The first domino has dropped for the White Sox.
This evening, Jeff Passan reported that the club has traded Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to the Angels in exchange for catching prospect Edgar Quero and LHP Ky Bush. The report was later confirmed by the White Sox.
Quero is the big prize here for the White Sox, as he is the 84th-ranked prospect in baseball, per Baseball America. In 317 plate appearances in Double-A this season, the 20-year-old is hitting .245/.385/.332 with three home runs. He has walked (17.0%) more than he has struck out (16.7%) while allowing just two passed balls. He has a 25% caught-stealing rate (23/92), which is solid at the minor league level. He is a switch-hitting catcher with a strong feel for the strike zone. His ETA, per MLB.com, is 2025.
Bush, 23, is the Angels’ 4th-ranked prospect by Baseball America. He has the ceiling of a back-end-of-the-rotation starter, and Baseball America had this to say about the left-hander:
“Bush is a big, hulking lefthander at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds. His four-pitch mix is headlined by an above-average fastball that sits 93-94 mph and touches 96 with sinking action out of his high, three-quarters arm slot. His best secondary offering is a sharp, plus slider in the mid 80s with a late vertical break that gets swings and misses. Bush manipulates the speed and break of his slider and uses it best going down and away from lefthanded hitters and to the back foot of righthanded ones. Bush can generate swings and misses with his fringy, slow curveball and he has a feel for an average, fading changeup, but both remain inconsistent. He is a sneaky-good athlete given his large frame and throws strikes with average control out of repeatable delivery.”
– Baseball America
Giolito was scheduled to start on Friday against the Guardians, though it is unclear who will take that spot now that it has been vacated. The right-hander certainly had his ups and downs with the ballclub, though memories of his work against the Athletics in the ALDS and his no-hitter against the Pirates will certainly be the lasting memories of his time with the White Sox.
Thanks for everything over the years, Gio. You’ll be missed on the South Side.
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Featured Image: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
