Swisher Floats to Windy City

January 7, 2008 @ 07:25:20

By Joe Book
Edited by Tim Heaney

With baseball's annual winter meetings a distant memory, general managers are still looking to tweak their rosters for a World Series run, either in 2008 or further into the future. The Oakland Athletics are subscribing to the latter theory as they sent established major-league outfielder Nick Swisher to the Chicago White Sox for minor-league pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Fautino De Los Santos, and outfield prospect Ryan Sweeney.

While it's clear that the two teams have different objectives, what isn't apparent is who got the best end of this deal. The White Sox filled a potential hole in center field by adding the versatile Swisher, but lost three players who will likely make a significant impact at the major league level. Just weeks after sending ace starting pitcher Dan Haren to the Arizona Diamondbacks for six prospects, Athletics general manager Billy Beane struck another agreement that reloads the Oakland farm system and makes them a dangerous team as soon as 2009.

Coming off a Down Swish

Swisher turned 27 years old in November but has been a full-time player for only three seasons. A powerful, patient outfielder in the minors, Swisher hasn't fully developed his home run stroke in the big leagues, but has hammered at least 21 round-trippers in each of his three campaigns in Oakland. The 2007 season saw Swisher set career highs in on-base percentage (.381) and batting average (.262), and his 100 walks ranked sixth in the American League.

While most of this fan-favorite's peripheral statistics improved, his power numbers slipped from his 2006 totals of 35 home runs and 95 RBI. History shows that most players begin their career power spike between the ages of 25-28, so the fact that Swisher went in reverse is moderately alarming. He suffered through a nagging shoulder and hamstring injuries for part of the 2007 season, and combined with playing with one of the worst offenses in baseball, he might have valid reasons for a regression. Only time will tell.

The move to Chicago means Swisher will trade one of the worst hitter's parks in the American League for U.S. Cellular Field, where the White Sox have averaged 126 home runs per season since 2000. He is perfectly suited to hit second in a potent Chicago lineup, which features newly-acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera, as well as first baseman Paul Konerko, designated hitter Jim Thome and outfielder Jermaine Dye. Joining two emerging stars in third baseman Josh Fields and outfielder Jerry Owens, Swisher has an opportunity to be part of a core group of players to lead the White Sox for the next decade.

He'll likely start the season in center field, but rumors have swirled of late that the White Sox will attempt to trade Konerko and replace him with Swisher. He'll battle the speedy Owens for an outfield spot, unless Chicago is able to move third baseman Joe Crede, which would clear a spot for Fields to move back to his natural position.

Swisher is entering the prime of his career, and with a contract securing his position for another four seasons, he's an enticing pick in any format. If your league rewards on-base percentage, bump Swisher up the draft board accordingly. With three bashers behind him in the order, Swisher has a legitimate chance to best his career high of 106 runs and could be an excellent sleeper pick 100-150 picks into your draft.

The Youngsters

The game of career ping-pong continues for Gonzalez, who will pitch for a different team for the fourth consecutive year, including two stints with the White Sox. He was traded from Chicago to Philadelphia after the 2005 season in a deal that brought Thome to the White Sox, then dealt back to the Windy City in the trade involving starting pitcher Freddy Garcia. If his arm is as busy as his suitcase, Oakland will be his last spot for some time.

Gonzalez has had a successful minor league career and was widely regarded (twice) as one of the top pitchers in Chicago's farm system. His fastball reaches 93 miles per hour, and he features a knee-bending curveball and a fine changeup. Gonzalez has fanned 584 batters in only 501 minor league innings, and his 3.18 ERA at Double-A Birmingham hints that he's ready for big league action. Control problems have plagued him, but Gonzalez has improved his pitch selection late in counts and has subsequently lowered his walk ratios.

The 22-year-old was projected to compete for a job in the back of the Chicago rotation, and has the same opportunity in Oakland. With injuries historically crippling the Athletics' pitching staff, including recent hip surgery for starting pitcher Chad Gaudin, Gonzalez could make an impact on Oakland's future as soon as the middle of 2008. He's a nice name to call at your draft toward the end of a deep league, and has more value in keeper formats.

Ranked as the number one prospect in the Chicago farm system by Baseball America, Sweeney has spent his entire career with the White Sox after being drafted in the second round of the 2003 Entry Draft. His minor league record is solid, having hit for a .289 average in nearly 2100 plate appearances. 2007 was his second season at the Triple-A level, and he slipped from his lofty numbers the year before. He'll be 23 years old when the 2008 season starts, so time seems to be running out for Sweeney to improve enough to crack the Oakland outfield, which isn't currently occupied by above-average players.

His 80 major league at bats have been unproductive, but without playing every day, it's nearly impossible to get a solid look at a player. Sweeney was an excellent hitter in the minors, and his skill set could translate into an above-average major league career. He has no significant fantasy value right now, but if he were to earn a roster spot, keep Sweeney on your radar as a mid-season sleeper.

De Los Santos was incredibly dominating at two levels in 2007, posting a 10-5 record and 153 strikeouts in only 122 innings. He will certainly start the season in the minor leagues, but could be in the big leagues in 2009, and a star not long thereafter.

Summary

White Sox general manager Ken Williams is trying to find the magic that brought Chicago a World Series title in 2005, and he has dealt three players that could form the hub of a youth resurgence in Oakland. Swisher is the only player in this deal who had his fantasy status change in a major way, but all three players acquired by the Athletics could be fantasy stars sooner rather than later.

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Joe Book
Joe has been with KFFL since 2007.

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