| 17 March 2010
The White Sox are usually a team that opts to trade away their top prospects for major-league ready talent. While this is opposite of Minnesota’s strategy, Chicago has made it work through smart management.
While this means Chicago can trade for Juan Pierre, Jake Peavy, and Mark Teahen, it also means that the White Sox won’t rely too much on their minor league system. Here are two of Chicago’s more major-league ready prospects, with how they may impact the divisional race in 2010.
Daniel Hudson, RH-SP, 22 years old
Hudson was a 5th-round pick of the 2008 draft, but rocketed through the system last year. He started 2009 in Single-A, where he put up a 1.23 ERA in 22 innings of pitching before being promoted to High-A, where he posted a 3.40 ERA in 45 innings. Hudson was then moved to Double-A, where he struck out 10.1 batters per nine innings with an ERA of 1.60 in 56.1 innings. He finished the year in Triple-A, where he threw 24 innings while posting an ERA of 3.00.
Overall, Hudson went 14-5 with a 2.32 ERA in 147.1 innings of pitching last year. He also struck out an average of 10.1 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.1 per nine. Clearly, Hudson has major-league potential.
In the crowded White Sox rotation, though, his impact may be muted. Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, and Freddy Garcia are all excellent starting pitchers, and Hudson may be forced to start the season back in Triple-A.
In 2010, Hudson will likely be a spot starter and long relief option for the White Sox. His high strikeout totals could indicate a move to the bullpen in the future. Scouts claim that Hudson has fastball with late movement and a very deceiving changeup.
Hudson is very effective against hack-tastic batters, and the Twins could struggle to master the young Chicago prospect in 2010.
Tyler Flowers, C, 24 years old
Flowers is very similar to Minnesota’s Wilson Ramos. Both have average defense behind the plate, but will likely be able to rack up at least 20 home runs per season while displaying some patience at the plate.
Ramos is blocked by Joe Mauer, while Flowers is blocked by AJ Pierzynski. Both Mauer’s and Pierzynski’s contracts expire after the 2010 season, but the Twins hold a much better chance of locking up their incumbent to a long-term deal than the White Sox.
Ramos and Flowers are capable of being major-league backups in 2010, but both would be best served by consistent playing time. Flowers will likely spend most of 2010 in Triple-A, but would be promoted in a heartbeat if Pierzynski were injured or there were a desperate need for a bench bat or designated hitter.
Along with his tendency to draw more than his fair share of walks, Twins’ pitchers will also need to be aware of Flowers’ relatively high strikeout rate. BP prospect guru Kevin Goldstein also claims that Flowers has a slow release on his throws, which will give opposing base-runners a slight advantage when they attempt to steal a base.
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