11.25.2005: Philadelphia dealt 1B-L Jim Thome & $22M to the White Sox for CF-R Aaron Rowand, LHP Daniel Haigwood, and a PTBNL.

Thome's injury last season gave 1B-L Ryan Howard an opportunity to demonstrate his value to the organization and forced the organization to realize that it would be a mistake to block or trade him. Thome grew up in central Illinois and the only teams for which he appeared willing to waive his no trade clause were the two Chicago teams, St. Louis, and Cleveland, where he spent the first dozen seasons of his career. The first basemen of the Cardinals and Cubs jockeyed for the NL MVP this past season and the Indians demonstrated no interest, leaving the White Sox as basically the Phillies only viable partner. This situation should have given Chicago an upper hand in the negotiations, and to the extent that Philadelphia still is paying almost half of the remainder of Thome's contract, the White Sox used that leverage. The first reports of this deal we heard over the radio mentioned only that Chicago received Thome and cash for Aaron Rowand, and that struck us as a laudable move by the White Sox. However, in addition to providing solid compensation in the form of Rowand, Chicago allowed the Phillies to pluck two quality pitching prospects from their ranks, as a variety of sources have reported that Gio Gonzalez eventually will complete the trade as the player to be named later.

Thome began the season with back problems, which landed him on the disabled list for the first two-thirds of May. Upon his return, the 35-year-old played unspectacularly through June before tendonitis in his right elbow put him down for the season. In late September, Thome underwent surgery to repair the tendon, and he now expects to be healthy for Spring Training. Although he maintained a stellar walk rate during his time in the lineup, his contact rate declined to an ominous .69 and his G-F rose, which naturally resulted in a low batting average and a dip in power. While I fully expect a healthy Thome to rebound, last season certainly created concerns about his ability to remain productive through the end of his contract, which does not expire until after the 2008 season.

Rowand provided decent production and excellent offense for the White Sox, but the 28-year-old's skills indicate little likelihood of offensive growth while his salary will continue to grow. He possesses a mediocre walk rate and his ground-fly bounced back up to a 1.73 last season after three years of progress lowered it from a 2.13 in 2001 to a 1.33 in 2004. With questionable plate discipline and power skills, Rowand's offensive contribution is dependent upon his contact rate and his baserunning skills. Meanwhile, Chicago possess a trio of promising outfield prospects in the upper levels of their system and dealing Rowand now creates a major league opening for OF-R Brian Anderson in the spring. However, he is a passable fit for the Phillies, who could use the defensive contribution and outfield depth.

The White Sox drafted Haigwood out of high school with a sixteenth round pick in the 2002 draft. He spent the remainder of that season with their Rookie-level Arizona League team and then missed 2003 due to a torn ACL in his left knee. After a season with the White Sox's A South Atlantic League affiliate at Kannapolis, Haigwood split 2005 between A+ Winston Salem in the Carolina League and AA Birmingham in the Southern League, where he compiled a 76:31 K:BB with 39 H and 0 HR allowed in 67.1 IP for a 1.74 ERA over 11 starts. His dominance as a left-handed starter indicates substantial potential, though he continues to post troublingly high walk rates. Given Philadelphia's starting depth, Haigwood should receive ample time to refine his skills in the upper minors, though a strong campaign in 2006 may earn him a September bullpen call-up.

Although the fourth player in the deal has not yet officially been announced, consensus indicates that LHP Gio Gonzalez will complete the trade. Chicago drafted Gonzalez out of high school with the 38th pick in the first round of the 2004 draft. He split the remainder of that season between Bristol in the Short-season Appalachian League and A Kannapolis. Gonzalez opened 2005 back at Kannapolis but advanced in June to A+ Winston Salem, where he compiled a 79:25 K:BB with 61 H and 5 HR allowed in 73.1 IP for a 3.56 ERA over 13 starts. Although the 20-year-old still needs to demonstrate these skills in the upper minors, his solid control numbers foreshadow a brighter future than that of Haigwood.