The Brewers Should Gamble on a DH Who Actually Hits

This was in the Trade Forum earlier; it won’t happen for a number of reasons:

1.) Unless they’re doing a complete tear down, why would the White Sox move Jimenez—26 year old clean up hitter under team control for three more years?

2.) True, every player is available for the right price. But those Brewer farmhands referenced wouldn’t constitute an offer that’s “too good to be true”

3.) Everything the Brewers GM has said, and they way they’ve worked the deadline the last 5-6 years indicates the Brewers simply don’t trade the type of prospects necessary to land young controllable talent.

I think the White Sox would want Robert Gasser. They need 2024 cheap rotation help bad. They only have two pitchers in next years rotation atm in cease and kopech. They are a team that will refuse to spend big on starting pitching and go more with the brewers late 2000s early 2010s approach. Suppans, lohses, garzas of the world. If Eloy didn’t get hurt all the time I would really consider that. 

27 minutes ago, Tim Muma said:

I agree this isn't a "too good to be true" offer and a deal isn't "likely"; however, Jimenez's value is lessened due to his injury history and being a DH who can occasionally play the outfield. And like noted, the contract structure makes it tough to figure out - from both ends - what makes the most sense for the clubs.

Many times a team that has an oft-injured player gets frustrated because they have invested in him and he's just not reliable. A new team that has a true need in that area (offense) might be more willing to take a chance and have their own way to keep him healthy.

Like I said, I was sort of thinking about his as an option, but wasn't sold. When I heard Bruce Levine specifically mention the Brewers talking to the Sox about him, it felt legit enough to discuss.

I had no clue someone actually reported that we inquired on Jimenez. That’s really cool if true. That would be a big time trade. I genuinely have no clue on his trade value though because of the injuries, him only being a DH, and the contract being fair but not anything too special. 

23 minutes ago, Tim Muma said:

I agree this isn't a "too good to be true" offer and a deal isn't "likely"; however, Jimenez's value is lessened due to his injury history and being a DH who can occasionally play the outfield. And like noted, the contract structure makes it tough to figure out - from both ends - what makes the most sense for the clubs.

Many times a team that has an oft-injured player gets frustrated because they have invested in him and he's just not reliable. A new team that has a true need in that area (offense) might be more willing to take a chance and have their own way to keep him healthy.

Like I said, I was sort of thinking about his as an option, but wasn't sold. When I heard Bruce Levine specifically mention the Brewers talking to the Sox about him, it felt legit enough to discuss.

I get it, but the White Sox tanked for years to put this group together, won their Division in 2021 since then poor managerial choices and injuries have derailed them. The more realistic scenario is they try to retool around the core they have and give it another go in ‘24 especially when they play in the weakest Division in the American League. 

I would think the White Sox hold out for more than that package.  

I don't know or care who the article is suggesting but I wish the front office would read the headline and go, "Hey, there's an idea we haven't thought of before. Let's give it a try."

I had EBJ and Lauer going to the White Sox in the Trade Forum. They can say they got a top prospect and a starting pitcher that has had recent success. 

22 minutes ago, wallus said:

I had EBJ and Lauer going to the White Sox in the Trade Forum. They can say they got a top prospect and a starting pitcher that has had recent success. 

If that is all it would take, then giddy up.  If that were true, though, I think it would have happened already, which means the Chi Sox want quite a bit more than that.

2 hours ago, Jopal78 said:

1.) Unless they’re doing a complete tear down, why would the White Sox move Jimenez—26 year old clean up hitter under team control for three more years?

Because he is a DH and they have a cheaper version with Burger who they are trying to fit into the lineup everyday.  The problem with the White Sox is that they have a bunch of DH/1B playing the field in Burger, Jimenez, Vaughn and Sheets.  At some point you have to get better defensively otherwise all that offense is wasted.  They have Burger for two more years under pre arbitration and he doesn't hit arbitration until 2026. 

If the White Sox can get some pitching and a better defender back in return for Jimenez for '24 it makes sense to trade Jimenez who would bring back a good pitching prospect along with a good positional prospect. 

4 hours ago, nate82 said:

Because he is a DH and they have a cheaper version with Burger who they are trying to fit into the lineup everyday.  The problem with the White Sox is that they have a bunch of DH/1B playing the field in Burger, Jimenez, Vaughn and Sheets.  At some point you have to get better defensively otherwise all that offense is wasted.  They have Burger for two more years under pre arbitration and he doesn't hit arbitration until 2026. 

If the White Sox can get some pitching and a better defender back in return for Jimenez for '24 it makes sense to trade Jimenez who would bring back a good pitching prospect along with a good positional prospect. 

Trading, your clean up hitter for prospects and trying to win as many games as possible in 2024 are seemingly opposite things. 
 

Further. I would dispute the notion that Burger is a cheaper version of Jimenez, maybe in that they’re not good defenders but Burger is actually older than Eloy and hasn’t been as good in his career up to now as Jimenez. 

Maybe in the next 72 hours the Sox pull the plug on the Jimenez, Moancada, Anderson, Vaughn, Burger,  Kopech, Cease, Hendriks etc group, then of course  all bets are off. 

I think the deal proposed is a bit much for 1.3 seasons of control of an oft injured DH only player gauranted nearly $20 M over that span. The additional $31 M for the 2 option years doesn't add any additional value to a trade. It's not a horrible overpay, so I could live with it.

They’d ask for gasser but I’d counter with Mitchell.  Oft injured proven player for an oft injured high ceiling as the centerpiece.       You could then add lauer, Henry and maybe hiura to free him from purgatory. Eloy should be our top target.