself more and more at every one of his minor-league stops. His K/PA steadily climbed from 17.7% (Low-A) to 20.4% (High-A) to 25.5% (Double-A). He fanned 3.75 batters for every one he walked last season. And if that isn’t enough, his home-run rate is top-notch – he allowed just three in 180.1 innings last year. In fact, Egbert has allowed just five long balls in his last 342.2 innings of work. Egbert’s spiffy peripherals should translate well to Triple-A in 2008. He may get a look in the rotation at some point in 2008, too.
3. Lance Broadway, RHP (9/20/83)
Likely expecting him to be a guy who could move through the minors quickly, the White Sox drafted Broadway 15th overall in 2005. But he hasn’t exactly sped to the Majors and his 17.8% minor league strikeout rate shows his limited upside. The righthander also walked 11.4% of the Triple-A batters he faced last season – a career high. Though he got knocked around in July and August, he was still given a September call-up. He limited the Royals to two hits over 6.0 innings and struck out eight while walking two in his lone big-league start. Look for Broadway to open 2008 in Triple-A. He could be first in line to crack the White Sox rotation if any of the team’s starters falter.
4. Nevin Griffith, RHP (3/23/89)
The 89th overall pick last June, Nevin Griffith has quite a bit of ceiling, but quite a few challenges to meet before he reaches it. His arsenal consists of a fastball that sits in the low-90s, a slider that he uses for strikeouts, a high-80s, power curve, and a raw changeup – according to Jonathan Mayo. His long-arm, deliberate delivery lacks deception and is easy for batters to read. His poise, however, is what some talent evaluators love about him – see Mayo’s report. The 6-foot-2 and 185-pounder pitched 11.2 rookie innings last season (15 hits – 13 singles – 7 walks, and 10 strikeouts; 63% GB). He should open 2008 in Low-A.
5. John Shelby, OF (8/6/85)
Unless you are confusing him for his father, former big league outfielder and current first base coach of the same name, Shelby is someone you likely haven’t heard much about. The 5th rounder (2006) out of the University of Kentucky got off to a slow Low-A start but finished strong – 1.195 OPS in August. This resulted in an overall wOBA of .363. Shelby has moved out of the infield and been put in center – where he could stick. At 5-foot-11, 185-pounds, he’s smaller than typical big leaguers. And being a 22-year-old in Low-A is nothing to scream about. The skills are there but Shelby has quite a bit of work to do to become more than a reserve in the majors.
Honorable Mentions:
After drafting Poreda and Griffith with their first and second round picks, the White Sox took another pitcher, John Ely
(RHP, 5/17/86), with their third pick. The Miami University of Ohio
product posted a smooth strikeout rate (24.3%) through his first 56.0
innings of pro ball (Rookie). Kyle McCulloch
(RHP, 3/20/85) made a name for himself when he helped pitch the Texas
Longhorns to a national championship in 2005, but has since failed to
catch many eyes with his mediocre progress. The 30th pick of the 2006 Draft, McCulloch had a 3.81 FIP in High-A last season. Jose Martinez
(OF, 7/25/88) leads the way for an empty crop of low level position
players within the organization. He hit .282/.345/.437 last season in
rookie-ball. Switch hitter Sergio Miranda (SS, 3/5/87) could prove to be a steal as a 13th rounder (2007). And it's always fun to keep an eye on knuckleballer Charlie Haeger (RHP, 9/19/83), too.
Daniel Berlyn can be reached at berlyman99@aol.com.