ARLINGTON, Texas – Six days remain until the trade deadline, one that figures to see the White Sox being very active.
“We’re ready to go,” Sox general manager Chris Getz said as the Sox were attempting to snap a nine-game losing streak Wednesday.
“The next several days are going to be very interesting.”
Getz isn’t naming names but it’s known he is listening on everyone, Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert Jr. and Erick Fedde included. He acknowledged five or six players could be dealt as the Sox build for the future.
“It’s a possibility,” Getz said. “We have players who have control and we have players who are due to be free agents at the end of the year. Some are more likely than others but we’re open minded and some of these players are at the top of the list for other clubs. There’s a lot of work that goes into getting a deal done. There have been lots of conversations.”
Front offices have shifted their focus from the draft to the deadline. Any day now, things will heat up on the trade market.
“I feel like the market has come alive in the last couple days where the conversations have been more meaningful in the last couple weeks,” Getz said. “It’s tough to say when some of these trades will be executed, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you start seeing some [Thursday]. But I know most of these deals will probably get done close to the deadline.”
Robert stays on top
It makes sense to bat Robert first. He’s fast, he has power and he’s your most dangerous hitter.
Manager Pedro Grifol likes the way Robert has been running, fully recovered from a hip flexor strain, so “I’m going to do that for a little bit,” he said Wednesday. “I want to give him as many at-bats as possible.”
There’s nothing to lose for a team ranking last in the majors in average, on-base and slugging percentage and runs, with 17 in the nine-game losing streak taken into Wednesday. Robert’s 11th homer against Nathan Eovalid in the third inning gave the Sox a 2-1 lead.
“I did it because he’s running and he feels comfortable stealing,” Grifol said. “He’s healthy and if he’s comfortable stealing that’s a good spot for him. And if we turn the lineup around he’s at the top of it.”
Robert and Tommy Pham, now batting third, have traded spots.
In 48 games, Robert was batting .227/.300/.464. Entering Wednesday, he was 4-for-13 (.308) with a homer, double, four RBI and two stolen bases.
Kopech’s role
Grifol went to Michael Kopech in the seventh inning of Monday’s game against the Rangers that was lost in the 10th against John Brebbia, and he figures to go to Kopech, who had been closing, as soon as the seventh again if need be.
“We’ve had a hard time getting through the seventh,” Grifol said, noting the Sox’ 5.68 in the inning. “The bottom line is if you can buy yourself a couple of innings to see if you can put another point on the board, then I’m going to do it…. I’m not going to sit around to wait for Kopech in the ninth.”
Grifol said he likes Brebbia in the ninth and would us Justin Anderson there and give others chances in the ninth.
Working in the seventh and perhaps multiple innings allows Kopech, who has nine saves and five of the Sox’ 25 blown saves, to “slow down a little, give you some consistency,” Grifol said.
“He’s been awesome. He’s been good. He’s been pitching well. So let’s get back to where we were in the beginning of the season. We’re going to leverage you, and we’ll close the game out however we can. But let’s get to the ninth before we get into some trouble in the sixth, seventh or eighth inning.
Lightning in a bottle?
Grifol also might try different options in the ninth.
“Relievers, sometimes they pop up out of nowhere and some of these guys, their DNA is a little different than everybody else’s and you don’t know that until you give them an opportunity. So we’ll give the ball to a few guys and see if they can do it.”
